Les Saisons de la Tempête

Seasons of the Storm #1

by Elle Cosimano, Adrienne Derrier (Translator)

Lors d'une froide et longue nuit, Jack Sommers a été confronté à un choix: vivre pour toujours selon les anciennes règles magiques Gaïa, ou mourir.
Jack a choisir de vivre, et en échange, il est devenu un Hiver -une incarnation physique et immortelle de la saison sur Terre.
Chaque année, il doit chasser la Saison qui le précède. L'Été tue le printemps. L'Automne tue l'Été. L'Hiver tue l'Automne. Et le Printemps tue l'Hiver.
Le tout est régi par un macabre classement qui donne droit à des promotions ou à une Annihilation totale.
Mais contre toute attente, Jack tombe amoureux de Fleur, la Printemps chargée de l'éliminer. Pour être ensemble, ils vont devoir échapper au terrible cycle meurtrier dans lequel ils sont prisonniers. Mais leur créateur ne les laissera pas partir si facilement…

Ensemble, ils sont la tempête !

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Mythology, Retellings, Fiction

508 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2020

About the author

USA TODAY and New York Times bestselling author, Edgar® Nominee, Bram Stoker® Nominee, & ITW Thriller Award winner.

Reviews

[MischaS_]

13/01: Serious question, what is it with me and getting declined for the arcs for all books I'm super excited for?

Me reading the blurb.

[christina]

Character artwork by @morgana0anagrom <3

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon

Thank you Edelweiss and HarperTeen for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

"Winter's crown may be heavy on your head.
But you hold eternal spring in your heart."

If someone of flesh and blood embodied the concept of a season, what would that life entail? I don't think that I ever got an answer to that simple question. That's my main bone to pick with this novel: things are never quite concrete.

Our world has four seasons, each waning and renewing depending on the time of year. As their respective seasons, Jack, Fleur, Julio and Amber “manifest” them. They go through a cycle of hunting each other so that they may take over as the standing season at that moment, and send the one before them “home.” The season that is then eliminated is kept sleeping in stasis, after which time they awaken again, train, and then go out into the world to find and kill the season before them and repeat the cycle. They're immortal after Gaia gifts them with the power of their season at the moment of their human death.

That's the gist that I got from what the book told me before things started to develop. Because, unfortunately, we don't really get a lot of information on how things occur. Yes, obviously, we know the basics of that which comes to pass during each season because we live these seasons in our every day lives. But as characters in this story, we never live any certain period of time during their “reigning” moment over their section of the world. I don't know what usually happens when Jack resides as Winter. Does he touch things and freeze them? Does he blow cold breath on people? Does he just walk around aimlessly, day to day, covered from head to toe in frost, and then go to sleep only to wake up and do it again the next day? We never get any insight into what it really means to be Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn other than a peek of their abilities in times of crises.

We are told, again and again, from the start of the novel, that Jack and Fleur are in love with each other. Because seasons are kept apart and are not allowed to bond with one another on penalty of torturous punishment that can end in a final death, this is forbidden. Jack and Fleur's romance never hit home for me. Yes, they are sweet together. Yes, they obviously fight to save each other. Yes, they have that Romeo and Juliet vibe going on. But I was more attached and fond of Amber and Julio's romantic moments because they got to flourish in front of me. Rather than have the point hammered home, I got to witnessed it. And because of that, it became more realistic for me. Throughout and nearly until the story's conclusion, I resisted Jack and Fleur. By the end, I accepted it almost to the point of it being brainwashed into me.

There are a lot of things that feel incomplete about the book.

I don't see how realistic it is that Chronos—who apparently sees into the future and can tell one's fate—doesn't pick up on the fact that a group of four seasons, along with their four handlers (those who partner up with them and are their protectors, and eyes and ears while on the field), are going to escape from a compound that has reportedly tight security. Even if they managed to slip past him, are there no cameras in there? They spend so much time monitoring them once they're out in the world, but apparently they don't keep a tight leash on them in the one place where they can also get together? No alarm goes off when a season breaks into an area that's not meant for them? No one keeps track of the employee smuggling these people out into the world? None of the spying bees and smazes that follow them around report back on what they're seeing? Okay then.

Once they're out of the main compound, it's one thing after another. Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly fond of stories that move at a face pace, full of twists and turns with plenty of obstacles in the way of the leads when they try to accomplish a goal. But the action kept being thrown at these eight characters in a way that felt forced. As if the author felt that this needed to be as difficult as possible, rather than it happening organically. Wherever they go, they attract attention to themselves even without doing anything. There's always either a Gaia/Chronos agent nearby, or Chronos' guards are constantly finding them, or other seasons are trying to hunt them down as bounty, or humans find issue with them for no concrete reason. Rather than going on a smooth ride through the story, it was like being constantly jolted by rough breaks.

