Perfect Chemistry [Review]

Title: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Series: Perfect Chemistry #1
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
What They Say:
When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

What I Say:
I've known vaguely about this book for a while now. I'd heard mildly positive things about it and the book trailer was pretty brilliant (haha), but the premise was so cliche that I couldn't bring myself to pick it up. But with exams coming up, I was looking for something short and simple to read, so I decided to give this Romeo and Juliet reboot a chance. While on the surface it was the same-old-story I expected, deeper down it was refreshing and unpredicatable and I set it down feeling oddly impressed. That said...

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Plot: ooh

Brittany is perfect. Really, she says so maybe thirty times in the first chapter. She's has money, clothes, friends, everything. Her life, however, is not so perfect. Her sister has cerebral palsy, her mother's always critiquing her, and her dad's never around, and her boyfriend's gotten pushy over the summer. Oh the horror! Alex is far from perfect. He's in a gang, his grades are terrible, and did he mention he's in a gang? But it's all an act, really. Alex only joined the gang to protect his little brothers after his father died, he's working hard to be the first in his family to graduate high school. Brittany would never even go near to a thug from the south side of town, and Alex wouldn't be caught dead with a preppy north side princess. When they step into their senior Chemistry class, however, all that changes. Assigned to sit together for the whole year, these sworn enemies will have to get along if they want to pass. Falling in love, though, was never part of the plan.

Yeah, it's one of those books, haha. The first hundred-or-so pages had me on auto-cringe. Alex and Brittany play caricatures of themselves for the longest time, until they finally drop their defensive walls and actually get to know each other. The alternating POV chapters added to the ABC Family flick feel, but it smooths out as it goes. Because this is one of those books, I knew how it would end before it even started, but I was not disappointed by the path from point A to point B. I was actually surprised a few times. To touch on the ending, I mean, sure I knew how it would end, but Elkeles really cranks up the cheese dial in the last few pages. The crazy this is that it didn't even bother me! At that point, the crazy-happy ending was totally welcome.

Characters: ooh

I get that Brittany was a "real girl" and had "real problems", but she was pretty whiny and waify nonetheless. Not always - she had some pretty hardass moments - but most of the time, yeah. Oddly enough, much like the cheesy ending, she kind of made me roll my eyes and smile at the same time. She's not going to win Protag of the Year, and she isn't doing feminists any favors, but she definitely played her part well.

Alex didn't ellicit any eye-rolls, but he went from I'm-such-a-hardass to I'm-so-overly-serious a little too often to make him totally likeable. Luckily, his internal prize wheel finally slows down near the end, landing on - I don't know - one of the good prizes. I'm working on my metaphors, so bear with me, haha.

Relationships: ooh
Brittany and Collin - Because this was one of those books, I knew right away that this relationship would appear perfect but actually suck beneath the surface and that they'd eventually have one of those messy breakups that'd drive her into Alex's arms. I was right about that. Crept into Afterschool Special territory with the whole pressuring-boyfriend storyline, but ah well. At least it ended fast.

Brittany and Alex - After the drawn out Darcy Phase, this relationship really drove the story. Outside of the drama etc caused by it, though, it wasn't terribly interesting. I mean, yeah I get that he's a Montague and you're a Capulet, but do you have to be so tragic about it? No, ya don't.

Special Features: ooh
When I say one of those books, I'm referring to one of those new-twist-on-an-old-tale books. This one's Romeo and Juliet at the heart, but it's more West Side Story than "Palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss". I can't say I'm a big fan of this kind of book, but I can't deny that life imitates art from time to time, and some themes are universal and therefore doomed to show up in every other YA novel, haha.

Parting Quote:

"Makin' mistakes ain't a crime, you know. What's the use of having a reputation if you can't ruin it every now and then?"

Yeah...one of those books. 

The Unidentified [Review]

Title: The Unidentified by Rae Mariz
Genre: Science-fiction
What They Say:
Kid knows her school’s corporate sponsors not-so-secretly monitor her friendships and activities for market research. It’s all a part of the Game; the alternative education system designed to use the addictive kick from video games to encourage academic learning. Everyday, a captive audience of students ages 13-17 enter the nationwide chain store-like Game locations to play.

When a group calling themselves The Unidentified simulates a suicide to protest the power structure of their school, Kid’s investigation into their pranks attracts unwanted attention from the sponsors. As Kid finds out she doesn't have rights to her ideas, her privacy, or identity, she and her friends look for a way to revolt in a place where all acts of rebellion are just spun into the next new ad campaign...

What I Say:
I waited a looong time to get my hands on this book, so I guess that's why my expectations where so high when I finally got around to reading it. All-in-all, I'd say I grudgingly liked this book. It had this shaky balance between major suck and ho-shit-must-keep-reading! which was probably her publisher's main justficstion for actually printing it. That said...

