Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Genre: Contemporary / Realistic Fiction
Page Count: 357 pages
Series: Perfect Chemistry (Book One)

GOODREADS 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.

So I read this book a few weeks ago after hearing how great it was from GoodReads reviews and such, and so I had high hopes for this book! Fortunately, my hopes were exceeded.  First off, if you're looking for a light read, pick up a different novel - this book has loads of drama that kept me on the edge of my seat.  I applaud the author because Perfect Chemistry is really well-written.

THE MAIN CHARACTERS:

The author could've easily made Brittany a bratty rich girl, but she didn't.  I loved how Brittany cared for her sister more than herself - she is practically the only person in her family that truly loves and cares for her sister, and I thought that really showed who she is as a person.  

As for Alex, he was VERY three-dimensional.  He's known as the "bad boy" and he acts like one around his friends, but you can see his true personality when it shows around his brothers and around Brittany.

THE PLOTLINE:

I felt like the plot dragged a bit in the beginning, but once it picks up it's very exciting and fast-paced.  It's basically a modern-day Romeo & Juliet, which I liked!  The story is definitely well thought-out and THE ENDING.  I loved the Epilogue especially.  I won't spoil anything, but the ending is fantastic, seriously.

OVERALL:

Very well-written story, enjoyed the moral of looking deeper than the surface, and would recommend to anyone in need of a good contemporary.

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SP: Kingdom of the Wicked by Derek Landy

Genre: Dark / Fantasy / Action
Page Count: 607 pages
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant (Book Seven)

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

The seventh installment in the biggest, funniest, most thrilling comedy-horror-adventure series in the universe - and the follow-up to 2011’s number-one bestseller, Death Bringer…

Magic is a disease.

Across the land, normal people are suddenly developing wild and unstable powers. Infected by a rare strain of magic, they are unwittingly endangering their own lives and the lives of the people around them. Terrified and confused, their only hope lies with the Sanctuary. Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are needed now more than ever.

And then there's the small matter of Kitana. A normal teenage girl who, along with her normal teenage friends, becomes infected. Becomes powerful. Becomes corrupted. Wielding the magic of gods, they're set to tear the city apart unless someone stands up against them.

Looks like it's going to be another one of those days…

(To see my review of the past six books in the series, click here.)

This book was so much fun to read.  It'll make you laugh out loud and the twists are unpredictable.  Loved it!  Reading this made me quite excited to get the next installment, Last Stand of Dead Men, in about two weeks!

The plot was very fast-paced and full of action and twists - it feels like the 607 pages are only 50.  There was a sci-fi twist on this story, and I really liked it.  

Argeddion has been the most interesting villain yet - probably because he was a pacifist.  Very strange to see a villain who really wants the best for the world.  

Skulduggery and Valkyrie are still their witty selves and the finale was fantastic.  The last fifty pages or so were epic.

So if you've read the previous Skulduggery novels, definitely don't miss this one.  If you've never read a book in this series, they're great and I highly recommend them to fantasy readers.

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My Sister's Reaper by Dorothy Dreyer

Genre: Fantasy / Paranormal
Page Count: 275
Series: Reaper's Rite (Book One)

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Sixteen-year-old Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it.

When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, or let Mara die … this time for good.

I discovered this on GoodReads and because of the good reviews and the intriguing summary, I picked it up. 

THE CHARACTERS: 

Zadie was a pretty believable character -- she reacted as I would expect her to and I liked her sarcasm.  I just wish more of her backstory was given to give her a little more depth. 

Lilura was probably my favorite character because she was such a sarcastic old lady and I enjoyed seeing her go from hating Zadie to liking her.

Gavin was an interesting character.  Once I got a third of the way through the book, I expected to never see him in the story again; I figured he was only there for the beginning of the story to help the plotline move along, so I was pleasantly surprised when he was a much bigger part of the story than I ever could've thought.

Throughout the entire book, I thought Chase was very mysterious.  We never really get to know Chase very well in this story, so I'm hoping in the next installment of this series his personality is revealed.

THE PLOT:
The storyline was very fast-paced and there was action or a new fact was discovered every couple pages, and it all led up to an exciting finale.  

My main issue with the plotline of this book was that it was pretty predictable (seeing as I have read a lot of fantasy novels) and nothing that was revealed surprised me.  Also, the finale was over in just a few pages, when I was expecting a grand twenty-or-so pages of pure adrenaline and excitement. 

OVERALL:

I enjoyed reading this book but I didn't find it very new and exciting.  A good finish-in-one-sitting mystery/thriller, so I'd recommend if you have a few extra hours and want something different. 

