Bonnie S. Calhoun: Storm

By Kelly Bridgewater 

Selah's mind and life are beginning to fracture. Can she complete the Third Protocol before it's too late.

As Selah and her companions mourn the loss of those who died in the Mountain, they are faced with a new threat. Selah must complete the Third Protocol before she fractures and loses herself completely. All clues lead to the West, but what will they find when they get there? The other side of the mountains hold unknown perils--volcanic ash, dangerous storms, and strange new settlements that could hold the keys to Selah's quest . . . or lead to her destruction.

The clock is ticking and Selah's abilities are growing--along with the list of those out for her blood. Selah must find the strength within herself to keep going and complete the mission for which so many have sacrificed so much.

But have she and her companions pinned their hopes on nothing more than a legend?

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My Review:

I have followed Bonnie Calhoun on her Stone Braide Chronicles journey, and I have enjoyed the first two books in the series. Jumping right back into the third installment took a little longer to remember what happened in the first two books. But I remember what affected Selah and how she needed to hunt for the Third Protocol to survive, so I had a pretty good idea what I was jumping into when I picked up this book.

Like before, Calhoun knows how to jump into Selah's perspective and make me feel what she feels as she wonders how to save others with her blood. The writing is concise and realistic. I had no problem with understanding where I was as Calhoun described the different settings and the air machines that Selah and her family traveled around in.

As I mentioned before, I had a hard time jumping right into the action from the first page because I forgot what happened at the end of Lightning because it has been a while since I read that book. I had to pick up Lightning and flip to the last couple of chapters, than return to Storm. I had a problem with the plot in Storm. The story takes off pretty quickly with Selah fighting for her life, than it moves faster and faster, but then Selah and her family leave to Cleveland, and the story slows down drastically. She really isn't running for her life anymore. Selah is training to become stronger, so I had a hard time staying focused at this time.

Again, I meet up with Selah, the marked girl that some want to kill and others want to save. In this edition, Selah is more personable. She has a heart for the people who are living in these communities, especially the downtrodden and outcast of the community. I really enjoyed seeing Selah mature and worry about others more than herself. She impressed me with her skills and ability to nurture others. She reminds me of what I think a hero should do.

While the story is original and unpredictable, there really is no mention of God in the story at all. Fans of any age could enjoy Storm. Even though it is marketed toward the growing popular teenage dystopian novel, adults could enjoy the story too. I think fans of The Hunger Games would enjoy this novel and could see it being made into a movie.

Bonnie Calhoun did leave the ending up in the air, so there could be another book in the series. I'm not sure if there is or not, but it appears that Calhoun left the readers to guess.

With true end of the world issues, Bonnie S. Calhoun invites her readers back into the life of Selah and her family as they run for their lives in a post-apocalyptic world. I really hope this wasn't the last book in the series, but only time with tell.

I received a complimentary copy of Bonnie S. Calhoun's Storm from Revell Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars