Taken by Storm

Taken by Storm #1

by Angela Morrison

Leesie Hunt has many No kissing. No sex. No dating outside the Mormon faith. When Michael Walden?a deep-sea diver who lost his parents in a violent hurricane?arrives in town, Leesie sees someone who needs her. They fall for one another, even though his dreams are tied to the depths of the ocean and hers to salvation above. Will their intense chemistry be too strong to resist? Leesie and Michael must make the hardest choice of their whether to follow their beliefs or their hearts. Readers will be swept away by this tale of forbidden romance told in online chats, Leesie?s chapbook poems, and Michael?s dive log. It?s as steamy as Twilight and just as clean.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, High School, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult Romance

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2009

About the author

Award-winning author, Angela Morrison, loves it when characters like Gavin in her debut picture book, ROCKHOUND, wake her up in the middle of the night and whisper their stories to her. She scribbles, listens, and revises until a story is born. When Angela isn't busy writing another tale, she enjoys playing with her grandkids, teaching writers young and old, and scuba diving with sharks. She holds and MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, along with an English BA from BYU. She and her husband live in Peoria, Arizona.

Reviews

[Tristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leesie is a Mormon. She’s never smoked, never tasted alcohol, doesn’t make out, goes to church, and tries to live her life according to her beliefs.

Michael is a surfer dude. He’s been raised on the ocean, in touch with nature, and has learned to express his deep emotions by having sex.

When Michael’s parents are killed in a freak storm, he comes to live with his grandmother in Washington. He is filled with grief over his parents’ death and hates being uprooted from the only life he’s known. When he starts attending school, he meets Leesie, a girl filled with so much goodness and light, he’s drawn to her from the start. She’s drawn to him as well, sensing his loneliness and wanting to help him, and soon they’re spending all their spare time together. But she’s been taught to wait until marriage to have sex, and he doesn’t understand why.

“Taken by Storm” is the breakout novel for LDS author Angela Morrison, who wanted to show the struggle our youth go through as they start having relationships and increasing pressure to be intimate. I was of two minds about this book, and I’ll share both sides with you. Then I’ll share the answers to the questions I posed to the author.

I appreciated the look into Michael’s emotions. He wasn’t portrayed as a sex-crazy teenage boy who would do whatever he could to get Leesie in the sack—instead, he was shown as a young man in pain who had never learned to deal with his emotions without sex. He didn’t have the tools he needed beyond that. We feel compassion for him, knowing his choices weren’t the best, but understanding why he made them. He also genuinely tried to understand where Leesie was coming from, even though her thought process was completely foreign to him.

As we see Leesie’s battle between her feelings and her morals, I think we can relate to her desire to be good and yet, her desire to be “normal.” Her caring, compassionate nature leads her into a position where she’s doing everything she can to comfort Michael, including letting him take some liberties that I didn’t feel entirely comfortable with (kissing her navel, for instance) and she rides the line quite a bit. But I think this portrayal of her conflict is pretty accurate of how young women battle within themselves when they fall in love for the first time.

My issues—as mentioned, I do think Leesie let Michael go a little too far, at one point taking off her sweater so he could have easier access while he made out with her. Sure, they never actually had intercourse, but boundaries of morality can and often are crossed before that point is ever reached. I felt she was being unfair to him, letting him go only so far before pulling back—she thought she was helping him, but I felt like she was toying with him. I also felt that Michael showed more sorrow for his actions at the end. Leesie’s repentance seemed a little too cut-and-dried to me.

Angela granted me an interview in which I asked her for her opinion on these concerns (and lots of other questions, too) as follows:

Tristi: Angela, what is your writing background? Is this your first publication, or one of many?

Angela: “Taken by Storm” is my debut novel. I've always wanted to be a writer. I got my BA in English at BYU and then motherhood hit. When my youngest started school full-time, I enrolled in Vermont College's Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, an intense two-year, low-res program that changed my life. TBS was my master's degree creative thesis. It took me three and a half years of querying, revising, and querying some more to finally sell it. I'm sure I'd still be counting my rejections if Stephanie Meyers had not single-handedly transformed the young adult book market. It's quite amazing. Not only did she expand the market, editors are now saying they are looking for "clean teen" series, and YA is a household word.

I signed for two novels with Penguin. My next novel for their Razorbill imprint, “Sing Me to Sleep,” a tragic romantic triangle featuring an ugly duckling turned diva, will come out on their Spring 2010 list. I'm putting the finishing touches on that manuscript now. I'm still revising and marketing an historical YA, “The Collier Lad’s Lass,” and a time-slip for tween boys, “The Time Assassin.”

Tristi: What gave you the idea to write “Taken by Storm?”

Angela: Several years ago, my husband and I were scuba diving off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. Halfway through the trip the weather turned nasty. Dark skies. Rain. We still dove. Darker than usual, but nothing stops divers.

In between dives, we huddled on the boat getting rained on. To the south of us, a thick band of wicked clouds blocked up the sky. A newsy guy informed us our rain and those clouds were what was left of a hurricane that had just hit Belize. He told us the hurricane capsized a boatload of divers and most of them drowned. None of us believed him. Divers don't drown. He insisted—and he was right. A large live-aboard yacht docked in what they thought was a safe port. They were wrong.

Over the next several months, I followed the story closely. I found news articles on the Internet and watched the memorial grow on the website of the dive club who chartered the boat and lost so many. I felt a kinship with those dead divers. The clouds that killed them rained on me, too.

I began asking myself, "What if?" What if the only survivor of a similar fictional accident was a guy whose parents drowned? How did he survive? What happened to him after? Who would he live with now? Where would he go?

And, most important, who would love him?

When I started my MFA, Michael's voice emerged during a free-write. I stirred around the pieces of my life in my memory, and picked up my grandmother's house in my tiny hometown. I sent Michael there and introduced him to the only Mormon girl in town, who was living in my old farmhouse. They started talking in my head all time. I scribbled as fast as I could to keep up. It's really their story, not mine.
What I did was revise, revise, revise--with the help of my MFA advisors, critique pals, editors who rejected me, and at last the editor who fell in love with Michael and Leesie just like I did.
If you go on my website (www.angela-morrison.com) or YouTube site (http://www.youtube.com/AngelaTheAuthor) and watch the trailer, you can see pictures of all the places I used for settings and read the complete story behind the story of TAKEN BY STORM.

Tristi: Scuba diving features quite heavily in the book. Did you already know how to scuba dive, or did you learn about it for this novel?

Angela: I was already a keen scuba diver. Earlier drafts featured many more underwater scenes. I love writing them—went kind of overboard. I hope to write more in the following books about Michael and Leesie.

What I did have to learn more about was free diving. My husband and I took a day-long free-diving certification class in Grand Cayman. I was awful, but my husband was great. We trained and then we swam out to the reef. Our instructor dove first—effortless, a dancer in the water, he elegantly fell to the bottom, hung out a few moments, and then rejoined us on the surface. I made it down 25 feet so I passed the course. My husband, not to be outdone by the young fit instructor with impossibly long, dark eyelashes, dove all the way to the bottom, too. Fifty-five feet deep on his first real free dive. His lips were purple by the time he made it back to the surface!

Tristi: What is your hope in telling this story? Is there a message you'd like to deliver, or a lesson you'd like the reader to come away with?

Angela: Different readers will take away different things. Some might be introduced to the possibility of purity, their right to say, "no." Others might find themselves validated through Leesie. Some might taste the spiritual world for the first time. Others may see it as a cautionary tale.

I tell LDS readers, “Taken by Storm” is a standards night they won't put down. My inspiration for this novel was all the young women I'd had in my seminary classes over the years who live what Leesie lives in the novel, but LDS readers weren't my first audience. Because “Taken by Storm” was my creative thesis for my MFA at Vermont College, I had to craft a novel anyone could pick up and sink into.

