It's easy to recognize the good things about this book: the smooth writing; some dialogues are sharp and entertaining; one character, Hunter, is well developed. However, some other aspects of the book turned me off so much that I cannot give the book a rating higher than 2 stars. It was because of the FUN! It amazed me how closely the dialogues sound like everyday teenage conversations. I actually laughed numerous times due to the guys' snide remarks and Becca's dramatic monologues. Me. Laughing. The stoic me who hardly laugh at jokes. What? No. I like this book far too much to do that," I said. I mean, really, hun, is that what you think-- okay, fair point. In this way Stewart is a progenitor of both "The Overstory" and "The Perfect Storm." The Storm is as callous as Junger's trifecta, indifferent to suffering and death, and as majestic, inevitable, and full of marvel as the the forest in Power's novel. Stewart is a fatalist like Powers. He knows that nature wins, and that the storm will be over when it passes, and the drought relieved when it rains. When you have alternating povs from two main characters things are clearer than bottled water. And when you have a cute relationship that starts pretty well, but you know with whom the girl might end it leaves you with a bitter taste.

Storm wastes no time jumping straight into the action. We join Becca as she finds Chris being beaten in the school parking lot, and it escalates from there. Told between Becca and Chris’ point of view, we’re give a unique viewpoint into their world: the ‘outsider’ view of Becca, as she tries to discover what she’s been dragged into, and that of Chris, who knows what’s happening around him, but still doesn’t necessarily hold all the cards or information. Both Chris and Becca are eminently likeable, fascinating and engrossing, and both have unique, singular voices. I get that the author is trying to build the family dynamic and portray the conflicts between siblings. Maybe I'm wrong, having grown up with just a sister, and this is actually how boy siblings get along. It was just frustrating and an experiment in slow torture for me to read about all the fighting, both verbal and those involving fisticuffs. This story was a little on the predictable side, but even so, it was very entertaining. I guess we get a short story with Hunter in Fearless, and then Gabriel's story in Spark. Can’t wait! The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that a couple of times women were judged because of the way they dressed. Also, I don't think Becca stopped blushing throughout the entire story.So no weather satellites, and no computers. How, then did forecasters forecast (and quite accurately too) these large scale weather patterns? By a network of reporting stations on land and at sea. Ships ranging from fishing vessels to liners were expected to call in once a day with a temperature and air pressure report, the same as did land based weather reporting stations. But data alone is not a weather report. And it takes a master, like the Chief (Meteorologist) to fill in the map with the color-coded information until the extent and movement of the storm is obvious. Making storms out of nothings is something, but changing the course of life is an entirely different thing, and no-one seemed to be bothered by this. (And the same goes for the next book and there are still no consequences!) I feel like Becca made a few decisions that were illogical, like say, going to a party thrown by a guy who started the rumors about her and who continued to harass her only to get drunk there. Given what her past was with this guy, that made so little sense to me. Also, in the end where she goes outside of the dance to talk with the guy (Drew) alone, was so not smart on so many levels. Why not have Hunter just stand at a distance while she had the convo and be nearby just in case douchey McDouchey Pants tried to try anything. And you can believe that Drew did intend to try something. It was like watching a character in a horror movie opening That Door and you're yelling at your TV, (as if they can hear you) telling them not to, but they don't listen and they die. That is how I felt with Becca. When you have 5 hot guys parading (is this the right word?) in front of you, you just got to be enjoying yourself.. a lot! Guys, tell me this is not a YA version of Four Brothers! And in case that wasn't clear, that's a compliment because that movie was awesome, filled with a lot of action and it has great chemistry between the brothers. Are you seeing my vision here?

I was planning on talking at length about all the typically PNR-het-YA stuff that bugged me, but since I've had this review languishing in my brain/to-do list/fingers for ten days what I want right now is honestly to just get rid of it.And so many depend on this information, from the railroads, the highway departments, and the airports down to the farmers and the manager of a small local department store who, when the Chief gives the definitive signal that rain is finally coming, immediately switches out the planned window display of spring outfits and baby buggies to raincoats, boots, and umbrellas. There is an almost rape scene between Becca, Drew and a group of other boys (and it was more graphic that what I thought it'd be). To me, it felt conveniently placed just so Chris and Becca would end up on the field during that lightning storm. One of my pet peeves is when a heroine's gender is used to further the plot. It's like, she's a girl and so the worst possible thing that will happen to her is rape, so let's throw in a rape scene. But more than that, this one didn't seem authentic to me because Drew essentially says, "Everyone thinks I raped you. So even though I didn't and could possibly plead my case, I'm going to commit the crime everyone thought I did... just because." Really, Drew? In the world before the Internet, "knowing" was a thing, detail was work, and there were folks who just "knew things" like how steam engines worked, Seneca's words of wisdom, or how to make a perfect Manhattan. If you are going to read Storm, definitely read the short story prequel first. It takes place about 4 years earlier, and it helped me understand why Michael is the way he is.

