The non verbal communications between Clea and her best friend Reyna were almost ridiculous. Also the addition of a sexual encounter (a fade to black type.not graphic) made the book feel more 20-something rather than high school. Haven't been a teenage girl in sometime but is it common for a teenage girl to think how much she loves a guy but then mentally takes it back so as to not ruin her chances with a second guy? I honestly don't know. The addition of a weird love triangle proved that she is really nothing more than a silly girl. The main character is written in a way that we are to believe she is deeper than she really is but I wasn't fooled. It was written in the first person making it feel almost like a YA UF and the book does set up to have a continuing story line with the same characters which also made me think UF. I think the idea had good potential I just couldn't connect with a jet setting teenager who's mom allows her to head off to Rio, Paris and Tokyo without parental influence. Overall, I think Elixir is a silly, rushed story and I will most likely not be reading the second novel. While I didn't particularly think the simile worked, I appreciate that one of the writers is clearly well read. The albatross was more bad luck than anything. The albatross wasn't really weighing the mariner down or cramping his style.

'I was furious, imagining a brainless meathead of a bodyguard who'd hang like an albatross around my neck.' I appreciated her reference to 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Coleridge however the simile fell slightly flat to me. Also, who says 'I felt my gorge rise.' Seriously? Gorge? The word of the day appears to be reverie which was used about three times during the novel. I found it funny to see such weak sentence structure combined with such a strange word choice. The writing is weak enough to make me believe that Hilary probably did contribute to the writing. Maybe having him be an archeologist would be more believable?

Secondly, it makes zero sense to me for her father to be considered a world renowned surgeon when he seems to do very little surgery and a whole lot of treasure hunting. Can you imagine a woman running for politic office and winning while her daughter is galavanting around who knows where? That simply doesn't happen, even in the more liberal states. Clea is a seventeen-year-old, secret photojournalist who is apparently home-schooled while traveling the world.

I understand that it is a supernatural teenage thriller but some of the basic elements are simply ridiculous. First off the characters / plot is way too unbelievable. Oh goodness I don't even know quite where to begin.

Elixir hilary duff series