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Elixir #1
Elixir
Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, she has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, Clea’s photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man—a man she has never seen before.
When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures.
When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures.
327 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2010
282 people are currently reading
11.8k people want to read
About the author
Hilary Duff
30Ìýbooks1,250ÌýfollowersHilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, pop singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. After gaining fame for playing the title role in the television show Lizzie McGuire, Duff went on to have a film career; her most commercially successful movies include Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003), and A Cinderella Story (2004).
Duff has expanded her repertoire into pop music, with four RIAA certified Platinum albums and over thirteen million albums sold worldwide. Her first studio album, Metamorphosis (2003), was certified triple platinum and she followed it up with two more platinum albums, Hilary Duff (2004) and Most Wanted (2005). Duff's last studio album, Dignity, was released in April 2007 and was certified Gold in August 2007.
She has also launched a clothing line, "Stuff by Hilary Duff", and two exclusive perfume collections with Elizabeth Arden. Duff and her mother were listed as producers for the movie Material Girls, As of April 2008, her upcoming films include the action thriller War, Inc., animated comedy Foodfight!, and independent films Greta and Safety Glass.
Duff has expanded her repertoire into pop music, with four RIAA certified Platinum albums and over thirteen million albums sold worldwide. Her first studio album, Metamorphosis (2003), was certified triple platinum and she followed it up with two more platinum albums, Hilary Duff (2004) and Most Wanted (2005). Duff's last studio album, Dignity, was released in April 2007 and was certified Gold in August 2007.
She has also launched a clothing line, "Stuff by Hilary Duff", and two exclusive perfume collections with Elizabeth Arden. Duff and her mother were listed as producers for the movie Material Girls, As of April 2008, her upcoming films include the action thriller War, Inc., animated comedy Foodfight!, and independent films Greta and Safety Glass.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,759 reviews
October 30, 2010
I'm warning you now. This is more of a rant than a cohesive, intelligent review. It will be filled with spoilers and un-ladylike language, so people of delicate sensibilities take heed.
I like Hilary Duff. I grew up with her in Lizzie Maguire, and even rocked the Lizzie hairstyle for a while. I think she has grown into a nice young starlet as opposed to, well,
I was curious about this book after seeing her name on it. I was interested. How much of it did Hilary actually write? Did she just tell Elise Allen "write about soulmates" and then go and get a manicure? Or did she come up with plot herself, with Elise Allen only writing it down on paper? I think, after reading it, that I know the answer. I believe this is how the conception of this book transpired:
Hilary's manager walks into Borders mistakenly, absolutely absorbed into keying things into his Blackberry. It is only when he walks into a table, toppling over a pile of books, that he looks up and acknowledges his surroundings. Hey! This isn't Saks! But then his eye is drawn to a picture of Lauren Conrad on the back of Sweet Little Lies. He smirks, because he has his suspicions how much of the book Lauren actually wrote. Surprisingly, he sees multiple teenagers in the check-out line with the book in hand. Hmmpp, he thinks, Hilary is ten times prettier and smarter and nicer than LC Then a brilliant idea forms in his head. Hilary's name + YA book = new sports car. Excitedly, he gathers a copy of every YA book in the store and rushes back to the office to make some phone calls. Hey, Hilary, babe�.how would you like to write the ultimate YA book?
Next time, Hilary, just say no.
This book infuriated me. How stupid do publishers think teens are? This is the same typical formula for every other YA paranormal book out there, except wrapped up in a different dress.
There was nothing special about it. No spark. The writing was dead and lifeless, as were all the characters. I was bored out of my mind with the predictability of it all when I wasn't in a rage of seething hot fury.
Clea Raymond, the narrator, is horrible. She has no personality, and nothing that distinguishes her from every other YA heroine out there. Her name is also too close to "Claire" for my liking, and those of you who've read my other rants know my reasoning for that. Clea is a stupid, vapid girl, who became absolutely insufferable after she discovered *ahem* tru wuv. That's right, folks, she has a soulmate. But don't be too jealous of her now. She also has the inexplicable burden of being caught in the middle of a love triangle. What would a YA book be without one of those? Of course, Clea had no idea her BFF Ben, had feelings for her until he started being a jealous prick. Clea, you give a bad name to women everywhere. We are girls. We always know. Platonic friends, my ass.
Of course, I could have forgiven the book for this. Love triangles are a staple because they create drama and act as filler. Except this one was so blatantly one-sided. We all know Clea lllllluuuuuurrrrvvvvessss Sage (her soulmate guy), who is also immortal. Clea herself is kind of immortal, but more on that later. I might be spoiling things a little here, but suck it up. I'm trying to save you here. Clea and Sage had known each other less than a week. At first, Clea thought he was a crazy stalker. Then she thought he was a serial killer deadset on sending her to the grave. Then all the sudden they were kissing, telling each other how much they loved each other, and having sex in a car. First off, if a guy (with the exception of Leonardo DiCaprio) lets you lose your virginity in car, he does not really love you. Second off, this guy has been around for 500 years. Do you know how many STDs he could have contracted in that time? I don't care if he's immortal. As my health teacher said, herpes can affect anybody. And lastly, WTF CLEA?!! You have known this guy one week and up until a few hours ago you thought he was going to kill you!!!!!!! WHY! And then of course, from then on, it causes her physical pain to be away from her Sagey-poo. Gag me.
I blame Clea's whore friend, Rayna. Rayna, as Clea describes her, is a "romantic" who finds a new "soulmate" everytime she leaves the house. There are words for those kinds of girls, so don't go beating around the bush. Anyway, Rayna gives Clea the poetic advice of "don't think, just feel" right before Clea goes off alone with Sage, the soulmate/stranger/serial killer. NO NO NO. Think first, Clea, think first!! Do you want to become a statistic? This book is all your fault, Rayna, and I hate you.
When everyone wasn't talking about soulmates, they were trying to figure out the mystery of where Clea's father disappeared to. Of course, the focus of the book turned to Sage as soon as he appeared. But anyway, the beginning was rather slow, but then everything happened like BAM!BAM!BAM!. Any information the reader found out was in clumps under circumstances that were too convenient for my liking. It was frustrating. A part I did enjoy was all of Clea's past lives, but those were clumped up and rushed. I think it would have been better to have them dispersed throughout the novel. The ending was also extremely abrupt with so many questions unanswered, I wanted to punch a baby at first. But then I realized the book was over, so then I felt happy again. Here are a list of my questions/complaints:
1. Does Clea not have to go to school? I'm not sure what time of the year this book is taking place, but Clea is still able to drop everything and go to South America or Japan whenever she feels like it. With only two boys for company.
2. Why do people in Japan know who Clea is? Since when is being a senator's daughter such a flippin' big deal that people on the other side of the world know who you are? I don't even know my Senators' names.
3. Why is Clea's mother so horrible? She just let's Clea have total independence. Want to go to Peru? Go ahead! Guam? Why not! Afghanistan? Be sure to bring lots of sunscreen! And you would think, her daughter apparently being such a big deal and all, she might have Clea assigned a body guard or something? Nope.
4. Why does Clea love Sage? He has no personality. She literally just decides she loves him. They didn't even have great chemistry.
5. Why are Clea and Ben immortal too? I understand Sage, somewhat, since he drank the elixir. But there is not explanation for Clea and Ben to have their souls being reborn again and again, and at random intervals.
6. What's a soul? I know what my definition of a soul is, but this book has me all confused. Why is Clea so talented in some lives, like being a singer, artist, or actress, but has no apparent talent in this life? Does a soul just mean you have the same personality (or lack of it)?
7. Why does Sage show up in Clea's pictures? Why is he sometimes floating and sometimes not? GAH NO SENSE
8. Is this the only time Clea is aware of her past lives?, or has she had the same dreams in her past?
9. Since Ben always seems to be the problem, why don't they just KILL HIM? There, problem solved. See you again in another hundred years.
I'm just so done with these crappy YA paranormals. They are all the same. My intelligence is being insulted.
I like Hilary Duff. I grew up with her in Lizzie Maguire, and even rocked the Lizzie hairstyle for a while. I think she has grown into a nice young starlet as opposed to, well,
I was curious about this book after seeing her name on it. I was interested. How much of it did Hilary actually write? Did she just tell Elise Allen "write about soulmates" and then go and get a manicure? Or did she come up with plot herself, with Elise Allen only writing it down on paper? I think, after reading it, that I know the answer. I believe this is how the conception of this book transpired:
Hilary's manager walks into Borders mistakenly, absolutely absorbed into keying things into his Blackberry. It is only when he walks into a table, toppling over a pile of books, that he looks up and acknowledges his surroundings. Hey! This isn't Saks! But then his eye is drawn to a picture of Lauren Conrad on the back of Sweet Little Lies. He smirks, because he has his suspicions how much of the book Lauren actually wrote. Surprisingly, he sees multiple teenagers in the check-out line with the book in hand. Hmmpp, he thinks, Hilary is ten times prettier and smarter and nicer than LC Then a brilliant idea forms in his head. Hilary's name + YA book = new sports car. Excitedly, he gathers a copy of every YA book in the store and rushes back to the office to make some phone calls. Hey, Hilary, babe�.how would you like to write the ultimate YA book?
Next time, Hilary, just say no.
This book infuriated me. How stupid do publishers think teens are? This is the same typical formula for every other YA paranormal book out there, except wrapped up in a different dress.
There was nothing special about it. No spark. The writing was dead and lifeless, as were all the characters. I was bored out of my mind with the predictability of it all when I wasn't in a rage of seething hot fury.
Clea Raymond, the narrator, is horrible. She has no personality, and nothing that distinguishes her from every other YA heroine out there. Her name is also too close to "Claire" for my liking, and those of you who've read my other rants know my reasoning for that. Clea is a stupid, vapid girl, who became absolutely insufferable after she discovered *ahem* tru wuv. That's right, folks, she has a soulmate. But don't be too jealous of her now. She also has the inexplicable burden of being caught in the middle of a love triangle. What would a YA book be without one of those? Of course, Clea had no idea her BFF Ben, had feelings for her until he started being a jealous prick. Clea, you give a bad name to women everywhere. We are girls. We always know. Platonic friends, my ass.
Of course, I could have forgiven the book for this. Love triangles are a staple because they create drama and act as filler. Except this one was so blatantly one-sided. We all know Clea lllllluuuuuurrrrvvvvessss Sage (her soulmate guy), who is also immortal. Clea herself is kind of immortal, but more on that later. I might be spoiling things a little here, but suck it up. I'm trying to save you here. Clea and Sage had known each other less than a week. At first, Clea thought he was a crazy stalker. Then she thought he was a serial killer deadset on sending her to the grave. Then all the sudden they were kissing, telling each other how much they loved each other, and having sex in a car. First off, if a guy (with the exception of Leonardo DiCaprio) lets you lose your virginity in car, he does not really love you. Second off, this guy has been around for 500 years. Do you know how many STDs he could have contracted in that time? I don't care if he's immortal. As my health teacher said, herpes can affect anybody. And lastly, WTF CLEA?!! You have known this guy one week and up until a few hours ago you thought he was going to kill you!!!!!!! WHY! And then of course, from then on, it causes her physical pain to be away from her Sagey-poo. Gag me.
I blame Clea's whore friend, Rayna. Rayna, as Clea describes her, is a "romantic" who finds a new "soulmate" everytime she leaves the house. There are words for those kinds of girls, so don't go beating around the bush. Anyway, Rayna gives Clea the poetic advice of "don't think, just feel" right before Clea goes off alone with Sage, the soulmate/stranger/serial killer. NO NO NO. Think first, Clea, think first!! Do you want to become a statistic? This book is all your fault, Rayna, and I hate you.
When everyone wasn't talking about soulmates, they were trying to figure out the mystery of where Clea's father disappeared to. Of course, the focus of the book turned to Sage as soon as he appeared. But anyway, the beginning was rather slow, but then everything happened like BAM!BAM!BAM!. Any information the reader found out was in clumps under circumstances that were too convenient for my liking. It was frustrating. A part I did enjoy was all of Clea's past lives, but those were clumped up and rushed. I think it would have been better to have them dispersed throughout the novel. The ending was also extremely abrupt with so many questions unanswered, I wanted to punch a baby at first. But then I realized the book was over, so then I felt happy again. Here are a list of my questions/complaints:
1. Does Clea not have to go to school? I'm not sure what time of the year this book is taking place, but Clea is still able to drop everything and go to South America or Japan whenever she feels like it. With only two boys for company.
2. Why do people in Japan know who Clea is? Since when is being a senator's daughter such a flippin' big deal that people on the other side of the world know who you are? I don't even know my Senators' names.
3. Why is Clea's mother so horrible? She just let's Clea have total independence. Want to go to Peru? Go ahead! Guam? Why not! Afghanistan? Be sure to bring lots of sunscreen! And you would think, her daughter apparently being such a big deal and all, she might have Clea assigned a body guard or something? Nope.
4. Why does Clea love Sage? He has no personality. She literally just decides she loves him. They didn't even have great chemistry.
5. Why are Clea and Ben immortal too? I understand Sage, somewhat, since he drank the elixir. But there is not explanation for Clea and Ben to have their souls being reborn again and again, and at random intervals.
6. What's a soul? I know what my definition of a soul is, but this book has me all confused. Why is Clea so talented in some lives, like being a singer, artist, or actress, but has no apparent talent in this life? Does a soul just mean you have the same personality (or lack of it)?
7. Why does Sage show up in Clea's pictures? Why is he sometimes floating and sometimes not? GAH NO SENSE
8. Is this the only time Clea is aware of her past lives?, or has she had the same dreams in her past?
9. Since Ben always seems to be the problem, why don't they just KILL HIM? There, problem solved. See you again in another hundred years.
I'm just so done with these crappy YA paranormals. They are all the same. My intelligence is being insulted.
August 27, 2011
Stay far, far away from this book. It does terrible things to you.
March 21, 2022
Clea ist 17 Jahre alt und die Tochter einer bekannten Politikerin und eines erfolgreichen Chirurgen. Sie selbst hat die Fotografie als Leidenschaft für sich entdeckt. Eines Tages verschwindet Cleas Vater auf einer Reise nach Brasilien spurlos. Als Clea die Möglichkeit bekommt, in Rio Fotos für eine Zeitschrift zu machen, nimmt sie sofort an mit dem Hintergedanken, das Verschwinden ihres Vaters aufzuklären. In Rio macht sie die Bekanntschaft eines Jungen, dessen Leben schon lange mit ihrem verknüpft zu sein scheint...
* Meine Meinung *
Mir hat das Lesen dieses Buches sehr viel Spaß gemacht. Es ist eine leichte, aber doch spannende und zuweilen auch romantische Lektüre.
Die Hauptfiguren sind Clea, Ben, Sage und Rayna. Clea ist die Tochter berühmter Eltern und im Luxus aufgewachsen. Mit nur 17 Jahren ist sie schon eine anerkannte Fotografin und reist durch die ganze Welt - das kommt mir persönlich ein wenig unrealistisch vor.
Ben und Sage sind die männlichen Hauptfiguren der Geschichte, wobei mir Ben deutlich besser gefallen hat. Er ist genau der Typ, mit dem man gerne befreundet sein möchte. Nett, hilfsbereit und verlässlich. Sage ist eher ein Draufgänger, wild und selbstsicher.
Rayna ist Cleas beste Freundin. Sie ist mir sehr sympathisch, aber leider kommt sie gar nicht so oft vor in der Geschichte. Sie wirkt auch ein bisschen blass, was ich sehr schade finde. Aber vielleicht wird sie ihre Rolle ja noch im Fortsetzungsroman bekommen; wer weiß?!
Der Schreibstil ist sehr leicht und einem Jugendbuch entsprechend einfach. So lässt sich der Roman schnell und flüssig lesen.
Die Handlung ist nachvollziehbar und durchaus spannend, wobei das Buch zum Ende hin noch mal deutlich an Tempo zulegt. Das Ende war mir persönlich dann schon fast wieder ein bisschen zu schnell abgehandelt und zu "rund".
Trotzdem - das Buch hat mir sehr gefallen, und nach diesem offenen Ende bin ich nun sehr gespannt auf die Fortsetzung!
* Meine Meinung *
Mir hat das Lesen dieses Buches sehr viel Spaß gemacht. Es ist eine leichte, aber doch spannende und zuweilen auch romantische Lektüre.
Die Hauptfiguren sind Clea, Ben, Sage und Rayna. Clea ist die Tochter berühmter Eltern und im Luxus aufgewachsen. Mit nur 17 Jahren ist sie schon eine anerkannte Fotografin und reist durch die ganze Welt - das kommt mir persönlich ein wenig unrealistisch vor.
Ben und Sage sind die männlichen Hauptfiguren der Geschichte, wobei mir Ben deutlich besser gefallen hat. Er ist genau der Typ, mit dem man gerne befreundet sein möchte. Nett, hilfsbereit und verlässlich. Sage ist eher ein Draufgänger, wild und selbstsicher.
Rayna ist Cleas beste Freundin. Sie ist mir sehr sympathisch, aber leider kommt sie gar nicht so oft vor in der Geschichte. Sie wirkt auch ein bisschen blass, was ich sehr schade finde. Aber vielleicht wird sie ihre Rolle ja noch im Fortsetzungsroman bekommen; wer weiß?!
Der Schreibstil ist sehr leicht und einem Jugendbuch entsprechend einfach. So lässt sich der Roman schnell und flüssig lesen.
Die Handlung ist nachvollziehbar und durchaus spannend, wobei das Buch zum Ende hin noch mal deutlich an Tempo zulegt. Das Ende war mir persönlich dann schon fast wieder ein bisschen zu schnell abgehandelt und zu "rund".
Trotzdem - das Buch hat mir sehr gefallen, und nach diesem offenen Ende bin ich nun sehr gespannt auf die Fortsetzung!
May 12, 2012
Let me start off by saying that I actually like Hilary, and when I found out that she wrote a YA book, I was excited.
Little did I know this was going to be nothing but a rip-off.
As I was reading this book, I realized that the similarities with Evermore were painfully obvious. Girl meets boy, girl finds out boy is immortal and has been with her in past lives, girl dies horribly every time, girl has a friend that's in love with her and jealous of the boy, boy had a past love interest that apparently was a "red-haired vixen" (which, in Evermore, the bitch girl Drina also is a redhead).
I would say this, though. Clea didn't annoy me as much as Ever did. Clea didn't spend chapter after chapter pining and moaning over how muscular Sage is. Sure she'd think about him from time to time, cause that's what she was supposed to do. But she wasn't as clingy and desperate as Ever was. At least not in the first parts.
But unfortunately, further into the book she started to obsess over him. And the sex scene happened way too soon. WAY. TOO. SOON. Like, seriously. And they do it in the passenger's seat of a car.
Let me break it down for you guys:
Clea: I see you in my dreams.
Sage: I know. Your soul leads me to you. I love you.
Clea: Oh Sage, I love you too. Pop my cherry.
Sage: *pulls out condoms* I bought them earlier. I knew you'd be an easy target.
Clea: Oh, Sage.
Sage: Oh, Clea.
Clea: SAGE!
Sage: CLEA!
*explosion of pleasure*
I wouldn't say this book was better than Evermore, but I also wouldn't say Evermore was better than this. They're equally bad. But comparing Clea to Ever, I would say Ever wins in the most brain dead category.
Overall, this book was a hot mess. The "romance" was too cliche and sped up, and the book was overloaded with Evermore similarities. Heck, Clea and Sage even LOOK like Ever and Damen in the new paperback cover.
I thought about reading the second one, but after finding out that there will be a female character stealing Sage's attention, I was like "Fuck that." Not only because scenarios like that bother me, but because that's another similarity with the Immortals series. In the second book, the hero's off with some other bitch while flaunting it in the heroine's face.
Sadly, a lot of YA is like that these days. :/ I don't get it.
I'm done. I think.
Little did I know this was going to be nothing but a rip-off.
As I was reading this book, I realized that the similarities with Evermore were painfully obvious. Girl meets boy, girl finds out boy is immortal and has been with her in past lives, girl dies horribly every time, girl has a friend that's in love with her and jealous of the boy, boy had a past love interest that apparently was a "red-haired vixen" (which, in Evermore, the bitch girl Drina also is a redhead).
I would say this, though. Clea didn't annoy me as much as Ever did. Clea didn't spend chapter after chapter pining and moaning over how muscular Sage is. Sure she'd think about him from time to time, cause that's what she was supposed to do. But she wasn't as clingy and desperate as Ever was. At least not in the first parts.
But unfortunately, further into the book she started to obsess over him. And the sex scene happened way too soon. WAY. TOO. SOON. Like, seriously. And they do it in the passenger's seat of a car.
Let me break it down for you guys:
Clea: I see you in my dreams.
Sage: I know. Your soul leads me to you. I love you.
Clea: Oh Sage, I love you too. Pop my cherry.
Sage: *pulls out condoms* I bought them earlier. I knew you'd be an easy target.
Clea: Oh, Sage.
Sage: Oh, Clea.
Clea: SAGE!
Sage: CLEA!
*explosion of pleasure*
I wouldn't say this book was better than Evermore, but I also wouldn't say Evermore was better than this. They're equally bad. But comparing Clea to Ever, I would say Ever wins in the most brain dead category.
Overall, this book was a hot mess. The "romance" was too cliche and sped up, and the book was overloaded with Evermore similarities. Heck, Clea and Sage even LOOK like Ever and Damen in the new paperback cover.
I thought about reading the second one, but after finding out that there will be a female character stealing Sage's attention, I was like "Fuck that." Not only because scenarios like that bother me, but because that's another similarity with the Immortals series. In the second book, the hero's off with some other bitch while flaunting it in the heroine's face.
Sadly, a lot of YA is like that these days. :/ I don't get it.
I'm done. I think.
January 26, 2024
|| || || ||
Was Sage a serial killer? Some kind of timeless, ageless serial killer who didn't choose multiple victims, but instead just one . . . and killed her-- killed me-- over and over again? (178)
Raise your hand if you're just sick enough to find that hot.
I said that if I got to 3,000 followers on Threads, I'd read a trashy book from a celebrity and then I got to 3,000 followers and put up a poll and ELIXIR by Hilary Duff and MODELLAND by Tyra Banks basically tied. ELIXIR was shorter and just barely squeaked ahead, so I decided to read that one first.
This is basically TWILIGHT with reincarnation and the fountain of youth. Clea is clubbing in Paris when there's a fire and as she's looking through her photos, she realizes that the same guy is in the frame of every picture (including the ones she shot in her bedroom). That person is Sage, the man who haunts her dreams, when she imagines herself in the bodies of other women lost to time.
If you're familiar with TWILIGHT, I won't summarize the plot for you. Two dudes-- toxic best friend, Ben, hot and unattainable guy, Sage. Love triangle. "I love you but I might get you killed." Absentee and doofy parents. I think the only physical interaction Clea actually has with her mom is at some rich diplomatic house party. Her dad is a weird biohacky scientist and her mom is-- idk. A political figure? She's filthy stinking rich and her best friend Rayna is the daughter of the "horse nanny" and they got jet-setting from Paris to Rio to Shibuya, like it's no big thing.
