Hilary DuffRezensionen

The elixir trilogy has been a ride. Not a very good one. I finished the series out of obligation. Let's start with character development.
Character development was the one thing done right. The characters were believable and had no sudden changes, besides one. However, I hated sage, especially in this book. His abusive tendencies and the main characters willingness to accept it was disturbing. The selfishness and stupidity of these characters were beyond frustrating. The only character that flipped on a dime was Ben, the trusty sidekick and villain of the book. He was so back and forth that I feel like Duff should have given him split personality disorder to excuse his instability. I hated what she did to that character.
Now the writing style. Her writing flowed poetically with just the right amount of similes, alliteration and script. She didn't overuse any words, and it didn't appear as if she struggled with creative substitutes. I didn't find many spelling errors either.
The last paragraph is dedicated to my need to vent about the ending. Forgive me if I get unprofessional, but the uncreative end to this story infuriated me. There will be spoilers. In books, I find it's becoming more and more common for the main character to achieve his of her desires despite the other characters misfortunes. Gone are the days of Harry potter endings when it's a believable and satisfying end. I cannot forgive the outcome for the best friend Rayna. I cannot forgive that the main character used her best friends boyfriends body as a shell for her own boyfriend. I refuse to believe that Rayna could just accept seeing her boyfriends body constantly in the arms of her best friend. The ending of "hush hush will be ruined in this next sentence as comparison, so if you plan to read that, stop reading now.

The hush hush series ended with the main characters best friends boyfriend dying to save the main characters happiness. The main character achieved some bull sh*t reason to get her boyfriend back. It skipped 3 years ahead and the best friend was happy seeing someone else, and were supposed to just accept the sacrifice of the best friend for the main characters happiness. The trusty sidekick disappears with a bullsh*t reason with the main character "having pure intentions" with the outcome for the sidekick that was used and discarded.

Sound familiar? So were just supposed to be happy for the main character because the best friend is over the injustice in an unbelievable amount of time. I don't believe Cleas love for Sage was any more important than Raynas love for Nico. I don't think that Sage having multiple lives with Clea is fair, since Rayna and Nico only got one month together. Cleas and Sages love was at the sacrifice and unhappiness of many people, including themselves. Sage gave up their bond for another woman which was unaddressed. The main character just decided to forgive his disloyalty to not waste anymore time with him. How many people were sacrificed in the 5 lives it took for Sage and Clea to find happiness? Rayna and Nicos love was pure. Nobody was hurt. His intentions were pure. Raynas intentions were pure. They had a much better love story in one month than Sage and Clea had in 5 lifetimes.
The ending was not a happy one. The curse for an entire community of people was not lifted. A curse these people didn't deserve. Again, Clea and Sage get 5 lifetimes together, whereas these people get less than 30 years of life. The trusty sidekick Ben, found no resolution, no help and was discarded after being used in every way possible for the main character. I could not think of a worst ending for this book. All I know is that after sacrificing so many lives for their own happiness, the main characters should have learned a lesson. Those sacrificed should have found resolution. Those reading should have had an ending.

Amazing book by Hilary Duff. With a story that is easy to imagine the words just fly from the pages with characters that you like from the moment you meet them. Overall great storyline with a want to see what happens next type of attitude.

Oh goodness I don't even know quite where to begin. First off the characters / plot is way too unbelievable. I understand that it is a supernatural teenage thriller but some of the basic elements are simply ridiculous. Clea is a seventeen-year-old, secret photojournalist who is apparently home-schooled while traveling the world. Yet somehow her mother is a senator. That alone is laughable. Can you imagine a woman running for politic office and winning while her daughter is galavanting around who knows where? That simply doesn't happen, even in the more liberal states. That sort of stuff makes news. Secondly, it makes zero sense to me for her father to be considered a world renowned surgeon when he seems to do very little surgery and a whole lot of treasure hunting. Maybe having him be an archeologist would be more believable?
The writing is weak enough to make me believe that Hilary probably did contribute to the writing. I found it funny to see such weak sentence structure combined with such a strange word choice. The word of the day appears to be reverie which was used about three times during the novel. Also, who says "I felt my gorge rise." Seriously? Gorge?
I appreciated her reference to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Coleridge however the simile fell slightly flat to me.
"I was furious, imagining a brainless meathead of a bodyguard who'd hang like an albatross around my neck."
The albatross wasn't really weighing the mariner down or cramping his style. The albatross was more bad luck than anything. While I didn't particularly think the simile worked, I appreciate that one of the writers is clearly well read.
Overall, I think Elixir is a silly, rushed story and I will most likely not be reading the second novel.

