Endless Bliss | Happy Lifestyle Blog: Elixir {Book Review}.

Elixir {Book Review}.

Hilary Duff has always been a person to look up to. When I first saw her in Casper Meets Wendy, I thought she was so adorable. When I saw that she was going to be in a new sitcom called Lizzie McGuire, I was so pumped, and it ended up being one of my favorite shows from childhood. Hilary Duff is one of those celebrities who never went off the deep end. She still does movies and guest stars in TV shows here and there, but now, she's living life as a mother and is a huge philanthropist. 

Hilary signing copies of her first book. How flawless is she?!
{source}
I've had the first book of her series, Elixir, on my shelf for awhile now, and I finally had the time to dive into it. 

Favorite Character: Rayna
Rayna was the best friend of the main character, Clea. While she didn't have the biggest role in the book, she was one of the most memorable. She was the life of the party and lots of fun, but she was also very understanding no matter what weird things Clea threw at her, and she stepped it up in the best friend category. She believed in true love, and I think she is a best friend that every girl would want to have.

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

"Dreams were the brain's way of sorting out things left unsettled in our waking lives." 

"If he was my soulmate, my soul needed to develop better taste."

Book Synopsis from Goodreads
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 to the 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 haunted 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.

My Thoughts
To be honest, when I bought this book, I had no idea what it was about. I just saw Hilary Duff's name on the cover and the sale sticker, and I just had to have it. I think Hilary let her imagination run wild with this book. I loved the concept of the mysterious stranger that she felt an immediate connection to from her photos. The fact that she had two best friends that she could tell about this stranger is amazing. I hate when I read a book and the person decides not to tell anyone about their problems. Things would go so much smoother if they had someone to share their confusion with. 

Let me just start by saying, I did not like Clea at all. I feel like she was your typical privileged brat. The only thing wrong with her life was that her dad was missing. She was the daughter of a politician, aka rich. I mean, she started the book on vacation in Paris with her best friend. Hard life? I think not. She was pretty whiny, and not relatable at all. She had all of these things handed to her, but for being so privileged, she complained a lot. She didn't believe in true love, and she was pretty oblivious to the world around her. She was too rational for her own good, with the emotional capacity of a toad. 

One thing that fascinated me about this book was its take on the Elixir of Life. The "mysterious stranger" noted in the description above is Sage. I think almost every girl dreams of having a Sage in her life - charming, attractive, is head over heels in love with you, and supports everything you do. Not bad. After Sage and Clea meet for the first time is when I really started getting more into the book. Everything was so fast-paced. When Clea starts unraveling details about her father's disappearance and her unfathomable connection to Sage, I couldn't stop reading. 

Honestly, I was hoping that this novel would be able to stand alone, and you could read the rest of the trilogy if you just happened to want more. Similar to The Hunger Games. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to read the next two novels to see what happens. The ending of Elixir is definitely open-ended, and left me frustrated (mostly at Clea. Really, why did you do that?!) and needing to see what happens. 


I give this book a 3.5 out of 5. Overall, the book wasn't a bad read, but it took me awhile to really get into the story. I also didn't like that Clea wasn't a very relatable main character. I am curious to see what Hilary does in the remaining two novels. 

24 comments :

  1. I forgot about this book! I think I read it several years ago. It wasn't amazing, but it was okay. I love Hilary Duff. She seems to be the only Disney star that didn't go crazy on LSD.

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  2. Pretty funny, you bought the book because her name? :D Lovely! I haven't read the book yet, Not quit sure if i ever will. I pick a book randomly. I don't do list of readings. So I'll see what the future in bookland will bring me :)

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  3. Not life changing at all, but it definitely showed me a different side to Hilary. I think she's so known for her role on Lizzie McGuire and her bubble gum pop sound, but this book showed me she had a whole different side to her. I'm interested to see how the next two books turn out, though neither got very good reviews on Goodreads.

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  4. I didn't know what to think after I first started reading it. It was definitely an interesting concept, and it made me curious enough to want to read the rest of the series. She really is the only Disney star that did it right. Maybe Christy Carlson Romano too, but I never kept up with her.