ELIXIR does actually have a leg-up on TWILIGHT in some regards. Like, Sage actually seems legit dangerous. When Clea goes to his house, there's, like, paintings of her past selves. Not just chill little portraits, but also gruesome pictures of them as they were being killed. And then since irises are kind of all their things, each of them had an iris charm necklace hanging on a hook, plus one empty one. Like he was just waiting for hers. Oh shiiiiit. I got the chills dot com. I also liked how Clea actually had hobbies (photography, dancing) and agency. She's not afraid to tell people off, and I liked that.
Overall, this wasn't the torture fest I was expecting. In the acknowledgements, Duff credits her collaborator, Elise Allen, who I am guessing was the ghost writer. Oh, to be a fly on the wall during their pitch sessions, as I'm very curious how much of this story actually came from Duff. All the richy-rich stuff, and the "travel is NBD," and "people don't take me seriously because I'm privileged and rich" stuff was probably Duff, I'm guessing, but honestly, it didn't come across as obnoxious. Maybe oblivious, but not malicious, which isn't surprising since in literally every interview I've seen with her, she comes across as a genuinely nice person. I think what was most shocking to me about this book was, according to the acknowledgements, she had not one, but TWO literary agents.
TWO.
So honestly, if you like TWILIGHT and L.J. Smith and cheesy aughts-era paranormals, this actually wasn't that bad. I was prepared to hate it and ended up enjoying myself instead. Woo-hoo.
2.5 stars
February 3, 2011
Bahaha, Hilary Duff wrote a book. And it was � not very good. Shocking!
I feel like these YA paranormal fantasy books are all the same. Nothing new ever happens! Recycled plots, with different names & different paranormal abilities! There is one boring vapid girl who is best friends with a great guy but then meets a tall, dark & mysterious stranger. Boring Vapid Girl falls instantly, madly, passionately in love with Tall Dark Mysterious Guy, while Great Best Friend Guy turns into a jealous jerk because He Loved Her First. Add in some immortality and paranormal activity and guys saving vapid girl from her stupidity and maybe some woe-y “Oh gosh, don’t ever leave me, I hope he doesn't leave me, WHY IS HE IGNORING ME, we are ~soulmates, I can’t live without him!!11!� and BAM! You’ve now just read 95% of all YA novels currently being published.
My brain bleeds, BLEEDS!
I feel like these YA paranormal fantasy books are all the same. Nothing new ever happens! Recycled plots, with different names & different paranormal abilities! There is one boring vapid girl who is best friends with a great guy but then meets a tall, dark & mysterious stranger. Boring Vapid Girl falls instantly, madly, passionately in love with Tall Dark Mysterious Guy, while Great Best Friend Guy turns into a jealous jerk because He Loved Her First. Add in some immortality and paranormal activity and guys saving vapid girl from her stupidity and maybe some woe-y “Oh gosh, don’t ever leave me, I hope he doesn't leave me, WHY IS HE IGNORING ME, we are ~soulmates, I can’t live without him!!11!� and BAM! You’ve now just read 95% of all YA novels currently being published.
My brain bleeds, BLEEDS!
August 29, 2019
Videorecensione TRASH:
Parte 1:
Parte 2:
Parte 1:
Parte 2:
June 7, 2017
What do you think when you hear the name Hilary Duff? Do you think of Disney's show Lizzie McGuire and/or her other movies? Or do you think of her 4 released albums, with her catchy songs and small, yet pretty voice?
What about her novel?
*record scratch*
What? Did I just say that Hilary Duff is an author? Sadly, it is true. Hilary Duff wrote a novel and her book Elixir is now a New York Times Best Seller.
Cue the disbelief.
When my Drama class teacher started reading the first two pages at loud, I had a feeling that this book was going to be terrible. The writing was very over-dramatic and exaggerated, and it almost sounded . . . sexual. And unintentionally funny. Very unintentionally funny.
Was I right? Hmmm . . . I'll tell you about that later.
First, I'm going to list you the MAIN reason why I didn't like it.
It is WAY too similar to Evermore from The Immortals series by Alyson Noel.
And if you had read my previous reviews, you are aware of my deep hatred for the series.
When I was reading I noticed a lot of similarities with the series and I wondered if Hilary Duff took the series as an inspiration for her book.
Before you get mad at me, I'm going to tell you that I'm very aware that Alyson Noel doesn't own immortals, in fact the subject of immortality in fiction came from the very beginning of literature and it's not new, but the similarities of The Immortals and Elixir are not just about the paranormal aspects; it is also about the male protagonists being old and creepy but considered hot and mysterious, the heroines being dumb and stupid but considered perfect, the reincarnation of the heroines in other lives for centuries, a red-haired ex who kills the reincarnations of the protagonist repeatedly, the love triangles between the mythological being and the heroines' best friend, and, of course, the sudden insta-love between the main characters.
The Plot: It was actually a very promising plot. Clea Raymond is the daughter of famous politician mother and a surgeon father. She's also famous on her own, being a photojournalist and all. Then, a man starts appearing in her pictures, including the ones when she was a baby. And somehow, that mysterious man has a connection with the disappearance of her father. It sounded so gripping and disturbing that I actually couldn't wait to read it. My mistake. The plot was as absurd as BP's credibility.
The Characters: I consider Clea Raymond a Mary Sue. She's rich, beautiful, popular, smart, talented, has the best two best friends in the world, she always gets what she wants, her mother is cool with whatever she does, etc. She was very boring. And whiny. Really whiny. And DAMN!! She always questions EVERYTHING! There was always questions(lots of it) in every single page! Did this happen, why it happened, could this be, would this, would that, how it happened, and freaking DID MY DAD HAD A COFFIN? Is she really that clueless about what's going on around her?!! I felt that I was reading DORA THE FUCKING EXPLORER!! And I was the audience.
Rayna is Clea's best friend since they were in their mother's womb (I'm not kidding). She's a romantic and believes every guy she meets is her soulmate. In other words, she's a slut. And then, there's Ben (the only one with a normal name), Clea's best friend/bodyguard. He is in love with Clea but she doesn't acknowledge that. Don't worry, she will.
The Man in the Pictures: The creepy, old man that Clea first suspected as a murderer. Or an incubus that wanted to impregnate her with a demon child. Then, as a guardian angel and soulmate. UGH. Serve me up, insta-love! And the 600-year-old immortal's name is. . . Sage.
Seriously, that's his name! Can't. Stop. Laughing. HAHAHAHA!! Sage reminds me of a pornstar, even the name of an overly sexual little girl. Or a drag queen.
I had many problems with this book: There's no chemistry between Clea and Sage. There's no explanation for their attraction. None. Rayna is annoying. Clea's mother is very careless: "You want to go to Tokyo, Brazil, Europe or whatever place you want? Here's my credit card, have fun!" And, does she EVER go to school? She's SEVENTEEN years old! I remember in one chapter that Clea told Rayna to stay home because she has school the next day. And Clea apparently isn't home-schooled or has a tutor, so I assume that Clea doesn't go to school. . . at all. When Sage finally tells Clea about their soulmate status, she loses her virginity with him in the back of Rayna's car! They'd only met for 2 days! And he already had a condom with him! EWW!!! Disgusting! And the next day, he ignores her. He might as well told her this:
I don't feel sorry for her.
And I blame Rayna for what happened (She's the one who told Clea not to think).
The book was dull. There's no real conflict. It was plain, brainless, stupid, moronic. But heck, I was entertained by the stupidity of it.
Her writing was alright, though. No grammar or punctuation mistakes. But it was very juvenile. I felt that a teenager wrote this instead of a 20+ year old woman.
But then . . . the climax reached. The last two chapters were actually the only good parts of this whole book and the cliffhanger was good enough to continue with the sequel. It was like, Duff (or Elise Allen) finally woke up and thought of writing the story well. But it didn't last long.
In conclusion: The writing was ok, but the book was very flawed in characters and plot. Almost cheesy and ridiculous. It was better than the last YA paranormal novels that have been released (e.g. Twilight, The Immortals), but it wasn't good enough to even be considered unique and great. And not bad enough to be on my shelf of "Worst Books I'd Ever Read".
I'm going to read the sequel, anyways.
(By the way, I wrote the review listening to Hilary Duff's music. Because I'm weird like that.)
What about her novel?
*record scratch*
What? Did I just say that Hilary Duff is an author? Sadly, it is true. Hilary Duff wrote a novel and her book Elixir is now a New York Times Best Seller.
Cue the disbelief.
When my Drama class teacher started reading the first two pages at loud, I had a feeling that this book was going to be terrible. The writing was very over-dramatic and exaggerated, and it almost sounded . . . sexual. And unintentionally funny. Very unintentionally funny.
Was I right? Hmmm . . . I'll tell you about that later.
First, I'm going to list you the MAIN reason why I didn't like it.
It is WAY too similar to Evermore from The Immortals series by Alyson Noel.
And if you had read my previous reviews, you are aware of my deep hatred for the series.
When I was reading I noticed a lot of similarities with the series and I wondered if Hilary Duff took the series as an inspiration for her book.
Before you get mad at me, I'm going to tell you that I'm very aware that Alyson Noel doesn't own immortals, in fact the subject of immortality in fiction came from the very beginning of literature and it's not new, but the similarities of The Immortals and Elixir are not just about the paranormal aspects; it is also about the male protagonists being old and creepy but considered hot and mysterious, the heroines being dumb and stupid but considered perfect, the reincarnation of the heroines in other lives for centuries, a red-haired ex who kills the reincarnations of the protagonist repeatedly, the love triangles between the mythological being and the heroines' best friend, and, of course, the sudden insta-love between the main characters.
The Plot: It was actually a very promising plot. Clea Raymond is the daughter of famous politician mother and a surgeon father. She's also famous on her own, being a photojournalist and all. Then, a man starts appearing in her pictures, including the ones when she was a baby. And somehow, that mysterious man has a connection with the disappearance of her father. It sounded so gripping and disturbing that I actually couldn't wait to read it. My mistake. The plot was as absurd as BP's credibility.
The Characters: I consider Clea Raymond a Mary Sue. She's rich, beautiful, popular, smart, talented, has the best two best friends in the world, she always gets what she wants, her mother is cool with whatever she does, etc. She was very boring. And whiny. Really whiny. And DAMN!! She always questions EVERYTHING! There was always questions(lots of it) in every single page! Did this happen, why it happened, could this be, would this, would that, how it happened, and freaking DID MY DAD HAD A COFFIN? Is she really that clueless about what's going on around her?!! I felt that I was reading DORA THE FUCKING EXPLORER!! And I was the audience.
Rayna is Clea's best friend since they were in their mother's womb (I'm not kidding). She's a romantic and believes every guy she meets is her soulmate. In other words, she's a slut. And then, there's Ben (the only one with a normal name), Clea's best friend/bodyguard. He is in love with Clea but she doesn't acknowledge that. Don't worry, she will.
The Man in the Pictures: The creepy, old man that Clea first suspected as a murderer. Or an incubus that wanted to impregnate her with a demon child. Then, as a guardian angel and soulmate. UGH. Serve me up, insta-love! And the 600-year-old immortal's name is. . . Sage.
Seriously, that's his name! Can't. Stop. Laughing. HAHAHAHA!! Sage reminds me of a pornstar, even the name of an overly sexual little girl. Or a drag queen.