When I started writing, I knew Michael was a sexually active guy, and Leesie was a faithful Mormon girl committed to the law of chastity. When I put them together, I was led to scenes and discussions that I had to deal with honestly and frankly. I owed that to my characters and my readers. The sensitive, passionate scenes took many, many revisions, lots of hand wringing and prayer. I could not have written them without divine assurances and many wise earthly critiques.
At Vermont College I worked with some of the finest young adult authors and poets in the field. They taught me to be honest. Fiction is truth repackaged as story—but truth must be at its heart. Teens live these situations. They experience these feelings, and I refuse to talk down to them or deny that they have those feelings. I remember the agony of it all way too clearly.

Before the “Twilight” revolution, it was hard to find YA novels that didn't contain sexually explicit scenes, obscene language and guys that creep you out. Stephanie Meyers has shown that clean, romantic novels with noble heroes have great appeal. “Taken by Storm” does have steamy make-out scenes, but they are not explicit. There is a line I won't cross. I want my readers to know that. When they pick up a novel with my name on the front, they'll get authentic characters, lots of great kissing scenes, a frank discussion of teen sexuality with a moral side to it, and they won't have to skip pages or put down the book. They are safe. I care about that. Teens run into the destructive forces of soft porn disguised as music videos, movies, TV shows, magazine articles and even books daily. They won't be bombarded with it from my novels.

From the stumbling chapters I sent to Ron Koertge, my first advisor in my MFA program at Vermont College, non-LDS readers have been fascinated with the authentic look deep into a faithful Mormon girl's life that Leesie affords them. I'm so thankful I finally found an editor who had the vision to bring Leesie to the public.
LDS girls who've previewed the book for me can't put it down and give it to their friends. LDS moms want their daughters to read it before they start dating. The realities of Leesie's world are the same realities all LDS young women deal with. TBS shows them how someone as wonderful as Michael and something as precious as love can hurt them. Jack Weyland says reading it was like, "watching two trains racing toward each other." He went on to say he was, "quickly drawn into their story, hoping for the best for both of them, but not really knowing what that would be."

No doubt, there are many messages and morals to be drawn from Michael and Leesie's love story. Ultimately, it is up to readers like yourself to discover those messages. I've done my job if the story resonates with readers long enough for them to discover their own truths in its pages.

Tristi: Now, you know I’m a pretty straightforward person, and I have to admit, I did think Leesie let Michael go too far and I wish her repentance process had been more detailed. Can you tell me a little more about that?

Angela: It's funny. My last LDS reviewer thought Leesie was way too righteous. I appreciate your point—even agree with you. Leesie does let Michael take too many liberties . . . one step at a time. She falls as much in love with kissing as she does Michael. She rationalizes, loses the companionship of the Spirit. Not good. For LDS girls, Leesie's story is a cautionary tale. Young women who have had nonmember relationships really relate to it.

I had to condense chapters of repentance into a single poem and a chat or two—so I probably agree with you about not enough repentance in there, too. I'm thankful I was able to keep as much of it as I did. I'm thinking about putting an "out takes" section on my website. I had to cut 1/3 of the book to get it ready for Razorbill. I hope the way Michael and Leesie's physical relationship changes after they get back together helps convey the changes Leesie is struggling to make to get back to where she was spiritually.

Thanks for having such an open, candid conversation with me, Angela!

Taking all these factors into consideration, do I recommend this book? I do. But probably for your sixteen-year-old daughters, not your younger ones. I think it’s important that they understand the way love and lust can work, and how easy it is to let our emotions carry us further than we ought to go. For a younger girl, it might be a little too much information.

If this book had been published on the LDS market, it would be considered way too graphic. As a nationally published book, it’s actually pretty clean. Angela’s assessment is correct—it’s steamy, but not explicit. I congratulate her on bringing such a powerful message to light and sharing a story that can be enjoyed by either LDS people or those of other faiths, and at the same time can help those of other faiths understand better why we believe the way we do. I think Angela Morrison has a bright future ahead of her and I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of this author.

[Janette]

Woowza!

This book is proof that you can write a steamy novel full of romantic tension without having your characters ever actually have sex. In fact, the forbidden love aspect notched the romantic tension way up.

The main premise is this: Michael is a wounded hot guy. He was out with his parents and other members of his diving club when a hurricane hit their boat. He is pretty much the sole survivor. He needs somebody to help him through his nightmares and give him a reason to live again. He needs to love and be loved, and he thinks the only way you truly share love with a girl is to have sex with her.

Leesie is a Mormon girl who falls in love with Michael and desperately wants to help him overcome his grief, but she firmly believes that sex before marriage is a sin.

Put those two together and you have an internal conflict that can't be resolved and lots of romantic tension.

When I was still reading this book at midnight my husband asked me about the plot.

"It's about a guy who wants to have sex with this girl, but she believes it's wrong."

"That's it?" my husband asked. "That's the whole plot?"

And yes, it pretty much is. You wouldn't think that this one issue would give you enough material for nearly three hundred pages, but Angela Morrison makes it work. The writing is good and her characters seem like real people. I also appreciated the bits of humor she threw in.

She managed to make me like Michael and I don't usually like the wounded-guy-who-needs-to-be-saved-by-the-heroine type. I especially shouldn't like Michael since his main goal for most of the book is to have his girlfriend abandon her religion and sleep with him. But he has enough redeeming qualities that I did like him in the end.

Most authors who give their main characters such a high level of internal conflict aren't able to pull off satisfying endings, but Morrison also made that aspect work.

That said, because the main issue in the book was sex, this book isn't appropriate for all teens. Also, after just reading up about STDs, I couldn't help but notice that aspect (like sex in most teen books) was noticeable absent. In real life, if Michael had slept around with girls who were also sleeping around like they did in this book, he would most likely have at least one, if not more, of the STDs that aren't prevented by using a condom. (Newsflash, teens: condoms don't make sex safe, they just cut down the number of STDs that are passed.)

So yeah, part of me was going, "Are you crazy, Leesie? Don't sleep with this guy. He's probably got herpes!"

But beside that, I like the book.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
This book had me addicted..but i really didn't like it.
The writing style was cool. I liked how in the beginning Michael thoughts all had a lowercase 'i' instead of an uppercase 'I' like was used in the end. To me the lowercase signaled vulnerability and the uppercase gave me a sense of new found strength. I loved how for Leesie's thoughts all of it was in chat or poems.How you were never told what was happening to her outright, how it was always told in poetry really spoke to me.
I get how Michael was all broken up about the hurricane, but he was more moody than a girl with PMS and it was really starting to piss me off. It was obvious that they both needed the other-maybe thats why I hate the ending so much-but OMG get a freaking grip. She's doing the best she can, he should have respected that more. I didn't really get that Isadore was a hurricane until later in the book. I wish I got that sooner.
There was a lotta things I wish I could change but its not my book.
Oh, and I loved that she was Mormon!

[erinbobarin94 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in the library 2day, I FINALLY finished my now infamous "Chimp Book". (Which I'm so happy about, I was really dreading having that hanging over me all summer. Thanks to My Read, I was saved!) Anyway, I showed it to Beth, and we both thought it looked really cute. Aww... love. I MUST READ IT! I'm such a romantic sucker. Anyway... Leesie is this completely controlled, focused Mormon girl who's smart, and intent on getting into BYU. She's shy, studious... and she writes poetry! KA-ZAM! But then this boy Michael moves to her tiny town, Tekoa. (It's a real place, the author grew up there.) During the first parts with him in the book, it describes his passion for scuba diving (along with his parents') and about his yearning for his lost love, Carolina. (Spanish, pronoucned Caro-LEE-na.)He seemed like areally sensitive, respectful guy at that time. But then his parents, and everyone on board the yacht is killed in Hurricane Isadore. Except him. Everyone. Except him. And then he becomes this completely depressed, totally numb guy. This girl DeeDee, at Leesie's school, makes a complete show of herself for him. (Like she does with all the boys... this is a pretty awful school... just wait, it gets worse.) And he starts thinking about how *Paraphrasing Here* "Oh, this display of skin is enticing, and I probably needed it. I'd normally have taken her up on her off, but I just couldn't find the motivation inside me." That's the gist, anyway. So he's a litte vain, but at least he has feeling. But I feel awful for Leesie because the boys at school pinch her butt, and grope her. They call her "The Mormon Ice Queen." Sick. But she keeps her outlook positive, expressing herself through her writing. This book is different, because the entire story is written through journals, poems, and IMs. It's... intriguing. (Ha. And I got all of this from less than 100 pages.)Ah... I can't wait until they fall for each other... FORBIDDEN LOVE! Between an innocent, intelligent, Mormon girl. And an adventurous, tragic, and definitely not-Mormon boy. *Sigh.* Another strange thing is I'm not even into religious books. I think the main plot of this book is her faith, and how their relationship will test it. I was actually disappointed when I read a review that said they don't even end up together because she;s so determined to stick to her beliefs. But I know there will be a little romance in between, so I'm willing to stick it out... *UPDATE* I just finished. I knew the ending, but I'm still disappointed. The high note is that it wasn't really her religion getting in the way. It was BOTH her religon, and his heartache. In the end, he says, "You have your dreams. Now I have mine." After multiple fights(and make-ups)he finally comes to terms with his parents death, and he decides to become a professional diving trainer. She gets a full scholarship to BYU. And they end up just being friends. I'm so thrilled. (Note: Sarcasm.) But I had no idea how entirely focused on her religion it would be. She keeps trying to convert him, and it agitated me. The point of the story was this: she thought he needed saving, but it was actually he who saved her from temptation. Still... it's well-written, a good read, but not one of my favorites.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in a unique way, alternating chapters between Leesie's poem book and Michael's Dive log. It took me a few chapters to get used to it, but it didn't take away from the story line at all. This author was brave to take on this subject. I think it also shows that you can get some pretty serious steam, without ever going into a bedroom. This is one of my favorite series, and one I re-read often. Highly recommend.

