Tempest (Tempest #1)

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Author(s)

Julie Cross

Publisher

St Martin's Griffin

Genre(s)

Paranormal

Age Range

14+

Release Date

January 17, 2012

ISBN

0312568894

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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.

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.

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.

Editor reviews

6 reviews

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.7(3)

Characters

4.3(3)

Writing Style

4.0(3)

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Romantic Time Travel

January 04, 2013 (Updated: January 04, 2013)

Overall rating

3.7

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I love time travel novels if they work. If the whole premise behind the time traveling aspect of the story seems too far fetched or there are no consequences, then I put the book aside.

TEMPEST though does work in many ways. First, the idea that there might be more behind the ability to time travel. There's a very plausible mystery in this story that kept me turning the pages to see if Jackson would unlock the reason behind his 'gift'. The romance between Jackson and Holly was intriguing. It would have been so easy to just have them fall for each other at the different time lines but even Jackson had to work at getting Holly to trust/love him all over again. I also really loved his side-kick, Adam, who is part computer nerd/genius. His take on Jackson's ability shows how science might have a part of the jumping back and forth from time.

One thing that I did have problems with, and this is only a minor point, is how nineteen year old Jackson goes back and is around the seventeen-year-old Holly. That's where it was a hard one to call for me on whether this book is more New Adult than YA. I think if it stayed in the timeline than maybe it wouldn't be YA per say. Otherwise, the author handles Jackson with the seventeen-year-old Holly in such a way that's he doesn't come across as taking advantage of the situation. Also all the jumping back and forth in time lost me toward the end of the novel. The journal entries do help especially when a couple of major revelations come out that took me off guard.

Fast-paced time-travel story with a new romantic couple. How far would you go to protect the one you loved from being harmed? That's one of Jackson's strengths. Throughout this story he struggles with what happens to those around him everytime he jumps. Sure at the beginning he mentions that there are no consequences but that later changes. This is one thrilling ride!

A must read for those who loved TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE.

Good Points

1. Intriguing premise of time traveling
2. Great romantic interest

Kim Baccellia, Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 889 reviews

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An All Time Favorite

December 24, 2012

Overall rating

5.0

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Oh my gosh - Tempest is definitely one of the best books of the year. I was entranced from page one and did not want to put it down until I finished. Julie Cross takes a unique perspective on time travel, and it was so much fun to read.

I loved the characters, particularly Jackson, Holly, and Adam. Holly was such a unique character, she was such a strong person. There were a lot of smaller characters too that I hope to see more from in the next 2 books, because I loved them a lot.

I loved that there were so many questions to be asked in Tempest. I felt like everything was new and I loved discovering what was going on, who was behind it, what else it to come, etc. There was nothing I could guess, and even when I thought I was figuring something out, Julie Cross would throw something else new at readers. The plot got more intense and built with every page. I was on the edge of my seat for a good portion of the book.

I am very curious to see where the story will go from here. Julie Cross has designed a story that is so intriguing and unique. I loved that there were so many touching, heart felt moments mixed among the intensity the rest of the book had. It was just really nicely balanced throughout the entirety of the novel.

This was an absolutely thrilling debut and I cannot wait to hear more from Jackson! The wait until book 2 will be painful, especially after the ending Julie Cross has left readers with. Tempest's cover is one of my favorites in awhile. This is a book I will earnestly recommend to all, as it was one heck of a read.

Erica Top 50 Reviewer 192 reviews

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Edge of your seat Time Travel with Romance thrown in

March 20, 2012 (Updated: January 03, 2013)

Overall rating

4.3

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I really had no idea what this book was about. I saw the book in my library, loved the cover, so I grabbed it. And am I ever thankful I did. I absolutely loved (and I mean loved) this book. From the first few pages I was hooked and could not put the book down. I think my family thought I was crazy because I was literally cooking dinner while holding the book so I didn't miss anything.

Let's start with the characters. Jackson Meyer is 19 years old and finds himself able to travel back in time by no more than 2 days. He doesn't know why this happens, but it's happening. He is an intriguing character and I found him very likable. Everything he does he ends up doing for his girlfriend, Holly. He realizes once he is stuck in a time where he cannot save her, how much she truly means to him. We don't get to know Holly very well at first in the present day (of 2009). However, when Jackson travels back to 2007, we get to know her better and we learn more of their relationship during that time period. And I could not help but root for them and love their relationship. Adam is Holly and Jackson's friend who knows of Jackson's ability and tries to help him figure it all out. I loved his wit and personality a lot! Adam is a extremely smart and helps to make the time travel more understandable and believable.

