This Tempest Is Gonna Blow

Expected Publication:  December 18th, 2012
Tempestuous (Twisted Lit # 1)
By: Kim Askew & Amy Helmes
Merit Press
ISBN-13:  9781440552649

Recently banished, unfairly, by the school’s popular crowd, former “it girl,” Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at the Hot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall’s nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Review

 

     Miranda Prospero has always had the best ideas.  But her latest one, to start a tutoring hook-up service, has blown up in her face, after evolving into a major cheating ring.  Now she's stuck paying restitution working a crappy job at the mall and all of her ex-friends, along with her slimy ex-boyfriend, are going on the school trip skiing trip without her.  But when she is stuck at the mall on the night before the trip with the aforementioned classmates and various co-workers because of a blizzard, things begin to get really interesting.  This time her rich, stuck-up classmates have gone too far.  And it's time for Miranda and her downtrodden mall friends to get revenge.  Though how this involved Miranda and smoldering, sharp-tongued Caleb being hand-cuffed together, she has no clue.  Also, none of them counted on a burglar being trapped inside the mall with them.  Things have the potential to turn deadly at any second, but that isn't going to stop Miranda and her co-worker Ariel from having plenty of fun while they can.  This book was lots of fun.  It was a cross between The Tempest, of which it claims to be a retelling, Emma and Pride and Prejudice.  I loved Miranda's revenge schemes and her elaborate plans for everyone to have a good time.  I don't want to give anything away, but there were glitter bombs! :)  I also enjoyed the subplot with the burglar, because it added an undercurrent of danger and suspense that gave the book something extra and a little more substantial.  Caleb and Miranda's relationship didn't seem at all believeable to me as a reader, but it was cute in a Mr. Knightley and Emma sort of way.  Ariel was the one who seemed to develop the most over the course of the novel.  This book won't change the world and it was about as substantial as cotton candy - but it was so much fun and well-written enough that I found myself not caring at all.  I want to say that Miranda learned her lesson, but in reality she was mostly unchanged, just less snobbish at the end.  Overall, a fun book and I highly recommend it for those who like to laugh and enjoy a good fluffy teen romance.

 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is December 18th, 2012.*