I had many problems with this book: There's no chemistry between Clea and Sage. There's no explanation for their attraction. None. Rayna is annoying. Clea's mother is very careless: "You want to go to Tokyo, Brazil, Europe or whatever place you want? Here's my credit card, have fun!" And, does she EVER go to school? She's SEVENTEEN years old! I remember in one chapter that Clea told Rayna to stay home because she has school the next day. And Clea apparently isn't home-schooled or has a tutor, so I assume that Clea doesn't go to school. . . at all. When Sage finally tells Clea about their soulmate status, she loses her virginity with him in the back of Rayna's car! They'd only met for 2 days! And he already had a condom with him! EWW!!! Disgusting! And the next day, he ignores her. He might as well told her this:
I don't feel sorry for her.
And I blame Rayna for what happened (She's the one who told Clea not to think).
The book was dull. There's no real conflict. It was plain, brainless, stupid, moronic. But heck, I was entertained by the stupidity of it.
Her writing was alright, though. No grammar or punctuation mistakes. But it was very juvenile. I felt that a teenager wrote this instead of a 20+ year old woman.
But then . . . the climax reached. The last two chapters were actually the only good parts of this whole book and the cliffhanger was good enough to continue with the sequel. It was like, Duff (or Elise Allen) finally woke up and thought of writing the story well. But it didn't last long.
In conclusion: The writing was ok, but the book was very flawed in characters and plot. Almost cheesy and ridiculous. It was better than the last YA paranormal novels that have been released (e.g. Twilight, The Immortals), but it wasn't good enough to even be considered unique and great. And not bad enough to be on my shelf of "Worst Books I'd Ever Read".
I'm going to read the sequel, anyways.
(By the way, I wrote the review listening to Hilary Duff's music. Because I'm weird like that.)
October 22, 2010
When you think of Hilary Duff, you automatically think 'Lizzie McGuire', right? So, it's probably weird for you to think that she's written a book--well, at least, I did.
Elixir was captivating, and not anything that I'd imagine Hilary Duff could write. I'm not dissing her, but it's just that I thought this would be some stupid story about a snobby-rich girl. True, the main character, Clea, was rich, but I didn't get the sense that she was snobby at all.
She was a pretty cool protagonist, and I liked her rational-way of thinking. To be honest, she thought things out more thoroughly than I would have! Me, I would have jumped and freaked at just about every turn of events (I mean, taking a snapshot of your room and seeing some strange dude standing in your closet would have me screaming like a banshee and running out of the house).
True, the story line kind of reminded me of Alyson Noel’s Immortals series a little bit, but I filed all my negative comments away, in order to stop comparing all the characters.
The book was entrancing, and I finished it in under a day. I enjoyed it through-and-through, and although the ending is a little disappointing, I think there is going to be a second one in the near future (although I can't find any information on it...yet).
I suggest that every person who likes strange tales of love give this book a try. Set aside your views/opinions on the new author, and give her a shot (without envisioning Lizzie Maguire’s little animated character writing this book on an overly-sized computer).
Elixir was captivating, and not anything that I'd imagine Hilary Duff could write. I'm not dissing her, but it's just that I thought this would be some stupid story about a snobby-rich girl. True, the main character, Clea, was rich, but I didn't get the sense that she was snobby at all.
She was a pretty cool protagonist, and I liked her rational-way of thinking. To be honest, she thought things out more thoroughly than I would have! Me, I would have jumped and freaked at just about every turn of events (I mean, taking a snapshot of your room and seeing some strange dude standing in your closet would have me screaming like a banshee and running out of the house).
True, the story line kind of reminded me of Alyson Noel’s Immortals series a little bit, but I filed all my negative comments away, in order to stop comparing all the characters.
The book was entrancing, and I finished it in under a day. I enjoyed it through-and-through, and although the ending is a little disappointing, I think there is going to be a second one in the near future (although I can't find any information on it...yet).
I suggest that every person who likes strange tales of love give this book a try. Set aside your views/opinions on the new author, and give her a shot (without envisioning Lizzie Maguire’s little animated character writing this book on an overly-sized computer).
March 3, 2024
When I first picked this book up, I laughed.
Because I really could not believe that Hilary Duff had written a YA book.
I grew up being a huge fan of Lizzie Mcguire and loving Hilary's CD's through my
pre-teen years.
So I thought, "What the heck. I'll read it."
I found myself being completely surprised with how good it was.
I was expecting something a little like:
"Well there is like, a tree.
And it's like, purple.
There are like, purple leaves on this like, tree."
The book was nothing like that.
It was actually well written.
But part of me wonders how much of the book Hilary Duff wrote.
But then I feel kinda guilty for actually thinking that,
because Hilary Duff might have written the entire book,
and since she is an actress I'm just assuming she doesn't have a brain,
and decided that writing a YA novel would be "fun".
But you know, Hilary Duff might surprise us all and actually have a brain.
To be honest, there were a couple parts in this book that creeped me out.
Because I get really creeped out by stalkers.
And some parts were pretty darn violent.
I guess little miss Lizzie Mcguire has a dark side to her.
Even though I really liked this book,
and it kept me thoroughly entertained for the 3 days it took me to read it.
I (of course) have a complaint,
I thought it was kinda silly how easily Clea fell for Sage.
I mean, one second she is sure he is going to kill her,
and the next she is making out with him in her car.
If I was sketchy about some dude killing me,
I would not fall in love with him.
But maybe all this ranting is because I didn't really like Sage.
Nope, I really enjoyed Ben.
I wanted Clea to get with Ben so badly!
But then again, it probably will happen in the (I'm assuming) second book.
Because that would be the cliche thing to do.
And well, yes, I am assuming that Hilary Duff will do something
completely cliche.
But you never know, she might just knock our socks off with this one.
-Abigaile
Because I really could not believe that Hilary Duff had written a YA book.
I grew up being a huge fan of Lizzie Mcguire and loving Hilary's CD's through my
pre-teen years.
So I thought, "What the heck. I'll read it."
I found myself being completely surprised with how good it was.
I was expecting something a little like:
"Well there is like, a tree.
And it's like, purple.
There are like, purple leaves on this like, tree."
The book was nothing like that.
It was actually well written.
But part of me wonders how much of the book Hilary Duff wrote.
But then I feel kinda guilty for actually thinking that,
because Hilary Duff might have written the entire book,
and since she is an actress I'm just assuming she doesn't have a brain,
and decided that writing a YA novel would be "fun".
But you know, Hilary Duff might surprise us all and actually have a brain.
To be honest, there were a couple parts in this book that creeped me out.
Because I get really creeped out by stalkers.
And some parts were pretty darn violent.
I guess little miss Lizzie Mcguire has a dark side to her.
Even though I really liked this book,
and it kept me thoroughly entertained for the 3 days it took me to read it.
I (of course) have a complaint,
I thought it was kinda silly how easily Clea fell for Sage.
I mean, one second she is sure he is going to kill her,
and the next she is making out with him in her car.
If I was sketchy about some dude killing me,
I would not fall in love with him.
But maybe all this ranting is because I didn't really like Sage.
Nope, I really enjoyed Ben.
I wanted Clea to get with Ben so badly!
But then again, it probably will happen in the (I'm assuming) second book.
Because that would be the cliche thing to do.
And well, yes, I am assuming that Hilary Duff will do something
completely cliche.
But you never know, she might just knock our socks off with this one.
-Abigaile
Want to read
June 10, 2010Wait. You mean the Hilary Duff? As in, Lizzie McGuire? As in, the younger sister of that horsey-faced girl who plays Summer Wheatly in Napoleon Dynamite? That Hilary Duff??? She writes books? Since when? Now this I have to see for myself (why the crap not, amirite???)
November 18, 2014
*EDIT* I really loved it!! The plot is definitely well-written and put together. Hilary truly had a great sense of her characters and where she wanted to story to go. I guess you could say the first chapter is a bit wordy but it's descriptive/detailed/vivid enough for the reader to imagine the scene and get to know the characters. After that, the pacing is pretty good. I'm definitely liking the dynamic between Clea and her best friends, Rayna and Ben. In a perilous situation, Clea totally lets you know how she functions with and without them. She's the more good-humored, humble, insecure of the 3 while Rayna is the ideal BFF package and Ben is the support system. There's plenty of one-liners that added a nice touch of humor between the 3, which was a good contrast to the heavier and slightly gory scenes and which made me LOL. Speaking of the more graphic scenes, I was certainly freaked out by them. The end of ch. 2 gave me the willies and Clea's nightmares gave me a good scare. So, props to Hilary for evoking fear off the pages.
I also got a good sense of Clea's relationship with her father. Even though they were really close, there's still a huge amount of innocence that Clea ends up having to sort through and understand. I hope later on in the series, Hilary can develop Clea's relationship with her mom, depending on where the story goes cuz as of now, there's some instability and insecurity and distance that needs to eventually be addressed. As for Clea and Sage, I really liked the fact that Clea didn't let her feelings get in the way of her trying to look at their situation logically for most of the book. At first, Sage and Clea's spiritual bond comes off a bit disjointed and kind of hard to believe during the second half of the book, though I think that was partially its intention for what is revealed when they're in Japan. That's probably my only concern. Other than that, I can see why the Ben-Clea-Sage love triangle was so dangerous; I don't even know who Clea should truly be with. And I think that's good cuz Clea's been through heck and I'm waiting for some more development later in the series. And I felt that was a good place for Hilary to have the cliffhanger.
Overall, Elixir was a quick, enjoyable read and I can't wait to see what Hilary does with book 2.
I'm a huge Hilary fan and I think adding Author to her resume is awesome. She's told stories through her songwriting (and acting), so it seems natural for her to do the same in book form and Hilary said the same thing during her TODAY Show interview today. I also think it's cool of her to have a fiction series out instead of a memoir/autobio cuz it seems like most celebs do memoirs/autobios. Not saying that's bad, it just that it's not very often that celebs are interested in writing fiction. It's different in a good way. Hilary and Tyra are only 2 of the small handful, that I know off the top of my head, that are doing/have done this.
I also got a good sense of Clea's relationship with her father. Even though they were really close, there's still a huge amount of innocence that Clea ends up having to sort through and understand. I hope later on in the series, Hilary can develop Clea's relationship with her mom, depending on where the story goes cuz as of now, there's some instability and insecurity and distance that needs to eventually be addressed. As for Clea and Sage, I really liked the fact that Clea didn't let her feelings get in the way of her trying to look at their situation logically for most of the book. At first, Sage and Clea's spiritual bond comes off a bit disjointed and kind of hard to believe during the second half of the book, though I think that was partially its intention for what is revealed when they're in Japan. That's probably my only concern. Other than that, I can see why the Ben-Clea-Sage love triangle was so dangerous; I don't even know who Clea should truly be with. And I think that's good cuz Clea's been through heck and I'm waiting for some more development later in the series. And I felt that was a good place for Hilary to have the cliffhanger.
Overall, Elixir was a quick, enjoyable read and I can't wait to see what Hilary does with book 2.
I'm a huge Hilary fan and I think adding Author to her resume is awesome. She's told stories through her songwriting (and acting), so it seems natural for her to do the same in book form and Hilary said the same thing during her TODAY Show interview today. I also think it's cool of her to have a fiction series out instead of a memoir/autobio cuz it seems like most celebs do memoirs/autobios. Not saying that's bad, it just that it's not very often that celebs are interested in writing fiction. It's different in a good way. Hilary and Tyra are only 2 of the small handful, that I know off the top of my head, that are doing/have done this.
September 24, 2011
I didn't have high hopes for this book when I read this book. I actually wanted to prove that I was right in the sense that this book would "suck". And, it did. It sucked guts. From the first page, the book lost my attention. The font was pretty big for a novel. Of course, that's just the beginning of it all. Here is my list of unfathomable things about this book:
1. The size of the font. Who is she kidding? Could she not fill up the book?
2. Many grammatical errors. I didn't find and pinpoint all of them because I don't like to do that. But, some were just so easy to catch.
