Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

The final book in the Perfect Chemistry trilogy is sure to be the hottest of them all.

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys.

Review:

Simone Elkeles has to be one of my favorite contemporary authors out there. Her books, especially the Perfect Chemistry trilogy, are simply EPIC; so to say I was excited to read Chain Reaction, the last book in the much-loved Perfect Chemistry trilogy, would be a serious understatement. I was jumping-up-and-down and running-around-the-house-excited when it arrived in my mailbox. However, with a book like that, some high expectations came as well. Luckily, Chain Reaction managed to reach nearly every one, and while it's not my favorite of the series, it was definitely a pretty darn excellent end to the series.

Luis Fuentes may be the youngest Fuentes brother but he is probably the most put together out of the three. Charming, funny, and shockingly sweet, Luis is the boy all the boys want to be friends with and all the girls love. However, Luis meets his match with Nikki Cruz. Nikki is the ice queen of their high school. She doesn't give her trust out easily, especially when it comes to guys like Luis. This wouldn't be the biggest of problems expect for the fact that Luis is simply enchanted by her and would do nearly anything to gain her trust. That's not even adding in the new dilemma he's facing when an old friend recruits him into a gang, one that opens his eyes to more family secrets than just one. What will Luis end up doing? Will he put his family as well as Nikki before or after his fellow gang members? Or will Luis manage to lose everything in the process? Only time and more pages can tell in this fast paced and shocking new read!

In Chain Reaction, we finally get to find out more about Luis, and I have to say I loved seeing inside his head every step of the way. Cocky and headstrong yet sweet and likable, Luis was such an interesting character. What I liked most about him, though, was that even though he was much more put together than Luis and Carlos in the some ways, he's just as flawed as they are in others. On the other hand, Nikki was someone who managed pull on my heartstrings from the minute she was introduced due to the surprising yet heartbreaking situation she landed herself in. It allowed for a lot of development early on with her character to say the least. Together, Luis and Nikki had a roller coaster like relationship consisting of mixed signals, confusion, and many steamy moments. The various twists and turns it introduced constantly had me wondering how everything was going to end between them.

The plot of this one was also great, and while it contained the basic formula the other two contained, it still managed to become its own based on a chain of various events. I especially enjoyed the focus on Luis's mixed feelings over joining the gang his brother's had tried so hard to keep him away from as well as over his promises when it came to his family and the gang he had been raised with. It was realistic, in my opinion, and Simone did a great job of bringing the mixed feelings of it all off the page and to life. Every plot twist and turn within this also created drama, drama, drama and more drama as well as several shocking revelations that even had even me simply shocked at times. I also loved seeing the whole Fuentes family come together in this one!

Last but not least, the ending. It was just as sweet and adorable as the other ones, but that didn't stop me from loving because to tell the truth it was the perfect way to end the series.

Steamy and action packed, Chain Reaction is a satisfying end to a trilogy I've come to love over time. I simply can't wait to see what Simone has in the works next (another How to Ruin book would be great, as would a spin-off to this series possibly!), but one thing is for sure: whatever it may end up being, it's bound to be fabulous!

However, I have one last question: where's my Fuentes brother? ;)

Grade: A

Chain Reaction is now out!

Source: Publicist at Deb Shapiro & Co.- thanks Deb!

PS) Can I just add that I love that the cover of this is based off an actual scene in the book?

Book Trailer:

Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She’s determined to make a new life for herself.

But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie’s accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.

Review:

If you've been a long time follower of my blog (or reviews) you might remember my gushing one for Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles- an author who has yet to disappoint me in any way- so as you can imagine when I received the sequel to that oh-so-yummy-and-addicting novel, I was just a bit squeal-happy. Well, maybe just a lot more than just a bit, but anyhow, as I was soon to find out, Return to Paradise was definitely worth the wait. Because not only was it better than its prequel (which I didn’t think could happen), it was nothing short of amazing/rock-my-socks-off fantastic!!

As the reader begins Return to Paradise it's been eight months since Caleb left, taking not only Maggie's heart with him but his dark secret about what really happened the night he was arrested and Maggie was left disabled and abandoned in the middle of the street alone. And while each of them still wants and misses each other more than ever, they've moved on with their lives the best they could. Maggie finished high school and is going to Spain in a few months, and Caleb has been in Chicago trying to make enough to support himself on. Though, as it turns out, fate isn't done with them yet, as they are soon to learn when they find themselves together on summer trip with four other teens that have also been affected by drunk driving. Together again they find themselves torn between the what-ifs: what if they got back together, what if Caleb finally admit what truly happened that night, and a star crossed romance that would make almost any teen girl (or even boy) swoon.