I don't want to say too much more about this book because it would spoil a lot of plot twists. It's a very easy to follow time travel book (which isn't easy to portray). It helps that Jackson keeps a journal, so when he does time travel, he writes about it and it helps the reader follow along. I really enjoyed the characters and they are completely believable. I know people just like them, so they were definitely relate-able.

My heart broke at the end of this book, that's all I'm going to say. Let me know when you finish and want to talk, because yea. I cannot wait, and I mean absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!

Jillian Van Leer Top 50 Reviewer 304 reviews

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User reviews

6 reviews

5 stars

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3 stars

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2 stars

1 star

Overall rating

3.9

Plot

4.5(6)

Characters

3.5(6)

Writing Style

3.7(6)

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Unique and Awesome Read

September 21, 2014

Overall rating

5.0

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Steven Gould's Jumper meets Chuck (the TV series) in Julie Cross' Tempest.
Jackson Meyer is a normal nineteen year old, a college student, a son, a brother, a boyfriend, and a time traveler. Yes, a time traveler.Erase everything you've ever heard about time travel, ...it nothing like the movies" Nothing will change if he accidentally crushes a butterfly with his foot in the past. Nothing ever changes until he gets stuck in the year 2007 after two men burst in Jackson's girlfriend, Holly's dorm room and fatally shots her. In the attempts to return to his present 2009 and save Holly, he learns more about his abilities and his dad's somehow involvement in them. But, saving Holly has it's price.

This book has more than any other time travel book I have read. It has equal parts, of time-travel, mystery, secret-agent thriller, sci-fi, action, conspiracy, and romance. The writing is excellent, even with all the time jumping, time and place changing , it was never confusing. The story is so well-developed, you get stuck in the year 2007 along with Jackson, learning about the character's lives before Jackson (and you, the reader) know them. So fascinating. There were even some scenes that had me close to tears. I love the relationships between the characters and the characters individually. Adam,a science and technology geek who is friend with both Jackson and Holly, the constant companion and guide of Jackson. Holly, the girlfriend and the reason for most of Jackson life-changing decisions. Jackson's dad, a CEO, or is he?, The Enemies of Time, other time travelers like Jackson. Amazing interaction between characters.

Entertaining, engrossing and fast-paced page turner. I could put it down, can wait to read the complete trilogy. Love it. 5 stars.

Viviana Ortiz Top 100 Reviewer 45 reviews

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Tempest! The bestselling novel

July 03, 2013

Overall rating

3.3

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One of the best books!

Good Points

Jackson Meyer is completely and utterly normal. Without the fact that he can time travel. Its 2009 and he has everything he wishes. A normal dad, a girlfriend, good grades, but does he know everything? As he digs deeper into his abilities Jackson learns new secrets. But can knowing too much put the ones he loves in danger? Today Jackson and holly are madly in love. Tomorrow she will lie bleeding. And he must undo it all. Tempest takes you through a experience of a life time. The book explores different emotions, such as grief for the twin sister he lost. Love for the girl he may have lost. Confusion, anger, hatred and many more. This book will get you sitting at the edge of your seat waiting for more!

Anita Bloomfield Top 1000 Reviewer 3 reviews

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A mixed Bag

February 21, 2013

Overall rating

3.0

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I'm not sure how I feel about this novel. It was an interesting plot and it kept me reading but I was not as excited to get to the end as other books I have read recently.

The characters are difficult to get a full grasp on since there is so much jumping around in time.

Jackson is the main character, which is refreshing for a teen live story- male POV, only he is a little obsessive about his girlfriend. He has the ability to time travel and the rest of the novel involves time jumping, trying to get back to the right time, and learning about his background. All of thus while fitting in a love story lost me a little.

This is the first of a trilogy- maybe it will make mire sense through the series.

Also- I'm my ARC I found a typo and that irks me because I wasn't even looking for any but this one confused me bc it changed the sentence completely.

Stephanie Top 500 Reviewer

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Tempest (A Room with Books review)

August 17, 2012

Overall rating

4.3

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I've heard quite the mixed bag of opinions and ratings when it comes to Tempest, but as for me, I quite enjoyed it. Something about it is holding it back from being a full 5 star from me, but I can’t quite put my finger on it, and it certainly doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth the read.

First, you know those books that move so fast you’re left sitting there going “what in the world…”? Well, Tempest was like that, but for some reason it totally and completely worked! Normally it drives me insane when a plot moves so quickly it’s almost a blur, but either I was just in the mood for it or Cross totally makes that work for her. It certainly makes sure there’s never a dull moment. That being said, Cross still managed to sneak some seriously heartfelt and touching moments in there. Yes, I cried.

