Jack Sommers made a mistake one cold, desperate night. More than one. His first mistake was sneaking out. His second mistake was making a deal with Gaia for immortality rather than facing death alone. As a result of his choice, he became a Winter, an immortal embodiment of the season. The catch is, he has to die…repeatedly. Summer kills Spring, Autumn kills Summer, Winter kills Autumn, and Spring kills Winter. It was not until a certain Spring that Jack began to regret his choice of immortality. Because he met Fleur a beautiful, vibrant, pink-haired Spring.
A Spring whose only way to live is to kill the opposing Season, Jack.
Jack and Fleur slowly fall for each other, against the rules set firmly in place by Chronos himself. But what if the rules aren’t there to protect the Seasons but instead force them to be weak. With the help of their Handlers and two other Seasons, they will have to fight to escape the eon old cycle. Will their strength be enough?
Fans of Maggie Stiefvater, the Hunger Games, and the Rise of the Guardians will love to binge-read this new novel in one sitting.
The book begins with a Hunger Games-esque opening, which develops into an intense, strongly paced storyline that naturally flows consistently throughout the novel. While the beginning (and by this I mean the prologue) is nearly entirely predictable, the rest of the story is full of unexpected changes and ever-evolving characters. Cosimano forms an intricately created world with complex but seemingly natural inner workings. The storyline centers upon a well-developed theme depicting the consequences of choice. While this seems to be the stereotypical choice for these types of novels, Cosimano expertly weaves it into her story in a way that engages the reader and wonderfully resolves with the climax of the story.
“I”m terrified to let go. That I’ll open my eyes and this shining, sparkling moment will be gone.”
-Elle Cosimano, Seasons of the Storm
The characters of this story surprised me. I was prepared for the angsty teenagers who are ruled by their hormones under the guise of moral righteousness. I was so happy to be proven wrong. There are clear character motivations that create a phenomenal balance of sacrifice and gains within the plot. Yes, romance does exist however it coincides in harmony with the other character’s objectives that it served to sweeten an already pure and incredible story. I appreciated how the flawed characters were portrayed with humanistic tendencies with hints of the seasons that they embody which cause the reader to become emotionally invested in their outcomes.
Personally, I appreciated the intricacies of the plotline and how emotionally invested the author made me in the characters. When there was a loss, I physically had to set the book down for a few minutes to emotionally comprehend what I had read before I was able to continue. Despite the tears I shed from this book, both from happiness and sorrow, I am so blissfully content with the ending and I look forward to the sequel that I pray will be published soon.
Follow Elle Cosimano’s website here for new releases and places where her book is available!
Happy Reading,
~the Brown-Eyed Bookaholic
Bushel and a Peck of Books 