Rules of Attraction

     Rules of Attraction is the by Simone Elkeles. It's the sequel to Perfect Chemistry but with different main characters. Perfect Chemistry's main characters are still involved in the beginning of the story, but Alex's little brother and a girl that works for Alex are now the center of the tale. I was a pretty big fan of Perfect Chemistry so more stories about the Fuente boys sounds like it could have potential. I went into this book with a lot hope, thinking it would be pretty good. It was yet again a romance novel, with the same kind of hispanic and gang conflicts as in the first book.
     After reading the book, I have decided that Elkeles is an author that I would be interested in reading in the future. Rules of Attraction was definitely not Perfect Chemistry. It's hard to beat the original, but it was definitely a good read. At first I wasn't too sure about it because I found the main character, Carlos, to be much too irritating. I was glad that Elkeles changed the personality of the main characters though. I was a bit wary that it was going to be practically the same book. In the beginning, I found Carlos to be nothing more than a brat. He's given all these opportunities that his brother, Alex, didn't originally have. His mother sent him up from Mexico to for better education and a better chance in life in general. He just acts like he doesn't care and wants to leave. He's disgusted with his brother for being chained down to his "gringa" girlfriend and leading a steady life. Alex is no longer the cool, rough member of the Latino Blood that he remembers. He feels disappointed and betrayed, as if Alex had given up his roots and forgotten about his family.
     While you grow to understand Carlos, this all proves to be very frustrating as his attitude seems unnecessary. The main girl in this book has good potential. Unlike in the last book, this girl isn't exactly popular. She's more of an introverted nerd. Kiara has a stuttering problem and has one real friend. She proves to be surprisingly daring though. Throughout the book, Kiara manages to bring out the true Carlos. While at the beginning, Carlos is determined to be a jerk so as to not get close to anyone, he later learns to open up a little more and let Kiara see how he really is. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but the book was a good read, and I hope that the third book she's released is just as good.