3. Clichéd plot. Totally copied Evermore by Alyson Noel. Alyson Noel should sue. It kind of brought all of the "Immortal series" books into one book to start off Hilary Duff's series.
In both books, there is an immortal character. An elixir. A conflicting character between the romance. This book doesn't talk about powers or anything. But, it does mention at the end the "forbidden relationship". Comparing this book to Evermore is actually not an accomplishment.
4. I totally wanted to slam the book against the wall. Hilary Duff watches too many movies. Way too many. So, Clea meets her "soulmate" in a span of 2-3 days. Declares that she loves with him and is the man in her dreams. And, when she is supposed to be picking up snacks, she has sex...with him...in the passenger seat...of her best friend's car. Talk about wrong. That is not romantic. I think that's kind of...weird, considering how Sage happened to bring along birth control. EWWWWW!!! This series should totally end with Clea getting some rare immortal STD from Sage. Ha.
5. The romance between Clea and Sage is really weird and bi-polar. It's lust not love.
6. The characters are very weakly-developed. In the beginning, Clea basically acted like some storyteller. Randomly, she started thinking about her life...in a nightclub.
7. The plot dragged on at some parts but sped in some parts. It's like Hilary Duff just wanted to write for the sake of finishing a book and getting publicity. Hilary Duff! Don't quit your day job! Wait, I think she doesn't even have one. Last time I checked, her acting career disappeared.
Anyway, despite all the negative comments, the book was decent probably because Hilary Duff had some help from another person and all. I think it should be Elise Allen with Hilary Duff. But, I can tell that Hilary Duff did think of the story. She must have read Evermore before writing. Ha. The humor is kind of strange and some parts. It's okay if you like Twilight and all. The writing was pretty poor and boring. I kind of feel Tokyo and Conneticut and Brazil are the same place now. A good writer would have put description into the quickly-changing setting. It may seem excess, but it isn't. It gives the plot more of an even tempo which is totally lacking in this book. I will not read the rest of the series.
-Picture Perfect
1. The size of the font. Who is she kidding? Could she not fill up the book?
2. Many grammatical errors. I didn't find and pinpoint all of them because I don't like to do that. But, some were just so easy to catch.
3. Clichéd plot. Totally copied Evermore by Alyson Noel. Alyson Noel should sue. It kind of brought all of the "Immortal series" books into one book to start off Hilary Duff's series.
In both books, there is an immortal character. An elixir. A conflicting character between the romance. This book doesn't talk about powers or anything. But, it does mention at the end the "forbidden relationship". Comparing this book to Evermore is actually not an accomplishment.
4. I totally wanted to slam the book against the wall. Hilary Duff watches too many movies. Way too many. So, Clea meets her "soulmate" in a span of 2-3 days. Declares that she loves with him and is the man in her dreams. And, when she is supposed to be picking up snacks, she has sex...with him...in the passenger seat...of her best friend's car. Talk about wrong. That is not romantic. I think that's kind of...weird, considering how Sage happened to bring along birth control. EWWWWW!!! This series should totally end with Clea getting some rare immortal STD from Sage. Ha.
5. The romance between Clea and Sage is really weird and bi-polar. It's lust not love.
6. The characters are very weakly-developed. In the beginning, Clea basically acted like some storyteller. Randomly, she started thinking about her life...in a nightclub.
7. The plot dragged on at some parts but sped in some parts. It's like Hilary Duff just wanted to write for the sake of finishing a book and getting publicity. Hilary Duff! Don't quit your day job! Wait, I think she doesn't even have one. Last time I checked, her acting career disappeared.
Anyway, despite all the negative comments, the book was decent probably because Hilary Duff had some help from another person and all. I think it should be Elise Allen with Hilary Duff. But, I can tell that Hilary Duff did think of the story. She must have read Evermore before writing. Ha. The humor is kind of strange and some parts. It's okay if you like Twilight and all. The writing was pretty poor and boring. I kind of feel Tokyo and Conneticut and Brazil are the same place now. A good writer would have put description into the quickly-changing setting. It may seem excess, but it isn't. It gives the plot more of an even tempo which is totally lacking in this book. I will not read the rest of the series.
-Picture Perfect
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2012
Let me tell you a common story we see everyday in YA fiction.
She is seventeen. He is about 500 years old.
When she sees him in her photos, she believes him to be a semi-stalker/ cold-blooded killer dead set on bringing her to her grave.
Five minutes after meeting him, she teams up with him to find her father, putting her safety in his hands...ALL THE WHILE STILL EXTREMELY SUSPICIOUS ABOUT HIS TRUE MOTIVES.
A day later, she literally decides to ditch her geeky, supportive best friend whom she's known all her life for the love of her life whom 24 hours ago, she belived he was semi-stalking her.
A while later, she and her stalker are getting it on and gets to second base (and in her best friend's car, too). BTW, she's known him for little over two days.
The day afterwards, he deliberately ignores her, pretending what happened between them did not, well, happen, and that leaves her beyond devasted, grief-stricken, and lifeless. Heartbroken is too nice of a word to describe how she feels. There is simply just no hope for her, no future without him.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF TEEN FICTION.
She is seventeen. He is about 500 years old.
When she sees him in her photos, she believes him to be a semi-stalker/ cold-blooded killer dead set on bringing her to her grave.
Five minutes after meeting him, she teams up with him to find her father, putting her safety in his hands...ALL THE WHILE STILL EXTREMELY SUSPICIOUS ABOUT HIS TRUE MOTIVES.
A day later, she literally decides to ditch her geeky, supportive best friend whom she's known all her life for the love of her life whom 24 hours ago, she belived he was semi-stalking her.
A while later, she and her stalker are getting it on and gets to second base (and in her best friend's car, too). BTW, she's known him for little over two days.
The day afterwards, he deliberately ignores her, pretending what happened between them did not, well, happen, and that leaves her beyond devasted, grief-stricken, and lifeless. Heartbroken is too nice of a word to describe how she feels. There is simply just no hope for her, no future without him.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF TEEN FICTION.
April 2, 2011
I don’t know why I do this to myself; it’s like asking yourself to be bitchslapped over and over again. This book made me furious. Absolutely furious.
Clea is just stupid as hell, and if I found any person in real life like her, I’d stay far the heck away. Seriously. You know if you found a guy who showed up EVERYWHERE you went, appeared in all your pictures, and somehow you can feel his presence/see his shadow in places you go to, wouldn’t you be FREAKED the fuck out? Like holy shit, there’s some psychopathic lunatic or some crazy ass ghost stalking me around? You would, right? Well, no not Clea. Once she finds out it’s this epitome of hotness guy, she is head over heels for him.
And if some guy randomly appears everywhere I am I would file a restraining order on that maggot. But no, they have to have their little conversions and she’s all drool worthy over him. And then when they actually have their first kiss he takes her to his car and TAKES AWAY HER VIRGINITY! WTF!? And when she asked him as they were getting hot and heavy that they needed to stop because you know there’s no protection in sight, he’s all I came prepared and whips out that condom. WTF. Ugh, that man isn’t in it for anything but the sex, woman!
What’s worse is the next day, the next day; he treats her like dirt and refuses to acknowledge her presence. WTF. And don’t give me this bullshit about how they’re not meant to be together so he’s doing it for her protection crap. That is pathetic! You just took away the girl’s virginity! Some supposed soulmate you are! I absolutely hate how this book makes it seem like this is how wrapped in a neat little message that this is how real love and romance supposed to be. HELL FUCKING NO.
I will never advocate this sort of degrading treatment of women and the pure expression of love in such a way. Never.
I wonder if Hilary Duff actually read this crap that was published under her name. Sure she spawned the idea for it (and what nonsense it is) but she didn’t write it. Some woman named Elise Allen did. The writing is pretty much standard fare for the genre; quick, to the point, and lacking in depth or analysis. At least the plot moved by at a quick pace, so you can just speed right through this book. It helps that the margins were absolutely HUGE. And, yes, I’m totally sure a girl can gallivant off all over the world because we’re all just so rich and her mommy would be absolutely fine with it because it’s for her daughter’s own personal freedom and expression. Get real. I would be flipping my shit if I found out my daughter was traveling all over the world without so much as a real chaperone and getting into some pretty unsafe situations. (Yeah, that 19-year-old college kid ain’t gonna do it for me.) But this is excused because a) she’s an awesome genius photographer and b) well, her mommy is some super important congressman. Hah.
Ugh. I’m sure if you’re those readers who pick up the standard ya paranormal drivel that’s flooding the market nowadays and love them without a spec of critical thinking, you’d find this book absolutely superb.
Clea is just stupid as hell, and if I found any person in real life like her, I’d stay far the heck away. Seriously. You know if you found a guy who showed up EVERYWHERE you went, appeared in all your pictures, and somehow you can feel his presence/see his shadow in places you go to, wouldn’t you be FREAKED the fuck out? Like holy shit, there’s some psychopathic lunatic or some crazy ass ghost stalking me around? You would, right? Well, no not Clea. Once she finds out it’s this epitome of hotness guy, she is head over heels for him.
And if some guy randomly appears everywhere I am I would file a restraining order on that maggot. But no, they have to have their little conversions and she’s all drool worthy over him. And then when they actually have their first kiss he takes her to his car and TAKES AWAY HER VIRGINITY! WTF!? And when she asked him as they were getting hot and heavy that they needed to stop because you know there’s no protection in sight, he’s all I came prepared and whips out that condom. WTF. Ugh, that man isn’t in it for anything but the sex, woman!
What’s worse is the next day, the next day; he treats her like dirt and refuses to acknowledge her presence. WTF. And don’t give me this bullshit about how they’re not meant to be together so he’s doing it for her protection crap. That is pathetic! You just took away the girl’s virginity! Some supposed soulmate you are! I absolutely hate how this book makes it seem like this is how wrapped in a neat little message that this is how real love and romance supposed to be. HELL FUCKING NO.
I will never advocate this sort of degrading treatment of women and the pure expression of love in such a way. Never.
I wonder if Hilary Duff actually read this crap that was published under her name. Sure she spawned the idea for it (and what nonsense it is) but she didn’t write it. Some woman named Elise Allen did. The writing is pretty much standard fare for the genre; quick, to the point, and lacking in depth or analysis. At least the plot moved by at a quick pace, so you can just speed right through this book. It helps that the margins were absolutely HUGE. And, yes, I’m totally sure a girl can gallivant off all over the world because we’re all just so rich and her mommy would be absolutely fine with it because it’s for her daughter’s own personal freedom and expression. Get real. I would be flipping my shit if I found out my daughter was traveling all over the world without so much as a real chaperone and getting into some pretty unsafe situations. (Yeah, that 19-year-old college kid ain’t gonna do it for me.) But this is excused because a) she’s an awesome genius photographer and b) well, her mommy is some super important congressman. Hah.
Ugh. I’m sure if you’re those readers who pick up the standard ya paranormal drivel that’s flooding the market nowadays and love them without a spec of critical thinking, you’d find this book absolutely superb.
January 23, 2011
Yes, I read the Hilary Duff novel. Because Hilary Duff is awesome, that's why. If you don't believe me, please see "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" for further proof.
I was very impressed with the story that Duff wove, and I devoured it like candy. Riveting right up until the end, then the abrupt/cliff-hanger type ending left me flat. I had hoped this was going to be a stand-alone book -- even if it is the first in a series.
