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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
While Chris and Becca will always be my favourite couple, I quite enjoyed Mike and Hannah's story.
It was very interesting to get into the head of Michael Merrick. He has been in the series, but, we haven't really been able to get a feel for him. Everyone seems to have a different idea of who he was. But, then he would do something to surprise them. All we really knew about Mike was that he really cared for his brothers and he would do anything to keep them safe. In "Sacrifice" this becomes more and more evident. However, we also learn more things about Mike, like the fact that he is always worrying about everyone. Honestly, the best part of this novel was learning more about him.
Another good thing about this book was that we got to learn more about Hannah. Hannah has been in and out of the series, but we have never really learned anything about her at all. All we really knew was that she has a son. Again, like Mike, we get to learn more about her and what she had to go through.
This is one of those books that is predictable in the basic plot lines. Yes, it is pretty easy to figure out what is going on. However, Kemmerer throws in some interesting twists that I didn't see coming and kept the story moving. She removed the danger of the predictability and the made the novel more interesting because it surpasses the expectations (at least mine).
Another good read in this series! I would definitely recommend this for anyone who needs a quick and easy read on a very lazy day! :)
It was very interesting to get into the head of Michael Merrick. He has been in the series, but, we haven't really been able to get a feel for him. Everyone seems to have a different idea of who he was. But, then he would do something to surprise them. All we really knew about Mike was that he really cared for his brothers and he would do anything to keep them safe. In "Sacrifice" this becomes more and more evident. However, we also learn more things about Mike, like the fact that he is always worrying about everyone. Honestly, the best part of this novel was learning more about him.
Another good thing about this book was that we got to learn more about Hannah. Hannah has been in and out of the series, but we have never really learned anything about her at all. All we really knew was that she has a son. Again, like Mike, we get to learn more about her and what she had to go through.
This is one of those books that is predictable in the basic plot lines. Yes, it is pretty easy to figure out what is going on. However, Kemmerer throws in some interesting twists that I didn't see coming and kept the story moving. She removed the danger of the predictability and the made the novel more interesting because it surpasses the expectations (at least mine).
Another good read in this series! I would definitely recommend this for anyone who needs a quick and easy read on a very lazy day! :)
3.5 stars. I will always love the Merrick brothers. But come on??? This book was good, but I had some issues. Hannah seemed a bit wishy-washy, I didn't like the Irish love triangle side plot. Reminded me of Chris, Hunter, and Becca. I hate the freaking sacrifices in these books. First Kate and now Hunter. I almost cried. Also, his brothers. I need to know if he gets custody of them. And if he gets his business up again. And his dad's truck. The girls weren't in this at all. How are they doing? I like Hannah and Michael together. I don't care if this series isn't still going, I need a book 6 to wrap everything up.
Copy provided by publishers via NetGalley for an honest review
The final showdown is here, but who will come out on top, and who wont survive?
Sacrifice is the heartbreakingly perfect ending to Brigid Kemmerer’s Elemental series.
Set in the point of view of both Hannah and the eldest Merrick brother, we finally get to see the soft vulnerable side to Michael as he protects his brothers from the guides and fights to keep them all together.
I have read and relished every book in the Elemental series, and Sacrifice was no different. I loved being able to finally get to read Michael’s story and was even moved to tears on more than one occasion.
Sacrifice is the outstanding and flawless fifth and finale book in the series, filled with intrigue and suspense. Fans of the series; I suggest you brace yourselves to say goodbye to this amazing series and the characters.
I will miss the world of Elementals that Kemmerer has created and can’t wait to read any future novels Kemmerer creates.
Sacrifice is released on 30th of September 2014>
The final showdown is here, but who will come out on top, and who wont survive?
Sacrifice is the heartbreakingly perfect ending to Brigid Kemmerer’s Elemental series.
Set in the point of view of both Hannah and the eldest Merrick brother, we finally get to see the soft vulnerable side to Michael as he protects his brothers from the guides and fights to keep them all together.
I have read and relished every book in the Elemental series, and Sacrifice was no different. I loved being able to finally get to read Michael’s story and was even moved to tears on more than one occasion.
Sacrifice is the outstanding and flawless fifth and finale book in the series, filled with intrigue and suspense. Fans of the series; I suggest you brace yourselves to say goodbye to this amazing series and the characters.
I will miss the world of Elementals that Kemmerer has created and can’t wait to read any future novels Kemmerer creates.