Lyon and Gaia's use of Jack, Fleur, Amber and Julio to overtake Chronos felt shallow. Lyon subliminally feeds Jack the necessary information so that he may get the idea to escape (which Lyon more so refers to as a rebellion). Gaia puts the four of them in nearby areas because she assumes that they will be attracted to each other, and what do you know, what a coincidence that they are. I don't understand what is so special about Jack, Fleur, Amber and Julio. I still don't know what makes them the right people to help stir others into this take-down. Once again, I am being told to take this at face value, but I'm not given enough to believe in it.

I had a very difficult time letting go and embracing this story. I wasn't fond of almost any character save for Amber and Julio at times, and Woody. The backgrounds for them were flat, and very lacking in detail or depth save for what was absolutely necessary to know in the moment. The chemistry between them as a tight group did develop as the novel progressed, and was believable as far as what comes to pass when a band of individuals is forced to work together in order to survive.

This appears to be the first in a duology or series of books, though I'm doubtful on the necessity of this. The story ends without much room for further exploration, and everyone appears to be settled where they end up.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries]

1) this sounds so cool (no pun intended)

2) I think this is literally one of the prettiest covers I have EVER seen. I can't stop staring at it. Wow.

Thank you so much to HarperTeen for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Nadhira Satria · Rating 2 out of 5]

YALL I'M GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF GETTING DISAPPOINTED OVER NEW RELEASES.
I'm really disappointed with this one. It really met none of my expectations and it's so different from what I was expecting. I feel like everything was out of place and I just didn't like the worldbuilding or the pacing. I don't connect with the characters at all and it's just feel flat. I skimmed most part of the book since i felt like I didn't care anymore.

ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

[Ashlee » libraryinthecountry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the premise of this book and it definitely lived up to my expectations!

Seasons of the Storm is a modern-day urban fantasy-esque story in which characters are the embodiments of the four seasons and must kill the Season that comes before them, every year, in order for their season to officially begin and continue the cycle.

When Jack Sommers lays dying he’s given a choice. Choose death or choose to become a Winter and live a life of semi-immortality. Jack has been a Winter for over thirty years now but he’s begun to question the life he’s chosen to lead. And the crux of that questioning is bottled within his growing feelings for Fleur, the Spring that’s destined to kill him every year.

Jack and Fleur are joined by a full cast, including Julio (a Summer) and Amber (an Autumn) who also harbor feelings for each other. As I was reading this, I got some strong squad good vibes and I really enjoyed the dynamic between all of the characters.

The various Seasons have taken on their task as young adults on the cusp of their mortal death, but most characters in this book have been alive for decades past the age they physically appear. While this is a young adult novel, I questioned this at times, especially as some of the characters acted almost too much like teenagers, given the time they’ve been alive for. But, like I said, being that it is a young adult novel, I didn’t mind it so much as I questioned how realistic those personifications we.

The heart of this plot lies in the character’s choices and whether they’re willing to continue hunting each other down, even while it eats away at their conscience and muddles the relationships they’ve built.

I love the concept of this book. I love that it has a fast-moving plot that takes us through multiple settings and geographic locations. I love that there are so many great characters to connect with and root for and that the friendships are solid and the romance fulfilling.

This novel does have an ending that is tied up nicely and makes it feel like a standalone, but there is a sequel coming now too, so I look forward to seeing what is next!

[mimi (depression slump) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of non-flattering reviews about this book, but you know what? This is the perfect example of a fantasy YA: challenges, growth, love, loss, mystic elements, and friendship.

The latter in particular made me enjoy the story even more than I expected.
Most of the time is all about love and, sorry to say that, in the end, someone always dies. What starts as friendship basically always ends up in love, and even if I fancy that I'm happy for once love is not the main topic.
From how I see it, love is what pushed the characters to do something but it's friendship the thing that made them stay together. During the story, they get to know each other and decide to help each other no matter what. It's a pure and beautiful feeling, even more than a cheap love story.

If I didn't come here for that, so why I'm here? Well, we're talking about teenagers who become seasons after they die. It's not just an amazing idea, it's also so fresh than other stories.
The flaw is the poor execution of it. Personally, I would have written whole chapters differently: there's the need for more movement - especially when there is a fight - and the ending should be more specific. There’s nothing wrong with it if you like the kinda-happily-ever-after ending, but it isn't a closed ending nor an open one. This bothers me so much because it can be a single book or there could be more of this - in fact, the author already published another book connected to it.
My dilemma is that if I read it as a single book, I don't really like the ending because I just can believe all of that ends in this way; but if this is the first book of a duology, then the ending is just wrong because it's too closed and it doesn't let space for more.