And, yes, I'll read the next book when it comes out. Because Duff is actually a pretty good storyteller. I hesitate to call her a "writer," as there is a co-writer credit on this book alongside Duff's name. So I'm not sure how much she crafted herself. But I'm positive the story is completely hers. The writing does fumble in spots, when too much dialogue trumps giving solid descriptions. I could never clearly envision the main players. Well, it's a book, after all -- perhaps I should let my imagination do some of the work.
The story involved a privileged teen (the daughter of famous parents -- one a politician, the other a world-renowned surgeon) who has a passion for photography. After a trip to Europe, Clea finds some unsettling images in the photos she snapped. The photos are what catapult her on a scavenger hunt across the globe to find the answers from everything to the secret to immortality and the mysterious man that keeps appearing in her dreams.
All in all, the writing flaws weren't enough to take away from its delicious story. No, there are times it doesn't make sense. Just go with it. It's a fun paranormal mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously (so I'm not going to either.)
For reals, I can't expect any more than that.
I was very impressed with the story that Duff wove, and I devoured it like candy. Riveting right up until the end, then the abrupt/cliff-hanger type ending left me flat. I had hoped this was going to be a stand-alone book -- even if it is the first in a series.
And, yes, I'll read the next book when it comes out. Because Duff is actually a pretty good storyteller. I hesitate to call her a "writer," as there is a co-writer credit on this book alongside Duff's name. So I'm not sure how much she crafted herself. But I'm positive the story is completely hers. The writing does fumble in spots, when too much dialogue trumps giving solid descriptions. I could never clearly envision the main players. Well, it's a book, after all -- perhaps I should let my imagination do some of the work.
The story involved a privileged teen (the daughter of famous parents -- one a politician, the other a world-renowned surgeon) who has a passion for photography. After a trip to Europe, Clea finds some unsettling images in the photos she snapped. The photos are what catapult her on a scavenger hunt across the globe to find the answers from everything to the secret to immortality and the mysterious man that keeps appearing in her dreams.
All in all, the writing flaws weren't enough to take away from its delicious story. No, there are times it doesn't make sense. Just go with it. It's a fun paranormal mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously (so I'm not going to either.)
For reals, I can't expect any more than that.
November 6, 2010
Seventeen year old, around the world photojournalist, Clea Raymond still misses and wonders what happened to her father who disappeared a year ago in Rio. Many things happen at once when Clea discovers an image of a man in one of her photos and then that same mysterious man lives in her dreams. Clea and her best friend Ben go to Rio and in hopes to uncover the truth about what really happen to her father and how it ties in with a man that she's always seemed to know deep in her soul...
I've always been fascinated with reincarnation and immorality in my reads and while the book concept sounds good, I couldn't love Elixir as much as I wanted to.
Always liked Hilary Duff, and the writing is actually pretty good.
But, the characters fell flat and the pacing was off in some places and rushed in others.
I wish we had some more character development concerning Sage, he upset me the most actually. I thought the relationship between him and Clea moved to quickly, specially in the car, which was just ridiculous. I didn't feel any connection nor chemistry. Plus his hot and cold attitude was starting to tick me off. Also, I thought that Clea wasn't interesting enough for an MC.
I did however get a kick out of the dreams and the background history that was provided from them. But sadly, it's not enough to continue on with this series.
I've always been fascinated with reincarnation and immorality in my reads and while the book concept sounds good, I couldn't love Elixir as much as I wanted to.
Always liked Hilary Duff, and the writing is actually pretty good.
But, the characters fell flat and the pacing was off in some places and rushed in others.
I wish we had some more character development concerning Sage, he upset me the most actually. I thought the relationship between him and Clea moved to quickly, specially in the car, which was just ridiculous. I didn't feel any connection nor chemistry. Plus his hot and cold attitude was starting to tick me off. Also, I thought that Clea wasn't interesting enough for an MC.
I did however get a kick out of the dreams and the background history that was provided from them. But sadly, it's not enough to continue on with this series.
November 17, 2018
I am finally writing a review for this book.
I have had this book for a really long time.. I had only bought it because Hilary Duff was the author.. I didn't expect much from it, I didn't think I would like it; but I was wrong.
This book was so interesting.. It's definitely different from anything I've read. The whole Elixir thing was so cool, and intriguing. Each chapter was different and so much happened in each chapter. The whole story is just fast paced and so many things happen. I really like Sage! Although there's a lot that happens with him, which i'm not going to talk about. I like him as a character tho. I liked Clea as a main character she was very adamant about finding her father. The whole dreams and pictures thing with Sage was so interesting and different for me, I loved it.
I couldn't give this book a full 5 stars, there were just parts where I was confused or didn't care for some of the events that were happening. There's a love triangle which I hate.. Especially when the best friend is involved.. I'm not a huge fan of the best friend being in love with the main character trope anymore.. I've read too much of it. That is one of the reasons I gave it 4 stars.
Overall it was a good book and an interesting read. I enjoyed it, but it definitely isn't for everyone. I will be continuing on with the trilogy.
I have had this book for a really long time.. I had only bought it because Hilary Duff was the author.. I didn't expect much from it, I didn't think I would like it; but I was wrong.
This book was so interesting.. It's definitely different from anything I've read. The whole Elixir thing was so cool, and intriguing. Each chapter was different and so much happened in each chapter. The whole story is just fast paced and so many things happen. I really like Sage! Although there's a lot that happens with him, which i'm not going to talk about. I like him as a character tho. I liked Clea as a main character she was very adamant about finding her father. The whole dreams and pictures thing with Sage was so interesting and different for me, I loved it.
I couldn't give this book a full 5 stars, there were just parts where I was confused or didn't care for some of the events that were happening. There's a love triangle which I hate.. Especially when the best friend is involved.. I'm not a huge fan of the best friend being in love with the main character trope anymore.. I've read too much of it. That is one of the reasons I gave it 4 stars.
Overall it was a good book and an interesting read. I enjoyed it, but it definitely isn't for everyone. I will be continuing on with the trilogy.
November 14, 2010
The people giving this book good reviews really couldn't have read the same book I did!
OK, here are some spoilers...AKA my problems with this story.
-Clea's dad is missing, and has been declared dead. She's looking for him, and thinks maybe he's still alive. Nothing happens on this topic.
-Clea finds that in the pictures she takes there's a strange man, always in the same clothes, always in the background, never seen or noticed in real life. We later find out he's her soul-mate, and not actually there, but his soul is so drawn to her that an image of him shows up in photographs.
-Then we find out that her dad hired Ben, one of her two friends, because of his belief in the supernatural. Ben is in love with Clea, but she's clueless. When she tells him about the man in the photo's he shows her pictures that her father took of her throughout her life. Mystery, shadow man is in them. Her father had hired Ben to protect her, in case the shadow mystery man was an incubus. But her dad thought there was also the possibility that he was her Guardian Angel. (Are you tired of this too?)
-In the end, have we found out anything about daddy? No. Does anything happen with Ben, well yes! We find out that he has been the cause of Clea's death in her past four lives! How about our mystery man... Well she finds him, feels a connection to him that transcends space and time, then he gets kidnapped, because she told his enemies where he was (so tangled and ridiculous). Then she's mad at Ben because, somehow this is his fault.
The End. Lovely!
OK, here are some spoilers...AKA my problems with this story.
-Clea's dad is missing, and has been declared dead. She's looking for him, and thinks maybe he's still alive. Nothing happens on this topic.
-Clea finds that in the pictures she takes there's a strange man, always in the same clothes, always in the background, never seen or noticed in real life. We later find out he's her soul-mate, and not actually there, but his soul is so drawn to her that an image of him shows up in photographs.
-Then we find out that her dad hired Ben, one of her two friends, because of his belief in the supernatural. Ben is in love with Clea, but she's clueless. When she tells him about the man in the photo's he shows her pictures that her father took of her throughout her life. Mystery, shadow man is in them. Her father had hired Ben to protect her, in case the shadow mystery man was an incubus. But her dad thought there was also the possibility that he was her Guardian Angel. (Are you tired of this too?)
-In the end, have we found out anything about daddy? No. Does anything happen with Ben, well yes! We find out that he has been the cause of Clea's death in her past four lives! How about our mystery man... Well she finds him, feels a connection to him that transcends space and time, then he gets kidnapped, because she told his enemies where he was (so tangled and ridiculous). Then she's mad at Ben because, somehow this is his fault.
The End. Lovely!
August 17, 2011
Hilary Duff wrote this book. I was sceptical to say the least(see the pre-reading bit for more info), and now I've read it, just to see if it was as bad as people say.
Okay, so I just finnished this book late last night. Needless to say, it was just plain odd. I didn't like it in the slightest really.
It gets half a satr for plot and half a star for making me laugh, albeit unintentionally.
The Plot: You know this one already. Clea is a cribbabe-playing, tea-obsessed, iris neckalce waering, photo journalistic politicatian's daughter. That's about as much as I could get from her. Nothing really huge, just minor spikes of OMG to give the appearance of a character. Well back to the plot, or lack of it anyway.
Clea takes some photos and then some random dude starts showing up in them. Then some other crap happens and then she meets the dude in the photograph.
His name is....SAGE! Yep, Sage. I laugh. She meets him in Brazil. And then promptly gets caught up in this whole thing involving her dad's research into the Elixr of Life.
I won't go into any more detail, becuase if I do I'll just laugh.
The Romance: Soulmates. Yep. Another one of them. You think this should be awesome right? That the whole thing will just be...amazing. But really in here it just seems like a good excuse to have sex in the front seat of the best friend's car only a day or two after meeting.
I mean really, what has YA lit come to? Is this what they call romantic?
More like it's a whoel bunch of stupid.
I didn't really feel much for Sage other than...well nothing. I didn't have any sort of feeling for him. I didn't even care if he got himself killed. Ever.
Also, this book is a total rip-off of despite the differnces.
On Actually Reading it: I really, really did laugh my way though this book. it was just that full of crap. Like the Cursed Vengance as the evil group's name. I mean really, if the name was in latin or something impressive, I might have given it a pass, but really, CV was a terrible name. I could think up better names in my sleep.
It got to the point where I just read it becuase I wanted to see if there were anymore lols. But then the whole car-sex came in and it just went to s**t.
The Final Verdict: Unless you're a thirteen year old female trendhound, then I say stay away. I don't reccomend it. Elixr was so full of crap it coulda been a sewerage plant. So yeah, don't be like me and read it.
Pre-Reading: HILARY DUFF WROTE A BOOK?
I mean really, Duff? A Novelist?
What is this world comming to?
Ah well, if this book makes an appearance in my library, I'll check it out(sure as hell not buying it, duff already has enough cash, sides' there are more important books on my to-read shelf, ie all of the other ones) and after reading(if I actually finnish it....) let's see how much I wanna burn it.
Okay, so I just finnished this book late last night. Needless to say, it was just plain odd. I didn't like it in the slightest really.
It gets half a satr for plot and half a star for making me laugh, albeit unintentionally.
The Plot: You know this one already. Clea is a cribbabe-playing, tea-obsessed, iris neckalce waering, photo journalistic politicatian's daughter. That's about as much as I could get from her. Nothing really huge, just minor spikes of OMG to give the appearance of a character. Well back to the plot, or lack of it anyway.
Clea takes some photos and then some random dude starts showing up in them. Then some other crap happens and then she meets the dude in the photograph.
His name is....SAGE! Yep, Sage. I laugh. She meets him in Brazil. And then promptly gets caught up in this whole thing involving her dad's research into the Elixr of Life.
I won't go into any more detail, becuase if I do I'll just laugh.
The Romance: Soulmates. Yep. Another one of them. You think this should be awesome right? That the whole thing will just be...amazing. But really in here it just seems like a good excuse to have sex in the front seat of the best friend's car only a day or two after meeting.
