Book of the Moment: Elixir by Hilary Duff

Title: Elixir
Author: Hilary Duff with Elise Allen
Hardcover: 327 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Released Date: October 12, 2010
Source: Library
Interest: Media Buzz





Synopsis:

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
~Goodreads



When I first heard that Hilary Duff wrote a book, I wasn't too surprised. She can sing, act, dance and she appeared on one of my favorite shows, Gossip Girl, so of course she can also write a book! Sometimes I think that when a celeb writes a book, they are just doing it to have some sort of comeback or another way to fame. But Elixir actually impressed me! Of course Hilary made this book a collaborative piece, what with the help of Elise Allen, who is also releasing her debut novels soon! But I was very happy to see that the book wasn't just some attempt at fame and that the book was actually really good! And it's the first in a series, so that definitely shows me she's serious about this writing!

First off, I thought that Clea was just a superb name. It's sticks to your mind when it comes to character names. Sort of like Stark or Cassel. I liked how humble Clea was when it came to the spotlight and sort of made me realize that Hilary Duff was channeling her experience of stardom when it came to those scenes in the book.  Clea is intelligent,  very grown up for her age, but still is aching over the loss of her father. She's unique and she channels that through her photography. I was interested by how passionate she was about photography and how she described how she felt whenever she took a picture and the meanings behind every click. She was a enjoyable character to read about!

This book also had a major love triangle. It was fun! There is loyal and smart Ben who is like Clea's brother but she's starting to see him in a different way....and then there is Sage. Sage is obviously an interesting character by the fact that his "soul" keeps popping up in Clea's pictures and that Clea has these dream memories about him! So I would say Sage obviously has the upper hand in getting Clea but I don't think Ben will stop anytime soon either. Both of the guys were hot in their own way and it was hard for me to pick who I would want Clea to be with!

Elixir was also very fast paced but I liked that! It went right to the adventure and action and there was even a crazy car chase! It was like a movie! And if this book was made into a movie, it would be superb! The traveling is fun and exciting to read and it made me wish I was there with them! Carnival in Rio? That sounds amazing!

Overall, this book impressed me a ton and I had a great time reading this! I am also looking forward to read some of Elise Allen's work since she probably had a great presence in the makings of this book. I can't wait to read the sequel to the book, doting by the name, Devoted!

I give it a 4 out of 5 CHEWS!

Does this sound good? Buy it from your local bookstore!