I think the idea had good potential I just couldn't connect with a jet setting teenager who's mom allows her to head off to Rio, Paris and Tokyo without parental influence. It was written in the first person making it feel almost like a YA UF and the book does set up to have a continuing story line with the same characters which also made me think UF. The main character is written in a way that we are to believe she is deeper than she really is but I wasn't fooled. The addition of a weird love triangle proved that she is really nothing more than a silly girl. Haven't been a teenage girl in sometime but is it common for a teenage girl to think how much she loves a guy but then mentally takes it back so as to not ruin her chances with a second guy? I honestly don't know. Also the addition of a sexual encounter (a fade to black type...not graphic) made the book feel more 20-something rather than high school.

The non verbal communications between Clea and her best friend Reyna were almost ridiculous. Reyna would look at Clea and next thing the reader knew Clea would interpret the look as a full on conversation between the two of them which was spelled out for the reader's benefit.

I think what prevented me from giving this book less than 2 stars is because the idea was actually pretty good. I don't think the follow through did it justice. I'm also curious as to why the author "helper" of Hilary Duff, Elise Allen, merited a mention on the title page (it's listed as Elixir by Hilary Duff with Elise Allen) but doesn't get her name on the cover. With all the collaborations happening now it makes me wonder if someone was cashing in on a star's name or the star herself refused to share top billing.

My first reaction to hear that Hilary Duff wrote a book was surprise and delight! I love this girl! She is fun, elegant and she led a great life so of course she is going to be creative as a writer. The book is amazing; every page has an iris in the corner, so cute! I am looking forward to start reading and giving my review! ♥ HD!
This book is so good, I might've brought it today, but I guess I am gonna finish it before you say tomorrow!
The Title of the book 'Elixir' comes from Clea's father research to the Elixir of Life (elixir of immortality).
Amazing Book!!! I want more!!! The way it ended is killing me!!

[Thursday, March 24, 2011] I'm dying to get my hands on this book!! I love Hilary Duff a lot. And Elixir was such a great book with a cliff-hanger ending!

Clea Raymond, a talented young photojournalist who has spent her life in the spotlight, and her best friends Rayna and Ben travel the globe trying to unravel a centuries-old mystery that could reveal her soulmate's identity and the secret of her father's disappearance.

My first reaction to hear that Hilary Duff wrote a book was surprise and delight! I love the girl! She is fun, elegant and has led a great life so of course she is going to be creative as a writer with many adventures and travels. I saw this book upon it's release in a local bookstore and when I touched the velvety purple cover I forgot about what I was going to buy; when you open the book you will find this beautiful quote :"in dreams and in love there are no impossibilities."

The book was amazing; every page has an iris in the corner indicating Clea's necklace, which is so cute! The story was so good, I might've brought that day, but I guess I finished it on the spot. The Title of the book 'Elixir' comes from Clea's father research of the Elixir of Life (elixir of immortality). What an amazing Book!!! I wanted more the second the finished the last page!!! The way it ended is killing me!! A cruel cliffhanger.