Sacrifice is released on 30th of September 2014>
FIRST THOUGHTS:
I kid you not when I say this: I was on the edge of my seat for most of Sacrifice. Michael Merrick is put through the wringer and my heart ached with empathy. It's a big, emotional, crazy book, and it makes it clear that EVERYTHING is at stake. So intense, and I just could not put it down till I finished.
REVIEW:
(Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
Sacrifice was an intense ending for the Elemental series! It felt like a whirlwind, as everything progressed at such a fast pace from start to end. Because the stakes are so high for every single person, the quick pace honestly didn't bother me at all and, in fact, felt quite fitting. But it was the combination of action, drama and characters I loved that really did the trick and held my attention.
Sacrifice focuses heavily on Michael Merrick, the eldest of the Merrick siblings. Since their parents are no longer around, he's the one who has the pressure of caring for his younger brothers, earning a living and keeping things together - and that's a lot to ask of a man who is barely an adult himself. But Michael rises up admirably to the challenge, assuming the mantle of responsibility and really pushing himself to do the best he can for the people he loves. I've admired his character from the start, especially how steady and smart he was. But with Sacrifice, I love him even more, because we're also introduced to another side of him - a side that's a bit more aggressive, impulsive and dangerous - and it's very attractive (and a teensy bit terrifying too).
The conflict in Sacrifice is all on Michael's shoulders, but deals with every aspect of his life: his home + business, his brothers, his full Elemental abilities, and even Hannah. It's interesting to see how every challenge he faces both breaks and remakes him, and it's a true test of his character in every way as each new development is more terrifying and impossible than the last. While I do wish the other Merrick boys (and even Hunter) had been a wee bit more involved, I actually appreciate the fact that it's all about Michael this time around!
With Sacrifice, readers will slip back into the familiarity of the setting and characters easily. But, with every turn, the situation gets messier and scarier and it becomes a maelstrom of conflict and confusion and suspense. While I thought it ended a bit too abruptly (I need more. Always.), it was still quite the thrill ride. Kemmerer brings this series to just the right close for these boys, and Sacrifice, along with its predecessors, will always hold a special place in my heart.
I kid you not when I say this: I was on the edge of my seat for most of Sacrifice. Michael Merrick is put through the wringer and my heart ached with empathy. It's a big, emotional, crazy book, and it makes it clear that EVERYTHING is at stake. So intense, and I just could not put it down till I finished.
REVIEW:
(Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)
Sacrifice was an intense ending for the Elemental series! It felt like a whirlwind, as everything progressed at such a fast pace from start to end. Because the stakes are so high for every single person, the quick pace honestly didn't bother me at all and, in fact, felt quite fitting. But it was the combination of action, drama and characters I loved that really did the trick and held my attention.
Sacrifice focuses heavily on Michael Merrick, the eldest of the Merrick siblings. Since their parents are no longer around, he's the one who has the pressure of caring for his younger brothers, earning a living and keeping things together - and that's a lot to ask of a man who is barely an adult himself. But Michael rises up admirably to the challenge, assuming the mantle of responsibility and really pushing himself to do the best he can for the people he loves. I've admired his character from the start, especially how steady and smart he was. But with Sacrifice, I love him even more, because we're also introduced to another side of him - a side that's a bit more aggressive, impulsive and dangerous - and it's very attractive (and a teensy bit terrifying too).
The conflict in Sacrifice is all on Michael's shoulders, but deals with every aspect of his life: his home + business, his brothers, his full Elemental abilities, and even Hannah. It's interesting to see how every challenge he faces both breaks and remakes him, and it's a true test of his character in every way as each new development is more terrifying and impossible than the last. While I do wish the other Merrick boys (and even Hunter) had been a wee bit more involved, I actually appreciate the fact that it's all about Michael this time around!
With Sacrifice, readers will slip back into the familiarity of the setting and characters easily. But, with every turn, the situation gets messier and scarier and it becomes a maelstrom of conflict and confusion and suspense. While I thought it ended a bit too abruptly (I need more. Always.), it was still quite the thrill ride. Kemmerer brings this series to just the right close for these boys, and Sacrifice, along with its predecessors, will always hold a special place in my heart.
In the past year I have been sucked into the Elemental world. This series is easy to speed through. The writing is simple but evokes powerful emotions and covers difficult topics with respect and honesty. I love this series. Going into Sacrifice I was sad this would be the last installment and worried because the title is so ominous.
I'm left confused and disappointed though. If you've read any of the books in this series you know Michael is the strong older brother, who leads and defends his siblings while they casually cause trouble. (As boys who have powerful supernatural powers and who are falling in love often do) I've loved Michael as a father/brother figure and was frustrated in this book when his own voice/POV sounded so immature. While I know what Kemmerer was trying to do, have Michael lose control and need to ask for help because we all need help at some point, it didn't feel right and didn't sit well with me.