I mean really, what has YA lit come to? Is this what they call romantic?
More like it's a whoel bunch of stupid.
I didn't really feel much for Sage other than...well nothing. I didn't have any sort of feeling for him. I didn't even care if he got himself killed. Ever.
Also, this book is a total rip-off of despite the differnces.
On Actually Reading it: I really, really did laugh my way though this book. it was just that full of crap. Like the Cursed Vengance as the evil group's name. I mean really, if the name was in latin or something impressive, I might have given it a pass, but really, CV was a terrible name. I could think up better names in my sleep.
It got to the point where I just read it becuase I wanted to see if there were anymore lols. But then the whole car-sex came in and it just went to s**t.
The Final Verdict: Unless you're a thirteen year old female trendhound, then I say stay away. I don't reccomend it. Elixr was so full of crap it coulda been a sewerage plant. So yeah, don't be like me and read it.
Pre-Reading: HILARY DUFF WROTE A BOOK?
I mean really, Duff? A Novelist?
What is this world comming to?
Ah well, if this book makes an appearance in my library, I'll check it out(sure as hell not buying it, duff already has enough cash, sides' there are more important books on my to-read shelf, ie all of the other ones) and after reading(if I actually finnish it....) let's see how much I wanna burn it.
July 4, 2017
'Hilary Duff wrote a book?!' That was the reaction most people had when they realized what I was reading. To be honest, my reaction was the same when I first found out she was writing a YA novel. But when I read the summary, I was pleasantly surprised. It actually sounded promising. After finishing it though, I had problems with the execution of the plot and the characters.
One, Clea's background. Okay, so she's the daughter of a famous surgeon and a politician that has felt the spotlight her whole life. I might buy that she grew up kind of famous, but not to the extent portrayed in the novel. The America I know is more obsessed about the children of actors, models and the like. Unless you're the president or vice-president, most of America probably won't know who their politicians' kids are. I like to think of myself as sort-of politically savvy and I don't know who my senator's kids are, much less the kids from a senator from another state.
Two, Clea's characterization. Clea is rich, smart, famous, etc. Which probably won't be relatable to many readers. However, her sense of loss from her father's death, her drive for independence from her celebrity parent, and her strong friendship with Rayna does bridge the gap between her character and the reader's. That's a plus. However, Clea never felt completely fleshed out to me. She never becomes a three-dimensional person in my mind. I feel like with Clea and all the other characters is that Duff was just skimming the surface. There was so much to explore with these characters. But Rayna is the stock best friend. Ben is the boy who secretly crushes on her. And Sage is the mysterious boy who Clea is drawn to.
Three, Sage and Clea's relationship. I didn't buy it. It was one of those typical YA cliché where they have an instant connection and fall in love in a span of a couple days. Yea, that didn't sit well with me. I like my romances to build up. And it's not really about the days, but the fact that you barely know anything about him.
Four and last point, the plot. The premise was oh so promising. But there were so many plot holes. A lot of the plot seemed forced and engineered to get to where the author wanted it to be. Nothing felt natural. The home schooling is mention a continuous amount, but that was seemed like a way to explain all the jet setting all the time. And the two groups after the Elixir. They never really get explained. They become convenient villains. And a web forum?! For groups that sound like secret cults, a web forum?! Way to broadcast your not-so-secret group to the rest of the world. And the climax, a complete dud.
I really wanted to like this book. But there were so many problems. It's an easy read, if you can get pass the undeveloped plot and 2-D characters. I couldn't.
One, Clea's background. Okay, so she's the daughter of a famous surgeon and a politician that has felt the spotlight her whole life. I might buy that she grew up kind of famous, but not to the extent portrayed in the novel. The America I know is more obsessed about the children of actors, models and the like. Unless you're the president or vice-president, most of America probably won't know who their politicians' kids are. I like to think of myself as sort-of politically savvy and I don't know who my senator's kids are, much less the kids from a senator from another state.
Two, Clea's characterization. Clea is rich, smart, famous, etc. Which probably won't be relatable to many readers. However, her sense of loss from her father's death, her drive for independence from her celebrity parent, and her strong friendship with Rayna does bridge the gap between her character and the reader's. That's a plus. However, Clea never felt completely fleshed out to me. She never becomes a three-dimensional person in my mind. I feel like with Clea and all the other characters is that Duff was just skimming the surface. There was so much to explore with these characters. But Rayna is the stock best friend. Ben is the boy who secretly crushes on her. And Sage is the mysterious boy who Clea is drawn to.
Three, Sage and Clea's relationship. I didn't buy it. It was one of those typical YA cliché where they have an instant connection and fall in love in a span of a couple days. Yea, that didn't sit well with me. I like my romances to build up. And it's not really about the days, but the fact that you barely know anything about him.
Four and last point, the plot. The premise was oh so promising. But there were so many plot holes. A lot of the plot seemed forced and engineered to get to where the author wanted it to be. Nothing felt natural. The home schooling is mention a continuous amount, but that was seemed like a way to explain all the jet setting all the time. And the two groups after the Elixir. They never really get explained. They become convenient villains. And a web forum?! For groups that sound like secret cults, a web forum?! Way to broadcast your not-so-secret group to the rest of the world. And the climax, a complete dud.
I really wanted to like this book. But there were so many problems. It's an easy read, if you can get pass the undeveloped plot and 2-D characters. I couldn't.
October 9, 2010
Elixir by Hillary Duff Book Review
parafantasy.blogpsot.com
Originality-
I liked the aspect of it being about immortality, but I felt like I’ve read something like it before. Like Evermore by Allison Noel.
3/5
Characters-
I thought Clea was an okay protagonist. It was interesting to follow her side of the story but then again, I couldn’t really connect with her.
I loved the other minor characters though—like Clea’s best friend. I loved her!
4/5
Dialogue-
The dialogue was great. I really connected with it, because as a teen I know what it’s like to read a forced attempt of an adult trying to sound like a teen—and there was none of that in this book.
5/5
Plot-
The plot was very well planed out. I liked the twists and turns. The beginning felt a little slow to me, but when more characters start to come in the pace starts to pick back up again. The ending was kind of abrupt though.
3.5/5
Setting-
The book had multiple settings. I never really got a good picture of the surroundings, but she did a good job of it towards the end of the book.
3/5
Voice/writing- Hilary’s voice was great! I loved the fluidity of her words—it didn’t sound forced at all. And the grammar was just fine.
4/5
Cover- I love the cover! The purple flower and the fonts are very eye-catching.
5/5
Overall a 3.5/5
It was great but it didn’t really grab me much as a reader. That extra something wasn’t there that usually pulls me into the story—and I think that problem centers on originality. I recommend that you read it. Who knows, maybe it might interest you more than it did to me. It wasn’t a bad book. It’s just that it wasn’t the best either.
parafantasy.blogpsot.com
Originality-
I liked the aspect of it being about immortality, but I felt like I’ve read something like it before. Like Evermore by Allison Noel.
3/5
Characters-
I thought Clea was an okay protagonist. It was interesting to follow her side of the story but then again, I couldn’t really connect with her.
I loved the other minor characters though—like Clea’s best friend. I loved her!
4/5
Dialogue-
The dialogue was great. I really connected with it, because as a teen I know what it’s like to read a forced attempt of an adult trying to sound like a teen—and there was none of that in this book.
5/5
Plot-
The plot was very well planed out. I liked the twists and turns. The beginning felt a little slow to me, but when more characters start to come in the pace starts to pick back up again. The ending was kind of abrupt though.
3.5/5
Setting-
The book had multiple settings. I never really got a good picture of the surroundings, but she did a good job of it towards the end of the book.
3/5
Voice/writing- Hilary’s voice was great! I loved the fluidity of her words—it didn’t sound forced at all. And the grammar was just fine.
4/5
Cover- I love the cover! The purple flower and the fonts are very eye-catching.
5/5
Overall a 3.5/5
It was great but it didn’t really grab me much as a reader. That extra something wasn’t there that usually pulls me into the story—and I think that problem centers on originality. I recommend that you read it. Who knows, maybe it might interest you more than it did to me. It wasn’t a bad book. It’s just that it wasn’t the best either.
July 5, 2018
5 Words: Family, mystery, magic(??), attraction, insta-love.
Nooooo.
It started off so well. SO WELL.
But by the end it was just OK.
Gutted. I really did love the start, but by the time they went to Rio it was a lost cause.
Nooooo.
It started off so well. SO WELL.
But by the end it was just OK.
Gutted. I really did love the start, but by the time they went to Rio it was a lost cause.
November 10, 2010
So, you were reluctant to pick up this book because it was written by Hilary Duff? I can totally see your point, actually this was one of my first reactions about this book. But, audible offered the first chapter from the audiobook for free and I thought I just give it try and see if I might like it.
Well, after listening to the first chapter I had to know how this story continues and I bought the whole audiobook. It was also helpful that I really liked the voice from the narrator.
The story has all the good things a YA novel needs to get under your skin. It has soul mates, sacrifices, betrayal, love hurt, wonderful friendship, a hot guy, a fast paced mysterious plot and an ending that leaves you wanting for more!
Our main character is Clea, a girl from a wealthy and famous family - always chased by paparazzi. She is a Photo Journalist and she loves to get lost when taking pictures. Clea has two best friends, Reena who is really the best friend you can ever wish for and Ben, who is hired from her parents to take care of her. He's smart lovely and...obviously in love with her. Clea's Dad recently disappeared and everyone things he's dad, Clea is still trying not to get lost in grief.
The story starts when she realizes that on all her pictures is a stranger, well a good looking stranger. Of course she's scared and thinks that he's a Stalker so she also tells Ben and Reena about it. After showing her pictures to Ben, Ben tells her secrets from her Dad that leaves her speechless and hanging in the air. Her world turned suddenly upside down and she also starts to doubt that her Dad is really dead. (Everything else I'm saying now would be to many spoilers!!)
At the same time, Clea also starts getting dreams - dreams of other woman and always the same man - the man in the picture......
I loved this book, I really did! Clea was a super sweet person and it was so easy to connect to her, which is one of the most important things for me in a book. Her struggle with the death of her father felt real and hurts. Also, Soul mates is always a wonderful topic for a book.Of course we have a love triangle and as much as I like the drama I feel always bad for one of the guys, nothing else here!
I really liked the story and the plot, it's mysterious and leaves you always on edge trying to find out more. I was crying during the last 10% of the book, I was!
If you are an YA lover and love reading stories about Soul Mates, eternal life mixed with a enthralling storyline then please give this book a chance. Forget who wrote it, because this honestly doesn't matter, what matters is the book and I can only tell you - I loved it and I will most definitely read the next one!
Well, after listening to the first chapter I had to know how this story continues and I bought the whole audiobook. It was also helpful that I really liked the voice from the narrator.
The story has all the good things a YA novel needs to get under your skin. It has soul mates, sacrifices, betrayal, love hurt, wonderful friendship, a hot guy, a fast paced mysterious plot and an ending that leaves you wanting for more!
Our main character is Clea, a girl from a wealthy and famous family - always chased by paparazzi. She is a Photo Journalist and she loves to get lost when taking pictures. Clea has two best friends, Reena who is really the best friend you can ever wish for and Ben, who is hired from her parents to take care of her. He's smart lovely and...obviously in love with her. Clea's Dad recently disappeared and everyone things he's dad, Clea is still trying not to get lost in grief.