it was great i look forward to the next part of this series

2.5 stars

I enjoyed the first book Elixir which is why I picked the sequel up but this book was so disappointing. The story just lost all of its charm and the characters were so lifeless. It reminded me of New Moon in the Twilight series which mostly just felt like an in between filler book where you're just waiting for something to happen. There was so much monotonous explanation of her taking showers and making tea and finding meditation videos on the internet that I just could not have cared less about. I didn't really like the new characters of Amelia and her family, most of her point of view was just a lot of explaining of things that seemed a little too far fetched to be believable. Wow I just really hated this book and I'm annoyed that it ended the way it did because now I kind of want to just finish the series and find out what happens in the third book even though 90% of this book was just a waste of my time. Also poor Rayna. Her new relationship was probably the thing I liked most about this book and judging by the end it looks like she's going to get royally screwed over.

As someone who's never been super into YA paranormal or fantasy and seeing all of the terrible reviews of this my expectations were very low. However I found this book to have an interesting story and while it wasn't above average writing it did hold my attention much better than a lot of hyped up fantasy YA books. I read it quickly and will be picking up the sequel. It's not reinventing the literary wheel but it was a fun and a fast read and I can't help but wonder if some of these bad reviews would have gone a little easier if the name on the cover wasn't familiar.

So far, Hilary Duff's Elixir series doesn't seem to be anything other than "mildly enjoyable". I do think that this series could've been written better. There are times when I find myself skim reading because it's just not interesting enough to pay attention to.

That being said, there's nothing really wrong with this series except for the writing style. If Hilary Duff had more writing experience, she could've made this series really strong. There was a lot of potential, but I feel like she just didn't know how to reach it.

I've got the third and final book to this series right beside me, waiting to be read. I am hoping that Hilary Duff continues writing books, because she's got a talent for it (co-collaborator aside).

True is the third and last installment of the Elixir Trilogy. It takes place immediately after the events of Devoted: Nico is about to mortally wound Sage with the dagger and Ben tackles him causing Nico to fall on his dagger and mortally wound himself. Nico and Sage both die but Sage's soul goes into Nico's body.

So happily ever after for Clea, right? Not quite.

Clea has to break the news to her best friend Rayna that her love of her life is dead AND that Clea's soulmate now occupies his body. SPOILER ALERT: It's doesn't go well. Also, Sage is not adjusting well to his body. He is acting erratically and becoming prone to violent outburst especially toward Clea.

Turns out, it may be a symptom of Soul Rejection, akin to organ rejection. Nico's body wasn't adequately prepared for Sage's soul so the two souls are fighting it out. Either one will be dominant or they will both destroy each other if a cure isn't found.

I felt like True wasn't a real part of this Elixir Trilogy. It was the 1 hour TV movie of a sitcom to wrap everything up and I kind of felt cheated. It wasn't incomplete. It felt inorganic. There were no high stakes during True unlike in Devoted. There was action but it was quickly diminished. I never felt like the characters were truly in danger because when they were I didn't believe it.

However, I do admire that Duff changed the formula as True is told from both Clea's and Rayna's point of views. They had two distinct voices: Clea was more rational, Rayna more chaotic. I really hope this is the end of the series.

True is the third and last installment of the Elixir Trilogy. It takes place immediately after the events of Devoted: Nico is about to mortally wound Sage with the dagger and Ben tackles him causing Nico to fall on his dagger and mortally wound himself. Nico and Sage both die but Sage's soul goes into Nico's body.

So happily ever after for Clea, right? Not quite.

Clea has to break the news to her best friend Rayna that her love of her life is dead AND that Clea's soulmate now occupies his body. SPOILER ALERT: It's doesn't go well. Also, Sage is not adjusting well to his body. He is acting erratically and becoming prone to violent outburst especially toward Clea.

Turns out, it may be a symptom of Soul Rejection, akin to organ rejection. Nico's body wasn't adequately prepared for Sage's soul so the two souls are fighting it out. Either one will be dominant or they will both destroy each other if a cure isn't found.

