Perfect Chemistry

Even given the sprinkling of Spanish in Alex's chapters, neither Brittany's nor Alex's points-of-view read as distinct from one another; the whole book could've been written in third person and it wouldn't have made a difference. And while I understood why the two were drawn to one another, the rest of their relationship—why they stayed together—was only vaguely sketched in amid all the gang-related and familial drama. Not that I didn't enjoy the drama, but by the time I reached the end of the book, I had no real sense for why they were so passionately in love...only that they were and I was supposed to take their word for it.

Perfect Chemistry has been sitting on my TBR pile for a while. After hearing a lot of good things about it, I’ve very much been looking forward to reading it, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. This is a tale of young lovers from completely opposite sides of the track that has the vibe of West Side Story or Romeo and Juliet, except with a happy ending. In this story, both of our protagonists are seniors at Fairfield High School, which has a mixture of kids from two disparate social classes, the wealthy, mostly white kids from the north side and the poor, mostly Hispanic kids from the south side. But despite their outward differences, they are more alike than they might seem as first glance with each of them putting on a facade show more each day to hide who they really are inside. Our heroine, Brittany, is a lily white rich girl, who tries to project an air of perfection to cover up for a less-than-perfect home life, while Alex tries to be the tough gangbanger while hiding his kind heart of gold. These two are paired up by their chemistry teacher to work on a term project together, and in the process, they start to learn that outward appearances can sometimes be deceiving as they gradually get to know each other and fall in love.

Brittany may have everything she wants from a material perspective, but her home life is less-than-stellar. Her father always seems to be working and out of touch with the family, while her mother is more concerned with outward appearances than with paying attention to her family’s real needs. Then there’s her sister, who’s disabled. Brittany loves her sister dearly and doesn’t mind helping take care of her, but at the same time, she feels like she needs to be perfect to make up for the older sibling who’ll never be “normal.” As such, she spends most of her time and energy trying to earn good grades, never getting in trouble at school, being the captain of the pom squad, and generally staying tightly in control of every aspect of her life. She even has the “perfect” boyfriend, but in spite of them being a couple for two years, she can’t help feeling like something is missing from their relationship. Her carefully orchestrated world slowly comes crashing down when she’s paired with Alex in chemistry class. He’s everything she despises, or so she thinks, until she gets to know him. Then she finds hidden depths in him that give her a whole new perspective and that make her slowly start to open up to this bad boy who’s so much more than he seems. Brittany may be wealthy but she’s not a snob, especially as she gets to know Alex and some of his friends from the south side. She’s the best sister a girl could ever wish for, and I love how sweet, kind, and patient she is with Shelley. It would be easy to peg her as a mean girl given her first moments with Alex, but her interactions with Shelley not long afterward prove that she’s anything but. I enjoyed watching Brittany’s metamorphosis from someone who always has to be in control to a girl who learns to be more open and free.

Alex’s dad was murdered in front of him when he was only six years old, and he was so traumatized by the event, he can’t recall who the perpetrator was. As the oldest of three brothers, he sees himself as the man of the house and responsible for protecting and caring for his mom and siblings. Knowing his dad was a gang member, he didn’t really want to go down that path, but when it seemed like it was the only way to keep his family safe, he agreed to be jumped in. Now he’s stuck, wishing his life could be different, but believing it’s the only path he can take. When he gets paired with Brittany, Alex despises her as much she does him, because he only sees her as a privileged, white girl who has everything he never will. Not caring anything about her at first, he makes a bet with his friends that he can get into her pants before Thanksgiving, but as he slowly gets to know her and sees the parts of herself that she hides from the world, he finds himself caring about her more than he wants to. As he gradually falls in love with her, it scares him, because his world is a rough and dangerous one for a naive girl like Brittany. Alex is one of those bad boys that most romance readers – myself included – can’t help falling for. He has sympathetic reasons for being in the gang, and he draws a moral line at what he will and won’t do for them. He has a good heart and he’s a smart kid, too, who has the potential to be whatever he wants to be, but feels shackled by the life that was handed to him. I have to give him major props, though, for turning over a new leaf even though it wasn’t an easy path to take.

