Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles

Simone, Elkeles (2009).
Perfect Chemistry
New York: Walker and Co.
9780802798237
Genre: Realistic fiction

When wealthy, seemingly perfect Brittany and Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, develop a relationship after Alex discovers that Brittany is not exactly who she seems to be, they must face the disapproval of their schoolmates – and others.
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Wealthy Brittany seems to have it all, the perfect family, the perfect body, the perfect boyfriend- in short the perfect life. At least that is what she wants people to believe as she tries to cover up a less than perfect family. Her mother is obsessed with putting on the perfect image; her father barely communicates with his family living only for his business, and her 20 year-old sister who was born with Cerebral-Palsy is the only family member she feels connected to. Her life slowly starts to unravel at the beginning of her senior year of high school when her chemistry teacher makes her and gang banger Alex Fuentes lab partners for the entire year. Alex, of course, is not who he appears to be either. He is a gang banger who joined only to protect is family and longs to leave the gang life and go to college. At first they can’t stand each other, but after Alex accepts a bet from one of his friends that he can’t bed Brittany by Thanksgiving – things start to warm up. But when they each start to discover the real person hiding behind the others persona, deeper feelings start to develop and flourish. Both Brittany and Alex learn that they must be true to their inner-feelings, hopes and dreams. Perfect Chemistry is a nice love story even if only the two main characters are fully realized. Family and friends seem like one-dimensional clichés, and the author depicts present day gang life using characters and situations that are more in keeping with West Side Story.