Review Detail

Brittany Ellis is the epitome of
perfection: blond hair, blue eyes, cheerleader with the hot bod, designer
clothes, mansion, money, football quarterback boyfriend. Alejandro
"Alex" Fuentes is your stereotypical young Latino gangster. The two
seniors at Fairfield High don't have anything in common... except that they are
forced to be chemistry lab partners. Sparks fly--and not the good kind.

What they don't know about each other,
however, could turn the whole world upside down. Brittany lacks a healthy
family life, as her parents hide the fact that they have another, mentally handicapped
daughter. And Alex wants nothing to do the gang, but he has no choice: as the
oldest man in the family, he's in it for life in order to protect his family.

As the defenses go down and the two get
closer, it becomes impossible to deny the obvious attraction between them.
However, Brittany and Alex being together may be dangerous for both. How much
are they willing to sacrifice for a shot at true love? Their reputations? Their
families? Their lives?

I'm a fan of West Side Story but an
ardent NOT-fan of Romeo & Juliet; however, I liked the general idea
behind Perfect Chemistry. Every once in a while you just want to read a
straightfoward story about two lovers overcoming seemingly insurmountable
obstacles for a shot at happily ever after--this is one of those books.

Unfortunately, this was a classic story
idea that was poorly executed. The two main characters' conflicts were so
clearly defined from the very beginning that the characters weren't allowed to
grow very much as a result. The ending was so melodramatic, so fairy-tale
perfect, that my teeth nearly rotted out of my head. It left me unable to fully
sympathize with the characters' predicaments, nor believe in the seriousness of
Brittany and Alex's feelings for one another.

Despite the
cliches and Shakespeare drama throwback, I'm glad I picked this up. Perfect
Chemistry was a light and enjoyable read, great for a time when you want a
version of a timeless love story and a little hope in the saying "Love
conquers all."