Secret (Elemental, #4)

by Brigid Kemmerer

Keep his brother's business going or the Merricks will be out on the street.

Keep the secret of where he's going in the evenings from his own twin--or he'll lose his family.

Keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who's supposed to be his "girlfriend's" partner.

Of course there's also the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers.

There's a storm coming. From all sides. And then some.

Nick Merrick, can you keep it together?

Praise for Brigid Kemmerer and The Elemental Series

"Magic, suspense, and enough twists to keep you reading until sunrise.!" --Award winning author Erica O'Rourke

"A refreshingly human paranormal romance. . . Read fast and keep that heart rate up." --Kirkus Reviews on Storm

• ISBN10: 0758294379
• ISBN13: 9780758294371
• Publish Date: 28 January 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Kensington Publishing
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9780758294371

Reviews

4,5 stars

"Did everyone think he had it all together? He felt like his life was a hot mess of lies and secrets and betrayals."

An engrossing and engaging read full of introspection and emotion!

Nick seems like the perfect and nice guy who seems to have his life in order and always knows what to do. His PoV shows that he's far from perfect as he deals with insecurities and feelings of confusion, denial and fear. Nick is a genuinely good person who cares about other people and lives life based on their expectations. It's interesting to read about his journey as he figures out what he wants and starts living life on his terms. Nick's story is emotional, realistic and powerful and it seems like Kemmerer wrote his story with a lot of attention and care.

Quinn is a difficult character to like, but I don't think she's meant to be likable. She has body insecurities, a terrible home environment and is abused by people who are supposed to be on her side. Because of this, her bold, reckless and dramatic personality becomes her armour. I empathise with Quinn and her situation and she's a fearless, brave and outspoken character, but I rarely understood her actions and decisions and at times, she's reckless to the point of danger and is also hypocritical.

The relationships in Secret - familial, platonic and romantic - are just as flawed and realistic as the characters themselves.

Michael is becoming more amazing with each book in the series and I can't wait to read Sacrifice. Gabriel is (surprisingly) one of my favourite characters, so while I expected his reaction, I'm disappointed. He still has the best banter and wittiest comebacks though. Chris is a great younger sibling and his response warms my heart.

Adam and Nick are cute and have so much chemistry. I love the progression of their relationship. It isn't perfect, but they handle it with so much care by constantly communicating and talking out their feelings.

I'm a little iffy about Tyler. While I could understand his reasons for his terribleness, it doesn't excuse his behaviour, though he does come through in the end. It seems like he's slowly heading on the redemption path and it's interesting to read about.

I also have mixed feelings towards Tyler and Quinn. Tyler isn't portrayed as a great character for the first third of Secret and even insults Quinn and burns her arm, but Tyler sees Quinn for who she really is and vice-versa. They don't let each other get away with their insecurities and nonsense.

The contemporary aspect takes precedence over the paranormal aspect, but I love character-driven novels and Nick's story is well-written. The paranormal aspects are lightly woven into the plot, but is especially strong in the last quarter, which is also action-packed. Air is such a subtle and powerful element and Nick does some pretty cool things with it.

Secret is slightly different from other books in the Elemental series. It's character-driven and introspective, but that doesn't make it any less compelling.

"You are the only person alive who would use superpowers to be more dorky."

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

You should all know by now that I am a huge fan of Brigid Kemmerer's Elemental series, but I was even more eager to read Secret, especially after the revelation in Breathless about Nick's sexuality - and Kemmerer's guest post for my LGBTQ YA Month about Nick. I am so happy to say it's just as awesome as the others in the series, but also extremely powerful!

Nick has difficulty dealing with his sexuality. He is so worried that his brothers would turn against him if they found out, it stresses him out so much. He spends most of the book dreading them finding out anything, when he takes a break from thinking about Adam. Nick's relationship with Adam is cute, but in some ways, both guys are tentative. Adam is confident and completely comfortable with his sexuality, but he's had bad experiences with relationships in the past, and so he's a little wary. With Nick, he's never been with a guy in any way before Adam, and despite how much he likes him, it throws him off balance. What is he supposed to do? I wanted to give him a hug so much; he has such a lot going on in his head, and he just seems a completely different Nick from who we see in all the other books. He's insecure, and fear and doubt cloud him.

I have to say, I didn't like Adam as much as I did when reading Breathless. I can't say exactly what it is, he's not a bad guy, I just didn't really warm to him. It's kind of like having a friend who gets a boyfriend, and he's nice and all, and you're happy your friend is happy, but the guy just isn't your kind of person. It felt like that. So, romance wise, despite the intense and personal conversations they had together, I preferred reading about Quinn's romance.