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Plot: ooh
Katey is completely average, and she has the Game scores to prove it. The Game is the future equivalent of school, except it's a giant teenage social paradise built in an old shopping mall complete with arcades, music studios, movie theatres, etc. Grades are points earned in games and - much like in real school - being popular. But the Game isn't in a mall for nothing. It's practically run by corporations with cameras everywhere to track trends and buzz and which kids they'll choose to Sponsor next. To be sponsored is to reach the height of popularity and get free stuff. These "Branded" kids have the most friends on their intouches® and party in VIP rooms à la Gossip Girl. But Kid doesn't want to get sponsored, not really. She's really interested in a recent prank pulled by an underground group of kids who call themselves Unidentified. These kids don't play to the Game's rules. They don't have any intouch® friends or follow trends and they're widely ignored by the sponsors in their attempts to eff up the system. That is, until one Kid Dade takes notice of them, and as expected things get hella complicated.

Not gonna lie, the first fifty or so pages were so hammy and dull and obnoxious that I was fully prepared to give this book 2 stars and drop it ASAP. But then Mariz pulled a twist right out of Scott Westerfeld's Extras and I was helplessly hooked till the end. I liked the idea of getting sponsored, kind of like getting Partnered on YouTube except on a grander scale. Now, to touch on the ending without being spoilery, I get what Mariz was doing there, but I was actually hoping to be surprised by a cliffhanger and a Book 2. She creates this world which, if you look closely and re-read some of the offhand comments she throws in there, is a lot eerier and more sinister than you first suspect. I mean, even the premise of the book raises suspicions as these odd little aspects of their society are revealed. Like, why are they holding the country's kids in isolation all day and the not letting them go anywhere but home every evening? Why are there laws against young people hanging out in public?? She added all this set-up for a potentially crazy good dystopia series and then oh look lastpagenosequel! Sadface.

Characters: ooh
I appreciate characters who aren't  morally ambiguous per se, but aren't whiny pasty agonizers either. So kudos to Kid for not getting on my nerves. And also for not being a preachy cynic spilling social commentary out her ears. These character traits would work for other characters, but even I wouldn't have had the staying power to read three hundred pages of "I am sooo above this." Because her friend Ari is right, in a way. We are all fame whores, just a bit. No use denying it.

That said, Ari is one of most annoying, aggravating characters out there. Just auugh. She makes all girls look like tooly little glasslickers. Auugh again. Please, dear readers, never never ever aspire to be like this girl.

Mikey is that good old best guy friend who doesn't stay angry at you for two hundred pages like some people we know. I was expecting this to be one of those books where the main character breaks away from her society but her friends are all still tragically brainwashed, but it sooo wasn't like that. Mikey's no Asher, I'll give him that.

Jeremy Swift is extremely intriguing. Now that I think about it, I don't remember him saying anything terribly adorable, but I waxed poetic for a few pages here and there all the same. But you don't get Sponsored by school security unless you like raining on parades and being just a little but toolish. That's like a rule. 

Relationships: ooh
Kid and Swift - Why does the gorgeous popular guy who never looks twice at the main character until she gets interesting have to always disappoint her in the end? Siiigh. Can't extremely cute but ultimately shallow and false love last for once?? He was soo intriguing. Oh wells. Rule No. 1 of YA prevails yet again. First guy wins, second guy loses. Should have noticed her sooner, buddy.

Kid and Mikey - Hmm, I don't know about these two. Last minute romance is always kind of a cop-out. At least he wasn't the brooding jealous type. He got over that sting of unrequited love pretty fast! I approve. So I guess he does deserve to get the girl on like the third-to-last page.

Special Features: ooh
I said earlier that this book was kind of like Extras, and it is. They both focus on the idea of fame having a nearly-monetary value in their respective worlds, both have a public ranking of the most popular people, and the main girls in both books find themselves inexplicably thrust to the top one day. Perks and fabulousness ensue, but being in the spotlight puts their secret group of prank-pulling friends in danger of exposure... Huh, weird, these books sounds awfully similar. (I didn't even notice the similarities until I started on this section, haha.) On that note, read Extras after you read this book because it was goood.

Parting Quotes:

The sound of female laughter could be chilling. Anyone who thought girl-giggling was harmless, charming, and pink was way misguided. I pressed Record on my intouch® to capture the uniquely primate sound.

Oh, and Kid remixes everyday sounds into music. That's pretty cool.

