Rules
of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2) by Simone Elkeles
Published
April 27th 2010 by Walker Childrens (first published 2010)
Paperback,
326 pages
ISBN:
0802720862 (ISBN13: 9780802720863)
Goodreads
Summary
When
Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a
high school in Colorado. Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to
carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn't talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they
get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him,
and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes
that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.
Nitza’s Review
This
book was just as addictive as Perfect
Chemistry. Carlos has the same sarcastic, bad boy personality as Alex did
in Perfect Chemistry, which is to be
expected since Alex and Carlos are brothers. Like Alex in Perfect Chemistry, Carlos believes that is destiny is set and it doesn't include college or a career. And like Alex, Carlos winds up falling for
the most unlikely person.
From
the beginning of the novel, Carlos is forced into a situation that is less than
ideal for him. After getting into trouble in Mexico and losing his job, he’s
sent to Colorado to live with Alex, who’s attending the college. From the time
he gets off the plane, Carlos is determined that no matter how many rules Alex tries
to enforce or how hard Alex tries to convince him that he could do better than
gangs and drugs, he will never be like Alex…at least not the college student
Alex who’s in a committed relationship with the rich gringo Brittany. He misses the old Alex, the gang-banger who was
tough, dated around, and who listened to no one. This new Alex, Carlos feels,
is a sell-out, a want-to-be gringo,
who is completely whipped by Brittany. He will never allow that to happen to him.
Underneath
his tough exterior, however, there is a softer side to Carlos. For example, his
mother and brothers were lead to believe that he was fired from his job in
Mexico due to his involvement with a local gang. In reality, he was fired
because he stood up to his boss for taking advantage of a 15-year-old female
employee. He may be a rebel who doesn't follow rules, but he knows injustice
when he sees it. He also has a soft spot when it comes to his mom, who got
pregnant and married young, lost her husband in a gang hit when Carlos was 4
and Alex was 6, and who has works multiple jobs in order to support her sons.
He gives her a hard time with is rebellious ways, but deep down he wants more
than anything to make enough money so she doesn't have to work so hard and to
see her smile and laugh like she used to. He loves Alex as well. They may clash
a lot in regards to Carlos’ future, but in the end they’re brothers and will
always have each other’s back.
Kiara
is a quiet, shy girl who loves hiking and cars and who never backs down from a
challenge. She comes from an upper class family with a father who is a
psychiatry professor at the University and a mother who owns and runs a tea
shop. As the novel begins, she was “text dumped” by a guy she dated over the
summer and her gay best friend Tucker (b.k.a. “Tuck”) creates the “Rules of
Attraction” which lists the great things about Kiara and the things she is
looking for in the perfect guy. Being her last year of high school, she has vowed
to be more outspoken now that she has gotten her stuttering problem under
control. Her vow is tested when she is assigned to be Carlos’ peer guide his
first week at Flatiron High School. From the moment he meets her, Carlos is
determined to give her such a hard time that she quits before the week is out.
Little does he know, he has met his match.
As
with Alex and Brittany, Carlos and Kiara are forced together and hate each
other at first. Carlos feels that Kiara is not worth his time because she’s
white, rich, dresses in baggy clothes and doesn't immediately fall for
his charm and good looks. Kiara feels that Carlos is mean with a huge chip on
his shoulder and nothing but trouble. They play a couple of pranks on each
other in a means to intimidate each other. The more time they spend together,
the more they find themselves thinking about each other and slowly becoming
attracted to each other. As time goes on, Kiara starts to see the nicer sides
of Carlos and the more she learns about him, the more she feels for him. Carlos
likes that Kiara seems to handle everything he throws at her and is crafty
enough to fight back.
There
is some action and violence towards the end of this novel, but not as much as there was in the of Perfect Chemistry. Also
like Perfect Chemistry, there are
some minor sexual situations, so it may not be suitable for anyone under the
age of 17.
-Nitza
