Review: Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Secret
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Series: Book Four in the Elemental Series
Published By: Kensington Teen (January 28, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy
My Rating: 4 Stars!

Book Description:
Nowhere is safe. Not even home…

Nick Merrick is stretched to the breaking point.

Keep his grades sky-high or he’ll never escape his hometown.
Keep his brother’s business going or the Merricks will be out on the street.
Keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his own twin—-or he’ll lose his family.

Keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who’s supposed to be his “girlfriend’s” partner.

Of course there’s also the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers.

There’s a storm coming. From all sides. And then some.

Nick Merrick, can you keep it together?

*Amazon*Barnes and Noble*

*Takes a deep breath*

 This is it, the book I have been waiting for. The one I know that will be emotional and unforgettable and lets face it, probably pretty darn terrific if any of the other 3 in the series are any indication. 

But, I also knew this one was going to be hard. With some hard subject matters and filled with lots of surprises. After all, I didn't see any of this coming to begin with and not to sound conceited but I am usually really good at expecting twists and figuring them out ahead of time, not this time. This time Kemmerer knocked me flat on my butt and left me breathless. 

I have so many thoughts and emotions whirling around inside my head right now that it is hard to grasp even one and process it. 

There have been many worries expressed about this release from the many fans out there. Some concerned that this would get too deep into hard subject matters and maybe even be too emotional considering we were all left breathless with Breathless (yes, I know cue cheesy pun here). But really, any fan of Kemmerer's really should have known better. 

Yes we get a really good read that covers some really hard things but we also get all the same things we have come to expect and love from her writing and all the same kick butt characters we have fallen in love with throughout the series. 

And the really great part? Once again, this wasn't just Nick's story, it was Quinn's too. In fact, it wasn't even just theirs, it was the whole clan's story. They all played a big role in this, sometimes in very small ways mind you, but in significant ones as well. We get the family bond from the Merricks that is so uncommon in YA as well as the great friendship that brings them all together and truly makes them family.

I don't want to get into too much detail because I don't want to give anything away. I will say this though, this was a little slower paced than the other books and nothing really big action wise happens until the very end but it was worth it when it did happen, when things finally started to come together and make a whole lot of sense. When all of the characters started to show their true colors and we really get a good feel for them all. 

I am so excited about where this series is going and can't wait for the next book. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*