Besides this, I’d like to congratulate the author on this idea because now I can't stop looking outside the window and thinking stuff like “Autumn is probably hiding, its season is almost over” or “why can't Winter makes snowing here too” or also “it's raining, someone is not happy”, and I think is brilliant.

↠ 4 stars

[Mara YA Mood Reader]

Reading the blurb like, hmmm...ok....Oh wow. Then, wait, Jack? Like Jack Frost? Like a Jack Frost retelling? No effing way man sign me the eff up!

[Eva Gavilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un urban-fantay YA un pò sui generis, che mischia magia e tecnologia. Suo punto di forza è senza dubbio il non utilizzare le solite tipologie di personaggi (niente vamiri, licantropi, streghe, maghi, nephilim...), questo dà una ventata di novità, punto debole invece sono certi clichè nella trama (lui ama lei, lei ama lui, hanno il mondo contro...). Tutto sommato, promosso.
***
A somewhat sui generis YA urban fantasy, which mixes magic and technology. His strength is undoubtedly not using the usual types of characters (no vampires, werewolves, witches, wizards, nephilim...), this gives a breath of fresh air, while the weak points are certain clichés in the plot (he loves her , she loves him, they have the world against them...). All in all, promoted.

[Muffinsandbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

C’était un peu lent dans l’ensemble, mais j’ai trouvé l’univers vraiment original et (paradoxalement) il y avait pas mal d’action alors j’étais quand même bien à fond ! Une chouette lecture malgré quelques tournures de phrases ou coquilles de traduction qui m’ont un chouïa dérangée !

[Francesca ❆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much HarperTeen (HarperCollins) for providing me a free copy through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.

Super intriguing premise, but sadly it didn’t pan out to full potential.

CHARACTERS:
I had such a hard time with these protagonists (and characters in general): they all felt shallowly built to the point where I had to check multiple times whose POV I was going through.
All the details that build a fictional characters (their fears, their dreams, their feelings) were withhold from us and instead were left with a bunch of spoon fed tidbits that didn’t satisfy and were repeated at nausea.
Their evolution (or lack of) was so simple and boring that it lost any spark of interest before even reaching the halfway.
And the romance felt so damn flat! For pages we’re told how much Jack and Fleur (winter and spring) like each other and how bad they wish they could get together...and yet there’s no chemistry or any kind of dynamic that gave romantic vibes: they have stale conversations and constantly think of much they like each other, giving their relationship a forced feeling.
At least the friendships that develop between the characters were nicely done, they created a rag tag group vibe that I quite liked.

WORLD-BUILDING AND PLOT:
The world building and magical system was what immediately caught my eye: the idea of having avatars for each of the seasons killing each other cyclically seemed so intriguing and full of possibilities.
Unfortunately this component of the book is barely brushed upon (which made things confusing and the thread of the plot hard to follow): instead of learning about the magic of the seasons and what their personifications do when they’re up and walking around, we’re stuck with the focus on the à la Hunger Games style competition (with scores based on how long each seasons lasts, sidekicks that are both trainers and support team) side of the whole thing and how to topple the management so these kids can freely love each other.

WRITING:
The writing felt very bland: the conflicts, emotional confrontations, dialogues and exposure bits had all the same tone no matter what POV we were going trough...it just didn’t feel like there were high stakes or anything worth getting on the edge of the seat for.
The pacing felt a bit jarring near the end where it slowed down (after chapters and chapters where it was relatively quick) to the point of dragging on.

FINAL NOTE
I fully admit that the intriguing premise played a big part in the expectations I had for this story, so when things didn’t go well (flat characters, messy slim world building and jarring pacing) the frustration was greater than usual.
I think that with a few more passes of editing this book would’ve been a fine read; sadly at this state it wasn’t for me...but I think those that prefer quick stories are gonna enjoy it.

[Megi Bulla · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF al 25%, quindi prendete la mia recensione come parziale.

Questo è il perfetto esempio di "bell'idea, peccato per la prestazione". La storia e il world building sono interessanti, ma la scrittura e i tempi narrativi mi hanno quasi mandato in blocco. Mi sono ripromessa per diversi mesi di continuarlo e finirlo, ma a questo punto temo che il mio segnalibro invecchierà a pagina 120.

Un aspetto assolutamente fondamentale per me nei fantasy è la credibilità: all'interno del mondo fantastico, le spiegazioni fantascientifiche devono avere un fondamento minimo e questo libro non ce l'ha. I vari passaggi sono spiegati dai campi elettromagnetici, che, per chi li conosce un minimo, non ha alcun senso; sarebbe stato meglio dare il merito alla sola magia e via, in quel caso non avrei detto nulla.