Quinn has it tough. She has an unloving family with an alcoholic mother and druggie brother, both of whom are unbelievably abusive, physically as well as verbally. Quinn hasn't told anyone just how bad it gets, and is shouldering all her sorrow by herself, trying to protect herself and her younger brother from ending up in care. Instead she has to deal with what her family treats her, and it really affects how she sees herself. Her self-esteem is at zero. She practically think she's nothing, and clings to guys - when she's with them - for the attention they show her, but feels she has to "pay" for the help she gets when Tyler Morgan - yes, that Tyler - when he gives her a temporary opportunity to escape. You can't help but feel so sorry for Quinn, and so thankful for Tyler. He's just what she needs.

Though I did have such mixed feelings about Tyler. He really has a huge issue with the Merricks, and has done terrible things in the past to hurt them, to lead to the Guides turning up to kill them. There is hate there. And yet, with Quinn, he's just awesome. He won't take her crap, but forces her to take a look at herself and what's behind her constant attempts to get him in to bed. He's respectful, and really pretty sweet. Tyler is lovely, actually. It's a real struggle to sort your feelings out about him for most of the book. But he maks for interesting reading, he himself is a little complicated, and the romance is awesome!

After what happened in Spirit, when danger comes a-knocking in Secret, in the form of a Guide, well, my heart was in my mouth. Kemmerer really stepped it up in this book, and I had absolutely no idea what the outcome would be! Would they all survive? It was ridiculous how bad things got, in the best way! Pretty much thinking the whole time, "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, what's going to happen?!" So good, so scary, so awesome! And what it all means for the fifth book, Sacrifice... oooh, I so can't wait!

Kemmerer wrote an Afterword for Secret, speaking to her readers, to those who might be going through similar experiences as her characters, whether it's to do with sexuality, drugs, alcohol, or abuse. It was so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes. With her Afterword, it really hit home to me that Kemmerer is not just writing entertaining fiction, she's writing fiction that matters. Sure, there's some paranormal stuff going on, but there are real issues in these books, and you can feel how much she cares about such things. The Afterward is amazing, and even though I love the story, I feel like people should read this book simply for the Afterward, because I truly think that if her Afterward reaches the right person, then Kemmerer will have helped change someone's life. It's incredible to read how much she cares!

Kemmerer states in her guest post that she wasn't sure if she could pull off writing a gay character - well, she most definitely pulled it off! Secret is an absolutely fantastic book, and I cannot wait for Sacrifice! It's going to be awesome!

Thank you to Kensington Teen, via NetGalley, for the eProof.

[Nicole Lynn]

I was given an e-book ARC of Secret in exchange for an honest review, so here is my review! All of my opinions are my own ;)

This review originally appeared on PopCrunchBoom! Stop by for more reviews!

The Review

We’ve read about Chris, Gabriel and even Hunter. Now we get a glimpse into Nick’s mind. Nick Merrick is drowning. He’s the perfect brother who’s counted on to do the right thing, get good grades, and always say ‘yes’ when asked a favor. He’s got a great “girlfriend” who’s just a little rough around the edges. But everything’s closing in. Nick is holding a secret. One that he Secret by Brigid Kemmererdoesn’t want to tell anyone. Once his “girlfriend” Quinn knows things are a little easier, but barely. She starts hanging around his sworn enemy, Tyler. Even though he told Quinn his other secret – that he can control Air — in order for her to stay away from Tyler, she doesn’t. On top of that, Nick just wants to spend all his free time with Quinn’s dance partner and sneaking out at night puts a strain on his relationship with his twin Gabriel. Now add in a Guide that’s come to town to kill him and all his brothers because they’re full Elementals. Nick is more than treading water at this point. Can he come up from air? Release the secrets? the tension? Will he finally stand up for himself? And will they all survive?

So I’m just going to fangirl over Brigid Kemmerer’s writing. Be prepared. I seriously have writer’s envy. She has created a fantastic cast and world. Her characters are what drives these novels and their stories are what brings readers back each time. I know I said Spirit was my favorite in my last review, but right now Secret is right up there with it. Each novel gets better and better in this series. I cannot wait for book 5!

Nick’s story really touched me. His struggle is one that a lot of people can identify with, especially in today’s world. He’s not only torn about who is he and his acceptance of who he is, but he’s also in fear of telling anyone. It’s a secret that ways heavily not only on him, but also on the people who know his secret. It’s a secret that can destroy people if it’s not shared or fully accepted. It was understandable for Nick to feel fear in revealing it, but I’m happy about most of the actions and reactions that took place after it was out. This novel definitely had me loving Micheal. I feel like Micheal has been such a strong but silent stronghold throughout all these novels, but especially in Secret.

