Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

THANK YOU TRACY DEEBS. Let me tell you, as a girl who grew up during Disney’s revival, I lllllllllooooooooovvvvvveeeee mermaids (yes, the extra letters are necessary). I’ve been aching to find a mermaid book that clicked with me and Tracy Deebs delivered with “Tempest Rising”.

Tempest Maguire is an almost seventeen year old surfer gal who would be happy to just continue living her life the way it is - surfing day and night, dating her off-and-on slightly overprotective boyfriend, and taking care of her family. Unfortunately, that’s not her only option. Her seventeenth birthday is quickly approaching and she’ll soon be faced with an incredible life decision - to remain on land or answer the call of the ocean, like her mother did six years ago. That’s right. Tempest isn’t your average girl. She’s half mermaid and has grown up knowing this. It wasn’t such a big deal until her mom left six years ago, leaving her to take care of her two younger brothers and her heartbroken father. She left each of her children a note letting them know about the situation they’d each face someday. For Tempest though, this decision is even bigger than she could possibly imagine. There’s something out there in the ocean, calling to her. It wants her and she has no idea why. Then there is dark and sexy Kai, who mysteriously appears at the water’s edge one day and the connection between them is beyond anything she’s ever experienced. How is a girl to choose?

“Tempest Rising” is such a fun read! I read it in less than 24 hours. I just couldn’t stop. It’s addictive. The chemistry between the character crackles with electricity and boy oh boy, can Ms. Deebs write a good kissing scene. It does follow a lot of the traditional YA paranormal romance formula - life seems perfect, finds out life isn’t perfect when hottie appears, angsty love triangle ensues, then epic action, adventure, yadda yadda yadda. I know some of you may be sick of this, but you know, there is a reason this formula exists … because it works. Tracy Deebs takes it on and makes it her own with “Tempest Rising”. She creates two lovely worlds (the beaches of San Diego and the underwater world of the Pacific) that Tempest has to choose from. Each world have amazing things to offer her, but one world needs her and maybe she needs it too.

My only problem with this book, which seems to be the popular complaint, is the ending. There was so much tension and then it kinda went thump. I seriously had to do a double take and back track to make sure that I didn’t miss anything (I was reading this book FAST since I was dying to know what was going to happen to Tempest!). I’m happy to report, after browsing like a madwoman online, that I discovered this isn’t a standalone and there are going to be other books in this series. THANK YOU. I am dying to know what happens with Tempest after she makes her decision and how the world and the love she chooses is affected.

Okay. Enough rambling from this crazy blogger. If I say anymore, I am totally going to spoil it for you and I do not want to do that. If you’re like me and you like mermaids & paranormal romance, this is a must read. Why are you still here? Go out and buy a copy now! The author is doing a $75 gift certificate giveaway over on her blog! Tomorrow is the contest deadline. :)

I was provided with an ARC by the publisher (thank you!). “Tempest Rising” by Tracy Deebs is scheduled to be released on May 10th (today! Happy book birthday!). It is published by Walker Books for Children (Bloomsbury).