Showing posts with label SIMONE ELKELES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SIMONE ELKELES. Show all posts

Friday, October 4, 2013

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles


Title: Wild Cards (Wild Cards #1)
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Source: ARC from BEA
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository
After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek's counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs to get involved with someone else's family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek--someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all.

Everything I've read by Simone Elkeles, I've loved. With Wild Cards, I had unbelievably high expectations. Not only was this book by an author I've loved in the past, it was also being compared to Friday Night Lights, one of my favourite TV shows. So yeah, I had high expectations. And though those expectations weren't totally met, Wild Cards was still a book I highly enjoyed.

Derek was perfectly happy going to boarding school in California while his military father was deployed overseas. But when he takes things one step too far and finds himself being expelled, Derek has no choice but to move to Illinois with his young stepmom and his younger step-brother. And his stepmom's father and younger sister. And Ashtyn isn't what Derek expected. The kicker on her high school's football team, Ashtyn doesn't take crap from anyone, Derek included. But unfortunate circumstances throw the two together, and Ashtyn finds herself having to rely on Derek more than she ever thought she would. And Derek isn't sure he's willing to get involved.

Not to start sounding like a broken record, but I had stupidly high expectation for Wild Cards. I have loved Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry trilogy and Paradise books. They are among some of my favourites. Add to that a comparison to Friday Night Lights, and my expectations sky-rocketed. Too the point where I may have been expecting too much from just one book. That doesn't mean I was disappointed by this story, I was actually far from being disappointed. But the whole time I was reading, I just kept wanting the story to go places that it didn't go. I enjoyed the football that was thrown in there, I enjoyed the romance between Derek and Ashtyn, even if at times it drove me a little crazy. But there were moments when I just felt like the story was going around in a circle. But then there would be other moments that would come along and make up for those circles. So I may not have been fully satisfied, but I still loved the story enough to want to read more of it in future books and to read more about some of the characters that I started getting to know in Wild Cards.

The thing about Derek and Ashtyn is that I wasn't completely satisfied with them, which is probably what led to some of dissatisfaction with the book as a whole. The sexual tension between the two of them was fantastic. It just leapt off the page and was often what kept me reading. But at the same time it felt like there wasn't a lot of character growth with them. Sure, they got from point A to point B by the end of the story, but I expected a little more. In a way, what I wanted to happen did happen, but it all happened in the last 20 pages or so of the book. I wanted more from them, and thankfully I did by the end. On the plus side, as much as I wasn't fully satisfied with Derek and Ashtyn, there were other characters that made up for it. Derek's grandmother had me shaking my head while also trying to stifle a laugh. And Derek's step-brother was completely adorable. 

I enjoyed Wild Cards, I really did. But I also wanted more from it. The end of the book makes up for all those moments where I wasn't satisfied and I hoped to see more of that in future instalments. Despite my concerns with the book, I am sure there are plenty out there who will simply devour this new boo by Simone Elkeles. 


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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (75)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to. This week I have two titles I am particularly looking forward to reading.


Dead Ends by Erin Jade Lange
September 3, 2013
Bloomsbury USA Childrens
A riddle rarely makes sense the first time you hear it. The connection between Dane and Billy D doesn't make sense the second time you hear it. But it's a collection of riddles that solidifies their unusual friendship. Dane is a bully with two rules: don't hit girls and don't hit special kids. Billy D has Down syndrome. When Dane doesn't hit him, Billy sees a sign of friendship and reaches out for help. Billy is sure the riddles his missing father left in an atlas are really clues to finding him. Together, Billy and Dane piece them together, leading to unmarked towns and secrets of the past. But they're all dead ends. Until the final clue…and a secret Billy shouldn't have been keeping. 

As a journalist, Erin Jade Lange is inspired by hot button issues like bullying, but it is her honest characters and breakneck plotting that make Dead Ends a must read.
Right when I first heard about Dead Ends by Erin Jade Lange I knew it was something I wanted to read. The story just sounds so different from what's out there in YA already and from the synopsis I gather that it deals with a lot of issues that don't necessarily get enough attention, whether in society or in books. So all that to say that I'm really excited about Dead Ends.



Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
September 24, 2013
Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she'd like to forget completely. But when Callie's mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie's real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Dollar writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.
I'll admit that I still have to read Trish Doller's Something Like Normal (it's on my shelf, I will get to it soon I promise), with all the good things I've heard about it, I can't help but be excited about Where the Stars Still Shine as well. The story sounds really interesting and like it has the potential to really do damage to my hear--and I love when stories do that.



Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles
October 1, 2013
Walker Childrens
Another year, another move--with a Dad in the military, starting a new school in the middle of the year doesn't faze Derek. But moving with his new step-mother to live with the father and sister she hasn't seen in years? Awkward. Even worse--his new step-aunt Ashtyn, is seventeen, hot--and the kicker for the high school's football team. A football prodigy, Derek has stayed as far as possible from the field since his mom's death--and not even an infuriatingly sexy housemate who talks stats and reams of a Division I scholarship can change his mind. But when Ashtyn's quarterback boyfriend bask out of their road trip to a prestigious summer football camp run by top recruiters, Derek and his car become Ashtyn's only route to making her dreams of playing college ball com true. Four nights. Multiple star lines. Football. Secrets. Sex. This is one road trip neither of them will forget.

In a steamy new series featuring a new, irresistible band of teammates, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles blends the romance and drama of Friday Night Lights with her signature explosive storytelling.
In all honesty I don't even need to know what this story is about, I just needed to know that Simone Elkeles wrote it in order to be excited about it. I absolutely LOVE Simone Elkeles' other books (Perfect Chemistry anyone?) so I'm beyond excited to have more from her to read. Plus Wild Cards sounds really awesome and is getting compared to Friday Night Lights. How could I not be excited about this?


As you can tell, I'm already getting excited about fall books and it's only March. It's a good thing there are plenty of awesome books coming out in the meantime--it will definitely make waiting for these ones easier!

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Saturday, October 22, 2011

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles


Title: Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3)
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Release Date: August 16, 2011
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo
Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers' lives. But that didn't stop him from taking risks--whether he's scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can't stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules--boys lie to get their way, don't trust a boy who says "I love you," and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor's daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex's wedding, and suddenly, she's tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a south sider is Luis's biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis's family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he's ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge.

Simone Elkeles is a genius. I love the stories she writes, especially how raw and gritty they are. But more than anything what I love are the Fuentes brothers. They are absolutely fantastic and I am sad that their story is now over.

When it comes to the Fuentes boys, Luis has always been the good brother. Unlike his older brothers Alex and Carlos, Luis has stayed away from the gang life that almost got them both killed. Luis has a goal and a plan to reach that goal, except that his constant search for a new adrenaline rush may cause him to lose everything. And if that doesn't do it, then maybe Nikki will make Luis throw all his plans out the window. Nikki may look Mexican, but she has nothing to do with everyone who comes form the south side of Fairfield. And she also doesn't let any boys closer to her heart because they always end up breaking it. But then Luis shows up in town and Nikki is tempted to break all the rules she's followed for her whole life. For Luis, getting Nikki to trust him may be his biggest adrenaline rush yet, that is until the Latino Blood comes knocking on his door. Now Luis has to choose between his dreams and the girl he loves, or doing what almost got his family killed once.

I absolutely loved this story. Simon Elkeles is definitely a master at writing raw and gritty stories. I had very high expectations for Chain Reaction and it completely delivered. Though I have to admit that Perfect Chemistry is still my favorite book in this series, probably just because it was the first one I read. But that doesn't mean that this one wasn't absolutely great. I especially liked how elements from the other books were incorporated into this one. But mostly it was the perfect conclusion to this series, everything came full circle and everything came to a close.

