Spark #2 by Brigid Kemmerer

Genre: Superhuman Powers

Paperback: 345 Pages

Published: August 28, 2012

Series: Elemental

            1. Storm

            2. Spark

            3. Spirit

            4. Secret

            5. Sacrifice

Rating:★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can't. 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. And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Because Layne has a few secrets of her own...

My Review:

            I loved the first book in this series because the author created a unique world that captured my attention and made the characters realistic. I really liked how the superhuman powers of the boys were described and how each one controlled one of the elements.

            In Storm, we met the four brothers, one friend, and a girl who got stuck dealing with them. In Spark, we continue with their struggle to figure out who is after them, why their powers are getting stronger all of a sudden, and we go deeper into the rough-edged reckless character Gabriel. As their story continues we find out that the hard rough-edged Gabriel has a soft innocent side to him. Even though he comes across as a selfish jerk, he has kind and loving qualities. His character is complex, filled with grief and self doubt. He blames himself for his parents death which has caused him to be self conscious of his lack of control over his element. We get to see Gabriel grow throughout this book and I found him to be a extremely well-rounded and likable character.     

            When Gabriel pretends to be a fireman and saves a life, someone starts threatening the boys and their secret. It's up to Gabriel and his brothers to figure out what the Guild has planned for them and why they are being targeted. This family dynamic is, again, one of my favorite traits that made this book so good for me. I loved their relationships, fights, and love. Even though the brothers had their ups and downs at the end of the day they always had each others backs no matter what. Kemmerer created a wonderful broken, yet happy family. The love and respect between the siblings is what makes this series so wonderful.