READING : Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Publication date: August 16th, 2011
Published by: Walker Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA Contemporary
Rating: 5/5

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

I can't believe this series is over already! If only there were more Fuentes brothers we could read of *sigh*

In general, I loved Chain Reaction. No big surprise there, since Elkeles never fails to impress. 

I liked both Luis and Nikki. Granted, she acted stupidly A LOT, but their chemistry was so intense and their scenes together so awesome, that I can almost forgive her anything! Her actions are kinda justified however, considering what she went through when she was 15. She could have been a lot more bitchy and bitter and mean, but she wasn't.

Luis, despite the book's blurb, is pretty similar to his brothers. Tough and cocky. To be honest, it kinda threw me off a little at first because I didn't expect that at all. I thought he was gonna be completely different, like a nerdy, shy kinda guy who "accidentally" gets involved in the gang stuff and not some smug know-it-all. Same goes for Nikki. I thought she was gonna be this total bitch who would eventually, after falling in love with Luis, do a complete 180. The book was advertised as something completely different from its predecessors but when it comes down to it, it's exactly the same. Not that I'm complaining, but a little variety would be nice.

Thankfully, Luis and Nikki's scenes saved the book. Their connection was so powerful and it made their times together very very HOOOT!!

What also saved the book was the huge revelation at the end which I did not see coming. Not sure I liked it but it was a surprise, regardless. Also, Alex and Carlos's cameos were long and many(yes!)and it was great seeing the 3 brothers together and how their relationship's developed over the years.

I enjoyed this trilogy so much and Perfect Chemistry will forever be in my all time top 10 favorite books. With Chain Reaction the story of the drool-worthy Fuentes brothers comes full circle and I really hope we get to read more of Elekes's magic again soon!

READING: Rules Of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Rules Of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Publication date: January 6th, 2011
Published by: Walker&Company (US) Simon&Schuster (UK)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, YA
Rating: 5/5

When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

Yeah, yeah.I know! The fact that I haven't read Rules Of Attraction until now should probably be considered a crime. I think I was secretly terrified that there was no way it could top Perfect Chemistry which was perfection itself. ROA may have not surpassed PC in awesomeness, but it did succeed to shine because of Simone's unquestionable golden touch!


The Fuentes brothers will be the end of me, I'm telling you! I loved Carlos!!!Well, maybe not as much as Alex, but I loved him nonetheless. I think Carlos was completely different than his brother. You may think it's the same deal at first, gang member, tough and all that, but no. Alex was sweeter somehow, "softer". Carlos, oh my God, was tough as nails! He cursed, he talked back to everyone and never gave in. I secretly liked him acting like a total jerk sometimes (yeah, I'm crazy) and that was what I think drew Kiara to him, too. Well, at least partly. She liked that he was the total opposite of her, that he completed her. I liked Kiara very much, as well. Always controlled and composed, but also determined and fearless when she set her mind on something. Even though she seems a bit reserved at first, you soon find out that she has an awesome sense of humor and that mischievous glint in her eye when she's up to no good.  You may think "opposites attract" is a worn out cliche, but cliches are cliches for a reason. Carlos and Kiara couldn't be more different and more in love. Don't confuse them with Alex and Brit though, because they are nothing alike.


What I think would make this book as perfect as PC was if the romance started a bit sooner. More than halfway through, sure we had tons of sexual tension and innuendos but always through bickering and fighting, not through real loving emotions from either of them. It was only in the last 100 pages that we see them finally admit that they love each other. And got the iconic car scene to go with it, which was undoubtedly a bonus. I wanted more romantic scenes, that's what I mean. Just a tad.


After reading Perfect Chemistry I trust Simone Elkeles completely and I know whatever she writes or will write in the future, is a guaranteed gem. Rules Of Attraction was no exception. You shouldn't call yourself contemporary romance - fans if you haven't read Simone Elkeles's books. It's magic!


The 2nd companion novel to Perfect Chemistry, Chain Reaction, comes out by Walker Books For Young Children, August 16th 2011! It was supposed to come out May 24th but I have no idea what happened there.

