Review: Spark By Brigid Kemmerer

Spark

(Elemental # 2)

By: Brigid Kemmerer

Pub. Date: August 28, 2012

Publisher: K-Teen

Pages: 345

Source: Netgalley

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…

I was so happy to receive an e-ARC copy of Spark! I really enjoyed Storm and it's characters and I could not wait to hang out with these characters again. I loved Gabriel so much in Storm, so I could not wait to get to know him better in Spark, and let me start by saying that Gabriel is perfection. I loved every minute that I spent with him.

Gabriel is the brother that can control fire. He's the younger brother of Michael, the older brother of Chris, and the twin brother of Nick. He is so damaged and broken, and unlike his brothers, has a much harder time controlling his element. He started the fire (by accident) that killed his parents 5 years ago, and has never forgiven himself. On the outside he acts like he doesn't care about anything, but inside he is falling apart. He keeps his pain locked inside, and doesn't let anybody in, and then he lashes out in anger. I really felt bad for him, and I so wanted to give him a hug. When Gabriel's new math teacher starts to catch on that Gabriel is not the one taking his tests, that it's actually his twin, he learns that he won't be able to play sports if he fails. His classmate Layne offers to tutor him.

I really liked Layne. She was so sweet. Sometimes Gabriel treated her like such crap, but only because she understood him so well. They had a wonderful connection. Gabriel's sweet side definitely came out more when it came to her and her younger, deaf brother. I loved how protective Gabriel was of him. It really showed that there was more to Gabriel then meets the eye.

The other brothers were also around, but not as much as I would have liked. It makes sense that they weren't there though. Gabriel spends more time alone then the rest of them do. In Spark , Gabriel was fighting with Nick for most of the time, and this just broke my heart. Gabriel was lost without his twin, and I just felt so bad for him. We did get to see another side of Michael which I enjoyed. Sometimes you forget that he is only 23 because he acts like such an adult, so I enjoyed seeing the more laidback side of him.

Spark was very enjoyable. The plot kept me interested and the writing was terrific. The characters are just so well done and they are all so realistic. I am loving this series, and I am going to have to get myself copies of this series for my shelf. I can not wait for the next book, Spirit!