[Lisee · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW IS PRIMARILY AIMED TO LDS READERS~

I had been home from my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the church the main character Leesie belongs to) a week and was in Borders (eager to enjoy reading books again), and by happenstance I came upon this book which- I'll be honest, caught my eye because of the cover. When I read that it was about an LDS girl, and that it was written by an LDS author, that's all it took for me to buy it- I was very intrigued by an LDS book being sold outside the walls of Deseret book.

It was more than I bargained for. If you look at some of the other reviews, they will also tell you it's the story of Leesie, a sweet pure LDS girl with a strong desire to attend BYU who's grown up on the farm her whole life, always lived the way her parents and faith expected of her, and has a passion for poetry. Michael is a boy who lost his parents in a storm while they were freediving- which was his whole life. He has had a lot of experience with sex, and he doesn't understand how love and sex are two different things.

My thoughts? First off. The other LDS reviewers are right- this is spicier than any other LDS-written teen novel I've yet to read. The lust is heavily implied even if not spelled out, and Leesie, according to our standards, does cross the line. She doesn't have sex, but she compromises her virtue. This isn't for young readers under sixteen or seventeen. I'll confess, I'm not comfortable recommending it to all people. I also wasn't comfortable reading certain make out scenes either, but that discomfort allowed me to understand the guilt that Leesie later experiences for those actions.

However, a real gem of the book is Leesie's inner struggle. As a sister missionary, growing up in high school, and later going to college I encountered several young women and young adult women who knew they'd crossed the line and struggled so hard to find a resolution. They didn't know what to do, because they'd fallen in love with the guy they'd gone overboard with- and that love is a powerful emotion. Yet, at the same time, they did believe in their faith. I appreciated the fact that Leesie isn't trying to "stick it to the man" (meaning the church) by acting out. She sincerely believes in what she's been taught and wants badly to be the daughter of God that she's knows she is. Eventually she realizes that nothing but repentance will bring the peace that she's looking for, yet she is daunted by it, and is very cautious after she's done it. Yet, here's this boy who comes along, and as many girls are prone to do, tries to save him from himself. I felt Morrison was very honest to how Leesie as a true blue Mormon girl would react.

What is also a great morsel is the way Michael reacts to how Leesie reacts. He just doesn't get why she'll kiss him, then pull back, go a little further, then pull back- all the while trying to explain away why she can't sleep with him. He doesn't understand that she's having an inner struggle every moment she's with him. He doesn't get why she wants him to go to church. He doesn't understand why she is so devoted. Yet, he can't resist her anyway, because underneath it's the very things that he doesn't understand that bring the light, purity, and joy that he's attracted to. This I felt, was incredibly true to life. Michael's confusion about this is so true to form I was almost surprised by it.

Michael's inner struggle about his parents death is the under arching theme in the book which brings the two teenagers together. I did enjoy the ending, unlike many others who didn't share the same opinion, because they don't cut off contact, but end up supporting one another's pursuits in life. I know most interpret it as they aren't dating anymore, but I saw it as they don't know quite what to do with each other. She knows she wants to marry an LDS guy, but she still loves him despite that. It's that giant question mark of what Leesie and Michael will do relationship wise at the end that I think was a good move by Morrison.

Overall! As a young adult reader, I loved the book. It was fresh, different, and new. As an LDS young adult woman, I have my reservations, but was deeply impressed with Morrison's keen understanding of LDS girls and their struggles with relationships versus beliefs. I'm almost certain this isn't sold on the Deseret book shelves (but I'm not one hundred percent on that), but it was an honest look that didn't sugar coat or downplay adolescence. I too look forward to Morrison's future works; I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of her.

[H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned to SCUBA dive and snorkel when I was young. I've never really been able to get enough diving in, however. I miss the gradual change from cerulean top waters to the Stygian blackness of the depths, the darting fish, the lurkers. I miss the denizens of the deep--even the sharks and jellies and halibut of my Alaskan waters.

I recently plunged into a beautiful series by Angela Morrison, having already enjoyed her book, SING ME TO SLEEP.


TAKEN BY STORM starts off the trilogy. It's about a young man who grows up beneath the waves, exploring with his parents the seawalls and shipwrecks and long descents and swim-throughs. Water is his soul and his safe haven. He prides himself on his ability to free-dive to over 107 feet. All of it comes to a hideous, crashing end one night when Hurricane Isabel sweeps the dive boat beneath its swells, carrying everyone but Michael to their deaths.

Michael washes up in a small town far from his regular haunts, finding haven in the arms of Leesie, a farm girl with morals. She becomes his lighthouse in the storm, although she drives him nuts with her ubiquitous rules. Luckily Michael realizes Leesie is worth waiting and sacrificing for.

And Leesie? She has to decide just how much of herself she can give without dumping her morals and beliefs. She has plans for her future which don't allow for love or for boys who don't belong to her faith. But she can't let Michael sink. How could she when he's her lifeline as well?

Their dilemma reminds me of the one in Ladyhawk, where they can't really interact until they break the curse. Until then, never the twain shall meet. How do Michael and Leesie learn to live in the same universe? Part of their problems are mirrored in the way Michael tries to teach Leesie not to be afraid of the water, and then to dive. She's petrified of the water, and of life, and of "doing it wrong."

This book touched something on my soul's ocean floor. Through the lens of dive log and IM and journal, we watch a journey from broken to whole. I was so glad to see that Leesie didn't toss her morals out the window because of Michael's need and her love. Watching them discover what a brilliant gift a moral life can be made me cheer for Angela Morrison. They're dedication to each other warmed my heart. And I also found myself aching to get back into the water. There is something so medicinal about the waves and depths.

Thank you, Angela, for this lovely vacation into the sapphire water and the lives of Leesie and Michael. Thank you for Taken By Storm. Next try UNBROKEN CONNECTION and CAYMAN SUMMER.

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say that I didn't expect to love Taken by Storm as much as I did, which is why I read it so long after it was released. I had heard mixed reviews and never found time to read it. When I saw that Morrison had a new book, Sing Me to Sleep, scheduled to be released in 2010 that I thought looked interesting, I remembered her 2009 debut. When I was lucky enough to get a chance to read Sing Me to Sleep and ended up really enjoying it, I ran out to get Taken by Storm! It took me forever to finally read it, but I am SO glad I did because it is an amazing novel!

