Rules of Attraction

Rules of Attraction
By Simone Elkeles
2010
336 pages

Summary: In a sequel to Perfect Chemistry, this time it is Alex’s little brother Carlos who is getting into trouble and falling in love. Carlos has been sent back to Colorado to live with Alex after getting into some trouble with gangs in Mexico. But when drugs are found in his locker at school, Carlos is forced to live with Alex’s old professor, his family and his quirky daughter.

Review: For those who loved Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction will not disappoint. Elkeles spends more time on character development and expands the cast of supporting characters significantly. This is a much slower moving story, but I appreciated the time to get to know and fall in love with Carlos and Kiara. Elkeles does a great job of keeping some of the elements that readers enjoyed in the previous novel, such as the Alex and Brittney storyline and gang elements, but was able to maintain enough distance, creating new elements, which made this novel completely distinct. The pacing was a little uneven, but overall it was a very enjoyable read and will appeal to a wide audience.

Also by Simone Elkeles: Perfect Chemistry, Return to Paradise, Leaving Paradise, How to Ruin a Summer Vacation

If you liked Rules of Attraction: The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti, Up Country by Alden Carter, No More For Us by David Hernandez, Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X Stork, Going to Far by Jennifer Echols

Additional Info: The third book in the series is set to be released in 2011
Check out the awesome book trailer on Simone’s website here.

Author website: http://www.simoneelkeles.net/

Rating: W3/4 C3/4 P3/4 O2.5 PP3/4 CR4/4
Grade Level Interest: S (some sexual detail)