The Elementals

Gr 8 Up—Part historical fiction, part supernatural, The Elementals brings together Kate, the wild and brash daughter of Amelia and Nathaniel, whose love story was told in The Vespertine (2011), and Julian, the steady and empathetic son of Zora and Emerson from The Springsweet (2012, both Houghton Harcourt). It follows their ill-fated journeys as they run away from their respective homes and strike out on their own in 1917 Los Angeles. Both quickly discover they are not prepared for city life, Kate because she has never had to work or take care of herself and Julian due to his physical disability. Although they share visions of each other each time they use their powers, the two do not actually meet until the final few chapters of the book. This delayed introduction to their joint story becomes tedious at times as readers are often left wondering when their stories will finally converge. When they do meet, they discover that Kate's ability to stop time and Julian's ability to bring back life are more powerful together, but that they also have life-threatening consequences. The backdrop of the war and the blossoming movie industry are well drawn, and the descriptions of the two using their abilities are fascinating, but the plot drags as the main characters struggle to survive on their own. The ending is abrupt and will leave many readers unsatisfied. This is a palatable offering, but it is not as intriguing a paranormal historical romance as Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty (Delacorte, 2003) or Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Beautiful Creatures (Little, Brown, 2011).—Tammy Turner, Centennial High School, Frisco, TX