Prima o poi lo finirò? Non lo so.

[ʙᴇʟᴀ.: ☾**:.☆*.:｡.]

Jack and Fleur, a Winter and a Spring, fall for each other against all odds.

I WANT IT, I NEED IT, TAKE MY MONEY, PLEASE.

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, my feelings about this one are so mixed! The concept is so very interesting, and the author certainly executed aspects of the lore for the Seasons in the story in a way that I wasn’t expecting (but was good). But the first half this book felt a little slow, and I didn’t really end up feeling a connection to the main characters either. I will say that it definitely picked up in the latter half of the story, and that I thought it stuck the landing for the way it all ended, which definitely helped me like it more overall.

[Lindsay (pawsomereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book because the concept sounded so interesting and I’m happy to say that my excitement was well-placed! I loved that it was a loose Jack Frost retelling with such an original twist.
Seasons of the Storm is about teens who embody the magic and powers of one of the four seasons, and who must hunt and kill the season before theirs in order for their own season to take over to continue the cycle. This follows four seasons in particular, Fleur 🌷, Jack❄️, Amber🍁 and Julio☀️. It has forbidden love, an incredible elemental magic system, and a power struggle against a corrupt authority with an unexpected twist.
The beginning is a little on the slower side but learning the background and basis of the story was still intriguing.
This story had a lot of adventure and the many precarious situations the characters found themselves in made the book impossible to put down. Some parts reminded me a little of The Hunger Games in the best way. There were alliances being formed, strategizing and hunting, and teenagers fighting against deceitful people in power. Obviously I loved THG trilogy so I really liked those aspects about this book.
I liked the dual perspective of Jack and Fleur but I kind of wish we got multi-POV from Julio and Amber too so we could see things unfold from all sides.
The romance was a big driver of the plot but I didn’t feel like it overwhelmed the story at all. I really enjoyed the couples in this book, it was sweet and I was definitely rooting for all of them.
I think the ending wrapped up pretty nicely so I’m interested to see where things go in the sequel!
(I could totally see this being a movie or show and I’d like to fancast Chase Stokes aka John B from Outer Banks as Julio thank you)

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠]

Jack who becomes winter ??

help my Jack Frost feels are all coming back now

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Seasons of the Storm
Series: Seasons of the Storm #1
Author: Elle Cosimano
Release date: June 23, 2020
Cliffhanger: No
Genre: YA fantasy

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. A perfect storm lies ahead. You can let it destroy you, or you can take control of it. How the story ends is up to you.”

Seasons of the Storm was a phenomenal teen fantasy loaded with originality. At this point I've read quite a lot of this genre, and yet this story still managed to feel refreshingly new and engaging. It has forbidden love, rebellion against corrupt supernaturals in power, and an elemental magic system with humans who are the embodiments of seasons. It's all pretty heady and engrossing stuff. Jack and Fleur are the main characters in the forefront and we alternate between their POVs, but there is a full cast of "seasons" and "handlers" who eventually join forces to fight for their freedom. You also have the guards who are assigned to keeping order among the other two groups. They can manipulate elemental magic as well, but are generally more powerful in order to be able to maintain order through fear.

Jack Sommers was a rebel in his human life, and that hasn't changed since he's become an eternal winter. He's the type to break the rules, test boundaries, and question everything. Once you accept Gaia's offer though, you have to live by her rules or you're terminated. Gaia and Chronos give life and power after death, but they can take it away at the smallest infraction. In this world, you're given only three choices: Whether you want to live, Who your handler is, and your new identity. The seasons' handlers are humans brought back to life who are immortal inside the Conservatory where they live. They guide their assigned season with their yearly assassinations. Their fates are tied together-if a season fails to do their job properly, it reflects on both of them. When you choose your new name, it must relate to the season you're given. As a winter, Jack's last name of Sommers was a red flag right from the start that he wasn't ready to blend in and keep his head down.

At the start of the book you learn that Jack and Fleur are supposed to be enemies. In order for Spring to follow Winter, she must kill him every year and send him back to the Observatory in a state of stasis. The entire process is always monitored through video and audio, and any irregularities or failure to comply with the murder in a timely way will eventually lead to true death. They are all told that it's a necessary evil in order to keep the world and seasons in balance. But what if they've been lied to for centuries? Jack isn't so sure that the regimented life they live is all there is. He's hungry to find out if he could ever have an existence where he has choices and freedoms again.

The seasons have continued to do what they're asked because they've been told that they need their stasis chambers and the ley lines to "recharge" themselves in order to reanimate. If they are not hooked into the system created for them, they're as good as dead anyway, so why bother to dream? An unplanned incident during one of Fleur's killings leads him to start investigating what he thinks are wild ideas at first.

