Storm

by Melissa Kline

Sixteen-year-old Storm enjoys skateboarding, fixing broken electronics, and building things with his hands. They distract him from the tormented thoughts surrounding the circumstances of his mother’s death. But his problems can’t be avoided forever…

Since his mother’s death, tensions are high at home, the girl of Storm’s dreams is dating someone else, and an argument with his father lands him in the school counselors’ office.

Will Storm overcome his fears, let go of the feelings that have been haunting him, and reveal his long-held secrets? Can his dad ever forgive him? Will the girl of his dreams ever see him as more than a friend?

A true-to-life young adult novel teeming with mystery, romance and intrigue.

Genres: Young Adult

284 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2011

About the author

Melissa Kline loves to write, create and laugh. She is a big believer in never giving up on dreams, especially literary ones. She lives to light a creative spark in others.

Melissa's greatest passion is writing books for readers in their teens and early twenties. She is the author of MY BEGINNING, STORM and LOVE AGAIN. Melissa also enjoys penning short stories and narrative non-fiction. No matter the genre, love is the central theme in her work.

Learn more about Melissa and her continuing journey at www.MelissaKlineAuthor.com

Reviews

[Melissa Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am overwhelmingly grateful to see this book in print – it has been a dream of mine for a very long time. Out of all the stories I have written, Storm is my favorite, and now I get to share it with you!

Storm is a contemporary, mystery-drama about a creative and complex sixteen-year-old boy named Storm. This book is full of lots of juicy drama and fun, colorful characters but it’s ultimately about relationships, connections and overcoming obstacles. The story has a beautiful message – one that I believe both teens and adults will relate to.

Because this book deals with many issues that teen’s today face, I am donating a portion of the proceeds from sales to youth organizations – something that is very important to me. Some of the organizations that I will be supporting are: Born This Way Foundation, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Hey U.G.L.Y, To Write Love On Her Arms, Love Is Louder, Do Something and Half Of Us.

What I hope readers will gain from this story is a sense that they are not alone and that there is hope for the future. That you can make mistakes and overcome. To keep moving forward. To have compassion for yourself and others. To know that it’s okay to reach out and ask for help. To realize that nobody is perfect; we all have secrets, wounds and scars. Embrace who you are, quirks and all, and be proud!

[Heather Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a paranormal junky, it is my preferred genre, and that is the only reason this book did not get a 5 star review from me. Storm is a teenage boy with a lot on his mind. He lives in a house with a father and "golden boy" brother that blame him for his mothers death but no more than he does himself. Storm is a misfit who keeps to himself and is secretly in crushmode with a girl named Kelly, who has a mean, possessive boyfriend. Storm's only 2 things in life that are his refuge, are going to work, where he fixes things, and visiting his mother's grave to talk to her. Storm is a tinkerer, a person who loves to, and can fix or build just about anything. Amidst the chaos that is his life, he builds or rebuilds things, it is calming to him, it is his escape. His family thinks he's a loser as do most kids he knows, so it's no surprise that his father wants him to see the school counselor, the surprise is, he likes her and she is helpful. Things start getting a bit better when him and Kelly become friends, but get worse again when her boyfriend decides that he doesn't like that idea. This book is an emotional roller coaster ride. You get to see Storm and his family progress in their relationships with each other and those around them too. I found Storm's character to be so relatable, with everything he has to go through and deal with, he perseveres, in a society where teen suicide is on the rise and seems to be becoming the "trendy" thing to do, I think a strong willed character that kids can relate to is exactly what we need. Storm's character has to deal with feeling unwanted, unloved, alone, guilty, stupid, worthless and he also has to deal with unwanted advances from someone who is older than him. Most teens can relate to one or more of these feelings, I think this is a great book to recommend for teens and I, as an adult, thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

[Derinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be an ideal story for all teenagers to read. The Author was very talented in her description and writing. This is definitely a very inspiring story. I would also recommend this for parents, that are having trouble with raising their children. The main part of this story is about relationships, and overcoming obstacles. The book builds you to gain hope and believe in yourself, as well as others.

This is a very emotionally packed book. The Author did a wonderful job at filling your journey this book, with reality and wisdom.

[Serenity Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Storm is an amazingly inspiring read for any young adult facing real life problems. Storm is relatable, lovable, and draws you in more with every turn of the page. I definitely recommend this book for anyone, young or old, who would like to delve deeper into the mind of today's teens.

[TheReadingKnitter/ Kasey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall this book was just okay. Had it been longer I probably wouldn’t have finished it. I liked Storm and Kelly and all but I kept waiting for it to have a twist or something. Eh.

[Riz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and to be honest I was a bit hesitant accepting the review request but after I finished 'Storm' I'm glad I did accept the offer. (:

I don't know what to expect from this book but from the beginning of the story I was already drawn to 'Storm', his family and everything about his world. Since I was having a bad day when I started reading it I can truly feel the feelings he has buried deep within himself. I like the way the story unfold as he was trying to keep up from the whirlwind of emotions; from the girl he had been crushing on, to the death of his mother which his Dad and brother held him responsible for and the hatred he feels to himself because of the accident. Storm is a passive, brave and talented kind of guy he might have made some bad decisions before but it didn't stop him to be someone who could be able to love, forgive and happy again. The book was told from his perspective letting us all in to his thoughts and emotions that were always bottled up. There was this consistency in his voice that gives the honesty of what a young man may think and feel from all the struggles he faces. There was romance in the story but it wasn't what makes this story captivating instead it was the characters and their lives. They were all messed up...broken...in different ways but these hardships brought them together and each one of them used it to heal and help each other. Actually, I don't know how to put into words how this book had affected me. I mean this is a different kind of read that could affect you in such a way that could make you feel and think of the things that you're going through, of your family and it could give you a better view of some things in life.

'Storm' is a coming-of-age story highlighting real-life issues that most of the youth have. It has an inspirational story that teaches us how to forgive; to trust and to love again no matter how many times life knocked us off our feet. Life may be unfair but the friendship, the family and the people who loves us unconditionally makes everything bearable and all worth it.

I would like to express my huge gratitude to Melissa Kline for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book. It is REALLY an amazing read! (:

[J. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll be clear. I loved this book. It doesn’t matter that I usually read more fantasy/adventure type books – this book was good. One aspect that immediately captured my attention was the realness of the characters, the language and the world of Storm. It felt honest: not exaggerated, not diminished – just life as it is.

While I usually take a month or two to finish a book (reading several at a time), I finished this in two sittings. I read most of it on New Year’s Eve and it made me laugh, cry, root for the characters and feel the nuances of what the characters were going through. Melissa Kline’s writing took me into the world of Storm and didn’t let me out until the story was complete. And still… I found this is one of those novels that stay with you and you ponder long after the act of reading is done.

I am recommending Storm to all my young friends for many reasons. I wish I could have read this when I was a teen; I think it would have proved helpful.

[MIRANDA GANGER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touching story...I loved it....









I really connected right away to the character 'Storm'. There wasn't a moment in the book where it started to drag. Awesome writing!!!!