Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison
Release Date: March 5, 2009
Publisher: Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 291
Leesie Hunt has many rules: No kissing. No sex. No dating outside the Mormon faith.
When Michael Walden—a deep-sea diver who lost his parents in a violent hurricane—arrives in town, Leesie sees someone who needs her. They fall for one another, even though his dreams are tied to the depths of the ocean and hers to salvation above.
Will their intense chemistry be too strong to resist?
Leesie and Michael must make the hardest choice of their lives: whether to follow their beliefs or their hearts.
I was really looking forward to reading this novel, yet at the same time I was also a little hesitant because of the emphasis on religion. But Taken by Storm wasn’t preachy, it was informative and it displayed a genuine struggle of ones faith. Which even those with little or no faith could appreciate.
Taken by Storm is told in two different perspectives, Leesie’s through online chats and her poetry and Michael’s through his dive log. Which was not only refreshingly original but also very crucial in portraying the story.
These characters were very strongly represented. Leesie through her faith and Michael through his depression. Leesie is wanting their relationship to be built on emotion and Michael is craving the physical aspect. Ultimately creating struggle throughout their relationship.
Leesie’s character was too meek for me, the girl needed to get a backbone. I don’t care what Michael just went through, there was no excuse for some of his actions. I suppose one can argue the importance of forgiveness in this instance, but there are many ranges of forgiveness!
Morrison’s writing was exceptional. There was a very realistic element that she brought into her writing that is not to be overlooked. I’m really looking forward to reading more novels by Morrison.