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The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Genre: Realistic Fic / Romance
Page Count: 320

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

I've been highly anticipating this book ever since I read Kasie West's debut, Pivot Point, in February.  Sadly, this book didn't live up to my expectations.

The first 150 pages or so were extremely slow to me.  I wasn't fond of the main character, Caymen, and nothing was happening in the story.  I was very close to putting down the book, but for some reason I kept reading.  Luckily, the second half was good, and is why I gave this book three stars when at the beginning I was thinking this one was only worth one star.

THE CHARACTERS:

I didn't connect with Caymen at all.  At the beginning, she seemed very judgmental.  Fortunately, she did change through the book, so the character development was there, but she didn't have a very fleshed-out backstory.  The only thing that kept me reading her story was her fun sarcasm.

As for Xander, I liked his character.  It was fun to see his character evolve from the first scene we saw him in the book, where he just seemed like a snotty rich guy.

THE PLOT:

The plot was full of cliches, and I found it pretty predictable.  On the plus side, there were some fresh ideas that made the story worth reading.  I liked how Kasie West wrapped up the story, but the beginning was uneventful and boring.  The plotline in the middle was okay since that's when the story finally began to pick up, but I'd say the last 50-or-so pages were the best.

I also liked how Caymen lived and worked at a doll store - something I don't see very often and I liked that! It gave the story something interesting while the overused rich-boy poor-girl storyline was playing out.

THE WRITING:
This is the main thing that bugged me in this book.  I thought Kasie West's writing was excellent in Pivot Point, but in this, there were no interesting metaphors and the writing just seemed to drag down the story.  I did quite enjoy the witty banter between Caymen and Xander, though, so that was a plus.

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Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Realistic Fic / Romance
Page Count: 325

Summary (from Goodreads):

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

I picked up this book because I had heard it was strongly recommended for fans of The Fault in Our Stars.  Turns out, I really enjoyed this book!

As the cover suggests, music played a part in Eleanor and Park's story, which made me happy. Music is a big part of my life, so I felt more engaged in the story.

Plus, the writing was spot-on for this type of story.  I liked how it wasn't "love at first sight" - it took a while for Eleanor and Park to warm up to each other, and that fact kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the drama to unfold.

The characters were excellent!  Character development is what I typically focus on when I'm reading, and I loved how the novel switched points of view - I liked knowing what was going on in Park's head and knowing what was going on at the same time in Eleanor's. That factor only works in some novels, but it definitely worked in this one.

The ending was heartbreaking, though.  Be warned!  Make sure you have some tissues lying around when you're reading those last few chapters.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  It dealt with some social issues and the story kept me reading.  The romance was cute and compelling.  Will be reading future Rainbow Rowell books for sure!

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The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Genre: Romance
Page Count: 375

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever. 

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally. But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after. 

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked this book up.  I admit, I didn't think that she would actually be dead, I was expecting her to be metaphorically dead, not literally. But she actually does die (this isn't a spoiler, it happens within the first couple pages) and the storyline just picks up from there.

THE CHARACTERS:
I liked Brie.  I didn't connect with her very much, but I thought she was still a well-rounded and well-written character.  Her emotions and thoughts were all very logical in the situations she went in.

As for Patrick, he was probably my favorite character.  He was full of witty comebacks and I enjoyed reading the scenes when him and Brie would talk and argue.

THE PLOT:

It was seeming kind of predictable until the last fifty pages.  There's a giant twist that I definitely did not see coming.  The plot was also fast-paced, it never seemed very boring to me.  Something was always happening and each scene was there for a reason.

HEAVEN:

I really liked how the author depicted Heaven in this novel.  I won't talk too much about it because I don't want to spoil the wondrousness of it for you, but I liked the different ideas about what's up there.

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Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

Genre: Dystopian / Sci-Fi
Page Count: 325

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

I saw this on the Kindle Store and bought it right after reading the summary.  I loved the idea and as I began getting further and further into the story, I loved how it played out.  This story is not one of those typical Hunger-Games-Look-Alike, it's fresh and exciting.

THE MAIN CHARACTER:

Kira was a fun character to follow.  Since she can't read minds, she's discriminated against a lot in her school, so even within the first chapter, I felt for her and the hardships she deals with everyday.  She definitely developed through the story as more and more obstacles were thrown at her.

THE PLOT:

You may think the beginning is a little slow, but as soon as you get past those first couple chapters it's non-stop action and suspense and drama.  I loved it!  

The plot twisted in ways I didn't see coming at all and I loved how I never knew what was going to happen in the next chapter - it makes it so much fun to read!

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I strongly recommend this book to sci-fi lovers, dystopian lovers, and really anybody who has an e-reader (it's only $2.99!)

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