Review: Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison

Book Description (from the back of the book):

Leesie Hunt's Unbreakable Rules:

No Kissing (at least not of the French variety)... No sex (hah! not even close to happening anyway)...No Dating Outside the Mormon Faith (what would be the point?)...ABSOLUTELY No Falling in Love with the Wrong Boy (would ruin everything)

Leesie thinks she has her whole life planned out: get into the school of her dreams, write her poems, meet the perfect guy, and settle down. Then she meets Michael - a boy whose parents were killed in a diving accident during a terrible storm.

Michael is drowning in tragedy. And all Leesie wants is to save him. With each day, her heart hurts more. Could it be, perfect Leesie is falling from grace? Or is she just falling in love?

But if Leesie fives in to temptation, who is going to save her?

My Thoughts:

Leesie Hunt is a conservative Mormon girl who has strong faith in God. Her life revolved around the family barn, her poetry and the rules she's bound to and of course, BYU, one of the things she's been praying for a long time. Good morals is part of the requirement to get a scholarship for BYU. Will she be able to preserve herself when Michael comes along?

Michael is the only diver surviver of a diving accident caused by a wild hurricane. He's wounded, broken and slowly sinking in the wreck that Isadore left behind. Plagued by nightmares, haunted by flashbacks and tempted by salt water, will he be able to float on his own or will he cling to Leesie, who is the living buoy of his storm?

Things That I Love About Taken by Storm:

1. Unique Touch

Taken by Storm is told using three forms: ChatSpot, Leesie's Chapbook and Michael's Dive Log. The dive log is so brilliant!! I haven't encountered any book that used a dive log before. The great thing about this form is that it allows a personal touch from Michael to seep into the pages - diver fashion. It also simplifies the presentation of the setting, the mood and the story itself and even makes the unraveling of the events more interesting.

2. Religious Touch

In a fast-paced world that's getting more and more liberated with every tick of the clock, this wild freedom is bound to pour into contemporary literature. It is refreshing to be able to read a book like Taken by Storm wherein a heroine with a close relationship with God exists. Leesie is an angel on earth. She is breathing, helping, speaking and living out the lessons from God. She is the good Samaritan who is willing to help anyone, in this case - Michael. With a friendly approach and a pure heart, Leesie tries to reach Michael in his storm-blown world.

"Where did he come from? Why is he here?

And what, Lord, am I supposed to do with this

temptation?" - a few lines from Leesie's Most Private Chapbook

3. Underwater Touch

Michael often thinks about the ocean. Everytime he does, I get to see what it's like. I haven't been underwater. Ever. I can't swim. To be able to generate relaxing and tantalizing images is a great job! From the diver interviews I've seen on TV, one thing has been permanently stamped in my brain: Divers want to dive because of the peace and beauty of the water. After being emotionally attacked by Isadore, peace is exactly what Michael needs and wants.

The vivid underwater images will pull readers into the appreciative mind of Michael and into the blue waterworld of wonders.

"I can see it sitting on the ocean floor, covered with algae and flowing fans, yellow and purple juvie fish." - a line from Michael's Dive Log

Taken by Storm is a beautiful story of romance and temptation, with thundering attacks of grief, a strong current of faith and belief and a constant shower of love. Poetic, unique and fresh ala Angela Morrison, Taken by Storm will pour strong emotions on readers like rain and cast a rainbow of satisfaction and peace with its diving ending.

Rating:

With my whole heart, I will give Taken by Storm 5 Cupids! If I had more, I would gladly line them up for this praise-worthy novel!

I'd also like to thank Angela Morrison! I woke up yesterday next to Taken by Storm. I only had half an hour to leave and finish my Variations piece for my Creative Writing Class. It was submission day yesterday. When I opened TBS and saw Michael's dive log, inspiration struck me. I used a dive log to complete my variations piece! Thank you! It's so unique and it will work well! I owe you my Portfolio grade!