The one thing I always love about follow-up novels is seeing how the characters have grown over the time that the reader has been away from their story, and with Return to Paradise both characters have definitely grown a lot over the past eight months. For Maggie, she finally has a backbone, but don't get me wrong, she still has a big heart, especially when Caleb is involved. For Caleb, he's gotten a bit worse because of the fact he's tougher and more confrontational than ever, though it's easy to see it's just a cover for the poor lost boy he is underneath it all. The one thing I love about these characters, and all of Simone's characters in general, is that there real in a way that they make mistakes and learn from them, that they have faults and good points that help them grow, and that their lives aren't perfect even if it does appear so for some of the characters, because as anyone knows, no one's life is perfect. Anyhow, moving on, just as I did with the prequel I loved the romance between Caleb and Maggie. Because seriously those two are so sweet and caring with each other and always manage to bring the best in each other out for the world to see. And talking about characters, I just loved the secondary ones introduced in this. All of them are so unique, and some of them, like Lenny and Trish, brought out several laugh-out-loud moments.
The plot in this was fact paced and when mixed with Simone's easy going and smooth writing, it moved in a rapid pace, one that made this the ultimate unputdownable book. I especially loved the way that while some parts of this book were predictable, Simone also had several moments that I didn't see coming from a mile away!

In all, Return to Paradise (as well as its prequel if you haven't read that one yet) is a must read for this fall season. Because seriously, what's better than reading one of Simone Elkeles swoon worthy teen dramas on a fall day?
 
Grade: A+

Return to Paradise is now out!

Source: Publisher. Thanks, Flux!

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Summary/Image from Fantastic Fiction:

New sparks will fly in the sequel to Simone Elkeles's breakout book Perfect Chemistry.

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.

With new characters to fall in love with and the same hot romance found in Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles has crafted another sure-fire hit for teens.

Review:

Simone Elkeles has yet to disappoint me with her books, so when Rules of Attraction showed up in my mailbox, it's obvious to say I had high hopes for it. Since not only was I hoping it would carry on the trend of spectacular books from Elkeles, but I was also hoping it would manage to be even better than it's prequel Perfect Chemistry, a book that rocked my world last year.

At first, I was worried, since it was only.....okay. Nothing amazing, not overly fun, just...boring, I hate to say, leaving it to take me what seemed like eons to get through the first 50 or so pages. Thankfully, after getting past that amount, give or take a bit, I was hooked because it had taken suddenly a 180 degree to become something amazing; something that I just couldn't for the life me put down for one second; something that proved be to be witty, fun, and romantic (Where can I find my Carlos?!).

Carlos and Kiara were both characters I really enjoyed reading about, even if I kind of preferred Brittany and Alex, since both were realistic. Kiara was a girl who was geeky yet had a heart of gold. Carlos was the typical swoon-worthy bad boy, who had a lot more heart than what appeared at the surface. And together they made one very cute couple that you couldn't help but wish you had something as great as they did.

Adding to this, I adored the side characters such as Kiara's brother Brandon, who always managed to make me laugh with his somewhat fake innocence, Kiara's friend Tucker, Ram, Brittany, and Alex.
 
The plot, as well, as the writing was pretty great and has left me to eager to read the final volume in this trilogy about the youngest Fuentes's brother because I'm sure it'll turn out to be amazing!
 
Overall, Rules of Attraction is a book I can't help but suggest you run out and buy because it's fun, amazing, and filled with a lot of heart, just like all of Elkeles's previous books. Oh, and with saying that, don't me discouraged by the slow beginning, I'm promise it'll get better!

Grade: A-

Rules of Attraction is now out! Also did you hear that this placed #3 on the New York Times Best Selling Chapter Books? Yet another reason why you should pick it up along with Perfect Chemistry, if you haven't read that one.

Source: Around The World Tour

The Book Trailer, which I love:

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Summary:

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 pitystares-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 torjourney for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.
 
Review:
 
Leaving Paradise was a beautifully written and breathtaking story about finding hope and love when you think you have lost everything.


Caleb and Maggie were crafted in a way that made them truly jump of the page and come to life, allowing you to become intertwined in the story from the first page. I enjoyed reading about both equally. Since while both had major flaws at times, it was hard to not have the urge to root for them to overcome what people thought of them because of the accident.

Further more, I adored the plot which was filled with constant twists and turns that made you stop every once in a while and go "Wow! I can't believe this is happening." Also, it was interesting to see how a lot of Leaving Paradise was based on coincidences like how Caleb and Maggie ended up working for the same lady. My only complaint would have to be the ending, which I found to be a bit too  abrupt for my liking. Lucky for me and all the other readers out there who loved Leaving Paradise there's a sequel coming out next year! :)

Overall, all I can say is that you have to read this, because it's just that great! Oh, and fantastic job yet again Simone Elkeles! 

Grade: A+

Leaving Paradise is out every where and even has a snazy new cover that is featured above.

Source: Bought from a book store that goes by the name Barnes and Noble.

How to Ruin your Boyfriends Reputation by Simone Elkeles

Summary:

Guess who’s jetting off to the Holy Land this summer!