Of special note: an unnamed junior meteorologist names the titular mega storm "Maria". In a 1947 reprint, the author wrote a forward explaining that "The soft Spanish pronunciation is fine for some heroines, but our Maria here is too big for any man to embrace and much too boisterous." So the name was to be pronounced with a "rye" in the middle, not as in the traditional Spanish pronunciation. So when Storm more-or-less inspired the musical and movie Paint Your Wagon, it included the song They Call the Wind Maria, pronounced as the author of Storm intended. And to wrap up the special note, this is the origin of Mariah Carey’s name (also quite big and boisterous?). In a nutshell, the story shows the interrelation of all of life on this planet. There are tiny, seemingly inconsequential events that have a larger than expected impact on other events. It was fascinating to read. I also have a new awareness of and appreciation for some workers. Okay, with so many low points you must be wondering, WHY DID I GIVE THIS FREAKING BOOK FOUR STARS ANYWAY? This book is the story of a tropical storm hitting California. It is a novel about the storm. Stewart uses a big cast of characters, from the meteorological service to the railroads to the irrigation and dam experts to the road maintenance forces to the electrical company to the phone company to a young couple going on a road trip. All of the stories weave together to tell the story of the storm.

How to Vote

I am not a big fan of paranormal love stories and this one was no exception. I don't understand why did the two liked each other, and i don't understand why the third one got to be left out when he started so damn well, I don't know why there was a need for a love-triangle in the first place, and I don't get how Becca ended with the one she ended because not only there was no chemistry between them, but it was the same treat-me-like-hell-because-i-like-you story all over again.

Micheal, the eldest is the father-figure in the bunch. He is protective (overly-protective sometimes) and responsible. If you can ignore his distant and cold aura, that is. As a crab moves on the ocean-bottom, but is of the water, so man rests his feet upon the earth--but lives in the air. Man thinks of the crab as a water-animal; illogically and curiously, he calls himself a creature of the land. His affinity to water made sense. He reminded her of the sea, alluring and mysterious, calm on the surface, with who-knew-what brewing underneath. Sister Mary Rose was plump and youngish; she taught the class and was obviously trying to be progressive. Sister Mary Dolores was thin and oldish; she apparently came along to chaperone Sister Mary Rose, and her attitude seemed to be that if God had wanted us to know about the weather he would have informed St. Thomas Aquinas.

Some things about California never change. Water is the essential element in this state, and there is always either too much or not enough. And sometimes the difference between these two states can be measured in a matter of hours. Much like our recent storm, this one sprang up mid-Pacific, got shoved down by frigid air from the Canadian prairie, and ended up in northern California, dumping rain through the mid-state and heavy snow in the Sierras, with some rain heading off to southern California, all helping to relieve a serious drought condition. One big difference. The storm in Stewart’s book occurred in 1941. The latest we just had may been covered digitally, but Stewart’s was all analogue. as a crab moves on the ocean-bottom, but is of the water, so man rests his feet upon the earth—but lives in the air. man thinks of the crab as a water-animal; illogically and curiously, he calls himself a creature of the land.” But despite my issues, I would still recommend this book. It's addictive and a really entertaining read that appears to get better with every book. As for me? Weathering this Storm proved to be very rewarding. How do I feel about losing my Elemental V-card? Well, you know what they say. You never forget your first time. Heh. No, I'm not being fair when I say she has no significant talents. She has one talent. When shit starts to hit the fan, Becca can get in the middle like nobody's business. Every single time things start to go downhill, she manages to get involved and end up in a life threatening situation, only so she could be rescued by the heroes. *facepalms herself into eternity* God forbid she has the presence of mind to get herself out of difficult situations. *facepalms herself into eternity the second time* This is a refreshing story about 4 boys with powers way too strong for their own good and also a story about a girl caught in the middle of a fight beyond her power of comprehension. This is a story about revealing secrets that could kill you and about love that could heal you, it has a lot of action, a bit a drama, some humor scattered here in there, not to mention that there is plenty of hotness involved. Be aware!