Second, did you watch Jumper (if not, you’re totally missing out)? Anyhow, Tempest has a feel similar to Jumper while still managing to be its own thing. I liked how we get to learn basically everything right along with Jackson even if it had me trying to shake the book down for answers a few times. It made everything feel a little more real since Jackson was just as in the dark as I was at any given moment.
Adam was possibly my favorite character, though that’s probably just because he’s a super smart hacker/science nerd :P

The Nutshell: Tempest will keep you on the edge of your seat with the action as well as the mystery. The time traveling here is a totally new (and might I say AWESOME) compared to anything else you’ve ever heard about the subject. I love that among all the action and intrigue Cross still slipped in sweet moments here and there that even had me crying at one point. This book has everything from conspiracies to romance to a touch of scifi, so I’d say there’s a little bit of something in there for everyone.

Jasmine Top 50 Reviewer 326 reviews

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Interesting Take on Time Travel

May 04, 2012

Overall rating

3.3

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What a thrill ride! Time travel is, of course, completely fascinating as a concept, but it's extraordinarily difficult to do well. Actually, I have no complaints with how Cross has done this. Way better than The Lake House any day.

What particularly intrigues me are the variations in time-jumping power and the other abilities Jackson seems to be developing. I hope more is learned about these and where the powers originally came from later on. The ubermensch theme is pretty cool too, especially since people with that mindset make awesome bad guys.

I never really bonded with Jackson as a character. He's okay, but I'm not sure how much I like him. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't have any particular love for any of the characters. However, I do really love the way the characters are together, the way they interact. Cross has attained something resembling actual human interaction, which is pretty fantastic.

Jackson and Holly are definitely put forward as fairy tale level love, and they are seriously drawn to one another from the first time they meet (and from the first time they meet again...haha). However, they did not immediately declare their love for one another or anything like that. Although the degree of their affection is extreme, as are the circumstances, the relationship moves in a believable way. They have hangups and little fights. These important details are left out of too much fiction.

On a somewhat related note, I really hope all teens are not this sexually active nowadays. When Jackson and Holly first have sex, he is surprised to discover she is a virgin, even though she's not even in college yet. He thinks to himself that it had been a long time since he had sex with a virgin, which leaves me wondering exactly how much action this guy has been getting and since when?

If you like action, romance, espionage and time travel, you will not want to miss Tempest. This is the first book in a series, which I have every intention of continuing with.

Christina Franke, Staff Top 10 Reviewer 677 reviews

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Tempest by Julie Cross

January 18, 2012

Overall rating

4.3

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There's really not very much I can think to say about this that won't be spoilery. Every thought and emotion I had during this book has something to do with something huge that happens in the book. Although I can say that I'm absolutely in love with the cover. :) It fits so well with the book, and if we're honest, I'd love it even if it had nothing to do with the book at all.

Tempest is amazing, plain and simple. I fell in love with Jackson right from the beginning. (Well, okay, not right from the start. I was actually pretty bored in the first 10 pages, but after that, I was in it 'till the end.) It's not very often that I read from the perspective of a guy, but Jackson didn't disappoint. He was easy to relate to, but at the same time, it was easy to tell he was a guy. Jackson was exactly the type of hero I love - the closet type who you would never suspect, but you find out just how heroic he is.

Jackson's time-traveling is another thing I really loved. I can't say I've read many involving that, either, and I loved how Cross described it.

Holly is a character I'm a little unsure about. Sometimes I felt like she was being so strong in what she was facing, but other times I felt she was so weak and so dependent on everyone else that it was annoying. Holly is in a very unique situation, as is Jackson, but I felt like Jackson dealt with it a lot better than Holly. Maybe because there was actually something Jackson could do about it, as opposed to Holly who really couldn't do anything to change her fate.

The writing style was easy to read, but at the same time, it left an impact on me. Jackson's emotions came through so clearly, his despair at losing Holly, his fear that he wouldn't be able to save her when he goes back.

Admittedly, when I look back on it, the ending was kind of predictable. But when I was reading it, I wanted to scream and throw things at the unfairness of it all. Needless to say, I'm definitely dying for the next book. ;)

Overall: Tempest is an emotional rollercoaster with some adorable moments thrown in. It's a book that made me feel for the characters, connect with them, fall in love with them. And while I can't say I liked the first 10 pages, after that I couldn't stop reading. 4.5 stars.