Perfect Chemistry is generally categorized as young adult romance, although I suppose new adult would also be a valid designation as well since both Alex and Brittany are eighteen. However, since they’re both still in high school, YA seems like the more pertinent category, so I’ll address the potentially objectionable content of which there’s quite a bit. Since Alex is in a gang, there are depictions of gang violence, including a drive-by shooting, beatings (one of which was pretty brutal), and two characters getting shot, one fatally. Despite this, I’d say that the violence was only moderately descriptive. There’s a fair bit of language, including several uses of the f-word. Alex and Brittany drink wine and beer with their friends one night, with both of them getting drunk. That same night Alex also smokes a joint, and he regularly smokes cigarettes. Although Alex has tried to take a stand against personally making drug and arms deals, this type of activity takes place as part of gang life. All of the kids openly discuss sex, occasionally in a rather crude way. The sexual tension runs high all the way around, both between Alex and Brittany and with their friends. Before they get together, Brittany engages in a heavy petting session with her boyfriend that nearly leads to sex, and Alex goes skinny-dipping with an ex that leads to a heavy make-out session as well. Alex and Brittany engage in some pretty intense kissing, too, and they do eventually make love. It’s a sweet, tastefully sensual scene that’s rendered with mild, almost euphemistic language with few details. I have to give them credit, though, for having a mature discussion about their sexual histories and for using protection, which is more than I often see in adult romances. However, given the volume of mature content, I’d probably only recommend the book for older teens of about sixteen and up, who wouldn’t be bothered by anything I mentioned.

Perfect Chemistry is one of those rare romances that I found to be both sweet and edgy, which was a great combination for me. Normally I’m not a reader who seeks out enemies-to-lovers romances, because I often have a hard time believing that two people who can’t stand each other could fall in love. But this one really hit the spot, absolutely convincing me of Alex and Brittany’s rightness for one another. They may come from opposite sides of the tracks, but they have enough in common to make a relationship work. They also find ways to respect and love each other despite their differences. This book definitely engaged me throughout and kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering how these two could possibly overcome all the obstacles in their way. It wasn’t an easy path to get there, but it was worth it in the end. I absolutely loved these characters and their story and couldn’t wait to get back to it each time I had to put it down. Now I’m eagerly looking forward to reading the two follow-up novels in the series to find out what happens for Alex’s two younger brothers, as well as checking out Simone Elkeles’s other work. show less

4.5 stars: Audiobook

I wasn't really looking to listen to this book - I would definitely have been called a disinterested reader. But the novel grabbed my attention very early on and it never waned. It was an eye-opening world that was described to me.

I'll state upfront I am not from America (north or south). My half star deduction is because I'm not exactly sure about the liklihood of the scenario - the dichotomy of the two worlds, side by side, in Fairfield, where death is the only likely outcome to escaping the gang; and the rich kid, given everything money can buy (without even asking) by distant parents, but who has such a golden heart... It was just a bit extreme for my belief. ...And we are definitely required to believe this - show more there are no aspects of super-natural powers which can allow the reader to think 'well, it IS an made-up world'.

The audiobook experience was excellent with two narrators who do an outstanding job alternating the chapters. The male has a beautiful mexican accent, his words flowing in spanish, and both narrators handle the various male and female voices extremely well. show less

Look at the cover of this book. Think about the title. Consider the fact that one of the main characters is a gang member and is constantly surrounded by the violence of that world. It’s not exactly a tame, watered-down version of gang life or high school or adolescence. If any of those factors offend you or scare you, this isn’t the book for you. But if you’re looking for a YA romance, this absolutely fits the bill.
I was drawn to this book partly because I have a weird fascination with gangs and what it is that draws and keeps a person loyal to them. I’ve read autobiographies of gang members and I’ve watched documentaries about gangs throughout the world. Coming into the book with that knowledge, I really didn’t know (a) if show more I could really cheer for a girl to get involved with a gang member or (b) if the situation would be anywhere near plausible. Elkeles succeeded in achieving both of these things.
I felt that the character building and Will They/Won’t They tension dragged a little too long. While I get that Brittany was worried about her image and not being her parents’ perfect daughter, she seemed smart enough that she wouldn’t have stayed with her boyfriend as long as she did, especially when the only thing he really ever says to her is “Let’s have sex,” or “What’s up with you and Alex?” I expected the whole plot of Alex making a bet about Brittany to come across as contrived, à la She’s All That or 10 Things I Hate About You (which I realize wasn't actually a bet, but the same kind of scenario), but the way it played out actually worked for the story in a way that nothing else would have. Once they finally do end up together I feel like the story hits its stride.
On the whole I enjoyed this book, but I could’ve done without the epilogue. I think the last chapter, skipping to Brittany in college, wrapped the story well enough without adding onto it. The addition, in my mind, seemed a little over the top, whereas the last chapter had a more realistic feel to it. show less

Perfect Chemistry
By Simone Elkeles


One of the books I have red recently is a romance novel, centered on the love between two high school teenagers, Brittany – a high class girl and Alex a Hispanic gang boy coming from a low class family. Simone Elkeles’ Perfect Chemistry has kept me entangled in the action until its very end.

