Thursday 13 October 2011

Review: Perfect Chemistry By Simone Elkeles

I can't get this book off my mind.



Before reading it, I wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea. The story of a gang member and a rich girl falling in love didn't really catch my fancy - mainly because it sounded super angsty, and I had my doubts about falling for a gang member. But then the Fuentes brothers kept popping up on My Book Boyfriend posts all over the blogosphere, and Abbey from Abbey's Bookshelf said the Perfect Chemistry series was one of her all-time faves - so I thought I should give it a go. I devoured it in a day and loved every second of it. Sure, it was a tad melodramatic and pretty damn cheesy, but I loved it all. And I really freaking loved Alex Fuentes.

One of my favourite things about Perfect Chemistry was the fact that it's told from the alternating perpectives of Alex and Brittany. It was awesome to be able to get inside both their heads and see what was really going on with them before switching to how they're seen by each other. I especially enjoyed reading about the developing feelings on both sides of the relationship. I was able to sympathise with each of the characters and their situations, which was surprising. On the surface, they're not characters you'd expect to like (just as they don't expect to like each other), but scratch a bit deeper and they're both not just likable, but lovable. Especially Alex - I really admired the fact that everything he did was to protect his family (no thanks to his mum, who basically encourages him to sacrifice himself, grrr). Plus, y'know, he's totally hot.

But, with a name like Perfect Chemistry, does Alex and Brittany's relationship live up to the book's title? The answer is yes. Hell. Yes. From the very beginning, you can feel the sparks flying, even as they (try to) hate each other. Thanks to the different viewpoints, it wasn't hard to see why they were drawn to one another. Their banter was a lot of fun to read, and with the exception of a few cringe-worthy lines, the dialogue felt quite natural. The sexual tension made the slow build to Alex and Brittany's inevitable hookup excruciating (in the best possible way). When they finally did get together, there were quite a few steamy scenes, but it was the emotions behind the passion that really made them stand out. I enjoyed Elkeles' writing so much I instantly regretted having only bought Perfect Chemistry, and went online to order the rest of the series straight away. Now I'm eagerly awaiting their arrival in the mail while avoiding other books, because I so want to stay in the world of Alex and Brittany. It's a pretty awesome place to be.

Rating: 4/5

Eye Candy
I imagined Dianna Agron as Brittany and Alexander F. Rodriguez as Alex (he plays him in Elkeles' book trailers).

Source

Source
Fine Print
Genre: Young Adult
Published: 2008
Publisher: Walker Books
Get It: Book Depository

Related
Elkeles listed this song on her Perfect Chemistry playlist to go with a certain love scene, which is incredibly cheesy, but also totally appropriate. Plus it reminded me of how much I used to obsess over this film clip. Ah, nostalgia...

27 comments:

  1. ACK! After seeing those pics.. and another glowing review I needs to get it now!

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  2. Oh, man, just wait until you get to Rules of Attraction. As much as I loved Perfect Chemistry, Carlos is totally my man. I love that one so much I haven't even allowed myself to get Luis' book. But, oh, those Fuentes boys...just...yum.

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  3. I love this book! Rules of Attraction is just as amazing as Perfect Chemistry! I have Chain Reaction on my TBR shelf right now. I'm really glad you enjoyed this!

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  4. ahhhh those pics! haha.
    And I did enjoy this one so much as well. It was cheesy and a bit cliche, but it didn't matter! I loved every bit of it.

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  5. @Melissa - Yes, you need to! :D

    @Ruby - For realz?! Carlos is more awesome than Alex?! I don't know if I can take that much awesomeness.

    @Jennifer - Every time the mail comes, I look up excitedly. I hope it shows up tomorrow or I might go insane.

    @Jillian - Yep, there's nothing wrong with cheesiness or cliches every now and then.

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  6. Yay! *cries happy tears*

    Belle, you don't want to know how I embarrassed myself in front of Simone Elkeles by fangirling all over her. I love her to pieces, and Alex, and the Fuentes brothers! Seriously, those guys live in my dreams!

    And I love her writing too. It's so fun to read!

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  7. @Missie - You got to meet her?! That's awesome! This is the only book of hers I've read so far but I really enjoyed it, as you can probably tell!

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  8. I've heard rave reviews about this series, too, and had some of the same misgivings, so since you liked it so much as well, I guess I'll have to go out and get it! *sighs as TBR pile grows* :)

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  9. I love your review! I'm so in love with the Perfect Chemistry series and the Fuentes Brothers!

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  10. yay! i'm so so glad you liked this, wait till you get to the next book. Those Fuentes brothers are so damn addictive :)

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  11. @Kate - Haha, glad I could be of (dis)service :)

    @Celine - Thanks so much! I'm in love with Alex and can't wait to meet the rest...

    @Abbey - Rules of Attraction finally arrived from the Book Depository today, and silly me left it at work! So I won't be able to read it til Tuesday, when I'm back in the office. Boo!

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  12. I have this whole series sitting on my shelf waiting to be read! I was kind of turned off by the cheesy covers, but it sounds like I should get over that!

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  13. It's definitely better than the cover would suggest. Though it's kinda embarrassing to read in public haha.

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  14. I really need to read this series, when I heard about this book it reminded me of West Side Story, I have heard a lot of good things about it.

    your newest follower,
    Kristin

    youngadultbookhaven.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kristin
      Thanks for the follow. It's definitely got that starcrossed lovers vibe. But happier :)

      Delete
  15. I know this is a YA book but is it something someone in their 20's would enjoy too?

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    Replies
    1. Well I'm in my 20s so I would say yes :)

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    2. Cool, well I'm going to have to pick it up then. Thanks :)

      Delete
    3. Yay! Hope you enjoy :)

      Delete
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