Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

At Fairfield High, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners, the results are bound to be explosive.

Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all – love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?

This book was beautiful. When I first read the description I was like oh, Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, She's All That...but this book held it's own and was very original.

Brittany and Alex are two people destined to never be friends, let alone fall in love, but they quickly learn that they're not so different. Both the characters had a lot of depth and each had their own crazy families to deal with. Nothing Elkeles wrote about seemed untrue or over done. I felt that Alex's gangbanger status could have been easily over or under exaggerated but he was the perfect amount of bad boy who was such a complex and wonderful person as well. Similarly, Brittany could have been easily portrayed as an airhead but she was a funny and strong woman. I had such a good time learning about these characters and watching them grow together.

This book was real. The dialogue was quick and believable, the plot was fast paced without giving too much detail or leaving out too much. To say the least, this story was a roller coaster ride of emotion. I recommend this book to anyone who has a soft spot for genuine love stories. This book will melt your heart and leave you upset when your journey with these wonderful characters end.

Rating: 5.0

Happy Reading!