Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
Cross-posted from WordPress.
Rules of Attraction is the sequel to Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry, which I really enjoyed reading a few months back. I've been wanting to read this book ever since I finished Perfect Chemistry but it was only last week that I saw the hardcover edition available in Fully Booked for P699.
Here's the summary from Simone Elkeles website:
When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path - just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.
First off, let's talk about that cover. I've liked that cover ever since I first saw it around the blogosphere. A girl and a guy kissing in the rain, while leaning out the windows of vintage cars. The best thing about it is that it actually happens in the book! In Rules of Attraction, the male protagonist is Carlos, Alex's brother. Alex is the male protagonist in Perfect Chemistry. A few years have passed since the first book and we see glimpses of both Alex and Brittany in this one. Essentially, the premise of this one is similar to the first book's - bad boy meets good girl and they fall in love. I find it funny that in Perfect Chemistry, there was a reference to Grease and in this one, there's a reference in West Side Story. I don't mind that the plot isn't anything new because even though we know how it will end, it's how we get there that matters.
Both Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction are books that I would've loved to read as a teenager. Carlos acts tough but it's really just an act because he's always afraid that his loved ones will leave him. Like his brother Alex, Carlos was a member of a gang but it seems like he only joined just because that's the life that he was used to. I'm glad that Kiara's parents are kind enough to take Carlos in and give him a chance to finish high school. I like how Kiara is different from Brittany. Kiara's not popular and in fact, has only one good friend: her best bud Tuck. She also enjoys sports and fixing up her old car. So it's pretty obvious that Carlos and Kiara are opposites and we all know that opposites attract. Simone Elkeles throws in plenty of humor in this one and I found myself chuckling in some scenes. Rules of Attraction is very easy to read, it's the kind of book that you finish in one sitting. I recommend it for fans of YA contemporary romance. Can't wait to read the final book in the trilogy and find out what happens to the last Fuentes brother. Also, I'm on the lookout for another Simone Elkeles book - Leaving Paradise.
Other reviews: (manually generated)
Angieville
See Michelle Read
Good Books and Good Wine
The Story Siren
Amaterasu Reads
Rules of Attraction is the sequel to Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry, which I really enjoyed reading a few months back. I've been wanting to read this book ever since I finished Perfect Chemistry but it was only last week that I saw the hardcover edition available in Fully Booked for P699.
Here's the summary from Simone Elkeles website:
When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path - just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.
First off, let's talk about that cover. I've liked that cover ever since I first saw it around the blogosphere. A girl and a guy kissing in the rain, while leaning out the windows of vintage cars. The best thing about it is that it actually happens in the book! In Rules of Attraction, the male protagonist is Carlos, Alex's brother. Alex is the male protagonist in Perfect Chemistry. A few years have passed since the first book and we see glimpses of both Alex and Brittany in this one. Essentially, the premise of this one is similar to the first book's - bad boy meets good girl and they fall in love. I find it funny that in Perfect Chemistry, there was a reference to Grease and in this one, there's a reference in West Side Story. I don't mind that the plot isn't anything new because even though we know how it will end, it's how we get there that matters.
Both Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction are books that I would've loved to read as a teenager. Carlos acts tough but it's really just an act because he's always afraid that his loved ones will leave him. Like his brother Alex, Carlos was a member of a gang but it seems like he only joined just because that's the life that he was used to. I'm glad that Kiara's parents are kind enough to take Carlos in and give him a chance to finish high school. I like how Kiara is different from Brittany. Kiara's not popular and in fact, has only one good friend: her best bud Tuck. She also enjoys sports and fixing up her old car. So it's pretty obvious that Carlos and Kiara are opposites and we all know that opposites attract. Simone Elkeles throws in plenty of humor in this one and I found myself chuckling in some scenes. Rules of Attraction is very easy to read, it's the kind of book that you finish in one sitting. I recommend it for fans of YA contemporary romance. Can't wait to read the final book in the trilogy and find out what happens to the last Fuentes brother. Also, I'm on the lookout for another Simone Elkeles book - Leaving Paradise.
Other reviews: (manually generated)
Angieville
See Michelle Read
Good Books and Good Wine
The Story Siren
Amaterasu Reads