March 30, 2012

Review: Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3)
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: August 16, 2011
Pages: 308
Source: Hardcover/Library

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 southsider 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?

Review: *Includes some spoilers, though I tried to keep them to a minimum* OMG!!!! For me this was the best of the three books!!! I couldn't stop reading this!!! Like seriously, I was even ignoring my boyfriends texts until the end of a chapter just cuz it was so hard to put this book down.I was experiencing so many emotions while reading this book! I mean I was grinning like no freakin' tomorrow at some points, laughing so hard at others, and then I was crying or in complete shock. I seriously could not get enough of this book! I loved finally getting to here Luis' story. I mean we always got tid bits of him in Alex & Carlos' stories but we never got to learn a whole lot about Luis. I really enjoyed seeing how he was different and the same as his brothers. I also cant deny that I did enjoy seeing Alex, Brittany, Carlos & Kiara in the book as well! It was awesome seeing what was happening in their lives in the background of Luis' story. Luis... I don't know whether to classify him as a good guy or a bad guy. Lol. I mean yeah, he was just like his brothers in the way of looking for the next thrill, chasing after the girl and dealing with the gang but on the flip side, he had a conscious right from the start. He tried hard to get good grades, he didn't try as hard as his brothers to hide from his feelings, and he didn't want to be a part of the gang for the most part (until all the sudden events in the second half of the book) unless he had to be. And Nikki... I felt really bad about what she went through at the beginning with losing a baby. I mean yeah, she was only 15, but still, that kind of trauma doesn't go away, and it really affects your future.

Nikki and Luis!!! AHHH! I seriously loved them together!!!! I mean, I couldn't help but smile every time something good happened between those too. I was even smiling when they were fighting after they broke up and all of the truth came out because after that they really didn't have any secrets between them anymore and it would just make their relationship that much stronger when they got back together. I totally related to Nikki in a way. With all that had happened in her past I could completely understand her trust issues and why she was always so scared of relationships, especially since Luis did seem like a player when they first met. But even though he acted like it, I could tell right from the beginning he really wasn't. It bugged me a little that Nikki waited so long to finally trust Luis. I mean there was so many times way before she finally decided to completely trust him that he put himself completely out there for her and she blocked him out and shut him down. And omg! Luis! She kept doing that when his life was going downhill, which made things ten times worse for him! Especially with what he learned, that the guy he always thought was his father really wasn't. That must have sucked so much for him!!! He felt betrayed by his brothers and his mom and then on top of that Nikki cuz of how she was acting. He was so alone when he found that out. I felt so bad for him!! I was so glad that things worked out in the end for him and Nikki (even though what Nikki had to do to save Luis and his brothers at the end sucked big time). And omg! The epilogue! I was shocked at finding out the Fuentes brothers had a new step-dad. A certain someone I wasn't expecting (even though I should have seen it coming from the story). Overall the book was great, if you haven't read this entire series, I suggest you do so!

5 Stars!