Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.
Tempest Rising
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About the Author
TRACY DEEBS collects books, English degrees, and lipsticks. She has been known to forget where-and sometimes who-she is when immersed in a great novel. She is a writing and literature professor at Austin Community College.
www.tracydeebs.com
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Tempest Rising was on my highly anticipated list and I was lucky enough to get a hold of an ARC (advance reader copy) before the release date even though I am late in writing my review. One of the reasons why I was excited about reading this book is because of its subject manner. Mermaids! Stories about mermaids are still fresh and new whereas, books on vampires, werewolves, and even angels are starting to get old and redundant. It's getting increasingly harder to find that diamond in the rough.
An interesting thing I found out AFTER I had read Tempest Rising is that this author goes by 2 other pseudonym names--Tracy Wolff and Tessa Adams. Here is the connection--I have read the first book in Tessa Adam's adult "Dragon Heat" series--Dark Embers-- and my rating/review of the book is nn one of my earlier posts. I remember giving Dark Embers a 5 star rating for its unique dragon mythology, sexy alpha hero, and sizzling romance.
That being said, while Tempest Rising had all the pieces to make a great first young adult book for Tracy Deebs about a teenage girl who on her 17th birthday would have to make a crucial decision whether to stay on land or follow in her mother's footsteps and become a mermaid, somehow it falls a little short. While this book is supposed to be a little more serious in tone, I actually enjoyed Tera Lynn Child's Forgive My Fins way better, which sort of has the same premise but more comical.
So starting with what I enjoyed...I liked how the book was split into 5 parts and how the chapters were short. Not that I have anything against long chapters; I just think that shorter chapters tend to make you want to read more. It is definitely a nice tool to keep readers interested.
At first I really liked Tempest. She was sort of like a tomboy--enjoyed surfing, hung around a bunch of guys, had a great boyfriend that any girl would be lucky to have. The whole on again, off again relationship with Mark was believable since the story is centered around teenagers and we all know that their emotions can run hot and cold. I also enjoyed Kai's character--at first he is very mysterious and sounds exotic with his darker skin, long hair, and sexy name. I can see why Tempest would have a sudden attraction to him.
However, it doesn't take long for Tempest to get on my nerves. She treats her boyfriend Mark like crap. At one point I was hoping that the author was going to reveal some major flaw of Mark's; like maybe he hits her, or cheats on her, or finds out that she is part mermaid and sees her as a freak, something to justify her mean behavior towards him. Unfortunately none of those things happen. He truly does care for her, puts up with her mood swings, and buys her a beautiful birthday gift. Despite her coldness towards him, I do commend Tempest for finally acting like an adult towards the end (won't spoil it for you).
I also got tired of Tempest always wanting to "run away". Almost every chapter she is either trying to get away from her boyfriend to avoid having a serious conversation with him or she is running away from her father who wants her to confide in him or she is running away from Kai, etc.
It felt like the author was just skimming over everything. She never really gives us background details other than how Tempest feels betrayed by her mother. Why did the tattoos/symbols form on her skin? What are their significance? How did her parents meet? Why does Tempest have so much more power than even her mother when she is only half mermaid? What's the relationship between selkies and mermaids? Why does Tempest feel such a strong connection to Kai? Why didn't the Queen of the mer people offer to help train Tempest so she can better understand her powers? Why didn't her mother keep her promise and return to her to help her daughter through this crucial transition? And if she couldn't, why didn't she at least send someone to inform her husband? It's not like her husband (Tempest's human father) is in the dark. He knows his wife is a mermaid. I know Tempest's mother sends Kai to keep an eye on her, but I guess I don't buy all this secrecy and wondering why her mother has been absent so long. Yes I know that her mother was busy trying to keep her people safe from the sea witch. But if she could send someone to keep an eye on her daughter then why she couldn't even send a letter to her devoted husband through Kai is beyond me. It seems pretty darn heartless.
