Perfect Chemistry is not a book I loved from the first page. For quite a good number of pages, I wanted to strangle both of the main characters for being such walking stereotypes. But by the time I finished reading this book my opinion of it totally changed. I loved it! Although I might have left the epilogue off. I don’t like epilogues. The epilogue of the last Harry Potter book, well, I just like to pretend that one didn’t exist. Anyway, forget my personal issues with epilogues.
Alex Fuentes and Brittany Ellis are, as I said, entirely stereotypical. Alex Fuentes is a Latino gang member from the bad side of town (town being a Chicago suburb). Unsurprisingly, he’s secretly really smart, also trouble, and wants to protect his family. You know, a good guy in a bad situation. Brittany spends way too much time cultivating her perfect image. She’s rich and beautiful and blonde and captain of the “pom squad.” Which as far as I know is the cheerleading team so I’m not sure why they called it that. Perhaps some people really do call it that though I’ve never heard the expression, or maybe it’s something different, not that it matters. But secretly, her life is less than perfect. Her mother is kind of a bitch, and her older sister is disabled. This is also unsurprising. You know, perfect girl whose home life is secretly not perfect. I think the point with these characters was to transcend the stereotypes, to get behind the images they both project, but the way it was done was a little stereotypical as well. However, as the novel progresses, both Alex and Brittany become real people, and by the end I really loved their characters, as frustrating as they were at first.
Anyway, Alex and Brittany are unwillingly partnered in chemistry class, and they fall for each other. Alex tries to get Brittany to let herself be more genuine and less perfect, and Brittany tries to convince Alex that a different life is possible for him. They come from totally different worlds and both have lots to learn about each other. It’s predictable, yes, but as the book went on I became so totally drawn into the story. Simone Elkeles’s writing has a way of doing that! I loved the story, loved the romance, and grew to love the characters (especially two of the secondary characters, Isabel and Paco), and loved every minute I spent reading this book (and I really could not put it down). It kind of reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Crazy/Beautiful. Which is also something of a stereotype. Anyway, great book, it’ll be out in December, and I hope you all love it, because I sure did.
August 26, 2008 at 1:07 am
[…] Jocelyn at Teen Book Reviews has a completely different opinion from mine. « Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin […]
October 14, 2010 at 6:01 pm
which book is the 1 one pf the perfect chemistry
September 13, 2008 at 12:15 pm
omg! i cant wait!! i loved her other 3 books!
April 15, 2010 at 1:01 pm
what other 3 books
January 20, 2009 at 10:51 pm
[…] Reviews: Trisha at The Ya Ya Yas and Teen Book Review (and I agree with both of them about the epilogue, especially because, to me at least, it felt like […]
January 27, 2009 at 12:43 am
I thought this book was 100% amazing. It pulled me in from the very start, loving both of the characters. It was also witty, funny, and had the perfect amount of drama. I loved the ending, it was so perfectly tied up in a pink sparkly bow. Also, Alex Fuentes is so awesome, he should be every girls new ‘Edward Cullen’ like obsession.
March 24, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I just finished reading the book and i apsolutely loved it from start to finish.
i just bought the book two days ago and im already done! it drew me in so fast. i am soo happy with the way it ended, and wish it would keep going! maybe she will make a sequel, about pacos life (not alex’s friend, but his son) oh i hope so.
and i agree with the new edward cullen obsession thing by the way :]
April 5, 2009 at 1:44 pm
OH EM GEE i LOVED THIS BOOK!!! SHES AN AMAZING WRITER SHE REALLY IS. I ENJOYED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I FINISHED IT IN ABOUT 3 OR 4 DAYS AND I FELL COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH IT. I MUST READ HER OTHER BOOKS.
May 25, 2009 at 3:31 pm
This book was one of the best I have ever read. I thought Twilight was going to be a hard one to top but, as they say, anything can be done. I read it within two days and now I’m lending it out to all of my friends and they have all love it so far! My favorite part was the epilogue because it was a nice little ending showing that they stayed together. I definitely have a new Edward Cullen. (Actually in my case, a new Jacob Black)
June 28, 2009 at 11:53 pm
This book is honestly one of the best books I’ve ever read along with Just Listen,and The Twilight Series..I read A LOT and this certainly makes the top of my list. I completley recommend it to any teenage girl who loves reading about adorable romances. Ugh this book is fricken amazing READ IT!!
January 15, 2010 at 9:11 pm
i feel the same way. and i totally agree with u. i read the same books and fell in love with them too. but um, have u read dreamland?
July 12, 2010 at 6:39 pm
i just read dreamland… its a really good book
July 7, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Yes, they were very stereotypical at first but then again who isn’t? Simon had to put that sort of feeling in at the beginning just to set up these kid’s background. You can’t just jump into their actually feelings and insecurities. As far as the epilogue goes, whoa disappointing much. It was just so random and me with a cheesy in a bad way taste.
It was a good book that i couldn’t put down, that’s for sure.
August 2, 2009 at 9:54 pm
OMG this is actually the best book I have ever read! I reread it alllll the time because it gives me the shivers of how good it is. I love the connection and chemistry between Alex and Brittany. I read this in one day because it was such a quick read. I love this book so much it seriously changed me. I live my life differently because of this book. It was just so amazing! Alex Fuentes is a god. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a teen. This book reaches out to me and pulled out all of my emotional feelings at once. If you haven’t read this book, you haven’t lived.
