By Hilary Duff
Published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
To Be Released On October 12th, 2010
Source- Simon and Schuster
3.5 stars- It was a Good Read, I Recommend It
Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, she has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But after Clea's father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, Clea's photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man—a man she has never seen before.
When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father's disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures. (quoted from Simon & Schuster's site)
My spoiler free review leaves me wishing I could reveal more about Hilary debut novel Elixir. Hilary introduces a great character into the YA genre with Clea. While I couldn't relate to being able to jet off around the world, I could relate to Clea's inner strength, her independence and the drive she has to find answers. Clea finds herself in the middle of a mystery full of twists and dark secrets, as she looks for clues into her father's disappearance. She starts to notice a shadowy figure of a man in her pictures. She learns her father noticed the same thing before he disappeared. It's the same man who haunts her dreams. In each of Clea's nightmares, she sees herself with this man, only they're in a different time periods, and her name is different in each one. Every dream ends the same, in tragedy.
I liked the mystery that surrounds Sage, the mysterious, shadowy figure who's in Clea's pictures and who haunts her dreams. I absolutely loved that when Clea and Ben (Clea's best friends and her dad's confidant), set off on a quest to find answers into her father's disappearance, fate brings Sage and Clea together. As much as I wanted the two of them to acknowledge they both knew each other and had an immediate chemistry, I really liked that Clea at first refuses to acknowledge the undeniable pull towards him.
Hilary Duff has given paranormal a whole new spin. Elixir has a fresh voice, great plot twists and an ending that left me wanting the next book in the series. Though I couldn't get into the beginning of the book like I wanted to, when the plot twists and the love triangle intensify with Clea, Sage and Ben, I was hooked and couldn't stop reading it. A powerful centuries old secret reveals some character twists, uncovers a great mythology and makes for a fascinating plot.
I am looking forward to more of Hilary's writing. You can find out more about Elixir here http://tinyurl.com/2eurycq
WOW, nice review. At first, I was kind of hesitant to read her works, but now I look forward to reading Hillary's work. Thanks for posting !!
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly surprised. Been wondering about this book and I'm glad to know it is one that you would recommend.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to add this to my list. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I've been curious about this one, I'm glad you liked it! =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing this. I've heard about the book but I've now added it to my wishlist. Sounds great :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words!
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of people have wondered about Hilary's book. I liked it. The beginning was a little slow, but as I got towards the middle, I really enjoyed it. It's a quick, enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
I'm looking forward to hearing what you all think of it.
This actually sounds very good I'm excited for it now and happy for Hilary that its so good.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't even aware she had taken up writing! I'm glad that it wasn't a total bomb as a book! Thanks for posting the review, I'm excited about reading the book now :)
ReplyDeleteooh Great review! I was hesitant to if I would give her a chance but I think now it's only fair!
ReplyDeleteWow, a good review of this book. Hmm...I'm still not won over. But since this is the first review I've read of it, I'll take your words at face-value and add it to my TBR.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your comments.
ReplyDeleteIf you're hesitant about it, I would definitely recommend checking it out from the library before buying it. If it starts off slow for you, give it till the middle of the book. :)
Great review!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Hilary Duff, so when I found out she was coming out with a book, I was super excited. This also sounds really good!
Oh a positive review! I still don't think I would buy this, but will definitely search for it in libraries, if I ever go to one...
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