I felt like True wasn't a real part of this Elixir Trilogy. It was the 1 hour TV movie of a sitcom to wrap everything up and I kind of felt cheated. It wasn't incomplete. It felt inorganic. There were no high stakes during True unlike in Devoted. There was action but it was quickly diminished. I never felt like the characters were truly in danger because when they were I didn't believe it.

However, I do admire that Duff changed the formula as True is told from both Clea's and Rayna's point of views. They had two distinct voices: Clea was more rational, Rayna more chaotic. I really hope this is the end of the series.

True is the third and last installment of the Elixir Trilogy. It takes place immediately after the events of Devoted: Nico is about to mortally wound Sage with the dagger and Ben tackles him causing Nico to fall on his dagger and mortally wound himself. Nico and Sage both die but Sage's soul goes into Nico's body.

So happily ever after for Clea, right? Not quite.

Clea has to break the news to her best friend Rayna that her love of her life is dead AND that Clea's soulmate now occupies his body. SPOILER ALERT: It's doesn't go well. Also, Sage is not adjusting well to his body. He is acting erratically and becoming prone to violent outburst especially toward Clea.

Turns out, it may be a symptom of Soul Rejection, akin to organ rejection. Nico's body wasn't adequately prepared for Sage's soul so the two souls are fighting it out. Either one will be dominant or they will both destroy each other if a cure isn't found.

I felt like True wasn't a real part of this Elixir Trilogy. It was the 1 hour TV movie of a sitcom to wrap everything up and I kind of felt cheated. It wasn't incomplete. It felt inorganic. There were no high stakes during True unlike in Devoted. There was action but it was quickly diminished. I never felt like the characters were truly in danger because when they were I didn't believe it.

However, I do admire that Duff changed the formula as True is told from both Clea's and Rayna's point of views. They had two distinct voices: Clea was more rational, Rayna more chaotic. I really hope this is the end of the series.

As the second book in the Elixr series, readers join Clea in her search for Sage after he’s been captured by the group known as the Saviours. Clea must learn to forgive Ben and learn to trust unexpected allies if she wants to succeed in saving Sage’s life. Readers are introduced to new characters, both mortal and immortal, as Clea discovers that the curse connecting Clea, Sage and Ben involves many others as well. The narrative picks up shortly after Elixr leaves off. The characters portray adequate depth and growth that keeps readers engaged. The plot has a heavier reliance on paranormal and fantasy elements than the first book, but Duff creates a believable plot that is consistent with the elements in the first book. Unlike the first novel, there is a greater emphasis on the paranormal than on the romantic elements, though occasional references to and depictions of sex are made. This is recommended as an additional selection for public and school libraries with readers who enjoyed the first in the series. (Ages 16+)

Seventeen year old Clea Raymond has lived in the spotlight her entire life because her father is a world famous doctor and her mother is U.S. Senator. However, after her father mysteriously disappears on a humanitarian mission in South America her life is turned inside out. Shortly after her father’s disappearance, Clea realized that she is being haunted by a soul from the past. This spirit visits her during her dreams and she finds herself in an entangled love triangle that could put her and the ones she loves in serious danger. Elixir is the first novel in the series and is told from Clea’s perspective. The fast-paced, character driven narrative captures the reader’s attention from the first page to the last. However, readers may find the abrupt ending to be jarring and will likely be reaching for the sequel. Clea is extremely likable and relatable, despite her fantastical lifestyle and celebrity status. Duff is consistent with her depictions of the supernatural throughout the book which makes the story authentic and believable for readers. Fans of the Twilight series are likely to enjoy this series. However, casual depictions of the high school age characters visiting bars and engaging in sexual activity are made throughout the story and should be considered prior to recommending. This is recommended for purchase in a public library with a strong teen reading population with interests in romance and fantasy fiction. (Ages 16+)

Though I loved the others, this book was a let down. The tone, wallowing and watered down, was off-putting. And the love interested seemed a violent and fatuous jock. The plot only grew interesting in the last few chapters, but not so much as to redeem the book.½

I hope I'll get the approve for the ARC... I wanna know it so bad. LOL. :p

UPDATE: 12.28.12 YAY!!! Got approve for ARC!!! :)

Okay... When I first started reading this third book, I can't remember what really happened in the second book. Yes, I also forgot what's the title for the second book. :/ I just know that Sage's soul is now inside Nico's body. I don't remember who the hell is Ben. Then I started to remember as I go on reading this book.

