The LitChicks - Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Liesl actually wrote this several weeks ago, but because things have been so hectic, she was cool about letting me put it on the blog now (thanks Liesl!).

Her pick this week?

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

This book has been passed around to almost all the girls in my English class, and there is a VERY good reason. People were raving about it and I was like pass that over here..so I got it started it and had to force myself to do homework and sleep. This novel was one of those “girls too good for guy but guy is given a bet he can't get the girl but guys can't resist challenge so he takes the bet and the rich girl and poor guy fall in love” books. That's the gist...but in detail...Alejandro (Alex) Fuentes and Brittany Ellis are assigned as lab partners for senior chemistry.

Brittney grew up in a challenged home. Her sister has a problem and doesn't talk or feed herself and it puts a lot of stress on her mother. Her dad works long hours and is gone a lot, so because her home life is FAR from perfect she wears nice clothes, drives a BMW, is captain of the cheer squad, and is the girl friend of the quarterback, she has what appears to be a perfect life.

Alex is in a gang called Latino Bloods, and lost his father when he was 6 years old. Alex and Brittany both secretly like each other but act as though they hate each other and they each think that the other one does hate them. After getting fed up with her football playing BF who is only interested in having sex, Brittany dumps him and her friendship with Alex blossoms and becomes romance. They are completely opposite but soon realize that they have a lot in common specifically complicated family life. Brittany knows that Alex is in a gang and really wants him to ditch the gang but if he does he risks his life. Since he isn't willing to do that for her, they break up but they both miss the other one and have difficulty getting over the break up. Alex realizes that the gang life isn't for him and he goes through the exit process. He then goes and finds Brittany. they end up meeting each other again and i won't give away the fabulous ending.
Definitely worth your time:) - enjoy!

On this date: In 1843 A Christmas Carol is published.

The LitChicks: The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June

I'm back. Mostly. Been a crazy couple of weeks, but things are looking up with my friends, we've finished our move and I'm ready to get back to work.

First up, a LitChicks review from Portia that is sorely overdue:

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway

This is another Ms. Turner book. I think a lot of my review books are. I get so many of my reading books from Ms. Turner because of the advantages previously listed in my last review. She's so up to date with all the latest and greatest releases. :) This book came out last August I believe (that's what it says on the cover of the ARC I was reading, anyway.) I was intrigued by the concept of sisters (you know, 3 sisters that fight but love each other and are totally different - that's practically my life right there) because I have sisters and I like reading about them. I also liked the idea of having "super powers" in a normal world. So, if you were all wondering, write nice books about sisters. They are ah-may-zing. In my opinion. They also usually make me cry....maybe that's a personal problem.

Anyway, this book follows three sisters, April, May and June (wonderful names, huh? Named after the month they were born in. How's that for creative?) as they first discover their powers. (That's "powers.") Apparently, they all had them when they were little, but they faded away only to be re-awoken by their parents' divorce. When the three sisters move with their mom, one day in the car, April has a vision of the future......while May literally disappears............and June is screaming about something she heard.......that someone else was thinking. That's when they all realize...........(dunh dunh dunh dunhhhhh) that they are actually NOT normal. Hm. Well, that's okay, but their powers are starting to affect their daily lives. June desperately wants to be popular and to be friends with the mysterious Mariah.......and achieves that by reading her mind and responding to what Mariah thinks about life and herself. May is the sarcastic, angry middle child who falls in danger of literally disappearing in the middle of her European history tutoring session. April is plagued by a memory of her sister in an accident, and drawn to the intriguing Julian while receiving detailed visions of their future relationship which she has no intention of developing.

Will these darling sisters get their act together in time to save themselves, their mom, and the people they are beginning to hold most dear (cough cough Henry and Julian)??? :) We can only hope. A great story about sisters and the bond they share, the troubles they have, and their desirous for independence each in their own way while trying to stay true to themselves and each other. And not, you know, use their powers for evil.
Everybody knows, "with great power comes great responsibility".
Okay, that wasn't really in the book.

On this date: In 1979, the last AMC Pacer rolled off the assembly line (we had a black one with the license plate RFATCAT - I miss that car).