Book Review: PERFECT CHEMISTRY by Simone Elkeles

Title: Perfect Chemistry

Author: Simone Elkeles

Genre: Romance

Series: Perfect Chemistry

Book Summary: (via Goodreads) 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.

Characters: Alex Fuentes, Brittany Ellis are the two main characters and make up the romance element to this book. There are a lot of other “extras.”

Plot: Alex is the bad boy-- a Mexican gang member from the poor side of town.  Brittany is her high school’s golden girl--popular, smart, from a wealthy family, and head of the cheer team. When Alex accepts a bet to get Brittany to sleep with him, and then the two are assigned to be chemistry partners, the obvious happens--they each realize there is more to the other than they first realized.  They fall intensely, passionately in love. Brittany finds out about the bet. Alex cannot leave his gang like Brittany demands. Can this relationship survive? (Do you sense my sarcasm here?)     

What I Loved: Admittedly, very little.  I can tell you, however that there are 2 things I liked about this novel:

1. I like novels told in first-person from the point-of-view of varying characters. Elkeles writes back and forth between Brittany and Alex. (And, ok, I will admit it--Alex does seem pretty hot, which leads me to…)
2. The fact that my high school kids (my high school girls) love, love, LOVE this book. Any book that gets my students this crazy and talkative is okay in my book. This one is also an easy sell with reluctant readers.

What I could have done without: The reason I read this book was that several girls in my monthly book club asked for a romance novel selection for February. I knew I was in trouble because I’m not a big fan of romance.  Still, I thought I’d give it a shot. Some of the dialog made me cringe.  The whole star-crossed lovers thing was so West Side Story, Romeo and Juliet, Outsiders, etc. etc., and it has been done over and over and over again.  I know Elkeles wanted to make these characters more complex and believable by making Alex close to his family and by giving Brittany a disabled sister, but both those issues seemed a little forced. Finally… the epilogue.  I am not a fan of epilogues, and this is one example of why they make me crazy.  Everything ties up so neatly, and (without giving too much away) a cure for Alzheimer’s?? REALLY??

Final Grade: C

Book review by Nicky