What if the entire notion of a rechargeable battery came from the potential chemical energy stored in every Season’s magic, because we were capable of recharging ourselves?

The last thing Jack would call himself would be a leader or a hero. But once he sets the ball in motion the impact is bigger than he could have ever anticipated. He's not just putting his own neck on the line, it's his handler Chill, Fleur, Poppy, Amber, Woody, Julio, and Marie who must all fight to stay alive together on the run. Jack has an unexpected ally in a position of power who gives him glimpses of hope. Professor Lyon shows where his loyalties lie on different occasions by covering up Jack's indiscretions or even aiding him when he's in trouble. He is the only one who isn't afraid of revealing information that would otherwise be forbidden. Knowledge is power, and the key to everything. While he can't come right out and tell Jack things, he gives him the breadcrumbs to lead him to the destination point.

This brings up my one niggle about the story. My one complaint would be the communication issue between Jack and the rest of the group, especially Fleur. Jack is given warnings frequently throughout the book, but for some unknown reason he conceals a lot from the others. Keeping things to himself prevents them from making decisions in an informed way. Honestly I didn't quite understand why he would even want to keep silent. During their time together the importance of them working as a team and communicating is more and more important the deeper they go. And yet he either doesn't tell them right away, or he hides things from Fleur and hopes that she will figure out what she has to do when the time comes. It didn't bother me that much, but plot wise I didn't see why he wouldn't be totally transparent since they're all on the same side.

One thing I loved was that Fleur was wonderfully brave and much more powerful than she gave herself credit for. Maybe it was the fact that most others underestimated her abilities as well, but it took her some time to come to the realization that she was a true force to be reckoned with. At first, I thought that Amber's strong fighting skills put her at the top of the chain, but I was wrong. Each person had their own strengths and weaknesses, and Fleur's strength was her powerful ability to manipulate the earth. If you put all of their strengths together, they learned that they could not only protect themselves from what they feared the most, but they could inspire a full on revolution among the seasons.

The romantic feelings between Jack and Fleur is already established from page one, which initially felt a little disappointing. But we do get to backtrack eventually and discover how they arrived at that point.

She smells like wildflowers in moonlight, like forests of night blooms, and if I look at her again, I’m done. Game over.

It was kind of crazy when you think about the fact that Jack was falling for the person perpetually killing him, but that unlikely pairing made it all the more interesting. Neither had blame or hate in their heart for the other, it was all about survival of the fittest in their world. Whomever conforms and plays the game the best will go the furthest. At some point, neither cares about furthering their status and position, they become more concerned about making things easier for each other.

In addition to Fleur and Jack's romance behind the action, there are other connections as well which was nice. There was a lot of hidden machinations that are revealed, people getting moved like chess pieces in an unexpectedly long game. Loyalties and motivations are questioned, and Jack has to decide who he can trust. The last few chapters had me right on the edge of my seat, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The epilogue leaves you in a happy for now place, but unresolved in some aspects. I can see the solid potential for the next book, it's not going to just be filler pages for the characters. After being left where things are, there are surprising twists that I need to see played out. I will most definitely be continuing with the follow up whenever that may be. Let the sequel stalking commence.

“I choose you,” I whisper against her hair. I’ll choose her, again and again, over everything else.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever added a book to your TBR with so much excitement? That was me for this book. I mean, how could you not be intrigued by a Jack Frost Retelling? If you aren't, then.. something is obviously wrong with you. Just saying.

Seasons of the Storm was a pretty good book. I definitely enjoyed the audiobook version but I will admit that I was super bored with some chapters. I mean the whole thing with each season killing the one before sounded pretty cool. Yet, the whole cycle did get repetitive and I was no longer interested in it.

The only thing that kept me going was Jack and Fleur's love. Well that and Julio and Amber. They are in control of their own seasons and they hunt one another every year in order to get their season to live. Even if it's just for a little bit. Other than that, all we know is that they go into a deep sleep after "dying" and then train when they wake up before they go hunting.

I wish we knew more about the whole cycle because I just think we didn't get enough information. Which probably sounds a bit weird.. but knowing more about them and this whole thing probably would've held my attention.

Back to Jack and Fleur. They kind of reminded me of Romeo and Juliet because their love was forbidden. They were completely different seasons - winter vs. spring. Yet, I loved and adored them. They just worked for me and that's why I was so invested in their love lives. Heck, even their lives were pretty interesting. Especially when Fleur would find him and get to fall a bit more in love with him before he died.

Oh, my heart guys.

