Rated YA-MA discussion

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Perfect Chemistry



Leaving Paradise



How to Ruin



Wild Cards

So I can only imagine what comments we're going to get in this topic. I know a lot of people who love the books and a couple of people who loathe them.

In regard to the Perfect Chemistry series, it seems like there is an opposing opinion that the books are a bit stereotypical and unrealistic, but I have to nicely disagree on this front. There are several parts/scenes of both books 1 and 3 which could very well have been taken from a page in my life. A lot of the scenarios in these books are ones I've lived through in one form or another, so needless to say, they caused me to get a little emotional.

Is everything 100% accurate? No, of course not, but I think the author did a good job at least trying to research gang life and its effects on families. I give her credit for trying. There aren't a whole lot of books out there like this, and sometimes I get tired of reading about scenarios that are nothing like my own teen years (which is most YA books). And this is coming from someone who loves escapist and speculative fiction more than realistic.

Even with the gang storyline, I would still probably consider the books to be more likely to appeal to females because the love story is very much in the forefront.

I finished the first of Elkeles' Paradise books yesterday, with the idea that I'd like to get a feel for her writing style before I read these books. I read the premise for Perfect Chemistry and thought it sounded like something I might like. I liked that Paradise was more realistic than not, as I've been on a paranormal kick lately. I like to change it up. I'm interested in the second of those books, so I'll probably end up reading these as well.
I didn't see a discussion for the Paradise books, so sorry if this doesn't belong here!

We did have one here at the bottom of the list (it fell to the second page)

...but I might just close that topic later and combine both series into one topic for the same author and add her other books, since neither series has gotten any traffic yet.

Okay, I went ahead and deleted the other topic and modified this one to include both sets of books.

Feel free to talk about Leaving Paradise and Return to Paradise in this topic as well. There are only two books, so I just tacked them on here. It makes sense, since it appears that the duo is finished. I'm not seeing any information about a book 3, and book 2 was published last year.

I really liked Perfect Chemistry -- if anything, I enjoyed the exploration of a complicated relationship. and an unusual one at that. I enjoy books that spark conversations about relationships, romance, etc.

Welcome to the group Tanya. :)

I agree. The books are not typical, and I appreciated that.

the only one i have read so far was Perfect chemistry and I liked it!

After reading I hope that Simone Elkeles continues on with the next generation of the Fuentes (view spoiler)[ because I love hockey!!! (hide spoiler)]

That would be a great spin-off series! I hadn't thought about it before.

I was not a fan of the epilogues, but if a spin-off was made with those characters, I would forgive them.

Ah I just finished leaving/returing to paradise and read prefect chemistry! i loved them! she is both sexual but honest voices of teens. as a blonde it is a little annoying we're always viewed one way, but I enjoy her stories, can't wait to read more by her. I didn't really like the eiplogue of Prefect Chemistry, too prefect and lucky. Also caleb is great ;)

With the Perfect Chemistry books, are they a true series, or just related characters? What I'm really asking is, do they need to be read in order? And can you read just one and get a complete story, or is it part of a bigger whole?

I don't think you technically need to read the books in order but because the characters show up in all of the books, you might get more out of it by reading the books in order.

Book 2 was my least favorite, so I'd say to start with 1 anyway.

Well, I'm doing a reading challenge where book 3 is one of the eligible titles, but I haven't read the first two. And I don't have time to read them first. So I'm trying to decide if I should read 3 anyway, or skip that title for the challenge and potentially come back to them.

Book 3 is actually my favorite in the series. I know I'm in the minority though.

As long as you know that the series is about brothers who each find their own special person, and that each brother and their girl will be showing up in the last book, you probably won't be lost. Book 3 has the family moving back to Chicago where the story started, so there will be some ties to the brother's former life there.

You might want to watch the book trailer for Chain Reaction and see if you think you'll be able to start it without having read the first two. Yes, the trailers are cheesy but a lot of book trailers are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK0RgK...

Or you could watch the trailers for 1 and 2 instead and get the basic gist of things.

That helped a lot. I did go watch book trailers for all three. I do want to read at least one at some point; I have not decided if I will read Chain Reaction for this challenge or substitute another title. Thanks!

Perfect chemistry is one of my favorites series. I know a lot of real life gang members and maybe that part wasn't completely accurate, but still like how it was portrayed. Also the interracial relationships were something I really liked and connected with. Great series.

I also like the Paradise books and I'm very excited for her new series :)

Added

I had an ARC of and read it during our seasons challenge. It was a perfect escapist read. It was exactly what I needed in that moment.

I see ratings all over the place for Wild Cards, which actually makes me a little curious to see how I'd feel.