Perfect+Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry Simone Elkeles Copyright Date: 2009 Pages: 360 AR Book Level: 4.2 AR Points: 13.0

=// __**Character Analysis**__ //= My story is about a guy named Alex Fuentes, and a girl named Brittney Ellis. Alex is known as the "bad boy" in school. He is in the worst group in town, the Latino Blood. His dad was in the Latino Blood before he got shot when Alex was only six. Alex keeps having flash backs about when and how his dad got killed. Brittney is known to be perfect and to never screw up. It is a complete lie, but she tries her hardest to keep up with her appearance.. "Everyone knows I'm perfect. My life is perfect. My clothes are perfect. Even my family is perfect," (pg. 1) She is captain of the cheer team. Her sister's name is Shelly. She has a disability which makes her be in a wheel chair. She is a master at chess and she beats Alex in the first game.

= __//**Setting**//__ = The setting mainly takes place at Fairfield High School. Paco, Alex's best friend goes there and so does Sierra, Brittney's best friend. "As I drive on Vine Street toward Fairfield High in my new silver convertible," (pg. 11). Alex usually gets in a lot of trouble at that school. Alex is the opposite of Brittney, basically. Alex ends up getting in trouble on the first day, which causes lots of problems. "I knew I'd be called into the new principal's office at some point during the year, but I didn't expect it to be on the first day of school," (pg. 18).

__//**Problem Analysis**//__ The problem in this story is that Colin, Brittney's boyfriend, and Brittney are on the verge of breaking up because Alex and Brittney got paired up as chemistry partners. When Brittney breaks up with Colin, Colin admits to cheating on her. Brittney thinks Alex is ruining her reputation, but she likes him to much to do anything. "I cheated on you with Mia," he blurts out. This summer. You know, that girl in the picture."

= __//**Recommendation**//__ = I would recommend this book for 13 year olds and up. It is rated young adult and the genre is realistic fiction. They're two other books in these series, Rules of Attraction and Chain Reaction. Simone has written 8 books so far, and plans in writing more.