One of the reason that I was hesitant to read Taken by Storm was the fact that one of the main characters, Leesie, is Mormon and a main focus is a romance between Leesie and the other main character, Michael. I wasn't really sure that I would like that combination... it isn't that I didn't think it would be "hot" enough or that their romance wouldn't be engaging necessarily, I just wasn't sure how in depth the religious aspect of the book would be and if I would find that to be a distraction. These factors all came together though to make great story with interesting and original details. The Mormon faith played in intersting role in Leesie's actions and motivations, without being overwhelming or overbearing. It helped that Michael was not at all chaste or religious: it created an interesting dynamic between the couple.

I'm a fan of tension between characters who are romantically involved and Morrison definitely delivers! I think that the romance between Leesie and Michael was way sexier than in novels that contain actual sex scenes. Morrison definitely delivered when it came to the romantic plot line of Taken by Storm!

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10!!
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50 (A!)

Taken by Storm was an amazing novel from an extremely talented YA author! Having read both Taken by Storm and Morrison upcoming novel, Sing Me to Sleep, I feel confident when I say that Morrison is an author to watch. For those of you intersting in Taken by Storm or who have read the book, I've been told that there will be another novel continuing Leesie and Michael's story!! I was super excited to hear this! :)

[Princess Bookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taken From My Blog: princessbookie.com

My Thoughts: I was hesitate to read this one at first, I am not Mormon and than from the bad reviews I've read, I didn't know if I should. I also had seen it a few times on amazon while browsing and told myself I would eventually read it. A couple of buddies told me not to waste my time. But I'm glad I did. We meet Leesie who is Mormon. She has all these rules she has to follow so when she meets Michael, she wants to start breaking them, even though she knows she can't. We meet Michael who has just suffered a tragedy and has to come to live in Leesie's town. The town isn't very big, the school doesn't have that many kids so sure enough Michael comes and he's gossip central, everyone wants to know him, the girls want him, etc. Leesie and Michael start to form a bond and start to get closer. I actually liked this book and enjoyed reading it. I didn't know much about the Mormon faith and it was nice to see Michael growing a little bit. I especially liked the chat conversations and Michael's dive logs. Honestly, I think this book is worth a read. The only bad thing I can really say about it is, the word babe was mentioned a lot, and I know it bugged others also but I just started skipping right over the word. Its easy to get past that word and if you want to know what happens to Michael and Leesie read the book. Do they survive their dilemma's and end up together? Does Michael overcome his tragedy and learn from it? Read the book to find out.

Overall: I liked it. I didn't love it, but I did enjoy reading it.

Cover: I think the cover is perfect for this book. And its really pretty.

[Ashley Nettlebeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book is great. Generally inspiring to better you and want to have a strong future. Also through hard times to forgive and move on. That sometimes it's okay to let your guard down and take healthy risks. This book impacted my way of thinking by making me think more about taking healthy risks and opening up to others and not holding my feelings in. I connected with both characters, as for the girl, Lessie we’re both self conscience and have trouble opening up to others. Also we feel very strongly in what we believe in. For the male character, Michael we both don't like being out of our comfort zones and tend to relive tragedy's in our lives. And we have both been moved from home towns like him, from Arizona to Washington, I was moved from skyway to Benson. This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes he says, "I can't get warm. Too cold for Arizona blood." (pg.16) I remember when i first moved to Benson I felt out of place because the economic and social environment of Skyways is very different compared to Benson. With this feeling given off in the story it gave me something to relate to, and I liked it. Another thing I liked was her choice of words. She'd switch on and off through who was speaking and who's thoughts you'd read and that made it easier to understand each characters point of view and conflicts. Also how after or before Lessie's there would be a poem that Lessie wrote, it gave the book an extra touch that most don't have and it made it very interesting and didn't get old.

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright, so I like to consider myself a writer. And I know how vulnerable it can make you feel to have someone critique your stuff. So when I’m writing reviews, I normally will do anything possible to avoid blasting the negatives. I love all kinds of books and I always finish them (no matter what) – and by that time, I end up either loving them, or thinking “okay, won’t be reading that again”. But, oh my goodness….please don’t waste your time on this novel.

First off, the characters “fall in love” way too fast. It’s extremely unrealistic. And I put fall in love in quotation marks because I’m not even convinced that they are actually ever in love. Second, the protagonist is a girl who’s been a steadfast Mormon her entire life: she’s chaste, doesn’t kiss, etc… But all of a sudden, she starts having hot and heavy make-out sessions as if it’s no big deal. Third…and this is what really gets me in the end: throughout the entire novel, these two teenagers are together, broken up, together, then broken up (it’s exhausting and annoying). But in the end, they decide that though they love each “so much”, they can’t be together after all. What a cop out!

After all that reading, to have them say “let’s just be friends” – it literally grossed me out and made me want to throw the book out of the window. Don’t bother.

[Michelle Sallay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Me being Mormon or not, I couldn't get over this completely abusive relationship between Leesie and Michael. I get it, his life is destroyed and all, but the whole time they are together I felt like all he wanted to do was destroy her life with his.

Leesie totally came across as a mind controlled Mormon girl with no idea what she really believes. She seems to go through the motions of her faith that made me (as a Mormon girl myself) want to cringe. She is so caught up with Michael she is willing to give up her future, which we were to believe the whole time was so important to her.

If this story continued I picture Leesie heading off to BYU and falling for the first RM that told her he had a revelation that they should be married.

Now that I have read two of her books, I officially do not like Morrison's writing style. I appreciate that she is trying to do something different, but it comes out flat and phony for me. And my heart breaks for any girl who reads this and thinks that is is ok for a guy (shattered or not) treat you like Michael treats Leesie.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was SOOOOOOO disappointed by this book. I loved the way it was written, dive logs, poem, and online chatting,....but the story was such a downer! I think it was supposed to be about healing and love, but it was about destruction, darkness, desperation and giving up what you want most- for what you want at the moment. Instead of someone helping someone who is broken, someone else gets broken herself in the process. Left me sad and wondering why the author didn't resolve and fix fixable things. Bummer.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm... this book is very controversial to me. I found it on a LDS youth must read list, and I'm not sure it is a must read, or that I would let my daughter read it. It is kind of steamy and the main female character is not very smart in her decisions, (lets herself get very close to the line too many times).

[Yelania Nightwalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
Un libro poéticamente impresionante.
Antes, quiero decir que mi formación antireligiosa (desde luego sin autorización de mi familia) me llevó a interesarme por este libro -igual que por Salvaged by Stefne Miller (Reseña) y Losing Faith by Denise Jaden (Pronto la reseña)-, en fin… El punto era, ¿y si Morrison no sabe introducir los temas religiosos en un libro? Me moría de los nervios sólo de pensarlo.
Michael y Leesie son dos chicos completamente diferentes, salvo en la fortaleza que cada uno tiene. Ella, debido a su religión, tiene reglas que a Michael desde luego no le gustan ni las comprende. Él es un chico de mundo. Ella sólo ha sido besada una vez (sin lengua desde luego; es decir, tiene una, pero no puede usarla).
Cuando Leesie descubre que Michael la necesita, empieza a ayudarlo. Sabe que el dolor de la pérdida de sus padres, aún está lacerando su corazón y ella está ahí para él. Me gustó Leesie, pese a que sus creencias y las mías son tan opuestas, ella es bastante madura, inteligente, divertida… en la escuela se burlan de ella por su religión, de hecho. Leesie es la Reina de Hielo.
Michael encuentra en Leesie el apoyo que necesita, lo ves luchar consigo mismo, con los recuerdos que lo atormentan, con la culpabilidad de haber sido él quien se salvó en el accidente, debido a su condición de buzo en apnea. Este libro está bajo la perspectiva de Michael. Él es el narrador, conocemos los pensamientos de Leesie sólo a través de sus poemas. Él en cambio, nos muestra como entrada, en cada capítulo su bitácora de buceo, con datos que nos ayudan a saber cómo se siente en ese momento y cómo percibe el mundo a su alrededor.
Debo decir que fue muy complicado para mí seguirle la pista a Michael, entenderlo en muchas ocasiones era difícil. No me gustaron algunos de sus actos, o su forma de presionar a Leesie. Aunque, después de debatirlo conmigo misma (y un poco de perspectiva masculina ja!) me di cuenta de que en efecto, todo lo que le había sucedido influía en su comportamientos y, muy importante decirlo, su cosmovisión era tan distinta a la de ella; que terminé comprendiéndolo mejor. Pero tuve que llegar al final del libro para poder “quererlo”.
La relación entre los dos es intensa, y muy tierna, eso sí. Hay momentos muy tristes, muy divertidos y momentos de pasión contenida. Por que, Leesie, evidentemente tiene reglas y Michael despierta en ella sentimientos, anhelos que la llevan a explorar nuevas sensaciones. Me gustaba que ella tuviera esa fuerza necesaria para decirle “NO” a lo que ambos querían. Ella ama a Michael, pero también ama sus creencias y ambos bandos la jalan en sentidos opuestos. ¿Qué debía hacer, seguir sus creencias o su corazón?
La historia me atrapó desde el inicio. Michael y Leesie son una pareja inolvidable, que te llegan al corazón por sus sentimientos tan reales que saltan de las páginas. Es una relación que sabes que tendrá muchos problemas con los que lidiar, por que ambos tienen creencias distintas. Uno de ellos deberá sacrificar algo, pero ¿quién será?
El final, como era de esperarse, no nos conduce a ningún lado. Es el inicio de una trilogía, falta mucho camino por recorrer y eso me encantó también. No habría sido creíble para mí, que al final del libro tuvieran su final de ensueño, por que esto debe crecer, debe progresar y ambos tendrán que esforzarse si quieren ir más allá. Es una novela altamente recomendable.
Espero leer pronto Unbroken Connection que me muero por saber qué más nos tiene deparado esta excelente autora.