The story starts when she realizes that on all her pictures is a stranger, well a good looking stranger. Of course she's scared and thinks that he's a Stalker so she also tells Ben and Reena about it. After showing her pictures to Ben, Ben tells her secrets from her Dad that leaves her speechless and hanging in the air. Her world turned suddenly upside down and she also starts to doubt that her Dad is really dead. (Everything else I'm saying now would be to many spoilers!!)
At the same time, Clea also starts getting dreams - dreams of other woman and always the same man - the man in the picture......
I loved this book, I really did! Clea was a super sweet person and it was so easy to connect to her, which is one of the most important things for me in a book. Her struggle with the death of her father felt real and hurts. Also, Soul mates is always a wonderful topic for a book.Of course we have a love triangle and as much as I like the drama I feel always bad for one of the guys, nothing else here!
I really liked the story and the plot, it's mysterious and leaves you always on edge trying to find out more. I was crying during the last 10% of the book, I was!
If you are an YA lover and love reading stories about Soul Mates, eternal life mixed with a enthralling storyline then please give this book a chance. Forget who wrote it, because this honestly doesn't matter, what matters is the book and I can only tell you - I loved it and I will most definitely read the next one!
July 14, 2012
If the rating was based solely on plot, I would have given this book 5 stars. Unfortunately for Hilary Duff, there is more that goes into writing, a book cannot stand only on plot.
The first chapter was unbearable to read. The author in me picked apart and scrutinized every word. Some times I wish I wasn't so critical, and this was one of those times. Each sentence started with the word "I". As my friend so bluntly put it, it was a poorly written first person. I struggled to be open minded and continue reading, and honestly, the only thing stopping me from throwing the book away was that Hilary Duff was my childhood idol and I felt obligated as her fan to give the book a chance.
A few chapters in, the book finally got interesting with the appearance of a strange man in photos, appearing in places impossible for a human to go, for example, in mid air. That caught my attention, and I found myself speculating about what that man could be instead of hating on her writing ability (or lack of). Then the dreams started, and I found myself forgetting about time, food, and bland sentences.
The plot is extremely original. I was very impressed, and envious, of Duff's ability to come up with such an unique plot. My only wish is that she would have changed her execution. I ended up guessing the main point (wont reveal because I hate spoilers) a few chapters before the main character, Clea, did. There is nothing more irritating to me than figuring things out before characters do.
Overall, despite the mediocre quality, I found myself immersed in the story line, reading it in a day, and looking anxiously forward to reading the sequel.
The first chapter was unbearable to read. The author in me picked apart and scrutinized every word. Some times I wish I wasn't so critical, and this was one of those times. Each sentence started with the word "I". As my friend so bluntly put it, it was a poorly written first person. I struggled to be open minded and continue reading, and honestly, the only thing stopping me from throwing the book away was that Hilary Duff was my childhood idol and I felt obligated as her fan to give the book a chance.
A few chapters in, the book finally got interesting with the appearance of a strange man in photos, appearing in places impossible for a human to go, for example, in mid air. That caught my attention, and I found myself speculating about what that man could be instead of hating on her writing ability (or lack of). Then the dreams started, and I found myself forgetting about time, food, and bland sentences.
The plot is extremely original. I was very impressed, and envious, of Duff's ability to come up with such an unique plot. My only wish is that she would have changed her execution. I ended up guessing the main point (wont reveal because I hate spoilers) a few chapters before the main character, Clea, did. There is nothing more irritating to me than figuring things out before characters do.
Overall, despite the mediocre quality, I found myself immersed in the story line, reading it in a day, and looking anxiously forward to reading the sequel.
September 17, 2016
Omg i haven't read a book this good in sooooooooo long!!! I adored it.i was so excited after years of wanting to read it i got lucky enough to find this at salvation army i basically ran to my mom screaming saying mom look the book from Hilary duff i wanted for ages!!any way this story was brilliant beyond belief!!!! The writting style is so charming making you want to keep reading in one sitting which is what I did!!! Get the book you wont be disappointed!! Now to get the next two books and fall in love with the series again :) thanks chicka for writting this!!!
January 25, 2013
You read right
Hilary Duff wrote a book!!!
SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!
Open
and read
read
*yawns *
read
*eyes watering *
read.......
*zzzzzzzZZZZZZZ*
I'm pretty lenient in rating books. But this is stretching too far
Boring, cliche and gosh I couldn't stand the writing!
DEFINITELY won't be reading the second book.
Hilary Duff should stick to singing or acting than writing books.
Enough said.
Hilary Duff wrote a book!!!
SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!
Open
and read
read
*yawns *
read
*eyes watering *
read.......
*zzzzzzzZZZZZZZ*
I'm pretty lenient in rating books. But this is stretching too far
Boring, cliche and gosh I couldn't stand the writing!
DEFINITELY won't be reading the second book.
Hilary Duff should stick to singing or acting than writing books.
Enough said.
December 17, 2010
What do you get when you combine The DaVinci Code, Twilight, and Chasing Liberty? You get Elixir: the debut novel of my favorite Disney channel alum, Hilary Duff.
First off, his was a super fast read. Probably because the font is huge and it's double spaced to make it seem like it's longer than it really is. Also likely due to the fact that it's not exactly Shakespeare- although he is referenced quite a bit.
I'm extremely curious to know how much of this plot was Hilary Duff's idea, and how much was added by her ghostwriter/collaborator. Some things really stood out, such as the use of cribbage constantly. I've never played that game before, but I get the sense that Hilary must be a fan to include it so prominently in the story. I wonder if the iris is Hilary's favorite flower? It's emblazoned all over the pages and is mentioned in the text ad nauseum. I wanted to give the Duff/Allen team props for avoiding the some of the typical drivel that teen novels seem to have these days, but I can't, because while they were avoided at the beginning, they were not left out for long.
It was somewhat distracting that I was imagining Clea as Hilary Duff. It was like I could hear Hilary reading me the book. This did not happen to me with the LA Candy series, even though Jane in those books was obviously meant to be Lauren Conrad. I feel like Lauren and Hilary need to have a chat about creating characters. Oh wait, maybe they have already, because Hilary's "Rayna" character is almost the exact same as Lauren's "Scarlett." Not every girl has a sassy BFF with beautiful long red hair, okay? Or perhaps I just haven't met mine yet.
Hilary has also clearly been influenced by the Twilight series. An immortal perfect dreamboat boyfriend with a penchant for creepiness? Check! Really now, does every young heroine these days need to have a love triangle with an impossibly perfect brooding Adonis and her guy next door best friend she's never thought of romantically before? NO! NO, NO, NO! In the real world, do impossibly perfect brooding Adonis types go for the "average" girls? Nope, not really! Sage is sort of even creepier than Edward Cullen since he's been stalking Clea for 500 years, and Edward hasn't been carrying around a condom just waiting for the right opportunity to have sex with Bella in a car on the side of the road after declaring he loves her after a few days. Eww. Also, "Sage" is a really stupid name for a dream guy to have, right?
As much as I hate myself for it, I will probably read the next installment of this series because there really doesn't seem like much more can happen aside from Clea finding her father and Ben dying to save her somehow and Sage killing himself so his soul can inhabit Ben's body and then he and Clea/Olivia/Catherine/Delia/whoever can be ~together forever~ Gag.
First off, his was a super fast read. Probably because the font is huge and it's double spaced to make it seem like it's longer than it really is. Also likely due to the fact that it's not exactly Shakespeare- although he is referenced quite a bit.
I'm extremely curious to know how much of this plot was Hilary Duff's idea, and how much was added by her ghostwriter/collaborator. Some things really stood out, such as the use of cribbage constantly. I've never played that game before, but I get the sense that Hilary must be a fan to include it so prominently in the story. I wonder if the iris is Hilary's favorite flower? It's emblazoned all over the pages and is mentioned in the text ad nauseum. I wanted to give the Duff/Allen team props for avoiding the some of the typical drivel that teen novels seem to have these days, but I can't, because while they were avoided at the beginning, they were not left out for long.
It was somewhat distracting that I was imagining Clea as Hilary Duff. It was like I could hear Hilary reading me the book. This did not happen to me with the LA Candy series, even though Jane in those books was obviously meant to be Lauren Conrad. I feel like Lauren and Hilary need to have a chat about creating characters. Oh wait, maybe they have already, because Hilary's "Rayna" character is almost the exact same as Lauren's "Scarlett." Not every girl has a sassy BFF with beautiful long red hair, okay? Or perhaps I just haven't met mine yet.
Hilary has also clearly been influenced by the Twilight series. An immortal perfect dreamboat boyfriend with a penchant for creepiness? Check! Really now, does every young heroine these days need to have a love triangle with an impossibly perfect brooding Adonis and her guy next door best friend she's never thought of romantically before? NO! NO, NO, NO! In the real world, do impossibly perfect brooding Adonis types go for the "average" girls? Nope, not really! Sage is sort of even creepier than Edward Cullen since he's been stalking Clea for 500 years, and Edward hasn't been carrying around a condom just waiting for the right opportunity to have sex with Bella in a car on the side of the road after declaring he loves her after a few days. Eww. Also, "Sage" is a really stupid name for a dream guy to have, right?
As much as I hate myself for it, I will probably read the next installment of this series because there really doesn't seem like much more can happen aside from Clea finding her father and Ben dying to save her somehow and Sage killing himself so his soul can inhabit Ben's body and then he and Clea/Olivia/Catherine/Delia/whoever can be ~together forever~ Gag.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2017
Clea Raymond, a talented young photojournalist who has spent her life in the spotlight, and her best friends Rayna and Ben travel the globe trying to unravel a centuries-old mystery that could reveal her soulmate's identity and the secret of her father's disappearance.
My first reaction to hear that Hilary Duff wrote a book was surprise and delight! I love the girl! She is fun, elegant and has led a great life so of course she is going to be creative as a writer with many adventures and travels. I saw this book upon it's release in a local bookstore and when I touched the velvety purple cover I forgot about what I was going to buy; when you open the book you will find this beautiful quote: "in dreams and in love there are no impossibilities."
The book was amazing; every page has an iris in the corner indicating Clea's necklace, which is so cute! The story was so good, I might've brought that day, but I guess I finished it on the spot. The Title of the book 'Elixir' comes from Clea's father research of the Elixir of Life (elixir of immortality). What an amazing Book!!! I wanted more the second the finished the last page!!! The way it ended is killing me!! A cruel cliffhanger.
I read this book in 2010, I suppose and a few days ago I reread it again in 2016 to continue with the series and again I finished it so quickly in a day and a half. All the while imagining a movie starring Hilary Duff in it. Such a good book. There is a love triangle, adventure, lots of locations, friendship, reincarnation, immortality, soul mates, family, grieve, and thriller. Perfect book!
My first reaction to hear that Hilary Duff wrote a book was surprise and delight! I love the girl! She is fun, elegant and has led a great life so of course she is going to be creative as a writer with many adventures and travels. I saw this book upon it's release in a local bookstore and when I touched the velvety purple cover I forgot about what I was going to buy; when you open the book you will find this beautiful quote: "in dreams and in love there are no impossibilities."
The book was amazing; every page has an iris in the corner indicating Clea's necklace, which is so cute! The story was so good, I might've brought that day, but I guess I finished it on the spot. The Title of the book 'Elixir' comes from Clea's father research of the Elixir of Life (elixir of immortality). What an amazing Book!!! I wanted more the second the finished the last page!!! The way it ended is killing me!! A cruel cliffhanger.
I read this book in 2010, I suppose and a few days ago I reread it again in 2016 to continue with the series and again I finished it so quickly in a day and a half. All the while imagining a movie starring Hilary Duff in it. Such a good book. There is a love triangle, adventure, lots of locations, friendship, reincarnation, immortality, soul mates, family, grieve, and thriller. Perfect book!
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