The Fuentes brothers are probably my favorite fictional boys. And Luis may just be my favorite Fuentes brother. He was always so different from Alex and Carlos, he was the good little brother. But the more I got to know him, the more I came to realize he wasn't what he appeared to be. For starters, fearless doesn't even begin to describe him. Though he was really cocky more than anything else. But it wasn't overdone and it didn't stop me from totally loving him. Nikki was also very interesting and different from the other women in this series. I loved getting to know her and I could totally see where she was coming from. Most of all I loved seeing her come out of her shell and learn to trust Luis. That was probably the best part of her character. And of course I loved getting to see Alex and Brittany, and Carlos and Kiara. The best part was probably the wedding scene.

Chain Reaction was the perfect ending to an incredible series. I can't wait for more books from Simone Elkeles. But most of all, I will miss the Fuentes brothers.

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Sunday, November 7, 2010

Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles


Title: Return to Paradise
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo
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 was determined to make a new life for herself.

But now 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.

I missed Maggie and Caleb. They are just such great characters and I missed reading about them. Once again Simone Elkeles has written a wonderful story with amazing characters that you can’t help but love. I’ve loved absolutely everything I’ve read by Elkeles and it was the same thing with Return to Paradise. When I finished Leaving to Paradise, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending but now I am truly happy with how things turned out.

It’s been eight months since Caleb left Paradise and Maggie behind but once again he finds himself in trouble. And the only way to get out of that trouble is to go on a four week trip with a group of teenagers’ whose lives have been affected by reckless driving. And who else should be part of that group than Maggie Armstrong. Maggie thought she had managed to get over Caleb, or at least she had convinced herself she was over him. The next four weeks are going to prove to be longer than they should and Caleb and Maggie will have to come to terms with different parts of their past and maybe salvage their relationship.

I have said this about every single one of Simone Elkeles’s male characters that I have read about but I LOVE CALEB. As big a jerk and idiot he can be at times I still love him and would pretty much love him no matter what. There’s something about Caleb that you can’t help but love. It’s easy to see that he’s trying to become a better person and though he may not always be going about that the right way I couldn’t help but root for him. For Maggie’s sake I wanted Caleb to become a better person because she deserved to have someone like Caleb cared for her and Caleb deserved to have someone care about him regardless of his past.

Now that I’ve gotten to know her better, I pretty much love Maggie too. She’s changed a lot since the first book and the change is a good one. She was able to accept that she would always be stuck with a limp but that it didn’t necessarily have to define her. And even though he didn’t always bring out the best in her, I loved how Maggie got when she was with Caleb. For the most part, she always stood her ground and I just loved seeing her play with his mind. It was just great. I was happy Maggie became who she became and my love for her just grew as she became stronger.

I absolutely love how the alternating points of view that are always a part of Simone Elkeles’s books. The way the story is written makes it so you just have to keep on reading in order to get the full story. When I started the book I didn’t plan to sit and read it all in one night but that’s what ended up happening. The story was engrossing and I honestly wanted it to be longer...if I had it my way it would be never ending but I know that isn’t going to happen. Despite that, I was really satisfied with the ending this time and it made me really happy.

Return to Paradise was a great read but I’m sad it’s over because now there won’t be anymore Maggie and Caleb to read about. Regardless I look forward to reading all of Simone Elkeles’s books. And so far they’ve all become favorites of mine.

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Sunday, August 15, 2010

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles


Title: Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2)
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Walker Books
Release Date: April 13, 2010
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo
Carlos Fuentes idolized his older brother, Alex, when he was a member of the Latino Blood. So when Alex chose to get jumped out of the gang for a chance at a future with his gringa girlfriend, Brittany, Carlos felt shocked and betrayed. Even worse, Alex forced Carlos to come back from Mexico to join him on the straight and narrow path. Trouble is, Carlos just wants to keep living on the edge. And ties to his Mexican gang aren’t easy to break, even hundreds of miles away in Colorado.

In Boulder, Carlos has to live with one of Alex’s professors—and he feels completely out of place. He’s even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor’s daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he’s usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the heart, the rules of attraction overpower the social differences that conspire to keep them apart.

