The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m...
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Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Image result for perfect chemistryBlurb (on back of book): A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.
When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created 'perfect' life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for: her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. 
Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.
In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

 MY OPINION: *****

I'm not going to lie: this book truly surprised me.

When I picked it up, I really had no idea what was in store for me in this novel. I thought it would be another one of those "forbidden romances" that are so popular nowadays. However, it was more than that... a lot more than that.

Brittany Ellis, on the outside, is a perfect girl. She has the looks, the clothes, the home, the boyfriend. She's perfect in every way to everyone else... but in reality, we learn that nothing is as it ever seems.

Brittany's sister is mentally disabled, her dad is rarely home, her mom is more concerned about her daughter being perfect than anything else, meaning that she's always there and telling Brittany what to do... Colin is not as perfect either. He's kind of a jerk if you know what I mean.

Then there's Alex Fuentes. He's from the Southside and he's known as a bad boy and someone to stay away from. He's Mexican and he speaks Spanish (which I liked because I'm trying to learn the language now!) so people think rather horrible things about him. He's also a part of a gang (the Latino Blood) because of his father and his family's expectations. He has two younger brothers who he has to share a room with and his father died in front of his eyes when he was six. His mother is great but she's had too much to deal with in her life.

In Chemistry class, who would've thought that Brittany and Alex would end up being partners? (I mean, it was really obvious because how else would we have gotten the story going but let's pretend for now) They hate each other from the start, make little jabs about each other, and tell fake stories about the other when introductions are made to the class. But as time goes on, they realize that they both like each other a lot more than they thought they would.

And then Alex makes a bet with one of his friends over a CAR. If he can do "it" with Brittany before Thanksgiving, he gets a car. So in his mind, he doesn't REALLY care about Brittany... until he does.

So this book had a lot going for it and I honestly didn't really think too much about it... until we get to the gang scenes.

Alex gets too involved with the Latino Blood and he agrees to a drug deal, despite his greater knowledge. He starts to ask around about his father dies and he gets in trouble for it... then Brittany tries to stop him and they do IT and then his best friend dies. All over a gang. And Paco wasn't supposed to die... when he did, I literally cried. Then Alex gets shot and is sent to the hospital but the leader of sorts is killed as well. When Alex is in the hospital, he tells Brittany to go in order to protect her and he tells her about the bet. Then TEN months later, everything all comes together again and the epilogue shows the story of their son.

 So this book was... a lot more complicated than I thought. I honestly did not know how much was at stake for me in this book until I neared the middle. The rest of the series is definitely a must-read! I would recommend this book to YA readers who are looking for a romance with something else alongside it.

Main Character: Brittany, Alex
Sidekick(s): Shelley, Paco, Luis, Carlos, Isabel, Sierra, etc
Villain(s): Hector, gangs, parents, Darlene, Colin, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of this could be real.

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