The only reason I could think of for the author to only write on the surface is because she has plans to turn this book into a series. I could see that happening since there are things left unresolved as you can tell by my long list of questions. If this is her goal, then she definitely needs to work on her mythology and focus on story development. Hopefully Tempest will be less annoying in the future. While I am in love with the adult romance series that she has written under her pseudonym name Tessa Adams, Tracy Deeps has some work to do in the Young Adult universe.
An interesting thing I found out AFTER I had read Tempest Rising is that this author goes by 2 other pseudonym names--Tracy Wolff and Tessa Adams. Here is the connection--I have read the first book in Tessa Adam's adult "Dragon Heat" series--Dark Embers-- and my rating/review of the book is nn one of my earlier posts. I remember giving Dark Embers a 5 star rating for its unique dragon mythology, sexy alpha hero, and sizzling romance.
That being said, while Tempest Rising had all the pieces to make a great first young adult book for Tracy Deebs about a teenage girl who on her 17th birthday would have to make a crucial decision whether to stay on land or follow in her mother's footsteps and become a mermaid, somehow it falls a little short. While this book is supposed to be a little more serious in tone, I actually enjoyed Tera Lynn Child's Forgive My Fins way better, which sort of has the same premise but more comical.
So starting with what I enjoyed...I liked how the book was split into 5 parts and how the chapters were short. Not that I have anything against long chapters; I just think that shorter chapters tend to make you want to read more. It is definitely a nice tool to keep readers interested.
At first I really liked Tempest. She was sort of like a tomboy--enjoyed surfing, hung around a bunch of guys, had a great boyfriend that any girl would be lucky to have. The whole on again, off again relationship with Mark was believable since the story is centered around teenagers and we all know that their emotions can run hot and cold. I also enjoyed Kai's character--at first he is very mysterious and sounds exotic with his darker skin, long hair, and sexy name. I can see why Tempest would have a sudden attraction to him.
However, it doesn't take long for Tempest to get on my nerves. She treats her boyfriend Mark like crap. At one point I was hoping that the author was going to reveal some major flaw of Mark's; like maybe he hits her, or cheats on her, or finds out that she is part mermaid and sees her as a freak, something to justify her mean behavior towards him. Unfortunately none of those things happen. He truly does care for her, puts up with her mood swings, and buys her a beautiful birthday gift. Despite her coldness towards him, I do commend Tempest for finally acting like an adult towards the end (won't spoil it for you).
I also got tired of Tempest always wanting to "run away". Almost every chapter she is either trying to get away from her boyfriend to avoid having a serious conversation with him or she is running away from her father who wants her to confide in him or she is running away from Kai, etc.
It felt like the author was just skimming over everything. She never really gives us background details other than how Tempest feels betrayed by her mother. Why did the tattoos/symbols form on her skin? What are their significance? How did her parents meet? Why does Tempest have so much more power than even her mother when she is only half mermaid? What's the relationship between selkies and mermaids? Why does Tempest feel such a strong connection to Kai? Why didn't the Queen of the mer people offer to help train Tempest so she can better understand her powers? Why didn't her mother keep her promise and return to her to help her daughter through this crucial transition? And if she couldn't, why didn't she at least send someone to inform her husband? It's not like her husband (Tempest's human father) is in the dark. He knows his wife is a mermaid. I know Tempest's mother sends Kai to keep an eye on her, but I guess I don't buy all this secrecy and wondering why her mother has been absent so long. Yes I know that her mother was busy trying to keep her people safe from the sea witch. But if she could send someone to keep an eye on her daughter then why she couldn't even send a letter to her devoted husband through Kai is beyond me. It seems pretty darn heartless.
The only reason I could think of for the author to only write on the surface is because she has plans to turn this book into a series. I could see that happening since there are things left unresolved as you can tell by my long list of questions. If this is her goal, then she definitely needs to work on her mythology and focus on story development. Hopefully Tempest will be less annoying in the future. While I am in love with the adult romance series that she has written under her pseudonym name Tessa Adams, Tracy Deeps has some work to do in the Young Adult universe.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A YA Mermaid book. Perfect for a summer at the beach.