REVIEW

A book poetically awesome.

Before, I mean that my own anti-religious education (of course without the permission of my family) drew my attention to this book, as Salvaged by Stefne Miller (Review) and Losing Faith by Denise Jaden (Review coming)- Ok... The point was what if Morrison doesn´t know how to introduce religious topics in a book? I was dying of nerves at the thought.

Michael and Leesie are two completely different guys, except that each has strengths. She, because of their religion, has rules that Michael certainly doesn´t like or understand them. He´s a very worldly guy. She has only been kissed once (without tongue of course, she have one, but can not use it). When Leesie discovers that Michael need it, begins to help you. She knows the pain he has for his parents' death, still lacerating his heart and she´s there for him. I liked Leesie, even though her beliefs and mine are so opposite, she´s quite mature, intelligent, fun... at school tease her for her religion, in fact, Leesie is the Ice Queen.

Michael finds in Leesie the support that he need, him struggle with himself, with memories that haunt him with the guilt of it was he who was saved in the accident, due to its status as a diver in apnea. This book is the perspective of Michael. He´s the narrator's, Leesie's thoughts we know only through her poems. Each chapter begins with your dive log with data that help us know how you feel at that moment and Michael's perception of the world around them.

I must say, for me, it was very difficult connect with Michael, I understood in many cases was difficult. I don´t liked some of their actions, or their way of pressuring Leesie. Although, after discussion with myself (and some male perspective ha!) I realized that indeed, everything that had happened influenced their behavior and, very important to say, his worldview was so different from hers, I ended up understanding it better.

The relationship between the two is intense and very tender, though. There are sad moments, very funny and moments of passion. Because, Leesie obviously has rules and Michael awakens her feelings, desires that lead to explore new sensations. I liked that she had the strength to say "NO" to what both wanted. She loves Michael, but also loves her beliefs and the two sides pull in opposite directions. What to do, follow your beliefs or your heart?

The story grabbed me from the start. Michael and Leesie are a couple memorable, that touch my heart and your feelings so real they leap off the pages. It's a relationship you know they have many problems to contend with, because they both have different beliefs. One must sacrifice something, but who will?

The final, as expected, does not lead us anywhere. It is the beginning of a trilogy, a long way to go and I liked it. It would haven´t been credible to me that at the end of the book have their final dream, that it must grow, must progress and both will struggle if they want to go further. It is a highly recommended novel.

I hope to read soon Unbroken Connection, I'm dying to know what surprises we have this excellent author.

Psst... I'm dying of sleep, so please excuse me if I made a mistake.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this story we have a Mormon girl, Leesie, who falls in love with a non Mormon guy, Michael. I like, every now and then, reading christian romance because sometimes, in this kind of books, a greater space is left to the emotional aspects of the love story. But in this case I was not quite comfortable with the religious aspect of the thing in the sense that I didn't appreciate the judgemental mormon perspective towards the "non-believer's" style of life and values, particularly in regard of sexuality. And I totally didn't like the representation of the girls (non Mormon ones) who have, or have had, a relation of sort with Michael during the course of the narration.
That said, I appreciated the unique format of the narrative entirely done in the form of chats entries, poetry and dive logs. Also it's nice that we have both the points of vue of the two main characters. And I am interested in the evolution of the love story (even if I can guess where it will end, perhaps...), so I'll continue reading this serie and I have already bought the second volume.

[Leila Planisi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually didnt get why they split, i mean, she coouldve gone to the byu and still be with him, then she said she isnt going, and he leaves her? doesnt make sense, idk, i had imagined it different, and then this happens -the breakup- almost at the end, and im like, what? there are only like two pages left, how will they solve it? the answer is: they arent -solving it i mean-

OMG, i was so angry with the author, i finished it yesterday, today i wrote the review, and after that, i saw that the book has a second and third part! i might give this a second chance, i would like to find out thay they solve their things in the second book, so I'll read it. HOPE ITS DIFFERENT!

[Emily Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was fairly hooked at the beginning of this book, tore through 60% of it, and then chose to DNF. Not gonna lie, I was triggered by the desperate, toxic relationship between the main characters.

It was annoying to read endless streams of chat conversations, too.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taken By Storm was good, but definitely not what I had expected it to be like. However, I did like it, especially how Leesie was able to help herself and her new love.

[Naïma Bakartxu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes only love can save you.
Leesie Hunt's Unbreakable Rules: No Kissing (at least not of the French variety)...No Sex (hah! Not even close to happening anyway)...No Dating Outside the Mormon Faith (what would be the point?)...ABSOLUTELY No Falling in Love with the Wrong Boy (would ruin everything).
Leesie thinks she has her whole life planned out: get into the school of her dreams, write her poems, meet the perfect guy, and settle down. Then she meets Michael--a boy whose parents were killed in a diving accident during a terrible storm.
Michael is drowning in tragedy. And all Leesie wants is to save him. With each day, her heart hurts more. Could it be, perfect Leesie is falling from grace? Or is she just falling in love?
But if Leesie gives in to temptation, who is going to save her? From Amazon US

I fell in love with Angela Morrison's writing when I read Sing Me to Sleep two months ago. That beautiful story touched me so much, I was desperate to read more, so I quickly bought Taken By Storm, Morrison's debut novel, prepared to be swept away. I am thrilled to tell you I was not disappointed! I absolutely loved this story! So much emotion, it's wonderful!

I'm going to start with the writing, because it's just brilliant. I'm not a diver, nor am I a Mormon, but you don't need to be either to follow this story. Morrison goes to great pains to make sure we understand what's going on, whether it be how a diver prepares for a dive, or the beliefs of Mormans, and it's all so fascinating! The way Morrison describes the world in our oceans is just so beautiful; you can actually see it, the reefs, the fish, the plant life. It's just gorgeous!

The structure is just genius! Most of the story is told in first person from Michael's point of view, through diary entries into his diving log, which contains details at the beginning of each entry such as dive buddy, date, dive #, location, site, etc. At the start and end of the book, those categories are all taken literally, but as time goes on, it can refer to who he's with, where, how he's feeling, and so on, and it's a great way to see Michael's state of mind before actually reading the entry. For some reason, he never capitalises "I", but it's a little quirk that makes him seem more real.
Leesie doesn't narrate at all, but we do get inside her head through the numerous poems she writes, and the online conversations she has with a friend, Kim, who lives in a different state, and Michael. For someone who isn't exactly telling the story, I found her really relatable, and feel I heard her voice just as much as Michael's. Just fantastic.

