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reviews

Review: Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

This was, yet again, another enjoyable read from Elkeles. I knew I was going to like it even before I bought the book, as I loved Perfect Chemistry. Elkeles has a way of animating her characters so they feel like real people. The first few chapters didn’t grab me right away, I must admit. It felt like a carbon-copy of Perfect Chemistry from the story right down to the characters. But then I continued reading, and thankfully, the characters started to have more of a presence and I noticed there was a differentiation between these characters and the ones from Perfect Chemistry.

I thought Alex Fuented was hot, but I think I’m Team Carlos right now. There’s something about these brothers that is addictive. Okay, so the story is predictable, but I knew it was going to be before I started reading it, so no quarels there. I was looking for something fun to read and not necessarily an original concept. So the middle of the book was great. I was glued to my seat and didn’t want to stop reading. The latter half of the book was a little boring and lost my interest slightly. It was also very corny. It just lost its spark towards the end.

Overall, there was enough adrenalin and hot romance to satisfy my appetite, so I very much enjoyed the book. Happy Days!

Goodreads Review of Talisman Of El

Talisman Of El has been getting such great reviews that I thought I’d pick one out for my fellow Goodreads members to read to get a little more insight into what’s inside the book. Don’t worry, the review doesn’t give the story away. Enjoy!

THERE WILL BE NO STONE LEFT UN-TURNED!

When first reading this title, I was sceptical, as I am not an avid reader of young adult books. The title, Talisman Of El, created several initial ideas in my mind. I imagined a very stuffy, old-fashioned story with a complicated plot. Instead, I got Action! Personality! Humour! Mythology … answers with no question, beautiful imagery and finally a competent writer with something new and exciting to bring to the table. With the additional enjoyment of not being able to compare the actual story to anything I’ve ever heard or read, the concept of this story blew my mind.

The story is portrayed through the eyes of Charlie Blake, who, with a trio of friends, embark on an intense and vividly beautiful adventure to Arcadia, changing their lives and in turn changing the lives of all. I found my imagination working in overdrive as I went from one dimension to the next. After the vivid descriptions of the first few chapters, I made it a point to read this book at night before going to bed, and all I can say is my imagination has well and truly been unlocked. Imperative? Yes… With brilliant and realistic characters, the world of Arcadia remained quite comfortably in my subconscious, luring me back into its pages even when making a conscious effort to put the book down. This book is nothing less than powerful.

The prologue to this book was excellent. I say this because it usually takes several chapters for me to be enticed by either the characters or plot. With the addition of Stone’s refreshing writing style (which I must add is overly suitable for its intended audience) as well as relatable characters and believable plot, this book is a definite Must Have – Must Read.

I found no omissions within this book to put any doubt in my mind behind the logics of the story itself. You cannot help but ask yourself ‘What if?’ For me that in itself was incredible. Never have I read a book that has left me thinking long after finishing the book. This being said, Talisman of El is the first of a trilogy, leaving space for two more books which I have no doubt in my mind Stone will cram full of Original wonder.

Finally, I rest my attention to the book cover. What do I see? An eye formed out of a snake consuming itself, a blazing world surrounded by orbs of light … Failure is not an option? The cover in itself creates a story, hinting at what is and perhaps what is to come. I find myself re-reading this book repeatedly through new metaphorical eyes. Nothing less than perfect, it is an original in its own right.

Talisman Of El earns a FlamingNet Top Choice Award

I’m proud to announce that Talisman Of El has earned a FlamingNet Top Choice Award at FlamingNet Book Reviews. What’s great about FlamingNet reviews is that the books are actually read by teens and young adult readers. To read the review, click on the button.

Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

 


Okay, so I’ve had my eye on this book for some time now and finally decided to whip it out and give it a read. Boy, was I happy I chose to buy this book. The books I’ve been reading lately haven’t been engaging enough and just hasn’t grasped my attention to make me want to read on, so when I started on Perfect Chemistry and found that it had me at the first sentence, I was more than happy to keep reading. When I bought this book I wasn’t expecting originality, so I wasn’t surprised by all the cliches, but what I was hoping for was a great read, and I got just that.

We’re introduced to Alex and Brittany, who are two teenagers from different worlds but have so much in common and such a great attraction towards each other that you can’t help but root for them to get together. They attend the same school which is divided into cliques. Needless to say, Alex Fuentes and Brittany Ellis are complete opposites. He has tattoos and belongs to a gang, while she’s captain of the cheer squad and dating the high school jock. But there is more to them than meets the eye, and I enjoyed the journey while they both explored their similarities and try to stick together in an environment that seems set against them.

I loved the book. It was addictive. The cliched storyline didn’t bother me in the slightest. The corny moments did get to me at times but not enough to make me put the book down. I give it a solid 4 out of 5, which is high for me. I’m not easily impressed, but this book did leave me wanting more. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series. Elkeles really does know how to grab the readers attention and keep them glued. So glad I picked the book up.

Amazon Bestseller!

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About Me

Alecia
Alecia Stone
Essex, England, United Kingdom

Hi, I'm Alecia Stone. I write young adult fiction, poetry and screenplays. My debut novel, Talisman Of El, was published by Centrinian Publishing Ltd. Talisman Of El is the first book in a trilogy which features fantasy, mythology and adventure.

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Alecia’s Book Montage

The Lexical Funk
Twilight
Breaking Dawn
The Graveyard Book
The Lightning Thief
The Last Olympian
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Sea of Monsters
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
New Moon
Eclipse
The Green Mile
The Catcher in the Rye
To Kill a Mockingbird
Noughts & Crosses
Knife Edge
Checkmate


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