Oh how I love the Fuentes brothers. If I could, I would just spend all my time reading about them and their lives. There is just something about the way Simone Elkeles writes that has me completely hooked on to every single word she writes. That happened with Perfect Chemistry and Leaving Paradise and now it happened again when I read Rules of Attraction. I just couldn’t put the book down, despite the fact that people were sick of me reading when they were trying to talk to me. What can I say, I just couldn’t put the book down.

Carlos was perfectly content with the life he had in Mexico but then his brother, Alex, decides that he should come to Colorado so he can have a proper education and maybe even have the hope of a future. Regardless, Carlos comes to live with his brother in Colorado but gets into trouble right off the bat. He then has to go live with one of Alex’s college professors and his daughter Kiara. Carlos never expected to feel anything for Kiara, but to his surprise she begins to turn his world upside down. But unfortunately for him, Kiara isn’t the only one who seems to want to have a future with Carlos.

Like I said before, the Fuentes brothers are currently topping my list of favorite male characters. I don’t really know why but I just love them...I may just be developing a tendency to fall for the “bad boy” type. Carlos was great. I was a bit apprehensive before starting the book, thinking that Carlos would be just like Alex was in Perfect Chemistry or the story would be the same. Sure there were some similarities but in the end Alex and Carlos were two completely different people. I’m repeating myself, but I really liked Carlos, the way he was with Kiara and her little brother, Brandon, how on the outside he seemed to only care about himself but in reality he cared a lot more than he cared to show. Let’s just say that if Carlos were a real person I would definitely fall for him. Heck, I’ve already fallen for him and he’s just a fictional character.

Kiara was pretty awesome too. I think I liked her better than I did Brittany. I liked that she didn’t really care what people thought of her (except maybe when it came to her stutter) and that she wasn’t afraid to go for what she wanted. I especially liked that she didn’t try to fight her attraction to Carlos. Sure she wasn’t always willing to admit to others that she had feelings for Carlos but at least she was able to admit them to herself. I wouldn’t have minded the book being longer just so I could read more about Kiara and see what she has to say about different things.

I said this in my review for Perfect Chemistry and I’ll say it again about Rules of Attraction: though it may appear to be a story about a love that wasn’t meant to be, it doesn’t feel like a cliché or like it’s been done so many times before. Personally, I’m a sucker for that kind of story so I may be slightly biased in my opinion but it wasn’t like a story that I’d read before. It wasn’t even like Perfect Chemistry, which I was scared it might be.

I would be ready to pick up the book and read it all over again, even if I read just only over a week ago. That’s how much I enjoyed it. I’m really looking forward to everything coming from Simone Elkeles in the future, especially the third Perfect Chemistry novel which is coming out in 2011.

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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles


Title: Leaving Paradise
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: April 8, 2007
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo
What happens when the person who damaged you for life...

Caleb Becker spent the past year in juvenile detention.

Maggie Armstrong spent the past year in hospitals and physical therapy.


Two teens who were scarred one fateful night are going to have to face their greatest challenge yet—meeting up with each other again.


...becomes the person you trust most?

A few weeks ago I discovered Simone Elkeles by reading Perfect Chemistry and I immediately wanted to read more. I ordered Leaving Paradise and started reading it right away. I wasn’t disappointed and I felt the same way I did while I was reading Perfect Chemistry. Simone Elkeles just has a way of writing that really draws you into the story and you don’t really emerge until you’ve read the entire book.

A year ago, Caleb went to a juvenile detention facility for having been driving drunk and running into his neighbor Maggie. Today Caleb is released and Maggie is suffering through physical therapy and and has to walk with a limp, most likely for the rest of her life. Maggie and Caleb are told to stay away from each other but there is something that pulls them together, they are the only two people who have even the smallest insight into what the other is going through.