The plot is just awesome. Michael is grieving over the death of his parents, and isn't coping too well, suffering from nightmares and visions, and Leesie is the only one who can seem to keep it all at bay. However, Michael isn't used to having to control himself, so finds it really difficult to stick to Leesie's rules as a Mormon. Having been passionately in love twice before, Michael doesn't see how you can get close enough to someone to fall in love without actually loving them, like he feels so much he's unable to express it well in any other way.

Leesie knows it's possible, because of how she feels for him, and has to stop him on more than one occasion. I found Leesie's predicament really relatable. As I said, I'm not a Morman, but I do have strong morals for myself that are similar to her own to a certain degree, and can understand her having trouble balancing wanting to do what's right - or not doing what's not right - as she believes with what Michael wants and, if she's truthful, she also wants. So there's conflict in whether Leesie can actually get Michael past his grief, and if Michael can accept her rules and stick with her. Although Michael is never too much of an idiot about it all, Leesie is amazing in her strength to say "no" to him and herself and stick to her guns. I was rooting for her throughout. I have to say, this may be the only YA novel I've read so far where I haven't been going mad at the characters to get a move on, but the actual opposite.

There really isn't any way I could possibly do this book justice. It's an amazingly beautiful, powerfully emotional story that I can now add to my favourites. I'm now eagerly awaiting the sequel, Unbroken Connection, which is now avaiable as an ebook, to come out in paperback so I can jump right back into Michael and Leesie's story. Absolutely brilliant.

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Taken by Storm

Author: Angela Morrison

Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)

This book defied all of my expectations. After hearing Angela on blog after blog promoting her new book, Sing Me to Sleep, this one began to creep into the edges of my TBR pile. I love romance novels, so the idea of pure teen romance always gets me giddy. I may never have gotten around to actually buying it if the hardcover hadn't found its way into an Ollie's Bargain Outlet shelf for four dollars. Then, I simply had to pick it up. And am I ever glad I did...

Angela Morrison takes the reader on a constant ride of emotional turmoil and flux that impresses itself onto your psyche. We are taken with two main characters, and two points of view that differ so much. Leesie, the good Mormon girl who wants to help the sexy, but oh-so-dangerous newcomer, and said newcomer Michael, who comes into the small town of Tekoa after losing his parents to a storm at sea. Leesie tells the story through chat logs and poetry, while Michael takes a more direct narrative approach by writing things down in 'Dive Logs', or journals.

What matters in this book is the amazing twist of plot and character conflict that I've come to love in romance novels. Normally, a book like this that focuses on religion-heavy topics would not be my cup of tea. I'm an open minded person, so I don't like reading about characters that generally don't show flexibility in that area. However, Morrison kept Leesie's naive nature and general belief were kept in check. Really, by the end of the book, I thought "To Hell with it" and just enjoyed her flat-out, no matter how much the lack of compromise affected the relationship.

Michael is perhaps a new favorite protagonist in teen romance. Not only is his picture absolutely, drop-dead sexy on the hardcover, but he was so likable and flawed in a way only a romance hero can be. From page one, when his parents die in a storm on a scuba diving cruise ship, you see his range of emotions. The constant states of depression, of genuine humanity, are stunning to picture. His battles to keep up with Leesie, of loving her as best he can despite their differences in the spiritual sense, are swoon worthy by any standards. What I loved most was that, even when he made a drastic mistake (that will not be mentioned due to plot spoilers), he comes off as entirely likable and, dare I say it, better for it.

But what really, REALLY made me love this book was how you handle the ending. Morrison didn't make him convert and make it all "Okay people, here's a lesson for you - My religion PWNS11" - she simply showed that their love is real and strong - but their differences would never work out in the end. She never once made me feel like Michael was wrong - just different. And for such a religion heavy piece, that was a feat in itself.

Now, there are some obvious flaws in this book, which is usually the case for a debut work. The only one that really bothered me was Leesie's 'Mary-Sue' attitude. Things came easy to her, and she did more worrying and healing than questioning and brooding. Her poetry was much better in showing her feelings, but the chat-logs left some important emotions and thoughts absent. Which, as many readers know, is the price of using that format. The saving grace of this character was the depth of the poems - I, normally put off by poems, found they worked so well with Leesie's character and with the story, that they felt perfect where they were.

Morrison, to say the least, is an author I have to keep on my radar. If her next book even comes close to this, then the book world will have another amazing romance to behold. To create a novel with such vivid characters and conflicts is hard and rare indeed, and I can't thank her enough for writing this - or Razorbill for finally picking her up as an author. And for making the hardcover have such a beautiful cover - a water logged journal with good cover models. Definitely one of the better book covers out there for YA romance.

Rating: Five Stars

Copy: Bought

Review originally posted on my YA book blog, Dreaming in Books at http://dreaminginbooks.blogspot.com

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE YA REVIEWS AT READING, EATING & DREAMING I WAS BLAIR WALDORF

My review for the entire Taken by Storm trilogy: (Don't worry this review doesn't contain spoilers!)

My parents raised me to avoid public conversations, especially with strangers, on two main topics: politics and religion. (Therefore, I am assuming that blogging about one of them probably wasn’t what they had in mind.) However, I am about to go against their advice because today I am going to blog about RELIGION (Well sorta). (I’ll save politics for …well hopefully NEVER!)

Let me start by saying, I LOVED the Taken by Storm trilogy by Angela Morrison. I really wish I could recommend this trilogy for everyone, but I can’t because not everyone is going to love it! I think a lot of people will really enjoy this series, but some people won’t care for it because of the religious theme throughout the series.

The Taken by Storm series is built around Lessie, a Mormon who struggles with staying true to her religious beliefs. (I am not Mormon. In fact, before I read Taken by Storm my knowledge on the Mormon religion was basically nil.) A large part of the plot in this novel is about Lessie’s faith, and a large part of who Lessie is is tied into her religion. However, Morrison shows us how much Lessie’s faith is a part of her life without being “preachy”. In my opinion, Lessie is a great protagonist. (In fact, she is one of my favs!)

After reading the Taken by Storm series, I developed a strong respect for Mormons who practice their faith because, from what you read in this book, they are very dedicated and have very high standards. Lessie doesn’t drink, smoke, experiment with drugs, cuss, go to parties, lie to her parents, etc. In fact, she lives by a set of rules that are, in my opinion, admirable: Do not go into the house alone with a member of the opposite sex. Keep both feet on the floor. Never go into a guy’s bedroom. No parking. No necking. No petting. No fornication. No tongue. Etc. She also attends church every Wednesday night, Sunday morning, and wakes up every morning before school for seminary- where her dad teaches her and her brother more about their religion. Morrison doesn’t really go into details about what goes on at church or seminary. In fact, she only very briefly mentions that Lessie attends seminary every morning. What I am saying is: Morrison doesn’t try to covert you over to the Mormon faith by writing scripture, she simply shows you how dedicated Lessie is to her faith.

Again, I am not Mormon. But I do have my own values and morals that I live by, and I can understand what it’s like to have those values tested. In fact, when I was a teenager I lived by pushing my limits. I think no matter what your religion, or even if you don’t have one, almost every young adult can relate to this novel (no, maybe not the religious aspect, but having faith in other people, pushing your limits, having your values tested, etc.)

This series is told through Lessie’s poems, Michael’s dive log (which is basically his journal) and IM chats. I appreciated how Morrison gave us her characters raw, uncensored feelings, especially Michaels. He doesn’t immediately love Lessie, and it wouldn’t have been realistic if he did. Also, she tells this story within a very realistic time frame, and we get to see Michael and Lessie’s relationship develop, falter and progress. I really connected with Lessie and Michael and I think it was mainly because Morrison showed us their raw thoughts and feelings.

The Taken by Storm series made me feel such a wide array of emotions: sad, depressed, happy, ecstatic, frustrated, pissed, embarrassed, livid, hopeful, angry. AGH! At times I wanted to punch Michael in his face. A few pages later, I’d want to give him a hug. I’d want to shake Lessie and a second later I just wanted to cry for.

Angela Morrison – Thank you so much for introducing me to your characters and your beautifully written story.

I gave the Taken by Storm series by Angela Morrison 4 STARS. My recommendation: read this series!!