In the end, I will admit that the ending is pretty darn cute. I'm very happy with how things ended and I might even dive into the next book.

[Rhonda &#x1f312;&#x1f315;&#x1f318; &#x1f408;‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 🌟
4/5 ❤️‍🩹
4/5 🥰
1/5 🌶️
0/5 🔎
4/5 😰😱
2/5 🎭😂
3/5 🎭😭
0/5 👻
1/5 🔬

⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️

Murder
Death
Suicide
Abandonment
Violence
Suicidal Thoughts and Ideations
Injury/Injury Detail
Terminal Illness
Death of a Parent
Self Harm
Sexual Content

🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️

For fans of Maggie Stiefvater and Laini Taylor, a perfect storm lies ahead in this riveting fantasy duology opener from award-winning author Elle Cosimano.

One cold, crisp night, Jack Sommers was faced with a choice--live forever according to the ancient, magical rules of Gaia, or die.

Jack chose to live, and in exchange, he became a Winter--an immortal physical embodiment of the season on Earth. Every year, he must hunt the Season who comes before him. Summer kills Spring. Autumn kills Summer. Winter kills Autumn. And Spring kills Winter.

Jack and Fleur, a Winter and a Spring, fall for each other against all odds. To be together, they'll have to escape the cycle that's been forcing them apart. But their creator won't let them go without a fight.

🌎📖OVERALL REVIEWS📖🌎
Courtesy of Storygraph

COMMUNITY REVIEWS
SUMMARY OF 845 REVIEWS

Moods
adventurous 97%
emotional 48%
tense 34%
hopeful 28%
mysterious 19%
challenging 13%
funny 12%
sad 11%
dark 10%
inspiring 9%
lighthearted 8%
reflective 7%
informative 1%
relaxing 1%
Pace
medium 59%
fast 25%
slow 14%
Plot- or character-driven?
A mix: 55% | Character: 29% | Plot: 15%
Strong character development?
Yes: 62% | It's complicated: 19% | No: 16%
Loveable characters?
Yes: 68% | It's complicated: 17% | No: 11% | N/A: 1%
Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 43% | No: 34% | It's complicated: 13% | N/A: 8%
Flaws of characters a main focus?
Yes: 43% | No: 30% | It's complicated: 20% | N/A: 5%
Average rating
3.42 ⭐️

🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔

I truly enjoyed this book. I love a twist on things that we take for granted. In this book the characters represent seasons. So for Summer to come, Summer must kill Spring. Fall must kill Summer and so on and so forth. The “seasons” reincarnate so they can follow the same procedure year after year. But what happens when a season falls in love with the season meant to kill them?

It’s such an interesting take on something we take as a normal process. The principal of this book reminded me of The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. That series is about people that represent Tarot cards. I’m off to read the second book in this duet.

RATING KEY:

🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️‍🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scared🫣/Anxious😱 - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy😂/Tragedy😭
-based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a 😂or 😭 to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
👻 Spooky😵‍💫/Creepy🧟‍♀️ -based on if this had any occult or paranormal themes and if those elements creeped me out or gave me anxiety!
🔬 Sci-Fi -based on the Science Fiction in the book as well as the Dystopian elements.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Seasons of the Storm, you'll meet four teenagers who died and became immortal when they had the choice to die or to become a Season. In this world, Spring kills Winter, Summer kills Spring, Autumn kills Summer and Winter kills Autumn ... over and over and over... The quicker they kill the other, the better ranked they are and they can earn promotions to be somewhere better for them (Alaska for Winter for example). On the other hand, if they hesitate and take too much time to kill the other, they're in danger because they might get terminated and this time their deaths would be permanent.

Overall, I loved this book's concept and ideas. Just writing about it makes me interested even though I already read the book. I also liked the forbidden romance between season and I was hoping they would get an happy ever ending. My only problem was that I lost interest toward the middle of the book I'd say. It happens often with YA Fantasy books I read or it feels like it. It doesn't happen with every YA Fantasy story so I know it's not just a genre thing but a book thing for me. In this one, the beginning and ending were stronger than the rest of the story and that's why I only gave it three stars even though they were things I really liked but other times I also felt meh about it. I know there's a second book coming out next year but I have no idea who it will be following. I'm curious...

