Reviewed by Emily Ann for TeensReadToo.com

Who says that southsiders and northsiders can't mix? Well, other than everyone at Fairfield High School on the outskirts of Chicago.

Northsider Brittany Ellis has everything any teenager wants: popularity, money, and good looks. On the surface, her life is wonderful, but her perfect persona is just a cover-up for her troubled home life.

Southsider Alex Fuentes has a bad-boy reputation, but all he wants is to get out of his gang and graduate.

When they are thrown together as chemistry partners, life starts to make more sense. Written from both Brittany and Alex's perspective, this story shows what's going on below the surface for each person as they break through stereotypes and expectations that threaten to keep them apart.

This is like a modernized Shakespeare story, and after reading hundreds of books with plots similar to Romeo and Juliet, some stories start to blur into each other. PERFECT CHEMISTRY is not one of those books. It was addicting and the story was vibrant. The characters came to life and it was like I was there watching the story unfold.

The way Simone Elkeles wrote the story was absolutely perfect.

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Brittany Ellis is the epitome of perfection: blond hair, blue eyes, cheerleader with the hot bod, designer clothes, mansion, money, football quarterback boyfriend. Alejandro "Alex" Fuentes is your stereotypical young Latino gangster. The two seniors at Fairfield High don't have anything in common... except that they are forced to be chemistry lab partners. Sparks fly--and not the good kind.

What they don't know about each other, however, could turn the whole world upside down. Brittany lacks a healthy family life, as her parents hide the fact that they have another, mentally handicapped daughter. And Alex wants nothing to do the gang, but he has no choice: as the oldest man in the family, he's in it for life in order to protect his family.

As the defenses go down and the two get closer, it becomes impossible to deny the obvious attraction between them. However, Brittany and Alex being together may be dangerous for both. How much are they willing to sacrifice for a shot at true love? Their reputations? Their families? Their lives?

I'm a fan of West Side Story but an ardent NOT-fan of Romeo & Juliet; however, I liked the general idea behind Perfect Chemistry. Every once in a while you just want to read a straightfoward story about two lovers overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles for a shot at happily ever after--this is one of those books.

Unfortunately, this was a classic story idea that was poorly executed. The two main characters' conflicts were so clearly defined from the very beginning that the characters weren't allowed to grow very much as a result. The ending was so melodramatic, so fairy-tale perfect, that my teeth nearly rotted out of my head. It left me unable to fully sympathize with the characters' predicaments, nor believe in the seriousness of Brittany and Alex's feelings for one another.

Despite the cliches and Shakespeare drama throwback, I'm glad I picked this up. Perfect Chemistry was a light and enjoyable read, great for a time when you want a version of a timeless love story and a little hope in the saying "Love conquers all."

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Prefect Brittany Ellis never expected to be partnered with gang member and all around bad ass Alex Fuentes in Chemistry. She was suppose to coast through school this year. It is, after all, her senior year. But, between Alex's snide comments and her boyfriend pushing her to do something she's not sure she's ready for, perfect Brittany is perfectly stressed. Not to mention her home life isn't that great. To make up for her older sister, Brittany is forced to be the best at everything and if she's not, she has hell to pay from her mom. But, it has to get better, right?

Alex Fuentes hates people like Brittany and her crowd. They live privileged, where he has to work to help keep food on his family's table. Plus, it's not like he wanted to be in a gang. But, after what happened to his father, he has to get revenge. So when Alex gets partnered with Brittany in Chemistry class, he enjoys making her squirm. Alex thinks he knows everything there is to know about the goddess herself, but he's soon to learn that he's not as smart as he thinks.

I'm sure you've heard this age old story of the perfect girl and the bad boy. This story is that type, but it digs deeper. At first, I thought I wouldn't like Brittany. She's the type of person who would get on my nerves with the poor little rich girl act and so on. And, Alex? Don't get me started on him. He's your stereotypical bad boy in a gang. But, you find out that there's more to both of them than it seems. As stereotypical as it seems, Simone Elkeles adds more to this story and creates a monster. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Even though I probably could have guessed the ending, I wanted to keep reading, just to make sure that I was right. The chapters rotate in Alex's and Brittany's point of view, so you can get to know them better and it adds to the story. This is an excellent read, that comes recommended by me!

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