Although, I'm having a hard time trying to decide how to discribe this book. On one hand--this novel set up the perfect mermaid story. A girl trying to decide between land and sea, between two boys, between two seperate lives. It was sexy and dark and mysterious. And the mythology was fantastic, really the best part to it. I greedily wanted to know more about the underwater world. But on the other hand it was slightly lacking in something: substance, maybe.
Yes, there were parts that I really really loved about this novel. It's just...I think the love-triangle hurt it more than helped it. I liked Mark in the beginning. He was a great boyfriend and part of me just didn't get what Tempest saw in Kona--the mysterious new guy--when he came along. I liked him more and more as the novel went on, but I'm still left wondering why they fell for each other. But still, this book had me pretty hooked (but still able to pick it up and put it down for several days while traveling) and even if there were flaws it did make for an awesome beach book. I totally recommend it.
Although, I'm having a hard time trying to decide how to discribe this book. On one hand--this novel set up the perfect mermaid story. A girl trying to decide between land and sea, between two boys, between two seperate lives. It was sexy and dark and mysterious. And the mythology was fantastic, really the best part to it. I greedily wanted to know more about the underwater world. But on the other hand it was slightly lacking in something: substance, maybe.
Yes, there were parts that I really really loved about this novel. It's just...I think the love-triangle hurt it more than helped it. I liked Mark in the beginning. He was a great boyfriend and part of me just didn't get what Tempest saw in Kona--the mysterious new guy--when he came along. I liked him more and more as the novel went on, but I'm still left wondering why they fell for each other. But still, this book had me pretty hooked (but still able to pick it up and put it down for several days while traveling) and even if there were flaws it did make for an awesome beach book. I totally recommend it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Tempest Rising is a deceptively dark read, those of us going into it with memories of cute Disney characters sure to be both surprised and pleased by the grim quality of Tempest's tale. There is no singing or fun crustacean sidekicks, instead we are faced with rather profound and intense emotional issues surrounding Tempest's mother's choice of duty over family and the lasting effects that decision has on Tempest's own impending choice between human and mermaid. Ms. Deebs beautifully illustrates both sides of Tempest's nature-effectively cleaving our hearts in two as we find ourselves as split in our thinking as young Tempest. We are grounded on land with her, enveloped in the comfort of home and family, but we are also simultaneously intrigued as Tempest is by the fanciful and unknown world beneath the waves beckoning us to explore.
While the epic decision Tempest is faced with is heart-wrenching in its depiction, Tempest herself is a bit difficult to connect with. We absolutely feel her pain and sense of betrayal at her mom's absence during a time when she most needs her guidance, but she has the frustrating tendency to expect things of others she's not willing to give herself. Her human boyfriend Mark desperately tries to get her to confide in him when she's thrown off-kilter by the emergence of some of her mermaid traits, but she continually shoves his attention away and denies him the trust he so desires. However, when Kona enters the picture and has information and answers she wants, she gets angry at him for keeping her in the dark as she did Mark, at times recognizing the parallel between Kona's actions with her and hers with Mark but somehow expecting different results when she's on the receiving end of the silence.
Additionally, the final battle between Kona, Tempest, and the sea witch leaves just a little to be desired. We are told of a prophecy in which a girl matching Tempest's description defeats one of the sea witch's greatest monsters and presumably destroys her as well, but there are so many questions we want answered only to find few of them are by the time we finish, almost as though we are merely being asked to believe what we're told as opposed to being made to believe with a little more history and detail. Tempest has extraordinary power, but we have no idea where it came from or why she is the first to possess the abilities that have made her a target for the sea witch, leaving us a bit detached from the action as our complete involvement is blocked by a lack of information.