When I started reading the first book a year or so ago, I know that I liked it a lot. And I also know that the plot line is somewhat similar to The Immortal series of Alyson Noel and... I know there's this other book that's alike with this. Anyway, the plot line I was saying was that Elixir thingy that you'll be immortal if you drink it. And there's a series of past life for the girl and the boy is always trying to save the girl and there's this other boy who ALWAYS ruin things for them because that other boy's in love with the girl.

So yeah, I had enough of those kind of plot. What I liked was that Hilary Duff took a different approach about it. Well, not that really different. Er... As I have said, Sage's soul was now inside Nico's body.

Hmmm... I KNOW I remember something about a ghost who helped Clea in the second book. Actually it's a family of ghosts or souls or whatever they were called.I think it was because of drinking the Elixir. They just became a conscious projection of mind or something. That's what I remember too about the second book. And I keep expecting she would show up again.

But no she didn't. I can't remember if there was a real reason as to why she can't be shown again in the last book. True is a bit weird for me. Because honestly, I don't really find it okay. For Sage's soul to be in there. I mean, it's Nico's body. Hello? Awkward much? Even if you say that you could see Sage inside. And there's no trace of Nico anymore. :/

The story by the way revolves around that problem, of Sage's soul inside Nico's. And how it's like rejecting his soul. Okay, you read it and judge it. I don't know what to say anymore. It's just my opinion. I would suggest if you are not satisfy with my review that you read it and find out about it yourself. For me, it was okay. 2.5stars

Good story. Definitely young adult, but in a way that reminds me of my first year in college. I didn't realize it is the first book in a series...which was slightly annoying. The writing isn't going to win any awards, but it is no worse than a lot of other books I've read.

That part of the story where the character hits rock bottom and then get worse, this book WAS that part of the story. And then made more awful by the fact that the final book doesn't come out for another month. !@#$%

When I finally forgot about who I was reading, I really got into the book. The characters were a little marysue-ish, but enjoyable nonetheless. The plot was fun and fulfilling. I was a little bit disappointed by the end, but might change my mind on it, depending on the next book.

Hilary Duff adds yet another title to her multifaceted resume as she delves into YA writing with her debut novel, Elixir. As a fan of Duff since her Lizzie McQuire days, I had to take a read (I LOVED when I was in third grade, playing her songs every day.) I admit to being a bit hesitant, not sure what to expect as I never thought of her as a writer but a celebrity who spent more time with her career than writing tedious essays. I knew about the book when it was first reached bestseller lists, but I dismissed it as just her name selling the novel rather than her literary merit. Regardless, I am glad I delved into Elixir.

The plot sounds like something out of a Disney movie, but with darker undertones. Clea, the protagonist, is a teen freelance photographer blessed with financial and social status. Her father goes missing, and her mother submerges herself in work. Her happy family is broken, leaving Clea with many questions regarding her father’s disappearance. Clea doesn’t care too much about romance (but her best friend, Rayna lives for it) until she gets weird, romantic dreams with a mysterious man: the same man who appearances in her photographs. Then a photo assignment, sends her off to Rio, the place of her father’s disappearance. Clea, desperate for answers, hops on a plane immediately. She bumps into this mysterious man, Sage, find out he is her soulmate along with some dark secrets, and goes from suspecting him to hopelessly in love with him. They have sex in a car. He keeps his distance from her, she breaks down. Along the way she uncovers dark mysteries of her past and her father’s disappearance which are all tied to the coveted Elixir of Life. And her other best friend who is head of heels in love her, Ben, goes along for the ride too; but he ends up to be a harbinger of horrible events (It is clear we are supposed to dislike this poor guy throughout the novel.)