This installments is short (less than 300pgs) and in general I wanted more. There was a lot of wrap up. In Secret we barely made any progress in regard to the Guides and not much changed in this book either.
I also thought Hannah and Michael's relationship in this book was much weaker than any of the other romances thus far. There was also this weird love triangle introduced in this book which annoyed me. There are other ways to introduce new characters to this group without shoving a love triangle into the mix plus we've seen this as a plot device before in Storm. Overall the romance portion of this book was lacking for me. Its a big reason I've enjoyed these book so far. Even though they are predictable they are fun and I look forward to the courting and romance of each book. I knew this one would be a little different but it seemed to just drop off the map.
If this was the last book in the series, I would be VERY disappointed. Nothing seemed cleared up or resolved. However, Kemmerer answered a question on her Goodreads page late last year mentioning she is writing book six right now. The book itself says it is on hold indefinitely. SO I'm confused. This definitely wasn't the end of the story, but I have no idea when the next book will be released.
I hope this series moves forward soon so my bad feelings over this book don't fester too much.
I'm left confused and disappointed though. If you've read any of the books in this series you know Michael is the strong older brother, who leads and defends his siblings while they casually cause trouble. (As boys who have powerful supernatural powers and who are falling in love often do) I've loved Michael as a father/brother figure and was frustrated in this book when his own voice/POV sounded so immature. While I know what Kemmerer was trying to do, have Michael lose control and need to ask for help because we all need help at some point, it didn't feel right and didn't sit well with me.
This installments is short (less than 300pgs) and in general I wanted more. There was a lot of wrap up. In Secret we barely made any progress in regard to the Guides and not much changed in this book either.
I also thought Hannah and Michael's relationship in this book was much weaker than any of the other romances thus far. There was also this weird love triangle introduced in this book which annoyed me. There are other ways to introduce new characters to this group without shoving a love triangle into the mix plus we've seen this as a plot device before in Storm. Overall the romance portion of this book was lacking for me. Its a big reason I've enjoyed these book so far. Even though they are predictable they are fun and I look forward to the courting and romance of each book. I knew this one would be a little different but it seemed to just drop off the map.
If this was the last book in the series, I would be VERY disappointed. Nothing seemed cleared up or resolved. However, Kemmerer answered a question on her Goodreads page late last year mentioning she is writing book six right now. The book itself says it is on hold indefinitely. SO I'm confused. This definitely wasn't the end of the story, but I have no idea when the next book will be released.
I hope this series moves forward soon so my bad feelings over this book don't fester too much.
This review was originally posted on Books of Amber
Michael is my favourite of the Merrick brothers, so you can probably imagine my intense excitement when I discovered that he was getting his own book. I was flailing about all over the place, especially since his book was to be the last in the series and that is usually a bad sign because everyone dies in series finales. Unfortunately – can you see where this is going? – all of my waiting and fangirling didn’t pay off, because Sacrifice is not the book that I was expecting.
Let’s start with Michael, who was just an brilliant as I was expecting. He’s set on looking after his three younger brothers, and he will do anything to keep them safe, including working with his nemesis to hunt down a bigger threat. I loved him as much as ever, and I couldn’t get enough of his point of view. If Michael Merrick was a real person, I would marry him in a heartbeat. And to add to his flawless personality and agenda, he is also an incredibly powerful Earthbender. Uh, I mean, Earth Elemental.
So that aspect of the book was great, but the rest of it was flawed, starting with the new point of view of the new female POV, Hannah. Her story felt so uninvolved with the rest of the plot, and nothing really was happening with her, which was incredibly disappointing because all of the previous lead females have been pretty cool. I didn’t feel any connection to her at all, nor did I feel any chemistry between her and Michael when they were occasionally in the same room.
In addition to Hannah, the other female characters from previous books were only briefly mentioned. I was expecting everybody to come together and have a Battle of Hogwarts type thing where they were all involved in saving the day, but instead Kemmerer chose to focus soley on the Merricks. This seems like a weird decision to me, because the ladies had equal page-time in the previous books, and readers had grown to love them too, and I’m sure most people would have wanted to see more of them. But we didn’t. We got one or two scenes with (sometimes only just mentions of) each lady, and that was it. Then it was back to the Merricks saving the day. I wanted to see more of Becca and Layne, and I’m sad that they weren’t there. Adam, Nick’s boyfriend, was a little more prominent but even he disappeared before things really got going.