Structured on 58 (57 1 after five months) chapters and an epilogue, each of them represents the voice of either Brittany Ellis or Alejandro Fuentes, as the story is presented thru their eyes. The book opens with Brittany’s view as she confesses the struggles of being an Ellis. Having a mentally challenged sister of whom she mostly takes care and parents who expect her to be the perfect daughter, she is forced show more to build an impeccable image.

On the other side of the town, Alex Fuentes tries to help his mother after his father ‘s death raise his two little brothers. Being forced to enter the Latino Blood gang in order to protect them, he aspires on college and a better life someday.

What makes this book worth the reader’s time is the fact that the relationship between the two main characters is building slowly at the beginning, but the book’s final chapters are full of action. They both need to give up their image for their love, but the sacrifices are equal on both parts. Another positive aspect is that when the reader thinks a moment is over, the characters surprises him with one additional move. For example, Alex takes Brittany to a deserted airport, without telling her his intentions. When returning, she throws his motorcycle keys into the woods as payback.

Moreover, the language is appropriate to each character’s lifestyle. While Brittany uses a clean vocabulary, Alex and his gang friends keep their street talks. This is a great plus for the author, who manages not to mix up their personalities. This can be easily observed when the main characters visit each other’s homes. While Alex does not pay too much attention to the inside of Brittany’s great house, she insists on every detail in the Fuentes home.

However, there are some small issues one probably may find less appealing. One of these issues is the excessive repeating of the word “façade”, which is mentioned obsessively throughout the first half of the book, but it keeps the focus on how difficult it is for both characters to face their problems. Likewise, there are many Spanish words or phrases the reader may find hard to understand, but they also spice up the conversation and makes it real.

To conclude, Perfect Chemistry is a great book, with a well balanced story. The author never loses herself inside it, keeping in mind which one of the characters is the teller for each chapter. It makes a great lecture and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. show less

Perfect Chemistry is set in a Chicago area high school that brings together two very different groups of teenagers: the richy rich white kids with their houses on the beach and the Latino Blood gang members from a different neighborhood. The two groups rarely mix (and then not without scaring each other) but that's about to change when Alex and golden-girl Brittany are made lab partners thanks to their teachers forced seating chart.

It's the worst thing either of them can imagine at first (Alex just knows Brittany is all fluff and no substance and Brittany is sure Alex is going to stab her or shoot her at any moment), but things soon change.

Alex is more than just a gang member, more than just the oldest brother trying to do right for his show more siblings and more than just a really smart guy who can't quite stay out of trouble....And Brittany is more than the popular girl who has an older sister with cerebral palsy and expectations on her from everywhere. Because of all of that (and a certain bet)--and their insane chemistry, Alex and Brittany make this more than the typical bad boy meets good girl story.

Perfect Chemistry was told in alternating points-of-view, one chapter was told by Alex and then one by Brittany and so on so you got each of their sides of everything. And Alex's dialogue and chapters included Spanish which only made things feel more real.

Both characters having so much depth to them, from Alex's gang activity (and it not being downplayed, passed over or made to be really nice and light) or the storyline involving Brittany's sister really made Brittany and Alex more like people you cared about than book characters you were reading about.

I can't say enough about how much I loved this book.

Out of all of the books I've read in probably the last few years, this is probably the only one where I've really missed the characters once the book was over. There have been other books where I was truly sorry the book was over and books I've loved, but this is the only one where I can remember missing the characters like I did.

So, read this book-for serious.

so a 10/10 but a super huge bold faced 10 show less

I saw trailer for this book a while back, thought it was a funny and unique way to promote a book. I've finally read it and now wondering why it took so long. I was pleasantly surprised at how real the characters came across. On the inside Brittany wasn't the person she portrays to others. And the same goes for Alex, he creates a persona of fear to everyone but isn't as scary as he makes everyone thinks he is. The dialogue was believable, the gang vernacular was or at least seemed on point. You can see how the dynamics between the cultures was so different but similar at the same time. Alex and Brittany's worlds were so far apart but yet they have the same fears and hopes. They put this image out there for others to see but when they show more were forced to be lab partners the hold on their public persona starts to fall apart. I really enjoyed their story, the gang stuff was so real and well written. I did have to do some translations but I didn't mind. I wanted to be in on what's really being said and feel the speakers feelings. I was so drawn in to the story I really felt like Elkeles knew her stuff and was well prepared to write about gang life. Was a real pleasure to read, I read it straight through. show less