Immediately, I started to dissect the novel trying to separate Duff with her collaborator, Elise Allen.The words flow effortlessly through the page. I could tell Duff paid extra attention to her descriptions, unfortunately it was aimed more towards people than setting. Knowing her status as a celebrity and that she travels often, I was expecting vivid descriptions of Clea’s home in Connecticut, the beaches of Rio, and the city lights of Shibuya. However, to my disappointment, there was more description in the Swaronski crystal Hello Kitty mirror she buys in the mall than in whatever country she’s in.

I have to applaud the writing in the scene where Clea takes pictures of her room to check if the mystery man will appear. She goes through the pictures on her computer, to find him in the picture of her closet. Read just like a scene of a horror film; I swear a shudder went down my spine. You start to think Clea is an idiot when she trusts this creepy guy.

The adventure is there, Clea runs through a forest escaping from creepy guys. At times, it feels like I am thrown into cliche CSI scenes: enlarging pictures that magically turn high-res with zoom, decoding secret codes in a computer, and a password engraved on a watch. These scenes almost made me wince as they just sounded, for lack of a better word, lame. You start to wonder why is it all so easy and why it took less than a handful of pages to “solve” the “elaborate” puzzle her father created involving Shakespeare, a cribbage board, and his watch.

The story was captivating: a mystery, with a dash of paranormal, and a gallon of romance (love triangle alert!) thrown in for good measure. The sexual inferences didn’t do it for me, I had to check the age level to make sure this book was not inappropriate. I’ve read teen novels with much more graphic sex scenes, but for a novel aimed at 14 year olds I am starting to wonder if I was just too sheltered. Compared to Ellen Hopkin’s Identical, Elixir’s sexual references are mellow; but what bothered me is they just seemed to be sprinkled in there for the sake of it. The reader is already constantly being told that they are soulmates, we don’t need sex in the car to consummate it.

There are many points in the plot that just seems too convenient. Need to travel? No worries, Sage has a black American Express credit card, perfect for booking first class plane tickets. Clea’s mother clearly does not check her daughter’s credit card statements or wonder how her daughter flew home without buying a plane ticket. Need a password to the world’s most precious elixir? No problem, her father is forgetful and scribbles his passwords everywhere, leaving them in the most conspicuous places. Got an ugly 500-year old talking corpse in front of you? No problem, she commits suicide on her own.

However, even unlimited credit cards can’t contain all my unanswered questions which I hope will be answered in the sequel. Where did that orchid necklace come from? If Clea is such a wonderful, “professional” photographer, why does she never carry extra lens, light modifiers, filters, model permission slips, or at least a tripod? and Why is Sage in all her pictures just because he is her soulmate? Do soulmates normally appear in pictures of your closet? If Sage has been playing for cribbage for centuries is dead even with Ben and Clea, does it mean the game is too easy, Sage isn’t very smart, or Ben and Clea have past memories of playing the game? Why are those vials empty, do someone drink them and felt compelled to rebury them? What in the world is a small door along with a hidden chamber doing in the Shibuya 109 building, who built it? Why is there a store called The Little Door anyway? The Dark Lady is surprisingly nice, has has weird supernatural powers? Can we just kill Ben?

I just picked up its sequel, Devoted, today; despite being awkward at parts, it was an addicting read with s good pace, and intriguing plot. I expect a better sequel from Devoted (and I just want closure.) While the plot seems to be full of holes, Duff has definite storytelling potential Hilary Duff, I think you just made a fan out of me…again.

Originally posted on A Novel Toybox: http://noveltoybox.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/elixir-by-hilary-duff-2010/

Devoted was much slower than Elixir, but it still was really good. There were parts that I could have absolutely skipped and not missed anything, but, then again, there were parts where I couldn't put it down. I should have seen the end coming a mile away, but I really thought it would turn out differently. I can't wait for the next book!