READING, EATING & DREAMING

[Kym McNabney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll STILL GIVE IT FIVE STARS

As I was looking for my twelve-year-old at the library, I walked by the teen section. There, sitting on top of one of the selves was a book that captured my eye, "Taken By Storm". I admit it, I'm a romance fanatic. Love to read a good romance, and not necessarily the mushy kind. Actually that's not really my preference in reading or writing.

I took the book from the metal cradle holding it and flipped it over. Not much there to give me any real hint of what it was about. Inside, there was a better synopsis.

Now I'm intrigued.

I leave the teen section with book in hand as I seek out my daughter. Mind you this is the first book I can remember, other then non-fiction, that I've personally checked out from a library in so many years I can't even remember the last time I had. I love books, and would rather own them. But the book was there and beckoned me to read it...now.

I took the book home but first needed to finish the book I was currently reading, Isolation, by Travis Thrasher. A great book by the way. You should also check out his amazing love stories. I had flipped through the pages of Taken By Storm, several times, and was actually thinking of returning it. There were Chatspot Logs, Dive Logs and poems, all amongst what you would normally see between the pages of a fictional romance. I'm so not a poems person.

When I finished the book I'd been reading, I hesitated to start this one. My daughter wouldn't allow that. She made a big deal about, "When are you going to read that, mom?" So I picked it up and started to read. And as I read, I quickly found I couldn't put it down. As I was looking for my twelve-year-old at the library, I walked by the teen section. There, sitting on top of one of the selves was a book that captured my eye, "Taken By Storm". I admit it, I'm a romance fanatic. Love to read a good romance, and not necessarily the mushy, kind. Actually that's not really my preference in reading or writing.

The writing was amazing. The story was amazing. I loved the whole idea of the story, two young people who desperately need someone, and how their paths cross and intertwine. The message of need, love, grief, beliefs and one finding their self is emotionally wonderful.

Needless to say, I loved the story of Michael and Leesie. I loved how Michael went from being a full-of-himself teen male, to one that learned to respect a woman's wishes and beliefs. I loved how Leesie was so rooted in her beliefs and though she swayed at times, stuck to them...at least most of them.

The reason for titling this review, "I'll still give it five stars", is because I did not like the ending. In fact, I was upset when reading it. The last section before the poem wasn't too bad, though not what I'd expected but the ending poem through me off. Remember, I'm not a poem person. I didn't get it, though most of the pomes in the book were actually pretty good...I got them. Maybe I just didn't want to believe how the author chose to end it.

Although the story ended as maybe it should have, and I do see the point in ending it the way it did, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I WANTED them to... Okay, I won't say it, ruining it for those that haven't yet read it. Oh how I would love to see a second book continuing their story.

Needless to say, I will be looking for the next book by this author. Being a write myself, I'm once again feeling nudged to one day write YA.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd read quite a few negative reviews on Taken By Storm a while back. I don't remember specifics as to why some people didn't enjoy this novel all I know is that I was a little apprehensive to read it at the time. However, with much praise for Angela's novel Sing Me To Sleep, I decided that I wanted to give other work a read as well.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book a lot. It was nice to have a story of loss and grief told through a male perspective. I liked Michael very much. I felt for him and sympathized with his loss and the turmoil he had to endure. Michael was far from perfect and at times, he did do and say things that didn't go over well with me but that's okay. I enjoy flawed characters seeing as they're an accurate portrayal of how people really are...imperfect. I think he experienced fantastic growth as the novel progressed.

Lessie was another great character that I enjoyed. I think most people may not pick up and read this book because of the mention of religion in the summary. Lessie is Mormon and has very strong values and morals that she will do anything to uphold. I respected Lessie a lot. She was very much focused on staying true to who she was and what she felt was right which is admirable. At times, she could be a little preachy but I felt she always had the best interests of others at heart, especially Michael who she would do anything to help. I'd never come across a character so devoted to anything in a novel as Lessie is to her faith. To me, this was refreshing. Lessie was refreshing. Another aspect I enjoyed surrounding Lessie is the beautiful poetry that she writes throughout Taken By Storm. Although the story is essentially told through Michael's point of view, the reader does catch a glimpse on multiple occasions into what Lessie is thinking and feeling through both her poetry and the conversations she holds with a friend over the internet.

I'm a sucker for a good romance story which is initially what drew me to Taken By Storm. I definitely felt the intensity that Michael and Lessie had for one another. Angela Morrison did a fantastic job of showcasing this immense connection between the two main characters through a multitude of well fleshed out scenes. At times however, I felt that these two characters relied far too much on each other. It's almost as if they were addicted to one another's company which although is not necessarily a good thing, I have to say it did make a lot of sense in the story. Michael is going through a terrible time where he feels empty and alone and then of course, Lessie is experiencing all of these emotions for the first time which made the heightened and dependent feelings coursing through the novel slightly more understandable.

Finally, I have to say that I enjoyed Angela Morrison's style of writing a great deal. It's very poetic in many places as well as staccato which I love. She writes with a lot of feeling, emotion and it is all believable.

In conclusion, I do recommend this novel. Although we're all different people with different preferences, I do believe that if this novel interests you that it is very much worth a shot.

[Amanda-Lee (StoryWings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book draws you in and doesn’t let go, even though you really want to get out.

Taken by Storm is good in the same way that it is bad. It depends how you look at it. It features Leesie, whose voice we hear through her poems and Michael whose voice we hear through his diving logs.

Leesie is the Mormon ice queen, no-one touches her and no-one wants to go near her, although it is a game for the guys to see who can pinch her the most.

Michael is the troubled orphan, who recently lost his parents and doesn’t really feel like living anymore.

And so inevitably they meet and the story ensues. Leesie and Michaels relationship develops quickly in pages, but slowly over time which is hard to understand at times. But the time that it was given was ample and well-paced.

They had their troubles with Leesie’s faith and Michael’s belief that love equals making love, which Leesie of course, does not agree with. So will it work?

The simple answer is, no. There is constant bickering and tension between the pair. And it’s ironic, for being you’re not so typical YA romance, it is very close to a real life one. They don’t think in happily ever after in Taken by Storm they are more focused on how they’re going to deal with the upcoming dance, and keeping the “width of the lords book between them at all times”.

When Michael got fed up during one of the “down times” and cheated, I instantly thought (a very nasty word) but then in thinking about it now, who wouldn’t? You’ve just broken up with your frigid girlfriend; you have built up tension and an easy chick waiting for you on the sideline.

Leesie is a good person, don’t get me wrong but she could be quite annoying and easily led Michael on in things you really shouldn’t lead guys on with. For being a Mormon ice-queen who won’t stand to be touched by anyone let alone a non Mormon, her values rapidly fall to the side when it came to even the first couple of meetings with Michael, which I didn’t see as realistic. If you’ve had it drummed into your head for your whole life (and I have) it doesn’t just fall away that easily for some guy that you barely know and who is obviously trouble. It spells disaster.

I think it was sad in a way that Taken by Storm didn’t go smoothly; it puts a damper on other inter-religious relationships. With the thoughts being so different when it came to Michael and Leesie it was like they came from two different planets.

Michael had all the normal non-religious thoughts about all the rules being stupid, Leesie had her high moral ground and faith in God.

Taken by Storm is an enthralling read, and even though it is sad in some ways, in others it is extremely happy; it also brings us out of the clouds of YA and shows us that not everything runs as smooth as one fight and then you’re betrothed for eternal life.

Taken by Storm is realistic, and that is its best attribute, it takes a familiar storyline and puts a unique twist in it making it captivating and memorable.

find this review at storywings.blogspot.com

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Thoughts: Yeah...no. Okay, that's a tad harsh. This book was in the sale pile so I thought that it couldn't possibly hurt to check it out. After returning to it multiple times I decided to just buy the stupid thing. It was interesting to say the least. To be honest, I probably shouldn't have picked it up because, well, I don't like reading poetry and I like grammar and I'm not Mormon. I'll share why I think this book was both good and bad, which it was.