READING : Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Publication date: April 1st, 2007
Published by: Flux
Source: Gift
Rating: 4/5

Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares — has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

I have only read one other book by Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry, but I am already a huuuuge fan of hers!!!So, after a very good friend of mine got me Leaving Paradise for my birthday, I dived right in!

For starters, I loved the story behind Leaving Paradise. Teenage hunky boy, ex con, went to jail because of a hit and run and falls in love with the girl he hit?Come on!It practically screams beautiful, heart-breaking romance!!That, along with Elkeles's brilliant writing, was a match made in heaven!

Just like in Perfect Chemistry, the narrative was split between Caleb and Maggie.I love multiple POVs because not only the readers get to experience first hand each of the pivotal character's thoughts and feelings, they also have a more objective view of everything that is going on.

I have expressed my undying love for male leads in the past and Caleb is not an exception!I liked everything about him, from his very realistic relationship with his family to the helpless romantic he hides deep inside.

I have a few objections about Maggie, though.Don't get me wrong,she was a likeable character.Her feelings though were not that believable, in my opinion.She was very quick to fall back in love with Caleb, even though, at the beginning, she admitted that she pretty much hated him for what he did to her, and who can't blame her,right? Despite all the physical therapy she went through, she still walked with a limp, she couldn't play tennis which she loved and she was an outcast at school.But then suddenly, boom!All is forgotten.Well, OK, not exactly like that, but you get my point.That made her character a bit inconsistent and a little bit fake for my taste.I guess,knowing that there is gonna be a sequel,I didn't expect her to forgive and forget that easily.Or maybe that's just me.

Besides that minor flaw though, Simone Elkeles delivers once again with a beautifully written, genuine romance story!

I will surely be picking up Return To Paradise, the sequel to Leaving Paradise.I can't wait to see how things turn out for Caleb and Maggie!

READING : Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Brittany Ellis seems to have it all:wealthy parents, the perfect boyfriend and the "right" group of friends.But when Brittany if forced to become lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the wrong side of town, her perfect life starts to unravel.Alex is a bad boy, and he knows it, so when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it.Bus as Alex and Brittany grow closer, sparks begin to fly and they both realise that sometimes appearances can be deceptive.Will their emerging feelings be enough to keep them together when the world is determined to tear them apart?

To say that I loved this book, would probably be the understatement of the year.But I'll go right ahead and say it anyway : I completely and utterly loved this book!!!

There was not the slightest blemish in Elkeles's story and characters.

She(Brittany)-is one of the very few female book characters I like.I like her because she had the courage to admit that she was so unhappy and lonely in her life, even though she seemed to have it all.I like her because of the way she loved and cared for her sister.I like her because she didn't fall into bad boy's arms right from the beginning, thus staying true to herself and not doing something completely out of character.In fact, at the beginning she seems genuinely displeased to be near him in class.I loved that she was Brittany Ellis, from the very start to the every end.

He(Alex)-I like him because he was loving and caring.I like him because he was tough and crude.I like him because he gave up everything to be with the woman he loves.I like him because of the way he cared for her friends, even though he had no obligation to.I like him because he sacrificed himself at a very young age to protect his family.I like him because he is a bad boy.I like him in spite of that.

This is the first book I've read by Elkeles, and I must say that her writing blew me away!I was sad every time I had to put the book down and I was ecstatic when I picked it up again.The narration alternates between Alex's and Brittany's POVs, something I always like in books as it makes writing more fluid and reading more interesting and fun.But what I love most about Elkeles's story is that she wrote about a love so perfect and unique,deriving from BOTH Brittany's and Alex's personal sacrifices.In most books, you see the guy sacrificing everything to be with the girl, to love her and protect her,and she just stands there waiting for it,doing nothing to deserve it.In Perfect Chemistry both Brittany and Alex fought tooth and nail to be together, even if that meant giving up their lives fot it.They wanted it so bad and they did everything in their power to keep it.That was what made this book so amazing:describing a type of love that is never simple and easy,but a love so passionate and strong you'd give your life to keep from dying.

Perfect Chemistry is the best non supernatural YA book of 2010 for me so far.Absolutely brilliant!

One useful tip:read it!!!!

6/5