ARC Review: Book It Forward ARC Tours - Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Tempest Rising

by Tracy Deebs

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: May 10th 2011 by Walker Books for Young Readers

ISBN 0802722318

Courtesy of Book It Forward ARC Tours

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

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My Thoughts:

Tempest Rising was a really sweet Y.A. read that I blew through.

Tempest Maguire is a bit of a tomboy; she’d rather be surfing with the guys and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Mark, then hanging out at the malls with her girlfriends. As her seventeenth birthday approaches though her body craves more then just riding the waves, it wants to be under them, despite how her mind and heart feels. After her mother walked away six years ago leaving her, her brothers and father behind, she swore that she would never choose her mermaid side. But when the sexy and mysterious Kai is drug under the waves the choice may be taken from her. Will Tempest survive the war brewing under the surface of the ocean? And will she choose to remain a mermaid, human or can she find a balance between the two?

Tempest Rising was a fascinating story written from Tempest's point of view. I really enjoyed the unique underwater world that Tracy Deebs has created with different mythical creatures; mermaids, selkies, sea witches. I also liked the how in the plot, Tempest knows her mermaid heritage but despite her prejudices, because of her mother’s abandonment, and being set against becoming a mermaid, you can tell that she was born to the water. I also loved her surfer lifestyle; it was entertaining and makes me want to head out to the beach right now.

The author kept Tempest true to her character throughout the novel, never wavering from her initial feelings, instead having some mature and grow along the way while others remained the same. I was able to dive into the characters without a problem, each one was unique and I found the side characters just as entertaining as the main ones. Tempest is strong, sensitive and loyal with a deep love and commitment to her family. She had a love triangle to deal with and it wasn’t as suspenseful as you usually find in Y.A.'s, but there was a lot of back and forth, should I choose him or him. I thought Kai was sexy and charming and right for Tempest, though I did feel that Mark got the short end of the stick; he really cared for Tempest and thought she was the one.

The setting was imaginative and I could picture the cali surfer life and the world of mermaids and selkies around me while reading.

The descriptions of characters where a bit redundant towards the middle but I flew through this novel within a day, turning the pages as fast as I could to see where Tempest’s destiny would take her.

The ending was nice but it felt like it was missing something, I can’t really say what without revealing a major spoiler but I would of like more closure. The story could end here and that’d be it, but the author left a few points open to continue the story with. Nothing to cause those hated throw-the-book-across-the-room cliffhangers, a lot of the story is wrapped up neatly, but it does leave you interested for more.

Full of action, drama, mystery, and angst, with a beautiful cover Tempest Rising was a great and refreshing read.

Rating: 4 - A great read!