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  5. I did! And the sale sticker. It was only $4. I tend to do that a lot. I buy books on sale. I'm such a bargain hunter, but it's also bad because I have a ton of books on my shelf that I haven't read yet! I have a whole list of books I want to read, but sometimes, random books pop in there, like my last read, A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard. I had no plans of reading that anytime soon, but I'm glad I did. And I'm glad I read this one too!

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  6. Oh my gosh I had the biggest girl crush on her! Ren <3 I got her CD when it came out. I have no idea where she went after she starred as Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast.

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  7. I didn't know she had a CD! I was obsessed with her in Even Stevens. When they did that musical episode - LOVED! I was waiting for them to do that with all Disney shows, but they were the only smart ones. I wish I could have seen her in Beauty and the Beast.

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  8. I have the book because of her name too, haha. One of my old friends said he got "creep" out

    during a few chapters in the book. But, nonetheless, I still can't wait to read it.. soon!

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  9. Hilary Duff is an author?! WHAT?!

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  10. I had no idea she wrote books! I love Hilary Duff for one main reason: she's kept her life together gracefully despite becoming rich and famous. Unlike celebrities like *coughLohancough*. I don't know if I'd like her books though. The idea seems like a popular young adult subject, one I have no interest in. Kind of like Lauren Conrad's books, which also surround the rich and/or famous. Just, no interest there at all, lol. But it is quite admirable to see a celebrity take up writing, nonetheless.


    Sarah
    http://fromdogwoodstomagnolias.blogspot.com/

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  11. Totally love Hilary Duff and had no idea she wrote a book. From the sound of your review, there may have been a reason for that lol

    xx Sarah | Loser Girl Wins

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  12. Sounds interesting, I may have to look into this series after I finish Fallen. Thanks for the insight!!

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  13. I've always been a fan of Hilary and can't wait for the new music she working on to come out! I am definitely adding her books to my summer reading list xx ♥

    http://thekissofjoy.com

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  14. I just finished reading this trilogy! I felt the same about Clea. I started reading the book wishing it was from Rayna's point of view. Can't wait to hear your reviews on the next two books.

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  15. There were some creepy moments in the book. It's all very unexpected, and I'm just wondering what was going through her mind when she was planning this book. It's such an interesting concept.

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  16. Right?! She wrote this trilogy awhile back, and when I found out about it, I just had to snatch it off the shelves.

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  17. That's why I love her too! Such an amazing role model for our generation. Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes - they were two of my idols when I was younger and they both went off the deep end. I'm glad Amanda's trying to get her life back together, but I don't know if there's hope for Lindsey. I can't take her seriously with all of that plastic surgery she's had done. I read the Lauren Conrad books and enjoyed them more than I enjoyed this book. I definitely agree that it's admirable that they find time to publish novels in the midst of everything else they're doing.

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  18. I don't think many people knew that she wrote a book. It's almost like they didn't market it or something. I just discovered it when I happened upon it in Books-A-Million.

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  19. Thanks for reading my review. It was an interesting read. Not the best book I've ever read, but I'm interested in reading the rest of the trilogy.

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  20. I didn't know that she was working on new music! That's awesome. I love that she's just on the go and doing things right. She's always been someone to look up to. I hope you enjoy reading it this summer!

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  21. So crazy that you just finished reading this series! I liked Rayna so much better than Clea. I feel like she just more free-spirited and more relatable of a character than Clea is. I was definitely not a fan of her. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

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  22. If you follow her on twitter you can keep updates with everything she's doing and also she talks all the time about her music and her little adorable son Luca.

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  23. Awww! Just followed her and now Twitter stalking haha

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  24. i cant remember if i have read the 3rd book, i didnt know there was one! i know i read the second one. i think. now my memory is failing me, it was so long ago! might have to check them out again! i read them because i just loved Hilary Duff as a kid and teenager, and they weren't what I expected, and they weren't life changing but they were pretty good!

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