Kemmerer also did a great job of weaving two stories into this one. Although it was mainly Nick’s story, we saw a great deal of Quinn’s story as well. Quinn is Becca’s best friend who has a very troubling family life. Readers will definitely feel for her once they read through some of her family history and interaction in this novel. Even though I felt a lot of sympathy for her and even rooted for her relationship/friendship with Tyler, she still was a bit of an annoying character. It just might be that Kemmerer wrote her like that too. Sometimes characters are supposed to be annoying or hated. I didn’t hate Quinn, but some of her actions definitely rubbed me the wrong way. However, in the end I did appreciate her as a character and can see where she picked up some of her less than likable qualities.

This novel touched on a lot of issues faced in the world by teens. A main issue being about identity and sexuality. I think Kemmerer does an amazing job of interweaving these issues into her story and her characters. It makes her characters more real and identifiable. It’s what brings the readers back. I honestly can say that I love these characters. Not just the main character or the swoon worthy love interest — but every single character (minus a Guide or two). They’ve been artfully crafted and we as readers can identify with at least one of the brothers’ stories. Strong characters make strong stories, but Kemmerer’s also built a great world for these characters to interact in. That’s what makes this series so great and Kemmerer such a great writer.

Although there was some elemental action and another Guide to fight off, this novel was mainly about Nick’s struggles. It was a great time to bring his story into the series. I think this novel is one of her best so far in the series and hope many people pick up this great read. Nick’s story should definitely be read by as many people as possible. I truly applaud Kemmerer for writing it and introducing us to not only Nick’s story, but Quinn’s as well.

[Amber]

This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

certainly liked him, he was always my least favourite. I didn’t feel as though I knew enough about him to really like him. But the novella changed that, and after reading it I had hoped that he would grow on me more. You see, Nick is gay. Not only that, but he’s also faking a relationship with Quinn so that others won’t find out about his secret. Don’t worry, Quinn is in on it too, which makes an unhealthy situation slightly better. I am all for more LGBT+ representation in YA, especially in genres that aren’t your standard contemporary.

After reading Nick’s novella, where it’s revealed that he has a crush on Quinn’s dance partner, I immediately became more interested in him. I suddenly understood why he was so reserved all the time. Secret starts out with one of those Spirit guys that Hunter used to be coming to town and killing an old colleague, Gareth Brody. I thought it meant that this would be an important part of the plot, with the Merricks – especially Nick – racing against time to find out what happened to said colleague, and battling these horrible people. That was not the case.

The real action didn’t take place until the very end, as the Spirit guy wasn’t even mentioned until at least 75% of the way through. This disappointed me a little bit, because it made this paranormal novel feel a lot more like a contemporary, with all of the focus for a good 250 pages being on Nick and his love interest, and Quinn and hers. I was hoping for a more complex plot. That said, I did really enjoy Nick’s storyline. I loved reading about his struggle with his feelings, and I sobbed over him keeping this secret from his family. He should have known that Michael wouldn’t care, but instead he worried over it and felt as though he had something to hide. It was heartbreaking, and some of his scenes with Adam had me curled up on the floor.

I wasn’t a fan of Quinn’s story, however. I didn’t like the way she was paired up in the end, because her love interest is an absolute arse, and somehow everyone forgives him for all the things he has done. I understand that he’s been through a lot, but so have the Merricks, and they don’t act like he does. Well, maybe Gabriel does, but after reading this book I despise him too, so.

Secret was an unexpectedly emotional read. I feel a bit sorry for Lauren because I was liveblogging to her while Nick killed me. I’m very happy with the turn this series has taken, even if it has completely put me off Gabriel since he is a giant prat. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next, and I only hope that there is more action-plot than romance-plot in Michael’s book. Which there should be, since he already has a girlfriend, right?

And, just for fun, let’s list the Merricks in their rightful order:
1. Michael. No one can beat him.
2. Nick.
3. Chris.
4. Hunter. He’s kind of a Merrick, is he not?
…
79. Gabriel.

[jnikkir]

This review can also be found at my blog, There were books involved...

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I've come to a conclusion about the Elemental series. I know some people find them somewhat predictably formulaic or whatever, but I don't care. I am absolutely addicted to them. Why? Basically: 1) Kemmerer is a pro at creating complex, real characters, and 2) she knows how to hit me right in the feels.

Like the other three books in this series -- Storm, Spark, and Spirit -- Secret centers on one of the 5 main characters of the series; this time, it's Nick Merrick's turn. Nick has been one of my favorite characters since the beginning. There has always been something about him that I loved, that I wanted to know more about, but we hadn't seen too terribly much of him yet. And I can easily say that Nick's book is the one I was looking forward to the most, basically since I finished reading Storm so long ago, but especially after reading Nick's novella, Breathless.