I just love the characters that Elkeles creates, they always feel so real and they jump off the page. Sometimes it feels like I could be having a conversation with them, that’s how real they feel. Maggie and Caleb were great. I really enjoyed reading from both their perspectives but I have to admit that I think I like Caleb’s perspective the best. I don’t really know why. I think as a character I also liked him more than I did Maggie. That’s not to say Maggie wasn’t awesome because she really was, I just liked Caleb better...maybe I’m starting to develop a thing for bad boys...

Like in Perfect Chemistry, the chapters had alternating points of view. I don’t know if the story would be the same if it were just from Caleb or Maggie’s point of view. I find that having that constant change in point of view really draws me into the story. Because of the way it’s written you never know how things are going to turn out until the very end, and even then you’re not sure if that’s really how things are going to stay.

The story itself was really great. There is just something about a love that’s not meant to happen than gets me every time. No matter how many times I read about people who aren’t supposed to be together falling in love, I just start rooting for them, every single time. But there is so much more to Leaving Paradise than Maggie and Caleb’s relationship. It’s about growing up, being self-confident and owning up to what you did or didn’t do. I don’t know how to describe the story without giving too much of it away but I’ll say this: the story is about making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, and taking responsibility.

As good as Leaving Paradise was, Perfect Chemistry is still my favorite. Though had I read them in reverse order, Leaving Paradise may be just be my favorite. The ending sort of left me hanging so I’m really looking forward to Return to Paradise, the sequel that’s coming out on September 1st.


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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles


Title: Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry #1)
Author: Simon Elkeles
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date: December 23, 2008
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo
At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when head cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, the results are bound to be explosive. But neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all--love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?



Every time I saw a review for a book by Simone Elkeles, it was always extremely positive, especially when it came to Perfect Chemistry. That was all the convincing I needed to pick up the book. I was certainly not disappointed. I started reading the book this morning and didn’t put it down until I was finished...at times despite my growling stomach. It was just too good a read for me to interrupt it.

There is no way Brittany Ellis and Alex Fuentes should end up together. She is the head of the cheerleading squad and comes from the north side of town. He is a gang member and comes from the south part of town. But when they become chemistry partners anything can happen. Neither Brittany or Alex knows how to deal with what seems to be happening between them and the effects it can have on both of their worlds.
I am officially in love with this book. I don’t know how to explain it but I am just in love. The characters, the story, all of it. But moving on. Elkeles is able to take a storyline that has been done time and time again and makes something truly wonderful out of it. There have been so many stories about two people from opposite sides of the tracks falling in love when everything is going against them. Perfect Chemistry is that and so much more.

I love Brittany and Alex. The alternating point of view chapters were a great way to get insight into both of these amazing characters. Brittany is not the typical cheerleading captain. Despite the image she puts on for everyone she is just about the furthest thing there is from the golden girl. Her family life is falling apart as is her relationship with her boyfriend. It’s all she can do to keep it all under control. Brittany grew so much through the book. At the beginning all she wanted to do was please everyone but by then end of the book she had grown so much and it only made me love her more.

And then there was Alex...who I think I may have fallen in love with over the course of the novel. He wasn’t a real gang banger, his heart was only ever in it in order to protect his family from the dangers of his neighborhood. Alex was such a great character to get to know. You could tell that he really cared about the people he allowed to get close to him. Despite what he said and did sometimes I just couldn’t help but root for him. I wanted for him and Brittany to work things out and make everything right.

Like I’ve already said, the general storyline is one that has been done so many times before. Who hasn’t read a story about two people from opposite sides of the track falling in love against all odds? But Elkeles manages to make the story so much more than that. I don’t know how she does it but while I was reading the book it felt like the furthest thing from an overdone plot line. I don’t know how to explain it without giving things away so you will just have to read the book to find out yourself.

I’ve said it already and I’ll said it again: I absolutely loved this book! It is most definitely one I am adding to my list of all times favorites. I look forward to going to the bookstore and picking up Simone Elkeles’s other books because from what I’ve heard they are all as good as Perfect Chemistry. 

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