The ending was incredibly abrupt, which wasn’t helped by the fact that my copy ended at 67% and the rest of the book was dedicated to extra content. It didn’t feel like an ending in the slightest, and after the Big Tragedy happened I was expecting someone to pop out and be like HA THE THREAT IS STILL REAL but it never happened. The book just kind of faded away.
This was incredibly disappointing for me because, as a series finale, I feel like Sacrifice should have gone out with a bang. It should have punched me in the gut and have had explosions all over the place and people coming and going and dying and resurrecting, and it should have been thrilling. But it wasn’t. It felt more like a series filler than a finale, and considering the fact that Michael (aka my favourite ever) was the protagonist, I was severely underwhelmed.
I’m sad that such a great series went out this way, especially since one of my favourite characters was the main protagonist. This is often the case with series finales for me; they just don’t pack the right punch.
Michael is my favourite of the Merrick brothers, so you can probably imagine my intense excitement when I discovered that he was getting his own book. I was flailing about all over the place, especially since his book was to be the last in the series and that is usually a bad sign because everyone dies in series finales. Unfortunately – can you see where this is going? – all of my waiting and fangirling didn’t pay off, because Sacrifice is not the book that I was expecting.
Let’s start with Michael, who was just an brilliant as I was expecting. He’s set on looking after his three younger brothers, and he will do anything to keep them safe, including working with his nemesis to hunt down a bigger threat. I loved him as much as ever, and I couldn’t get enough of his point of view. If Michael Merrick was a real person, I would marry him in a heartbeat. And to add to his flawless personality and agenda, he is also an incredibly powerful Earthbender. Uh, I mean, Earth Elemental.
So that aspect of the book was great, but the rest of it was flawed, starting with the new point of view of the new female POV, Hannah. Her story felt so uninvolved with the rest of the plot, and nothing really was happening with her, which was incredibly disappointing because all of the previous lead females have been pretty cool. I didn’t feel any connection to her at all, nor did I feel any chemistry between her and Michael when they were occasionally in the same room.
In addition to Hannah, the other female characters from previous books were only briefly mentioned. I was expecting everybody to come together and have a Battle of Hogwarts type thing where they were all involved in saving the day, but instead Kemmerer chose to focus soley on the Merricks. This seems like a weird decision to me, because the ladies had equal page-time in the previous books, and readers had grown to love them too, and I’m sure most people would have wanted to see more of them. But we didn’t. We got one or two scenes with (sometimes only just mentions of) each lady, and that was it. Then it was back to the Merricks saving the day. I wanted to see more of Becca and Layne, and I’m sad that they weren’t there. Adam, Nick’s boyfriend, was a little more prominent but even he disappeared before things really got going.
The ending was incredibly abrupt, which wasn’t helped by the fact that my copy ended at 67% and the rest of the book was dedicated to extra content. It didn’t feel like an ending in the slightest, and after the Big Tragedy happened I was expecting someone to pop out and be like HA THE THREAT IS STILL REAL but it never happened. The book just kind of faded away.
This was incredibly disappointing for me because, as a series finale, I feel like Sacrifice should have gone out with a bang. It should have punched me in the gut and have had explosions all over the place and people coming and going and dying and resurrecting, and it should have been thrilling. But it wasn’t. It felt more like a series filler than a finale, and considering the fact that Michael (aka my favourite ever) was the protagonist, I was severely underwhelmed.
I’m sad that such a great series went out this way, especially since one of my favourite characters was the main protagonist. This is often the case with series finales for me; they just don’t pack the right punch.
Review:
http://pagestoexplore.blogspot.com/2014/08/sacrifice-by-brigid-kemmerer.html
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Holy... wow.
Although that looks more like how I pictured Chris looking, and that cover model looks too young to be a 20something guy. (to me anyways)
Other wise I love this cover. I just really really wish we had a Novella for Chris and Becca. I mean Hunter got a novella... as did Nick* and Micheal, why can't Chris and Becca have one? *grumbles*
http://pagestoexplore.blogspot.com/2014/08/sacrifice-by-brigid-kemmerer.html
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Holy... wow.
Although that looks more like how I pictured Chris looking, and that cover model looks too young to be a 20something guy. (to me anyways)
Other wise I love this cover. I just really really wish we had a Novella for Chris and Becca. I mean Hunter got a novella... as did Nick* and Micheal, why can't Chris and Becca have one? *grumbles*
I planned to go to bed early today so i could wake up early. Then I picked this book up. That was a bad move on my part because now it's significantly later than I'd hoped.
