REVIEW: Tempest (Tempest #1) by Julie Cross

Title:                       Tempest (Tempest #1)
Author:                   Julie Cross 
Release Date:      Jan 1/2011
Genre:                YA Paranormal Fiction

Publisher:           St. Martin's Griffin

Page Count:        352

Acquired:            Purchased

Format:              Hardcover

Read On:             April 6-7/2013

Goodreads:         ADD

Purchase:           Amazon/Indigo/The Book Depository

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

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I don't think it's possible for me to get enough of Time Travel fiction. Tempest contributed nicely to my ever-increasing love of the genre, and I am so thrilled that I found this book lurking around the bargain bin at work. The science that aided the story line was new, and really added something fresh to the idea of time travelling.

Jackson Meyer is 19 years old, and has discovered that he owns the spiffy ability to time travel. However, unlike the tried and true horror stories of the movies, anything he says or does during his times spent in the past, has absolutely no affect on his present time/the future. As hard as it was to wrap my head around this unrealistic logic, it still managed to fascinate me. I mostly enjoyed the simplicity of it, and how it allowed me to focus more on the story line, than on struggled attempts to keep track of what was constantly changing. Mind you, it did have it's moments of mind-boggle, but taking the time to absorb the concepts and explanations really helped me follow. I thought it was a great introduction to something new.

It's a daunting task, writing a world immersed in time travel, which is only made worse by trying stay true to theories people have already cemented in their minds about the subject. I think Julie Cross bravely went where many others would have not. Yes, she disregarded what the masses have come to know about time travel based on movies, TV shows, other fiction works etc., but I thought her explanations were sound, and completely worked for the storyline. Besides, it's TIME TRAVEL people, there isn't really an EXACT science.....yet. I see that not many reviewers completed the book before offering their premature judgments. I highly suggest reading it in it's entirety, much is explained as the book goes on.

In terms of characters, there were hints of cliches and stereotypes, but for the most part, I enjoyed what each one had to offer. Jackson was written with just the right amount of teenage angst, and hormonal fluctuations. He made personality growths at the right time, and I found his dialogue entertaining. Holly, on the other hand, I probably could have done without. Her and Jackson's relationship lacked chemistry, and I only felt the top layer of what they were suppose to be. This caused the story line to suffer, as Jackson's motives were fueled by his need to keep her safe. I just wasn't really feeling their connection, which isn't a fault in the author's writing exactly, as some of her other character relationships were felt strongly. It's just too bad the "main" romance felt so weak.

Julie's writing in Tempest was quick-paced, and I was able to finish it in about a day. If you're looking for something profound, you won't find it in here. But it definitely satisfied my need to read something exciting and fun. Tempest was the perfect in-between book. A book to just grab, and devour in one sitting.

Recommended for fans of: Time Travel, contemporary, thrillers, and romance.