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Edelweiss)

[Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I was really excited for this book, because I love nature personified stories and forbidden love seasons against all odds sounded amazing to me. But I just gradually started loosing interest while reading and would go out of my way to pick out another book. I was hoping/expecting a lush fantasy world with a well established environment as the setting, but the story felt much more sci-fi and definitely was a urban fantasy. Which I typically love, it just wasn't what I was expecting going in. I thought the seasons and the program was well established, and the characters were fine, nothing really grabbed me.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[bri ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly if this hadn't been a book my friends were also reading I would have definitely dnf'd 30 pages in. I knew right away this probably wouldn't be my favorite or even that enjoyable but I pushed on because maybe I could've been wrong, but I wasn't. this story was very flat, same with the characters that had absolutely no personality and all felt bland. and the romance, which is mostly why I had wanted to read this, had no chemistry. so I was just bored reading this book and wish it had a stronger plot. the only thing I liked about this was the fact that fleur had pink hair lmao.

[Selly - Leggere Romanticamente · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 stelline

La mia recensione su https://www.leggereromanticamente.com...

“Forse Jack ha ragione e non è vero che dobbiamo darci la caccia a vicenda.
Forse quello che dobbiamo fare è trovarci a vicenda.
Creare uno spazio gli uni per gli altri e darci a vicenda lo spazio per essere forti.
Sostenerci a vicenda quando forti non siamo, e affrontare l’occasionale tempesta.”

Ragazzi della Tempesta è un fantasy young adult particolare ed originale che mescola azione, magia e romanticismo.
L’idea di base di questa storia mi ha attirato subito, di creature fantastiche, magiche e paranormal ne ho incontrate molte nel corso degli anni, ma di ragazzi-stagioni proprio no!
I giovani protagonisti di questo romanzo erano dei comuni ragazzi, ognuno con una propria storia personale (che in parte scopriamo), salvati in punto di morte da Gaia dopo aver accettato di seguirla e vivere secondo le sue regole in cambio dell’immortalità.
È così che questi ragazzi sono diventati stagioni, dotati di magia degli elementi, assegnati ad una zona precisa del mondo, ed ogni anno costretti a cacciarsi ed uccidersi per mantenere l’equilibrio che da sempre governa l’alternarsi del tempo.
Ma non è finita qui, tra loro c’è anche una sorta di competizione, e il meccanismo costruito dall’autrice riguardante la “rigenerazione” delle stagioni una volta uccise aggiunge un pizzico di fantascienza alla storia.
Quando non è la loro stagione, i ragazzi vivono tutti all’Osservatorio insieme ai loro supervisori, una specie di base-dormitorio dove le stagioni vengono rigorosamente tenute separate. A due stagioni diverse è infatti severamente vietato legare o toccarsi.
Quando due stagioni diverse inizieranno a provare dei sentimenti l’uno per l’altra, e soprattutto quando qualcuno inizierà a farsi delle domande e mettere in discussione l’intero sistema di Chronos e Gaia, prenderà il via una specie di ribellione.
Il romanzo è scritto in prima persona alternando il punto di vista di Jack e Fleur, un Inverno e una Primavera, i due protagonisti principali della storia.
Assegnati alla stessa zona, Fleur è costretta da anni ad inseguire ed uccidere Jack nel periodo di passaggio tra Inverno e Primavera, i due si vedono solo per quei pochi giorni di transizione, ma quel poco tempo insieme è bastato a far sbocciare dei sentimenti tra loro.
Jack è un personaggio intelligente, si pone molte domande ed è il ribelle della situazione.
Fleur potrebbe inizialmente sembrare la dolce e gentile damigella da salvare, ma non è così, è più coraggiosa e forte di quanto si potrebbe immaginare.
Oltre a loro due hanno un ruolo significativo nella trama anche Julio e Amber, un Estate e una Autunno. Sinceramente mi sarebbe piaciuto leggere qualche capitolo anche dai loro punti di vista, sono due personaggi interessanti ma poco approfonditi, molti sviluppi che li riguardano ho potuto soltanto immaginarli, peccato!
Nella trama non mancano piani di fuga, sotterfugi, rivelazioni, situazioni pericolose e personaggi ambigui e manipolatori.
I protagonisti dovranno imparare a far fronte comune, ad agire come una squadra unendo le forze per ottenere quella libertà che tanto desiderano e sopravvivere ai loro inseguitori.
Non avendo mai letto questa autrice non sapevo cosa aspettarmi, ho trovato la penna della Cosimano in generale scorrevole e semplice, ma ci sono stati alcuni capitoli più avvincenti di altri. La prima parte è un po’ più piatta, ma dal piano di fuga in poi la situazione si fa più avventurosa ed entusiasmante.
È da quel momento in poi che i personaggi devono seriamente affrontare i rispettivi sentimenti, imparare a conoscersi davvero, fidarsi l’uno dell’altro e diventare amici ed alleati.
Nel complesso direi che la storia mi è abbastanza piaciuta, anche se un po’ strana e probabilmente non per tutti. Se volete sperimentare un fantasy fuori dalle righe che mischia azione, magia degli elementi, un pizzico di mitologia e sentimenti potrebbe piacervi.
Inoltre, nonostante Ragazzi della Tempesta sia il primo volume di una serie, non lascia in sospeso con uno di quegli odiosi cliffhanger. Chiude un cerchio, anche in maniera abbastanza felice, lasciando alcune questioni in sospeso per il futuro.