I was looking forward to this book. Sure, this series isn't quite literary art but I like it. The plot is always fast paced and the characters are great. This author makes 400 page books feel like 30. I'm sad to let this series go (unless there's a sequel which I'd love).
Michael is my least favorite Merrick. I know that's an unpopular opinion but I find it difficult to sympathize with him. I feel Gabriel's spirit, I'm as loner-y as Chris and I admire Nick. Michael, to me, feels like an admirable but uninteresting character. Nonetheless, we see him facing some pretty intense things in this book and he does it admirably. Yes, I repeated the word admire 3 time in a sentence. Fight me.
You know, I've often complained about how unrealistic ya fantasy can be, when it comes to teenagers. It's often as simple as "the police just let us go". Here, the police and law enforcement facilities have a big part and yet I found myself wishing they didn't.
It's going to get spoilerly from here on out so if you haven't read the book, don't proceed after this paragraph. I'm sorry, I'm just on mobile and lazy. I recommend this book because come on, if you read the first four, you have to read this.
That ending. I know it's been said but I'll say it myself. As TfioS says, I believe in the unspoken contract between readers and authors. I think part of it is giving the readers an end, especially after a 4 book series. This book doesn't uphold its' side. That's not an ok ending. Nope. That's not an ending. That's a beginning of a new novel. I want more. Ok so maybe Michael will get custody. That's it? After 5 books?! That's what you give me?!
Also, I knew before hand who would die (it's so heavily foreshadowed). Somehow, I didn't care as much as I though I would. I've cried from the most inane stuff but the death of a character I've known and loved for idk two years (i think thats when I started to read this series?) didn't affect me.
I was looking forward to this book. Sure, this series isn't quite literary art but I like it. The plot is always fast paced and the characters are great. This author makes 400 page books feel like 30. I'm sad to let this series go (unless there's a sequel which I'd love).
Michael is my least favorite Merrick. I know that's an unpopular opinion but I find it difficult to sympathize with him. I feel Gabriel's spirit, I'm as loner-y as Chris and I admire Nick. Michael, to me, feels like an admirable but uninteresting character. Nonetheless, we see him facing some pretty intense things in this book and he does it admirably. Yes, I repeated the word admire 3 time in a sentence. Fight me.
You know, I've often complained about how unrealistic ya fantasy can be, when it comes to teenagers. It's often as simple as "the police just let us go". Here, the police and law enforcement facilities have a big part and yet I found myself wishing they didn't.
It's going to get spoilerly from here on out so if you haven't read the book, don't proceed after this paragraph. I'm sorry, I'm just on mobile and lazy. I recommend this book because come on, if you read the first four, you have to read this.
That ending. I know it's been said but I'll say it myself. As TfioS says, I believe in the unspoken contract between readers and authors. I think part of it is giving the readers an end, especially after a 4 book series. This book doesn't uphold its' side. That's not an ok ending. Nope. That's not an ending. That's a beginning of a new novel. I want more. Ok so maybe Michael will get custody. That's it? After 5 books?! That's what you give me?!
Also, I knew before hand who would die (it's so heavily foreshadowed). Somehow, I didn't care as much as I though I would. I've cried from the most inane stuff but the death of a character I've known and loved for idk two years (i think thats when I started to read this series?) didn't affect me.
This was such an excellent ending to the series...
Actual review to come soon...
Actual review to come soon...
Oh man. The ending has me on the verge of tears every time I think about it. I can't believe Hunter died. He was such a big character in this series! I read a whole book from his POV I BECAME ATTACHED WHY BRIGID WHY. I CONNECTED WITH THIS KID. I think the ending was appropriate because these books are so profoundly about life and death and love and sacrifices, so it would've almost been undermining that if wasn't applied to the characters. It felt as though his death was under appreciated. We didn't get to see anyone else's reactions which is sad. No tears, not really any mourning. I understand what Michael felt about his death, but the words didn't completely display his sadness, and it wasn't shown how the other main characters reacted. Gabriel was his best friend, Becca was a close friend too, and Nick was his roommate. Even Chris had to be upset. I like how the Guide situation was to be resolved. Even though we never get to see. I want there to be another book so we can see what the future is like, or how they fix this mess. Because it's far from over. This book was much more mature and dire than the others. More somber. Because life and death and safety were even more important than Michael and Hannah's relationship. Love Layne, we have a lot in common. Same with Becca. I think while the different characters' POVs are good, I always found myself wanting to check up on older characters to see how they were coping. Overall enjoyed this series SO MUCH.