Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Author: Simone Elkeles

Title: Chain Reaction
Publication: August 16th, 2011
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Purchased

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Synopsis: Like his brothers, Luis Fuentes is a risk taker; whether he's scaling the Rocky Mountains or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis is always looking for the next thrill. Nikki Cruz lives her life by certain rules -, don't trust a boy who says "I love you", boys lie to get their own way and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex's wedding and suddenly she's tempted to break all her rules. Getting Nikki to give him a chance is Luis's biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by the head of the gang that nearly destroyed his brothers' lives. Will Luis's feelings for Nikki be enough to stop him from entering a dark and violent world that could prove to be the ultimate risk?

Thoughts:  This book is the third and final installment of the Perfect Chemistry series. (I reviewed the first here) Luis is a bad boy just like his two brothers, but he's academically smarter than they were. He's on the swim team, gets A's in all his classes, and makes all the ladies swoon... all ladies but Nikki. No matter what Luis does, Nikki won't take a second glance. This isn't because she's a prude, it's because of what guys have done to her in the past. Will Luis be able to show her he's different?

What's nice about Chain Reaction is knowing what happens to all of the characters in the past two books. You'll get to see Brittany being pregnant, Carlos in the army, and other fun situations that will hold the first two books together. Luis is truly different than his brothers. He has his eye on being an astronaut and has to grades to prove it. There's one thing that I don't understand and believe is a cop out situation. Luis learns about a huge secret that changes his views on life. So much in fact, that he randomly throws out logic that was shown within the first half of the book. He does some stupid things based on this one secret, and the plot sort of falls apart. Don't fret! After this little bump in the road, everything turns out fine. The end is definitely sweet and keeps the readers satisfied. It's a to-read book if you're into the Perfect Chemistry series!