Well, after all the anticipation and buildup to this book, I can honestly say that it delivered, and then some.

I'm going to keep my mouth shut about any outright spoilers regarding Secret's main "secret" (there's more than one), because I'm not sure how many readers have actually started this series yet, and you need to go into it knowing nothing (guys. GUYS. You have got to read this series).

Secret's title, more than any of the others, refers to much more than the main character, Nick. There are so many secrets in these characters' lives, Nick's and Quinn's and others... and they all end up being hugely important in this book. There isn't tons of "plotty" stuff going on with the Elementals in Secret, though -- except for the beginning, and the explosive ending (seriously omg my feels during that ending. I cannot even).

Secret is probably is the most character-driven story out of all of them so far, and honestly? I think that's why I loved it so much.

Without giving the entire book away, and outright spoiling anyone who's reading this review who hasn't started the series yet, I do want to touch on a few overarching things that Nick is going through in Secret, because they are things that were handled so extremely well, and they're things that, even if you're not going through exactly what Nick is going through, we can all relate to on some level. I don't think a single person would be able to read this book and not connect with Nick and the emotional struggle he's going through.

First, Nick is from a family of 4 brothers -- him, his twin Gabriel, his younger brother Chris, and oldest brother Michael. Growing up with his brothers, Nick places himself under a lot of pressure to live up to their expectations, and he always always makes sure that they see what they expect to see in him -- what he thinks they want to see. He struggles hugely with hiding who he is, because of those expectations that (he believes) he needs to meet. As a result, he ends up feeling like the side of him that he hides actually makes him weak; he thinks that, in the eyes of his brothers and those around him, it makes him less than what he should be. The fact that he's been made to feel this way is not okay, and was the cause of many many FEELS throughout the book.

Nick's story in Secret is about his journey -- he goes from letting the people around him dictate his actions, to realizing that he has a right to be himself -- he needs to be himself -- despite what others might expect or think. My favorite thing about Secret is this emotional journey, seeing Nick go from complete denial , to acceptance, to happiness. I honestly can't remember the number of times I got teary and just wanted to reach through the book and give Nick the biggest hug ever, first because my heart was hurting so much for him, and then because of the place he's at when the book concludes... UGH. I'm tearing up right now. Moving on.

In addition to Nick, we get a lot more background about a few new- or not-yet-fully-developed characters from previous books.

The POV in Secret alternates between Nick and Quinn, so Quinn is the other main character who gets the most development. I was a little wary of this at first, because Quinn never struck me as a particularly great character -- or person -- in previous books. But (just like my initial reaction to Hunter was totally changed during his book, Spirit) my impression of Quinn was totally flipped on its head over the course of Secret. There is so much more to her than we've seen previously, and I dare you to not come out of Secret with a vastly different view of her character.

Also, there's a somewhat new character on the scene, Adam. I cannot say much about Adam because spoilers, but omg. Just... So much love for his character. Soooo much. (He's another reason for the major FEELS in this book. I can't even.)

And finally, the absolute most surprising character in this book was the "homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around". I won't say who it is, but man. I was not expecting this character to a) be so prominent, and b) become a character I am now really invested in. He's another one who totally surprised me. Just... ugh. Kemmerer's characters, guys. I can't.

One HUGE thing I've noticed about the Elemental series, as it goes on, is the absolutely fantastic way Kemmerer reveals things about her characters. People are complicated, guys. Our views of people are complicated, and it's impossible to get the whole picture of a person from an initial impression, or even after hanging out with them a few times -- especially when we're forming views about these people through the eyes of others, as well: people who like them, or people who don't, or people who could really care less but who think they know things about them. Every character in these books is so much more than what we're aware of at first, they're layered and complicated and maybe a little unlikeable, but then you get to know more about them, about their situations, about their lives...

I just love that all the main characters in Brigid's books are treated like real PEOPLE, with real histories, and real motivations and hang-ups, real flaws and issues, but also real goodness that surfaces despite these things.

 

In conclusion...

There's something uplifting about all of Kemmerer's books, for me. Secret especially, but all of them to an extent, because they're about characters who are trying to find themselves, and accept themselves, and be accepted by others, and finding the balance between all those things. The plot and paranormal elements to these books are great, but it really is the characters that make these books so wonderful to me. Brigid ends up surprising me with these characters at every turn (though I should really stop being surprised, because I've been proven so wrong about so many characters, time and time again...).

Really, guys, if you haven't read this series and you love character-driven YA, you neeeeeed to. (Also there are hot boys and swoons. But did I mention the characters? The characters though. I can't.)

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There were books involved...