Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Title: Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry #1)
Author: Simone Elkeles
Pages: 368
Release Date: January 1st 2008 (US)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Bought


When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created "perfect" life is about to unravel before her eyes. Forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, Brittany finds herself having to protect everything she's worked so hard for - her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend and, most importantly, the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. 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. But the closer Alex and Brittany get to each other the more they realise that sometimes appearances can be deceptive and that you have to look beneath the surface to discover the truth. 


I bought this book a few months before I started my blog. I hadn't seen book blogs before nor did I really read reviews. It popped on Amazon as a "People who bought ...... also bought Perfect Chemistry" It looks cheesy yet I bought it anyway and just put it on my shelf, not giving it a second thought. What a mistake! Amber told me I just had to read it so I did. THANK YOU AMBER!


On the surface it is a love story. Romeo and Juliet style. A perfect popular cheerleader and a bad boy gang member. Not so original. But it was so much more than that. It felt really personal, like I was watching these intimate moments.


The characterisation was sublime. Brittany and Alex, on the surface, are so very different but  underneath they are the same. Trying to pretend they are something they are not. The constant contrast, slowly slipping in to similarities was so effortlessly done. Everything just had a natural flow about it. They were far from perfect though. There is little I hate more than a 'perfect' character. No flaws. Always making the right choices, always getting things right. It is just not normal. Brittany and Alex were normal though. They had very definite flaws but it made me love them more!


And can I just say that it was HOT! I did feel like I needed to fan myself a little at times. There was definitely Perfect Chemistry :P Elkeles manages to build up that chemistry. She had a knack for writing romance.


The incorporation of their home lives was hugely important. These made it so much more than a love story. It really built them as characters. The relationship with Brittany and her sister and her selfless love for her. Alex and his protective nature when it came to his family. It helps me to get an all rounded picture of them.


The alternating points of views really took the novel to the next level. The ending of chapters  were at pinnacle points especially in scenes involving the two. It meant the reader could see the POV of both characters at the same moment, seeing their immediate thoughts in relation to the event. Very effective.


It is so wonderfully written, great structure, fabulous characterisation and just a damn good novel. It takes great skill to take an overdone subject matter, put your own spin on it and make it great. Simone Elkeles has talent! Pure talent!

5 out of 5 stars

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen

Author: Lauren Kate

Pages: 452

Release date: December 9th 2009

Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Source: Borrowed

Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

There was just something about this book for me. It was like magic. I Just wanted to read and read and read. It was filled with mystery and romance and angels. It grabbed me by the hand and wouldn’t let go, even after I finished it. I didn’t want it to end.

Luce was an interesting character. She did, however, have a lot of qualities that I dislike in a protagonist. She was troubled, misunderstood, damaged and indecisive. Despite all this, I liked her. I felt her pain, her frustration. I could empathise with her.

The male characters were again pretty typical. Charming. Swoon worthy. A little bit dangerous. Cam and Daniel kept me on my toes though. I always wanted to know more about them. I kept jumping between the two, never quite knowing how I liked more. I liked that.

The plot wasn’t hugely original. The love triangle was overly appealing. But it had that something that captured my attention. The ending, however, was completely and utterly overwhelming. I was not expecting it at all. I was completely on my toes at the end. And I loved that. That made it original.

The cover was just fabulous. It definitely captured the essence of the book. Haunting with a hint of mystery. The font is gorgeous and I love the little accent below it. The light behind her the girl illuminates her yet is not bright enough to lighten the book. A great reflection of the book.

5 out of 5 stars

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games#2)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Release Date: September 7th 2009 (paperback)
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc
Pages: 472
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Just a warning. There are spoilers for The Hunger Games in this review.




I loved the pace of this novel. There was always something happening, the plot full of twists and turns, leaving you constantly awake. I was reading the book with bated breath for most of the book.


I liked Peeta even more in Catching Fire than in The Hunger Games. His love for Katniss just seemed to get stronger, which I loved. He cares for her so much, which is evident in The Hunger Games, but as it was ambiguous through most of the first book, I enjoyed the bluntness of it in this book. There were a lot of new characters introduced which I loved. They really added something to novel. President Snow, head of the Capitol, was definitely a man you don't want to mess with. The description of him sent shivers down my spine.


I did have some doubts about Catching Fire, fearing that it couldn't live up to The Hunger Games. I also wondered what the content of the book would be like as I was unsure how long they could draw out the Hunger Games since Peeta and Katniss won the games. I was, however, pleasantly surprised, as nothing seemed overdone. It was all fresh while still keeping to the storyline. Suzanne is very skilled indeed.


The book was just Superb, living up to the greatness of the first book. The combination of characters, the pace and the constant ambiguity all made the book truly spectacular. I am so eager to start Mockingjay though it will be sad when it is all over.

5 out of 5 stars