Elixir by Hilary Duff

"In dreams, and in love, there are no impossibilities."

- Hilary Duff, Elixir

Review by Chase


Book 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 tot he 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 hunted 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.  


General Review:
I know, I know, Hilary Duff wrote a book? I had the same skepticism before finally buying the book to read. The thing that made me finally decide that it would be worth the shot was that she cowrote it with someone who had experience. I really appreciated the fact that she knew she needed help on her first book. Overall, I was very surprised with the book and found that I quite enjoyed it. 


Plot:
As I stated with Beautiful Creatures, I really liked how they took historical elements and made them fit into the story. The plot focuses around the Elixir of Life and the rest of the story revolves around this elixir. The plot, while at sometimes is very cliche, is very captivating and is relatively fast paced. There was never a dull moment and the book flowed smoothly. 


Characters:
The main character, Clea, was very easy to relate to. However, this may be due to the fact that I'm a photojournalist as well. Nevertheless, all of the characters are well thought out and I actually enjoyed the love triangle in this book (and we all know how I feel about love triangles). I was very surprised that Hilary was able to create such round characters on her first writing attempt. 


Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend that you give it a chance. I have yet to read the sequel but I have it and it's on my list of things to read. If you need a rainy day read then I highly suggest that you pick up Elixir. 4.5 stars. 

Read It For Yourself