Perfect Chemistry

By: Simone Elkeles

Narrated by: Roxanne Hernandez, Blas Kisic

Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's Summary

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.

©2008 Simone Elkeles (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Perfect Chemisty has perfect chemistry.

I wasn't sure if I would like this book. It was recommended to me, so I thought I would take a chance and buy it. Now, I am glad that I did.

Two diffrent narrators were used to tell the story. And I think that that made the book even better.

There are some very adult themes in this book, even though it is suppose to be a Young Adult book. Maybe, more like an "Older Young Adult" book. LOL
Enjoy.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Steamy Teenage Romance

You can’t see it but I’m fanning myself right now. Perfect Chemistry is super steamy and oh so much fun to read. The chapters alternate narration between Brittany Ellis and Alex Fuentes, giving you each characters perspective. As mentioned in the description, Brittany and Alex are total opposites. At school, Brittany is the popular good girl and Alex is the Latino blood gang member and school bad boy. The two characters are paired together as lab partners in Chemistry class and their differences create friction from the beginning.

Brittany puts up a facade to her peers that she has the perfect life, but in her opinion it is far from perfect. At home, Brittany’s parents pressure her to keep up appearances by always looking great and keeping up good grades. While her parents are busy nitpicking her, they ignore her special needs sister, whom Brittany cares for deeply.

Alex is the oldest of three brothers and ever since his father died, from gang violence, he has been the man of the house. Since gang activity is prevalent in his neighborhood, he becomes a member to protect his family. He hopes to keep his two brothers out of the ‘Blood’ by doing everything the gang wants, even though he would love more than anything to be free.

As they are forced to get to know each other, the lives they try to keep so secret are exposed. They fall hard for each other, but with everything standing in between them can their relationship last?

I love so many things about this story: the characters, the romance, the social challenges.

Elkeles wrote a sizzling romance that pulls you in and keeps you turning the page. The characters face real life social conflicts that, in the end, turn them into remarkable people. Alex’s gang experience is very true to life and you feel the difficulty of his situation. Brittany pushes past what her parents want her to be and reaches out to help Alex, in return, she finds out who she really wants to be.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves teenage romance novels.

For more Perfect Chemistry fun, check out Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2).

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Dating should be fun

I loved this story. You have the bad boy Alex who belongs to a gang and the beautiful stressed-out blond Brittany, both trying to fight their growing feelings for each other, and not having much luck. There were some real sweet and touching scenes, but not too corny. I thought the narrators did a wonderful job, and Blas Kisic had a very sexy accent, but I did find that he sounded older than 18, well at least that way I didn???t feel like I was robbing the cradle.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I'm dead

THIS IS SO GOOD OH MY LAWD granted I'm a hopeless romantic but still wow well done

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Romance lover

I loved this book and wanted to see what Audible was all about. This book went back and forth between 2 protagonist in the story and the narrators did a great job, but if they would have interacted with each other in the chapters it would have been really great. Each narrator changed their voice to match the other protagonist which I did not like.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

It was a pleasure to listen it !

Would you listen to Perfect Chemistry again? Why?

Definitely YES ! Simone Elkeles was one of my favorite author when I was a teenager and I still follow her work !

Which character – as performed by Blas Kisic and Roxanne Hernandez – was your favorite?

I can't really choose one they were both pretty good.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The end...

Narration was lacking.

The story is a typical Romeo and Juliet story with a modern twist. I have loved this story for years but was a little disappointed by the female narrator. It felt too much like she was reading from a script (with fake reactions) instead of putting her self into the story. The male did a great job acting. Still a great book though.

Younger Narrators Needed

The story line, while very cliche, is a fun modern remix of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet. The narrators sound way too old to be 18, however. I found it distracting, especially during Brittany's chapters. On the plus side, the accents are done reasonably well and all things said, I listened to the book in just four days while doing things like cooking dinner and folding laundry.

love it

I have read this book more than 15 times during high school. I loved it even more when I got it read to me. Relaxing and listening to perfect chemistry is the best part of my day . I would recommend this book to any teen that is into books with romance and a bit of gang activity. best combo ever. Can't wait to listen to the next two books (Rules of attraction & chain reaction). loving the Fuentes brothers.

Read it!

really liked this book-what a great look into what gang life is like for those in it & those not in it.