Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles 2011 (Perfect Chemistry trilogy #3)
Walker & Company/Bloomsbury Publishing

Rating: 2/5

IQ "If I touch him, I could lose my nerve and let him explain away" Nikki, pg. 225

This is the final book in the Perfect Chemistryy trilogy and my review is spoiler-free (not just for this book but also for the previous 2 books in the series). Luis is the youngest of the 3 Fuentes brothers and unlike Alex and Carlos he has lived a relatively gang-free life. Until he moves back to Fairfield, Illinois the suburb rife with Latino Blood gang members who want him to join and be a leader like his brother Alex used to be. Nikki Cruz is the girl who has captivated Luis, mostly because she won't talk to him or allow him to get close to her. She's suspicious of his Latino Blood associations, she refuses to date LB gang members. Luis doesn't know if he wants to join the LB or no and Nikki doesn't know what will happen if she allows Luis to get close to her

 I picked the quote I did not because its majorly inspiring but because I think it captures a key moment in relationships, when you know that the person you're with messed up but that you will forgive them as soon as they 'say the right things' and touch you or hold you a certain way. When really that person needs to forget about 'the right words' and be honest.

 Anyway, I love this series and this is the book I was most looking forward to it but it doesn't compare to the first book. Or the second. Its my least favorite in the trilogy and there are a lot of elements about it that I really didn't like. I hated the ending. Not the epilogue, the LB violent ending (and no I didn't not like it because of the violence but because of who ended the violence). I also hated the family revelation. I thought it was a cheap way of shocking the reader and took away some of the appeal of the series. Granted the brothers handled it sweetly but still, it was a completely unnecessary family surprise. Also there wasn't much time spent with the beginning stages of Nikki & Luis' relationship. I totally understand lust-at-first-sight but it didn't stay that way and I wish the author had shown us how they grew to be so close.

 I did appreciate the fact that this book is so much different from its predecessors, in ways both good and bad. On the positive end, it was nice to see the girl portrayed realistically as always but also fairly un-Saintlike. The book did maintain its steamy, well-written romance scenes for teens, which are its strong suit. Along with the well-written characters ranging from Nikki & Luis to even minor characters such as Marco, Officer Cesar Reyes and the strong plot and setting of the story. Both Nikki & Luis are extremely headstrong and sometimes this stubbornness causes them to make foolish, prideful decisions. And then they have to deal with the fallout. It does all clean up tidily in the end, but its process and watching the characters try to pick themselves back up and make up for their poor decisions is rewarding and realistic and always refreshing to see.

Chain Reaction had almost all the right elements of being a good story but ultimately for me, two big plot twists ruined the rest of the book. While Chain Reaction bordered on the ridiculous at certain points, I was glad to read about the  youngest Fuentes brother and the people in his life, including the fiery-but-not-in-a-stereotypical-way Nikki. I loved that Nikki felt out of place amongst Mexicans even though she's Mexican American, she expressed feelings I definitely emphasized with and recognized. I would still highly recommend this series, the books are fun, hot, a great representation of teenage life (especially in Chicagoland suburbs) and there's never a dull moment.

Disclosure: Received from Lyn. Thank you so much!

Throwback Thursday: Pirates!

Pirates! by Celia Rees 2003
Bloomsbury


Rating: 4/5


IQ "She laughed a little, and I smiled at the picture her words painted. I felt my spirits lifting. She had brought hope to me, as a wind springs from nowhere to take a ship out of a flat calm, to fill her sails and send her singing through the water, speeding on her one true course." Nancy pg. 375


Squee! You guys LOOK at that cover. Minerva's face is on the front! I would have bought this book on the spot based on the title and cover. A Black Female pirate?! Sadly I own the U.S. paperback version in which Nancy's face is on the front and Minerva's is on the back (I wonder if Nancy's face is on the back of the UK paperback?). *sigh* I wish I owned that copy instead. Besides Minerva and her one ruby earring being on the cover, I really like the font used and the purple. Plus I love that Minerva is so realistic looking. She's not airbrushed (I don't think), her hair is all over the place probably due to the wind from a pirate ship. Yeah I don't many black girls have hair that looks good windblown and it's nice to see that fact displayed on a cover ;) I also think it's cool that the cover could be a portrait. I don't know, I will investigate. However, I do like my copy too. Minerva looks very determined on the back cover and the one ruby earring that she and Nancy wear stands out more. I'm indifferent about Nancy's side of the cover.


*Ahem* Enough cover talk, back to the book. Nancy Kingston did not plan to initially become a pirate. But when she realizes that the men in her life have planned out her entire future, she realizes she must leave. The man she is supposed to marry is cruel and much older than her sixteen year old self. Nancy is living in Jamaica on her family's plantation, Fountainhead and she is attended by a slave, Minerva Sharpe. Nancy and Minerva decide to leave the plantation together and they end up being taken on by the pirate ship, Deliverance. However, the man Nancy is engaged to (Bartholome) has "pledged to follow them over the seven seas". More importantly, the man Nancy loves, despises pirates. He is a sailor in the Royal Navy and Nancy isn't sure that he will take her back or if she will ever see him again.

