Review: Elixir by Hilary Duff and Elise Allen

The first word I ever uttered when I finished reading this book was "Huh?"

Elixir is one of the books high up in my most anticipated to-read list. I know I just had to right after I read the summary. The mystery and intrigue was well-presented in those four paragraphs, and I expected a lot from it.

Title: Elixir
Author: Hilary Duff and Elise Allen (contributor)
Pages: 327
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Published by: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Source: Borrowed
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Summary:

As the daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington D.C. politician, Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. And though she dreads the paparazzi who track her every move, she herself is 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, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful young man begin to appear in Clea’s photos—a man she has never seen in her life.

When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned—and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond.

Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future—and their lives.

Hilary Duff's life in the limelight and as a celebrity definitely helped draw a believable Clea, who in some ways is the same as her. With well-known parents and paparazzi following her every move, Clea, ironically, loves the world of photography. But when her dad disappears, is presumed dead and a man started appearing in the photos she's taking, Clea was suddenly in for a journey to find out the truth behind her father's disappearance, and her bond to this man who keeps appearing in her photos, Sage, and how everything is tied to what is believed to be The Elixir of Life.

The first few pages was interesting enough to breeze through, it was entertaining to have a sneak peek into the life of a "celebrity" child such as Clea's, and her difficulty to come into terms with the fact that her father was dead, who disappeared and whose body was never found.

I really want to like this book more than I did, but a lot of the elements in it just didn't work as well as I thought it would be for me. I'm more disappointed in myself because I set my expectations too high for this book. Granted, there were moments which made me jump and left me guessing for what will happen next, and it was what got me through reading Elixir to the very end, but I still felt like something's lacking in the book, like a key element I couldn't put my finger on.

I couldn't relate to Clea that well. I tried hard to reach out to her character but I just couldn't connect with her. In my opinion, Rayna's character outshines Clea's by a mile, mainly because it's a lot easier to relate to her than Clea. Rayna is the one bright spot in the story, she's very entertaining and spontaneous and wild. I would love to have a best friend like her.

The chemistry between Sage and Clea confused me but interests me at the same time. Despite my lukewarm response to the book, I have to say that I like the chemistry and attraction between them and its level of intensity, especially how it was established that they were "soulmates". It was immediate, yes, but Clea tried to make sense why it was happening instead of just drowning head-on in the emotions. However, the shift between reality and Clea's dreams confused me a bit and I had a hard time distinguishing if it was still part of the story or if I was reading some other book.

I have to say that Ben's involvement in the love triangle is a bit predictable. I saw it coming the moment Sage showed up. Still, it was entertaining to see the clash between Sage and Ben. Will there be a chance to have Rayna involved and create a love tangle between the four of them? I think this is definitely a possibility.

I am extremely unsatisfied with the ending, but it's a very good way of cutting the story for the next book. I was wishing that the first book had a few more pages, but readers are presented with a huge cliff-hanger at the end instead.

Over-all, this book was okay, but it didn't quite matched up to my standards. Fans of the Paranormal genre would love this, and I'm willing to give the sequel a try once it comes out. I have heard a lot of good things about this book from other readers/bloggers, so it might be that some of the aspects of the book just didn't work out well for me. By all means, please read Elixir and tell me what you think!

My rating

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Okay: Liked, but The Goddess demands more!

Book Cover:

Yes - The Goddess Approves!