August 25, 2009 at 2:47 pm
the book was AMAZING! i read the first couple pages, and before i know, i stay up all night to finish the book, it was so addictive i couldnt put it down! kudos! and i do agree, best book ive ever read..
January 15, 2010 at 9:15 pm
lol. i know right. it was a great book and i loved it. i stayed up real late trying to finish cuz reading it makes u wanna know whats going to happen next.
September 24, 2010 at 8:03 pm
soo tru
im obsessed wit it now
September 27, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I thought the substance of the book was great. I thought the characters were at first stereotyplical, but they transformed in a very fufilling way. I thouroughly enjoyed the book and the plot but of course with a second or third revision the story could be epic. There were some plot holes and unneccesary details that actually, I feel,detracted from the subsatnce of the novel. But I did love the book and encourage and look forward to a revisited copy of Perfect Chemistry.
May 20, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I couldn’t stop reading this book I stayed up all night just to read it and all my friend keep passing it around and we love it so much!!!!! Can’t wait to read the next one!!
September 24, 2010 at 8:02 pm
sam here nd my frendz all wanna read it therez a list nyway we want this as a movie so bad
July 1, 2010 at 12:44 am
Dios Mio! This book was AMAZING! Coming from someone who normally doesn’t like reading, I finished this book in 2 days! I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait to read the other books of hers! I agree with the previous comment about how AlexFuentes should be the new Edward Cullen! I also agree that she should do a sequel coming from Paco (the son)! Best book i’ve ever read!! (:
July 7, 2010 at 10:19 pm
this book is the best book i ever nread in my life i used to be an alex exept the good grades part but now im all on my grades for some reasen since i read this book. i give it 5 stars out of 5 stars. i acually wrote to the author and she wrote back to me it was an amazing th9ing and shes an amazing author i cant wait to read the sequal and the third book that comin out in a year
July 13, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Perfect Chemistry was my absolute favorite book in the entire world! I loved the characters, except Brittany seemed a little too annoying and vulnerable at the end, but whatever. Up until I read it, I loved the twilight series and I told all of my friends that if they thought twilight was good, then Perfect Chemistry would knock them out of their seats! This is my fifth time reading it and it never gets old!
September 24, 2010 at 8:00 pm
its lik this book is overpowering my life
July 13, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Also, Alex is my dream guy!!!!!!!! Forget Edward!!!!!!!!!!
September 24, 2010 at 7:59 pm
ikr
August 23, 2010 at 5:46 am
[…] books readers either love or hate, especially judging by the other reviews I’ve read, at Teen Book Review and Semicolon (warning: […]
September 24, 2010 at 7:59 pm
I luv this book soooo much. In the beginning it wasnt really that interesting til chem class.I luv the characters nd Alex is super hot cant wait to read rules of attraction!!
November 16, 2010 at 7:17 am
This was the bect book ever. I seriously cant wait until I read Rules of Attraction!!! I thought that the epilogue kinda let you know that they would stay together forever. Plus it showed how important Paco was to Alex. I kinda wish that she wouldn’t have rushed them meeting eachother again, towards the end. He should have showed her what he had to go through. Like the scars and brand mark.
December 15, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I really liked this book! I wrote a post about it on my blog. Check it out if you want! http://ppbooks.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/series-book-review-perfect-chemistry-by-simone-elkeles/
Nice review! :)
January 18, 2011 at 10:54 am
The difference between a Pom squad and cheerleading is the cheerleaders are doing their cheering and everything DURING the game, but the Poms are only up during Half time on games. And the pom squad dances with poms poms, while the cheerleading squad just cheers the team on.
I’m on neither, but my friend explained it to me. :p
May 9, 2011 at 9:16 pm
I love this book so much I couldn’t stop reading it from the first day I think this was one of you’re best books and even thow I’m done with it I’m thinking about reading it again just because I loved it :)
May 20, 2011 at 10:04 am
I love how you mentioned that both Brittney and Alex had to battle their stereotyped characters in this novel. I ended up loving them both too, because Elkeles really lets you get in their heads with her narrative. A great novel!! :)
– Alyssa of Redhead Heroines
Book Review of “Perfect Chemistry” by Simone Elkeles
July 24, 2011 at 11:30 pm
The dream cast for the perfect chemistry movie…mmm…my pick for alex-alexander f rodriguez and brittany-dianna agron..so who’s your choice amigos?
October 6, 2011 at 1:45 pm
whats the climaz of this story i need it for my paper??
October 19, 2011 at 4:06 pm
The person that wrote the book her daughter goes to my school, and her mom signed some of our books.
December 8, 2011 at 2:16 pm
who is hector in the book?
December 28, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Series Gratis Online…
[…]Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles « Teen Book Review[…]…
January 20, 2012 at 11:58 am
agro-info…
[…]Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles « Teen Book Review[…]…
January 29, 2012 at 10:23 pm
Ohh Jeez .I l.o.v.e.d Your Books , I Finished Them like in 2 days . I shall read the last one[: Hopfully youu make more books like these &’d make a story about paco’s life next or sumthing . i would love that ![:
May 15, 2012 at 6:40 pm
BEST BOOK EVER. ENOUGH SAID.