It was told from two perspectives but not really. It was told from Michael's poorly written note book and Leesie's poems and online chats. The diving note book needed have capital I's. There was no reason for it to not have that. I could have handled the poor sentence structure but the lack of capital I's when other letters managed to be capitalized nearly killed me. I understand it was pretty much a diary but I was not okay with this choice. The poems...ah, the poems...I don't really like poetry. I like my poetry to have the same syllables in lines and to rhymes. Call me close minded. In the end, I tried to just read it as if it was a normal sentence and did my best to move past it. The online chats were okay except I had a hard time remembering to check to see who was speaking when. It was too much work to read. It also bothered me that since it was not just narrated normally, things happened almost out of nowhere. Somethings the readers does not hear about until reading it in a poem but we get nothing else about what happened. This caused the book to jump around and be too bumpy for my tastes.

Characters: I thoughts that Leesie was good though I, apparently, had been reading her name wrong and didn't figure that out until I started to write this review. I could relate to some of her religious beliefs but some of it I just couldn't. I also hated that she would have been willing to throw her life and dreams away for a boy. I hate when female characters don't take control of their own lives and what they want. It makes me want to cry for them. It makes me so angry. Another thing was that she often pushed Michael to her religion. Sure, sometimes it helps but that clearly wasn't what he needed. It was what she needed and that bothered me a lot. Every time she brought it up, I fought the urge to close the book for awhile. Also, Leesie's online friend kind of sucked. I thought she gave some really bad advice for someone who was supposed to be a good friend.

Ah, Michael...He's some kind of broken toy. I understand that what happened to him sucks but he was a jerk through a lot of the story. Then, suddenly, at the end, he wasn't anymore? It confused me. There was no big moment or anything. I mean, yes, something happened but it was not what it could have been. Maybe I shouldn't talk because I have been lucky enough to not have lost someone close to me but still... I feel like maybe his reactions were a bit of a stretch. Also, he was kind of a pig and I hate that he pushed Leesie.

http://one-chapter-ahead.blogspot.ca/...

[YA Reads Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leesie is a Mormon. She’s wholesome, pure and innocent and devoted to the teachings of her church. Dating boys outside her church is frowned upon and the guidelines about dating in general are very strict in the Mormon world:

- Thou shalt not be alone with a boy who is not your brother or your father.
- No parking
- No necking
- No tongue kissing
- No groping
- And obviously, no sex unless you’re married.

And these are just some of the acts that are off limits. But Leesie doesn’t mind, not really, because she’s never really met anyone that made her want to do any of those things anyway. And then Michael moves to town…

Meet Michael – he’s not wholesome, not pure, and certainly not a Mormon. When Michael arrives in town, he’s a bit of a mess. You see, the poor kid just watched his parents die in a diving accident and is being haunted by their faces in his dreams.

At first, Leesie just tells herself that she’s hanging out with Michael because he needs help. He’s broken and she wants to fix him. Michael likes Leesie, though – a lot – and he wants more than friendship with her. It isn’t too long before Leesie realizes that she feels exactly the same way. But what about her church? And what about her dreams to head off to Brigham Young University at the end of the school year? Is it even possible for a Mormon like herself to have a proper relationship with someone who doesn’t believe in the things that she does?

The Mormon guidelines pose some serious challenges for Leesie and Michael. Michael isn’t a virgin when he comes to town and he wants nothing more than to make sweet, sweet love to Leesie. But he can’t even use his tongue when he kisses her, how on earth is he going to get her out of her clothes? He says he loves her, but does he love her enough to respect her religion and their teachings? Leesie doesn’t understand why Michael can’t separate love and sex. For her, they’re two separate entities, but for Michael, they’re one and the same.

Taken By Storm implements the technique of dual narration and readers are able to navigate the story through both Leesie and Michael’s perspective. This technique validates both characters’ arguments and places the reader in a position which allows them to weigh up both sides equally before passing judgment over one character or the other. Michael’s grief over his parents’ death is gut wrenching, but does that justify the way he pushes Leesie? And Leesie’s religious beliefs explain why she resists so much but is it fair of her to preach at Michael, and is it fair for her to deny him the way she is? When two people who come from such opposing ways of life find each other, is it better to just walk away? These are all very good questions and Taken By Storm does a stellar job of addressing the issue fairly and objectively.

This is one of those heart-wrenching tales which demonstrates that, sadly, sometimes love just isn’t enough.

[Amanda K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Michael just moved in with his grandma, after being the sole survivor of a devastating hurricane that killed his mom and dad. While his life once revolved around diving and girls, it now depends on little blue pills. That is, until that first encounter with Leesie. He hopes that Leesie can re-awaken his animal instincts, and make him normal again. Leesie is the daughter of a Mormon family, and a pretty religious Mormon herself, which is what gives her the school nickname of The Ice Queen. She knows that something horrible happened to Michael's parents, and that he is suffering and needs her help. Both of them had there own motives after that first encounter, but neither one of them planned on falling in love. Can love really heal all?

Cover: I really love this cover, it looks like a page from a scrapbook or something, which fits because a majority is written in the form of a divers log or poems.. I love the colors, and the picture is nice. And the little graphics are fitting.
StoryLine: Like I mentioned above, the book is written in the form of Michael's diving logs, with a few chatspot chat logs between him and Leesie or Leesie and her friend, and the occasional poem written by Leesie thrown in. One think that irked me, was Michael always used lowercase i's instead of uppercase I's. During his dialog, and during his narration, from when he firsts starts writing again after the storm, to the condo scene. I guess it's like supposed to show that he lost himself? I mean its really poetic when you think of it like that actually, it just bothered me to see at first. =) Anyway, to the point. The story's pace changed accordingly, which I really liked. At times it was fast and at others it was more leisurely. But alas, the tragic ending. It was so upsetting! Why oh why couldn't work out? It was soo close! But that the beauty of Morrison's story telling; I was so engrossed in the tale she weaved, that when it didn't end fairytale perfect, it destroyed a small part of me.
Characters: I just loved Michael. At times he seemed arrogant, egotistical, and stuck up, but his grieving was so heart-wrenching at times, and then watching him do what he thought was impossible, falling for someone without actually making love with them, was just, ah, amazing. And the poems and chat logs did wonders for Leesie's character, because on the outside, she does seem pretty Ice Queen.
Parting Thoughts: Even the though ending rubbed me the wrong way, this book was beautiful and highly recommendable.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like unwrapping the biggest present when a book surprises you like TAKEN BY STORM did me. I had never read anything by Morrison when I grabbed this one but had heard great things. Even though I became absolutely obsessed by Morrison's writing after the first dive log, honestly, at first I wasn't too sure about reading a book based completely on poems, CHAT conversations, and "observations." In fact, I almost gave the book away because of it. I am so glad I didn't.
It kept me wondering the whole time, this one. The lyrical way of writing, the fantasies I could dream upon imagining the characters, the visions and futures I could see with Leesie and Michael...truly, reading this was a gift. There wasn't a dull moment - passion took over anything that could have turned boring - and the emotions that captured me in reading this exploded with each page. I actually found tears in my eyes and I never cry. I'm not a crybaby. Morrison was able to dig into the deepest parts of me to take my hopeless romantic and put her into action.

I fell in love with Michael as Leesie did and wanted the best for both characters. That being said, don't mistake me for agreeing with everything the characters did. Micheal's love for Leesie, as he stated a multiple number of times, was a lot different than her love for him. And yet, the both learned how to expand their horizons. Leesie especially appeared as such a strong heroine for me - how many can disobey every "rule" their family, community, etc. has set for them, just to end up with a boy who may or may not love you just as you do him? She took huge leaps throughout the book and at the end, the amount of growth I felt she'd endured literately blew me away.

The added bits of religion mixed in with this and how one can be ostracized because of their faith, beliefs and decisions. I loved that extra aspect Morrison threw in - Leesie, the Ice Queen. But not only did I learn a lot about the technicalities of the Mormon faith - I also learned the patterns of grieving and how stricken it can make someone.

The ending made my heart break but guess what? There's a sequel! You can just imagine what I'll be picking up on my next trip to the bookstore!

Taken by Angela Morrison
Audience: 14+
Rating: 5 of 5 (can I give it 6!?)
Recommend?: ONE. HUGE. NOD.

A whopping 5 of 5 for TAKEN BY STORM by Angela Morrison! Hopefully UNBROKEN CONNECTION won't disappoint!