This book is about pirates, what's not to love? That practically guarantees that there will be lots of fights, cursing, romance, and travel. Something I really liked about this novel was when Minerva and Nancy run away, Nancy doesn't have to "adjust" to a slave not waiting on her hand and foot. It may not have been wholly realistic, but it was relief to read historical fiction about a white girl who is not used to be waited on hand and foot. The story is dramatic but in a good way. The battles are described in vivid detail as is daily (ordinary) life on a pirate ship. The attention to detail that the author has is wonderful and makes for a more engaging read.

I wish that the novel had been told from Minerva's perspective. I think it would have been even more interesting. Minerva was bold, courageous, and resolute. Nancy's side of the events made for a delightful read, but it could have really been great from Minerva's point of view. Nancy was too passive for me, she never seemed to really take charge of her destiny, instead she let it be shaped by the events occurring around her. I was also bothered by the book being told from Nancy perspective as she looks back on her past. The constant "if we had only known"... spoiled aspects of the story because you knew something big and bad was about to go down.

Pirates! is a gripping read. There is always something going on, always an air of inevitable danger. The pirates have dynamic personalities, good or bad. The men don't want women on board at first, but most of them come around. There are various incidents along the way, but they all lead up to the big showdown between the pirates and Bartholome. The historical accuracy (well I assume it's accurate since such great care was taken to report everything) makes the book an even better read. Not only are historical details about pirate life included but so are details about life in Jamaica in the 18th century as well as life in England during that time. It covers the role of women, sailors, and Black people. The only thing that detracts from the book is the wistful voice that looks back on the past (along with my personal preference of Minerva over Nancy). Nancy reflects on how Captain Broom seems to know when his men (and women) need their spirits lifted. This book has a lot of blood and unfortunate events, but it has moments of levity (some of them surprising) that keep this from solely becoming an action-based book. One of my personal favorites (it was a reread).

Disclosure: Bought with my own cash money!

Throwback Thursday is hosted by Take Me Away

What Momma Left Me

What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson ARC
Bloomsbury Children's Books/Bloomsbury USA

Rating: 4/5

IQ "The next time you look at a cake with all that pretty frosting I want you to think about what it took to get it to look that good. [...] It's the same with life. You never know what not-so-sweet things have happened in someone's life-even the life you think is perfect." Grandma pg. 197

Serenity's mother is dead, her father has disappeared and she is now living with her grandparents and going to a new school. However tragic and trying circumstances result in Serenity beginning to question her faith and the faith of her grandparents. Serenity's younger brother, Danny, isn't talking to her as much as he used to and she's worried about the choices he's making.

Right away you know this novel is going to put a unique and heartbreaking twist on the motherless child story. Serenity's father killed her mother. Serenity and Danny know that he did it but they think maybe he doesn't realize that he actually KILLED their mother and that's why he hasn't come back. They keep hoping their father will come back for them. I was taken by surprise by what happened concerning their father. *SPOILER* (highlight to read) I thought he was in jail and that's why he couldn't contact them. Then I thought he would end up in jail. I wasn't expecting the suicide.* End of spoiler. There are signs that Danny is turning into his father, always angry and heading down the wrong path. There are also signs that Serenity is turning into her mother, passive and a keeper of secrets. The book focuses mostly on Serenity but since she is so close to her brother we get to see his growth (the good and the bad) clearly. Something I really loved was the relationship between Serenity and Jay. Jay is the 8th grade version of a "bad boy", but he's complex and their relationship (if you can call that) is refreshingly realistic. they don't go too fast for 8th graders and Serenity is not always comfortable going out with a "bad boy."

The cover is a bit misleading. It's absolutely adorable. Almost too adorable due to subject matter and that the book is for middle grade readers. The cover makes it look like something for elementary school students. However I love having Serenity on the cover holding a cake :) I wasn't expecting the book to have such a Christian bent but it wasn't that big deal, especially since Serenity is questioning her faith which is something everyone does. Each chapter is headlined by a word or two from the Our Father. I don't think this added anything to the story, it would have been nice if it connected to the content in the chapter.

What Momma Left Me has a sweet cover that hides some not so sweet content that comes with life. At times Serenity acts young for an 8th grader, but for the most part she is believable and someone we can all relate to, regardless of age. Her family is well developed, she lives with her grandparents and they have a notable presence in her life. We also learn a lot about her parents, Danny and her friends. Every character has a back story. The story has a good message about certain secrets, we think that we are helping people by keeping the secrets, but really we are hurting them by keeping quiet (obviously this doesn't apply to all secrets). Serenity loves poetry and each chapter starts off with one of her poems or the meaning of literary devices used in poetry. A not so subtle way of teaching kids about poetry but it's enjoyable and I learned a lot from it. I'm looking forward to reading more by Renee Watson, she wrote a nice and original story.

Disclosure: Won from Charlotte at Charlotte's Library. Thank you so much Charlotte!

PS Here's a poem from the book. Serenity is using the anaphora (had no idea what that was until this book) "I Believe"

I believe love is the medicine that cures fear.
I believe my grandparents' love is like a healing balm.
I believe habits are prison bars that hold you back from freedom.
I believe some secrets need to be told.
I believe in second chances.
I believe change is possible, but I know change isn't easy.