Monday, April 30, 2012

Book Review #114 - Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3) by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3)


Like his brothers, Luis Fuentes is a risk taker; whether he's scaling the Rocky Mountains or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis is always looking for the next thrill. Nikki Cruz lives her life by certain rules -, don't trust a boy who says "I love you", boys lie to get their own way and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex's wedding and suddenly she's tempted to break all her rules. Getting Nikki to give him a chance is Luis's biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by the head of the gang that nearly destroyed his brothers' lives. Will Luis's feelings for Nikki be enough to stop him from entering a dark and violent world that could prove to be the ultimate risk?


My Rating: 3.5/5

Although this book wasn't any different to the previous two books in the series I still thoroughly enjoyed it, although not as much as the previous two.

I liked Luis, he was probably my favourite character from the whole series, although his story seemed a bit repetitive because he went through the same sort of issues that both his brothers faced in the first two books.


As for Nikki, I felt she was too obnoxious and annoying and never redeems herself properly.


This book was a bit of a let down for me as I didn't like it anywhere near as much as the previous two books.




Book Review #113 - Fracture by Megan Miranda

Fracture

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?




My Rating: 4/5


I got this book from Netgalley.

This book had a very unique plot that had me captivated from the very first page. 

I liked Delaney as a protagonist although I found her annoying at times. I didn't like her parents at all, although I can understand why they were acting the way they were.

The writing style was emotionally packed and easy to read, pretty good for the author's first book.

There is a short story companion to this book from Decker's point of view titled Eleven Minutes. Click here for link.



Thursday, April 19, 2012

Book Review #112 - Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2) by Simone Elkeles

Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2)
When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for the past year, he doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Colorado. When he meets Kiara Westford, a good girl totally unlike any of the girls he's usually drawn to, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she's too good for him. But will he put his pride aside when he realizes that being with Kiara might finally allow him to be his true self?



My Rating: 5/5


This book is the somewhat sequel to Perfect Chemistry. It is told from the protagonist from Perfect Chemistry's younger brother Carlos' point of view and his eventual love interest Kiara.






I liked how even though this book had different characters, the characters from the first book were still involved in the story.


I liked this book alot more than the first one because of the characters, yet I liked both plots equally. This series is definitely one of my new favourites.

Book Review #111 - Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry #1) by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1)
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.

My Rating: 5/5

I decided to get this book from the Library because I had heard nothing but good things about the author yet had read none of her other works. I had really high expectations prior to reading this book, which thankfully it met.

It never fully liked Brittany as she just irritated me throughout. Alex was likeable but would not make my list of favourite characters.

I was able to look past the characters as the plot was so captivating.

I now have my own copy of this book and so I definitely plan on reading this book again.





Book Review #110 - Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

Endless Summer (The Boys Next Door & Endless Summer)
Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer. Lori can’t wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends—including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she’s turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that’s not going to happen—not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori’s romantic summer melt into one hot mess?


My Rating: 5/5


I tried reading this book for the first time about four months ago and just couldn't get into the story at all. Then when I tried reading it for the second time I had the complete opposite reaction to it as I could not put it down.

It took me a while to warm up to the protagonist Lori because at first she came across as immature and annoying but she slowly redeems herself.

The plot was really enthralling although it was a little immature at times.

I definitely liked the second book more than the first as I thought it was more detailed with multiple point of views which covered a broader range of perspective.