Matched [Review]

Title: Matched by Ally Condie
Series: Matched, #1
Genre: Science-fiction
What They Say:
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate...until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

What I Say:
I have been waiting to get my hands on this book for quite a while. The premise was extremely intriguing, and finally getting to sit down an dive into Condie's brave new world was v exciting for a u/dystopia-lover like me. Matched did not disappoint - it had a lot of chances to, but it didn't. I am sitting on thumbtacks waiting for the sequel. That said:

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Plot: wow
Welcome to the Society, where every aspect of life is controlled by the government. It's kind of like summer camp: you choose the activities you want to do, but the staff decide what you eat and when you do everything and if you live or die (kidding). Anyway, a big part of growing up in the society is the Matching. Every month, the government puts all eligible seventeen-year-olds' names into a big old sorting machine and draws names until every girl has a Match, the man she will marry. Cassia has just been Matched to none other than her best friend Xander. Cassia is psyched to start planning the rest of her life around marrying Xander, but when she checks her Match info card and sees a different boy's name: shy, mysterious Ky Markham. Seeing his name was just a fluke, she is told later. Ky is not her Match, in fact, he will never have a Match because of his (mysterious) social status. Cassia ought to just forget him, but she can't stay away. Ky is from another province in the Society, about which she slowly begins to learn as she grows closer to this boy who is not meant for her, a breach is protocol which is pretty much taboo in their case. The more she learns about the Society and the truth about where Ky grew up, she uncovers some dark secrets and finds herself falling into danger. Well, of course she does. This is a sci-fi utopian love story. Duhh.

It's common knowledge at this point that you can create the lamest utopian society ever and it'll still probably fascinate me. Condie's Society has all the aspects of a good one: lots of citizen obliviousness; complete control by ever-watchful, cheery-but-creepy government officials; and a good amount of scorn and smugness in the face of past societies (usually ours today) which were crazy-stupid and almost ruined everything. And, of course, lotsa propaganda! The problem with these kinds of books is that I'm usually stressed out by all the danger and running and betrayal and stuff, so I was glad to find that this book is pretty low on that kind of drama. I'm especially glad that it doesn't end in a frustrating, mind-bending cliffhanger. Sure there's a cliff, but I didn't close the book feeling like I was about to fall off it. I deeply appreciate when a writer takes time to cushion the blow of the Big Twist or Shocking Revelation, so thanks Condie. You saved me from at least one sleepless night.

Characters: ooh
I can respect Cassia as a leading lady. She's logical and straightforward like the Society itself, but also tries to think in the abstract like her grandfather with his forbidden poetry and "not going gentle". She's not exactly sympathetic - I'm never all that worried if she'll be okay, which is an odd change that I can't determine the cause of - but she is an easily believable member of her Society, all rooted in probability and efficiency. As the series progresses, we'll hopefully see her start to develop into her own person. Then I'll be more worried if she lives or dies.

I plain old liked Ky Markham from the start, but when I tried to think of reasons before I wrote this review I realized I didn't have any. I like the idea of Ky: how he's mysterious and an outsider and the only one who can write and how he tells his life story in fragments on the back of napkins. He knew all the secrets, so I wanted to know him. Much like Cassia did. And gahh I love the name Ky Markham. I really hope we see this guy again.

I don't get how Xander is supposed to be Cassia's best friend. Sure, their friendship is established at the beginning, but I never really saw it. They don't even seem to know each other or really like each other or have anything to talk about, at least not the way "best friends" do. Xander doesn't really get a chance to shine until the very end, I think. Much like Ky, once I found out Xander had a secret of his own, I really wanted to see more of him. I'm awful, haha.

Relationships: ooh
Cassia and Xander - I love how this book defies Rule #1 of YA (The First Guy always gets the girl), but that's only because of Rule #2 (Under no circumstances can best friends end up together) and Rule 2 Subsection A (This realization must always cause irreparable damage to said best friendship). Honestly, Caxander never stood a chance. I've already touched on how they were pretty lame besties, but they were an awkward couple, too. Glad Condie didn't try to smush these two together at the last minute, because things would have gotten ugly real fast.

Cassia and Ky - Despite the fact that these two are textbook Starcrossed Lovers, I can deal with reading about these two for a whole trilogy. Cassia's characters unfolds when she's around Ky - she's less numbers and rules and more ambition and rambunctiousness (yeah, I just used 'rambunctiousness' wihout irony). Ky is the quiet, subtle, boyish type of flirt, which is lovely to read about, especially when compared to Xander: the awkward, tenth-grade-boyfriend-type.

Special Features: ooh
So this books references the poem "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas often, usually as a catalyst for non-conforming behavior. I'd never read this one before (I'm guilty of not being all that big on poetry), but I really loved how it worked with this story. That and I'm a sucker for a good line - you know, those lines that just make you close your eyes and you swear you can feel them - and this one has quite a few.

Parting Quote:

"Is falling in love with someone's story the same thing as falling in love with the person himself?"

Yeah...the one downside about this book is it isn't terribly quoteable. Major snark-drought in this one. But think on these words for awhile.