Tempest (Destroyers #1) by Holly Hook

Title: Tempest
Author: Holly Hook
Publish Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Self-published
Pages: 286
Other Books in the Series: Inferno (Destroyers #2), Outbreak (Destroyers #3), Frostbite (Destroyers #4)
Buy the Book: Amazon 
Rating: ★★★★

Sixteen-year-old Janelle never thought the gray spiral birthmark on her arm meant anything special. That is, until she meets Gary, a boy her age with a birthmark exactly like hers. Gary’s attractive, brooding, and perfectly normal…except for the fact that he materialized out of a dangerous hurricane right in front of her. Janelle’s certain of only one thing. Gary’s mark—and hers, too—mean something, but he’s reluctant to tell her what.

At last she squeezes the truth from Gary about their markings. And the truth is utterly terrifying: Janelle and Gary are more connected to the destructive power of nature than she ever dreamed possible. And learning the truth about herself is only the start of her nightmare.

Tempest by Holly Hook. Even the name sounds intriguing and intense. Of course, those two words correctly describe this book. I went into this novel, thinking that it would be an interesting read though it probably would be just like any other young adult book out there. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, they live happily ever after. That idea creates a certain amount of comfort in the back of my mind as I start any book. It caught me off guard how much more than romance this story was.

Janelle is a fun character to read with all of her characteristics that make her truly a YA main character. I like that there is a certain pattern they follow but I wish that there was something that made her more unique and standalone. A quality that perhaps other books lack in their characters. But I loved her nonetheless. Her relationship with her father is admirable. Her relationship with her mother can be summed up in one word: frightening. Her whole story is great, I liked it.

The idea behind the plot is different, there are no vampires, werewolves, ghosts, mermaids, or any of that sort treading through these pages. I think that's what really captures your attention is that it touches on something I don't think I've ever considered or read about. My desire to read is fueled by things that I don't know and want to know more about. This book brought up a new type of creature or human and made me look at "tempests" in a whole new light.

I really liked this book. I think anyone who likes these sort of paranormal stories will enjoy this.