Perfect Chemistry, A Review

Young Adult story lines are no longer the books our mothers and fathers read years ago. Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys have been replaced by vampires, demons, faeries and werewolves. And these books are not just for teens anymore. 

In Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles introduces us to the delicious Alex Fuentes and the beautiful Brittany Ellis. This is the first book in her Perfect Chemistry trilogy.

Brittany Ellis lives the perfect life. She has a sweet car, she is head cheerleader, the perfect boyfriend, her parents are loaded and she has killer body. At least, that is what she has tried hard to make everyone think. Brittany has a sister, Shelly, whom she absolutely adores but Shelly is very sick and has developmental problems. Brittany has worked her butt of to keep up the idea of her perfect life while trying to keep the perfect GPA. She wants nothing more than to get into a great college close to home so she can stay close to her beloved big sister and help take care of her. Her senior year is finally upon her. To Britt's utter disgust she is partnered with the gang banger Alex Fuentes in her AP Chemistry class. Great just freaking fantastic.

As the eldest male of his family, Alex Fuentes inherited the role of joining the Latino Blood. It was his duty to join so his two younger brothers don't one day have to. Plus, it keeps his family safe from the Blood. Don't think that he doesn't see the irony in the fact the his parents came to America in pursuit of a better life for their family. No one in his family has ever graduated from high school, and Alex makes it his personal goal to be the first Fuentes to do it. He is actually smart and enjoys school, but he could never let his boys know that. Alex has never dared to dream about a life outside of the Blood. He owes it to his brothers so they can have the life that he was never offered. Now he is lab partners with the perky Brittany Ellis and can not help but get her riled up. This gringa gets his blood pumping. She assumes so much about him it is almost comical. It must be nice to be freaking perfect Brittany Ellis.

In the town of Fairmont, Illinois, the school could not be more divided. It is a place where it literally is the difference of which side of the tracks you grew up on. For two people who strive to be something they are not, it is no wonder the chemistry ( hehehe) heats up as fast as it does. This is a story that forces you to think outside the box. Stereo-types are shattered and lines are crossed. These two people have everything working against them, yet find it impossible to stay apart. Such a great book from cover to cover. I promise you you will not be disappointed at all when it comes to Brittany and Alex. They give everything they are and lay it all out. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful book! A Must Read Indeed!

  Happy Reading!

                 Lisa :)