Taken by Storm
Realistic Fiction/ Romance
By: Angela Morrison
Reviewed by: Savannah Howland
Rated: 5 stars out of 5
Leesie Hunt is Mormon, and at seventeen years old has more self control and rules than most. Due to her strict religion, Leesie can’t do what most seventeen year olds do, like making out and everything like that. She is your typical good-girl. She doesn’t break the rules for any reason, is friends with everyone, and hated by no one. One of the most important rules to her religion is that you can’t fall for non-Mormons, and she had absolutely no intentions of breaking any of these rules, until she met Michael. Michael is in a way the complete opposite; daring and rebellious. But, one day Michael’s life was turned upside down when hurricane Isadore hit where his family and himself were docked. He unfortunately lost both of his parents in the brutal storm, sending him into a deep consuming depression, walking around blank and lifeless. After he had recovered from some of his minor injuries, he moved to his grandmother’s house in Tekoa. He stayed slumped in his depression, distancing himself from the world around him. Then he met Leesie. At first he was very cautious, and their friendship was strained. But, once he opened up to her they were inseparable, ignoring their forbidden love. Leesie even broke her strict rules, healing Michael emotionally all the while. They go through their ups and downs, and at times their relationship is in question as to whether it will survive or fail. Serious decisions need to be made. Leesie has always dreamed of going to BYU, a huge and important Mormon college. When her acceptance letter comes in the mail it’s decision time. Will she choose Michael, her boyfriend who she truly believes she has fallen in love with, or BYU, the college that she has been dreaming about since she was a child? Or, will she even be the one who gets to make the decision at all?
Taken by Storm, is easily one of my absolute favorite books of all time. At 291 pages, it is a fairly quick read. Especially since you won’t be able to put this wonderfully written novel down. This book features loss, depression, hope, love, and best of all a friendship that will last a lifetime. In this book you will switch back and forth between Leesie and Michael’s perspective on everything that happens, which makes it even more interesting. I cried, I smiled, I laughed, and then went back and re-read some parts. A few months from now I will probably pick it up and read it again. It is definitely a story you won’t soon forget.
