Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

In Fairfield, Illinois, right outside of Chicago, the town is divided into two sections: the North Side and the South Side. All the North Siders are rich and preppy, while the South Siders are poor and are in gangs. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes must be chemistry partners, they're sure they can never get along. But can they? As Brittany begins to shed her perfect facade and Alex loses his tough guy image, the two discover that they are more alike than they once thought and may even start to fall in love.

I loved this book. I borrowed it from my friend, who read it in one day and stayed up until 5 am to finish it. I didn't believe it was that good, but when I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The characters were so real, that I felt like they could be actual people. Brittany is so relatable, at least to me, because she tries so hard to be perfect. Her mother expects Brittany to be the best, but it's only because Brittany's older sister has cerebral palsy and can't be perfect. And Alex is just as complex. Everyone sees him as a gang member, but in reality he's only in the gang to protect his family. He doesn't want to be in the Latino Blood, but has to choose what's right for himself vs. what's right for his family. And he's selfless enough to choose to stay in the gang for his family. This book reminded me of West Side Story, but it's a lot different. The attraction and, dare I say it, chemistry between Alex and Brittany was perfect. They fit together so well, they just had to be together. And the ending was adorable. I loved every second of this book and I think Perfect Chemistry was perfect.

9 out of 10.