Overall, Tempest Rising is an entertaining read, its subject matter a nice diversion from the vampires, werewolves, and fae, and its world one we certainly wouldn't mind returning to visit again. Tempest is a bit bothersome at times with her attitude and behavior, but as an older reader of young adult fiction, it's easy to forget that all my reactions and decisions at her age were not always rational and completely mature. Ms. Deebs is an author I will be watching in the future though and will read again if given the chance.
Rating: 3/5
While the epic decision Tempest is faced with is heart-wrenching in its depiction, Tempest herself is a bit difficult to connect with. We absolutely feel her pain and sense of betrayal at her mom's absence during a time when she most needs her guidance, but she has the frustrating tendency to expect things of others she's not willing to give herself. Her human boyfriend Mark desperately tries to get her to confide in him when she's thrown off-kilter by the emergence of some of her mermaid traits, but she continually shoves his attention away and denies him the trust he so desires. However, when Kona enters the picture and has information and answers she wants, she gets angry at him for keeping her in the dark as she did Mark, at times recognizing the parallel between Kona's actions with her and hers with Mark but somehow expecting different results when she's on the receiving end of the silence.
Additionally, the final battle between Kona, Tempest, and the sea witch leaves just a little to be desired. We are told of a prophecy in which a girl matching Tempest's description defeats one of the sea witch's greatest monsters and presumably destroys her as well, but there are so many questions we want answered only to find few of them are by the time we finish, almost as though we are merely being asked to believe what we're told as opposed to being made to believe with a little more history and detail. Tempest has extraordinary power, but we have no idea where it came from or why she is the first to possess the abilities that have made her a target for the sea witch, leaving us a bit detached from the action as our complete involvement is blocked by a lack of information.
Overall, Tempest Rising is an entertaining read, its subject matter a nice diversion from the vampires, werewolves, and fae, and its world one we certainly wouldn't mind returning to visit again. Tempest is a bit bothersome at times with her attitude and behavior, but as an older reader of young adult fiction, it's easy to forget that all my reactions and decisions at her age were not always rational and completely mature. Ms. Deebs is an author I will be watching in the future though and will read again if given the chance.
Rating: 3/5
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty Good
Tempest Rising- By Tracy Deebs
Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs was a pretty good book. I enjoyed it for the most part. Read more
Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs was a pretty good book. I enjoyed it for the most part. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Ashy
5.0 out of 5 stars
i love
I like this book. It is about a girl who is half human and half mermaid. On her seventeenth birthday, she was to decide if she will go with her mom and become mermaid or stay with... Read more
Published 13 days ago by teacher
5.0 out of 5 stars
simply amazing
This book can simply be put as amazing. The story line is well writen and quite beautiful. The characters are well writen if nothing else. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Alena
3.0 out of 5 stars
Liked it.
Well, I finished this one this morning and realise I don't really have an awful lot of opinion on it. I mean, did I enjoy it? Well, yeah, I did. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. J. A. Belfieldd
3.0 out of 5 stars
It was fun to read a mermaid book
I read a lot of different books, both teen and adult, but this one was unique. I loved the way it dealt with mermaids, and it added something fun to the story line. Read more
Published 2 months ago by S.L. Sorensen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really good book
Its kind of intended for more youthful readers but I really did love the plot and style of writing in this book.... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sonja
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review
I enjoyed the book and can't wait to read the second one. I hope the next book is awesome as this one was
Published 3 months ago by Julie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
I have never read one of her books before, but I have to say that I really enjoyed it, so much I swallowed it all in about three days. Exciting, anticipating every page. Read more
Published 4 months ago by VLL
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books I have ever read
Sad and heartbreaking but comforting and strong tempest rising is a great book for whomever likes sea myths and magic
Published 4 months ago by Tracy Tool
4.0 out of 5 stars
Original and cute...
I love mermaids and I was excited to read Tempest Rising. I was really happy to find the plot to be well developed and exciting. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Sarah Woodard
