Review: Spark by Brigid Kemmerer - Farah

Title: Spark

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publication date: August 28th, 2012

Publisher: K-Teen 

Genre(s): Young Adult (Paranormal)

Challenges: A-Z

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 432

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Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.

Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents.

Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it.

More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

The fuse is lit…

Spark by Brigid Kemmerer is amazing. Not just amazing, but a-ma-zing. I liked Storm, but Storm was nothing compared to Spark. This book was action packed in every page, and just so addicting! In Spark, the main protagonist is a different Merrick brother, and this time it's Gaberiel. Gaberiel has the fire element, and actually likes to play with it. In this book, Gaberiel is a pretty tough guy. I don't know what to expect from him, and I really think he's got a bad temper. Gets upset pretty easily, and anything can lead to a fight with him. Despite all those qualities, he's a great guy as well! I feel like Brigid portrayed a teenage guy pretty well. He had a very strong act from the outside, but he's actually very nice from the inside. Gaberiel really cares about the people around him, but because he doesn't want to show that he cares, he messes everything up with his brothers and friends. It was awesome that for once, the "cool" guy develops an interest with the class "nerd". I found that very different, but interesting to read!

What I really liked in this book, that unlike Storm, everything was clear to me. I was never confused, and there was never any boring part! The fights the brothers had with each other were very understandable. I have siblings and I can understand how anything can piss you off. I really liked the relationship between Layne and Gaberiel. Layne is the nerd, while Gaberiel is the jock, and you don't really see these type of people together. Even though at times it might have felt a bit draggy, it was still really cute. While reading, nothing really felt annoying or out of place. The flow was fantastic, and I really want to give a big clap to Brigid for writing such a great novel!

Overall, I liked that the book wasn't concentrated on the magic elements a lot, and that made the book balanced. Sometimes to much fantasy just makes me all confused, so I'm thankful for that not happening. I loved every single character in this book, and everything felt so realistic and believable. It felt like all the characters were real! If you haven't started The Elemental Series yet, you really should, because they will not disappoint you! I really do recommend this to all young adult readers! A very beautiful, action packed, story that will leave you wanting more!