Punto di vista: prima persona alternato di JAck e Fleur
Sensualità: qualche bacio, il resto lasciato all'immaginazione
Caratteristiche: fantasy con azione, magia e romanticismo
Stile narrativo: scorrevole e semplice
Tipo di finale: aperto ma senza cliffhanger
Voto: 3.5/4 stelline

[Ashley]

This book description makes me want to run around (somewhere not here in the land of no snow- FL) in the snow and dance & make snow angels & dance with the snow flakes like a snow sprite and (when late jan/early feb comes) congratulate them on their new love with Spring...

I feel like maybe i took that a little too far but whatevs🤷🏼‍♀️ i am HERE for this!
THIS SOUNDS SO MAGICAL UGH I CANT. WAIT.

WINTER FALLING IN LOVE WITH SPRING? ITS LIKE ROMEO & JULIET OF THE SEASONS!

[Val - My Little Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5
The plot was interesting but the storyline and development were quite confusing. The magic system was never fully explained, and the characters were a bit bland and not very mature even though they are supposed to be leaving for 50 years. I would have also loved to meet other deities. I feel like this is the kind of book that has an interesting storyline but will not fully be developed to its full potential because it's "YA so it's OK if some things stays unexplained"...

[nia&#x1f3f9; •shades0fpaper• · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can find this review on my blog Shades of Paper.

“This is the one night you’re not leashed to that place. The one night you don’t have to answer to anyone. Don’t lose that nerve.”

I was so excited to read this novel because it had such a unique and interesting synopsis, and I thought it was something right up my alley, so I couldn’t wait to read it, and I went into it with pretty high expectations, but unfortunately I think this is one of those cases where the concept sounded super cool but it was poorly executed.

I think the story had a pretty interesting start. It didn’t take me long to get into it, and I was so intrigued from the very beginning to see where the story would go, but as I continued reading the book I became less and less engaged with it and started to lose interest in the plot and the characters.

My main issue with Seasons of The Storm was that there was barely any world building and the magic system was so lacking. It’s supposed to be set in our world, but there was this “magical” organization that controlled the weather kind of, and there was no information about it at any point of the story. It seemed like there were different people controlling each season, but the author didn’t take any time to actually explain what each characters could do in each season, and their limitations and powers, and I think that could have added a lot of depth and more information for the reader to understand more this world.

“Those who’ve seen a glimmer of your past may try to anticipate your choices, but unless they know your heart, they will always choose the future that suits their own needs.”

My other issue was regarding the characters. I think, that despite our two main ones having an evolution throughout the story, nothing else happened to them. We barely got any information about their backstories and their interests and what they were like, and they were just so lacking in so many aspects. I didn’t connect with any of them, and I think that their arcs were so simple and boring that I lost interest in them before I reached the half mark of the book.

There was some romance in this book as well, and I just wasn’t the biggest fan of it. My main problem was that because this kind of relationship started before the book started, and these two characters had already had feelings for each other, there was barely no build up so that it could be believable. These two characters didn’t had more than two interactions when we knew that they loved each other, and their dynamics were just so off and sometimes forced that my brain couldn’t understand how they could love each other when they had no chemistry whatsoever.

“We know how the story’s supposed to end. But what if it doesn’t have to?”

Something that I really enjoyed was the friendship formed throughout the novel with certain characters. I love me a good friendship and I think that what they were willing to do to protect one of them was pretty nice.

The ending was a little bit of a let down. I feel the plot dragged a lot and not much was happening before the big scene in the last few chapters, and though I was hoping it could redeem the book a little bit for me, sadly I wasn’t super impressed with the outcome.

Overall, I think Seasons of the Storm had such a strong and intriguing concept, but its execution lacked a lot of things. The characters were pretty boring and one dimensional, and the plot ended up not being what I was expecting, and I ended up being disconnected with the story and the characters.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.

....


Thank you HarperCollins and HarperTeen for the ARC.

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[Kilikina]

Ok but this sounds fucking AMAZING. June 2020 can’t come fast enough!!!

[Strawberry Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pas un coup de cœur mais une très bonne lecture ! J'ai adoré cette humanisation des saisons et leurs aventures, leur désir de se libérer. Je me demande ce que donnera une suite franchement parce que pour moi les choses auraient très bien pu finir comme ça 😮

[Kathaleen Mallard · Rating 4 out of 5]

*cries* update to come