Yes, it’s me—Amy Nelson-Barakmy Nelson-Barak. I’ve volunteered for ten days of military training in Israel with my friends. The Sababa brochure said it would be a “fun” summer experience. Okay, so I didn’t sign up to prove I’m not a princess…I did it to surprise my hot Israeli boyfriend stationed at the same base.

Too bad nobody told me:

- It’s hot in the Negev desert…like, so hot your makeup melts off and you get under-boob sweat spots.
- You can’t sleep in until 11 a.m.
- You shouldn’t kill bees with your flatiron—don’t ask.
- Peeing in a hole isn’t easy (when you’re a girl)—double don’t ask.

When I find out our team leader is my boyfriend Avi, I’m totally psyched…until I learn he has to treat me like all the other recruits. Can you say OY VEY!

Review:

How To Ruin your Boyfriend’s Reputation is yet another hilarious addition to Simone Elkeles' How To Ruin.. series. A series that I highly suggest all check out because of the following reasons.

For one, Amy is a character that is so easy to like and relate to which leaves me to personally think that Simone perfectly captures the teen voice within her. Plus, I like how Amy and Avi's relationship is realistic in the problems that they face, such as the long distance and staying true to one another. Oh, and Avi's sweetness/ hotness totally adds to how much I adore these books.

Another thing that I enjoy about this series is that the different plots that contained are ones that are never exactly alike. Since, seriously you get a whole new journey with every book.

In all, How To Ruin your Boyfriend’s Reputation is a cute and funny read that proves yet again just how great of a writer Simone is! Oh, and I really hope there's going to be a 4th book to this series that is coming out soon. :)

Grade: A+

How To Ruin your Boyfriend’s Reputation is now out!

Source of book: Bought from Barnes and Noble!

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Summary:

A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

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. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and 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 soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart. (from Amazon)

Review:

As said in the summary, Perfect Chemistry is an urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers. Though, it's so much more than just a love story. It has family problems, the fight to keep up a "perfect" or " tough" appearance even if you don't want to anymore, and it takes you on journey through what it means to be part of one of the scariest gangs there is alive.

The characters in this book were some of the most realistic ones I've seen in a while. Even though I thought I was going to hate Britney, I just couldn't. I felt sorry for her, because of her many struggles that included her having to make up for what her sister couldn't be and having to pretend to be perfect in front of her friends so they wouldn't see her as anything but. With Alex, it was sometimes scary to look through his eyes and see how in order to protect his family he had to be a part of The Bloods, the main gang in the book. Throughout, I was rooting for both to realize they could be so much more than what they were.

Simone Elkeles writing in Perfect Chemistry was just an all around wow. She perfectly captures what it means to be a teenager and the many problems they face every day. Also, the gang and discrimination parts of this were extremely real to the point were, I think, she must have done some research about both.

One of my favorite parts of this novel, was the conversations between the characters that included a mix of Spanish and English. (which I though was awesome because I take Spanish in school) They caused many laugh out loud moments and made this book go by extremely too fast.

Overall, Perfect Chemistry is a funny, cute, and serious book that will make you think about the many situations that were addressed. I can't wait to read more by Elkeles. By the way, have you seen the book trailer for this? It's one of the best I've ever seen. :)

Grade: A+

Perfect Chemistry is now out in paperback! You can find out more about it here. Also, be sure to check out Simone's website and myspace.

Review: How To Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles

Summary/Cover Image from Goodreads:

In this sequel to How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, EVERYTHING in sixteen-year-old Amy Nelson Barak’s life is going wrong! Her mom got married and moved to the suburbs, and now they are going to have a baby. Amy moves in with her dad in Chicago and signs him up for an online dating service. His first four dates are that night . .

What else? Her dog Mutt impregnated her grumpy neighbor’s prized poodle, so Amy will actually have to get a part-time job to pay for half the veterinary bill. And there’s this totally annoying boy, Nathan Rubin, who just moved into her apartment building. Luckily, Amy has a cute boyfriend named Avi. Only he’s more like a non-boyfriend considering Avi is in the Israeli army for the next three years.

What’s a girl to do when everyone is conspiring to ruin her life?

Review:

Sequels to books aren't usually as great as the first book. Though, in Simone Elkeles cause the sequel is even better than the first. Amy view on how life should be perfect no matter what made for many awkward but laugh out loud moments. Also, I thought it was cool how Simone switched from how Amy's summer in Israel to her life in America which added new, awesome characters into the mix like the mysterious Nathan and Amy's hilarious BFF Jess. Another thing, I enjoyed about this book was the relationship Amy had with her Dad. In most books you don't usually she most positive relationships with parents or some books barley mention them at all. Though, in this Amy has a funny and trusting relationship with her dad that some teens may even envy. Even though I enjoyed this book I though it could be a little bit predictable at times. In all, How To Ruin A Teenage Life makes for a funny and fast read. I can't wait to read Leaving Paradise and Perfect Chemistrey ( which comes out in '09).

Grade: A+