Tuesday, January 03, 2012

REVIEW: Tempest by Julie Cross

How much did I LOVE Tempest by Julie Cross?! I admit, I wasn't so sure that this book would be for me when I first started, but almost immediately I was absolutely sucked into this story, these characters and these wonderfully sweet relationships - both between Jackson and his girlfriend Holly and also between Jackson and his sister Courtney.

Tempest was a book that I just could not put down. I was desperate to continue reading it, even late into the night and bleary-eyed the next morning I CRIED in public trying to read more. I love books that make me very emotionally connected and that I'm so addicted to reading that I carry around with me every where I go. Tempest by Julie Cross was such a book for me.

Our main character, Jackson Meyer has recently found out that he has this special ability to time travel. He doesn't know very much about it all, how far back he can go, what the side effects will be, so with the help of his science-geek friend, Adam, he starts experimenting. And at the same time, he's hiding things and blowing off his girlfriend Holly. One night, some creepy guys burst in and attack Jackson and Holly. When Holly is shot, Adam immediately time travels away and what he realises is that he's now stuck two years in the past.

Without the ability to jump forward and save his girlfriend, Jackson has no choice but to work with what little clues he has about the two men and try to figure out what's going on. Enlisting the help of a younger Adam, Jackson begins learning more about his own abilities and the involvement of the creepy men but also how it all ties into to Jackson's father. What follows is exciting and fascinating and also very emotional.

At one point during Tempest, a character is told to forget everything they know about time travel in order to understand Jackson's ability, and I think that's excellent advice. Julie Cross seemed to really play with time travel, allowing Jackson to do full-jumps and half-jumps which allowed for different things to happen as well as to change the fixed point in time that he returns back to after each jump. It sounds confusing the way I just described it, but I promise it isn't as confusing when you're reading the book!

While the parts of the book relating to Jackson's time travel and the CIA and this dangerous group of individuals called the Enemies of Time are absolutely edge-of-your-seat exciting, the parts that I found the most compelling, as I said earlier, were the relationships that Jackson has with his girlfriend and also with his twin sister, who passed away when they were both 14. There are some heart-breaking and painful but also sweet and touching scenes with brother and sister together.

With Jackson and Holly, we aren't told straight away of their history, but we are able to see glimpses of how they met and their first kiss in flashbacks as Jackson finds himself two years in the past and unable to stay away from a younger Holly. As Jackson begins to get to know this younger and different version of Holly, we begin to see more of the attraction and the build-up of this wonderful relationship and romance between the two. And I was rooting for them the entire way! They are so sweet and perfect together.

The ending blew me away and I'm gasping to read a sequel! Hurry it up, Julie Cross! I want more.

9 comments:

  1. I'm reading such good reviews for this book everywhere, it sounds awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm going to buy this one! I've been looking at it on Amazon on and off for a while now, your review has decided it - it's going in my basket :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm really looking forward to this one glad to see you loved it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Viv - THE ENDING, OMG.

    Jenni - It really is awesome! :)

    Jules - Glad to help you out, I hope you enjoy it!

    Jess - I did very much love it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wasn't sure about this book before but now I really want to read it! Great review, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have heard nothing but good this about this book. Your review is tempting to put it on Mt. TBR.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was lucky enough to win an arc of Tempest! I loved it and can't wait for more!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Zoe - I'm so glad that I've changed your mind! hope you find a copy soon :)

    Monique - Go on, do it :) It's amazing!

    Becca - Isn't it wonderful?! I really NEED another book in this series now!

    ReplyDelete

HI! Thank you for leaving a comment, you've just become my new best friend :)