Elixir by Hilary Duff

7th July 2011, Simon and Schuster 

336 pages, Paperback 

Review copy (I had the hardback version) 

Young Adult, Paranormal 

Life of the rich and famous, photography, mystery, stalker, lots of danger, friendships, teen romance (moderate to strong), some violence, 

Summary from Simon and Schuster 

Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, Clea has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But following Clea's father's disappearance while on a humanitarian mission, Clea's photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man - a man she has never seen before. 

When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father's disappearance, and begin to discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together the pair find themselves in a race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their futures…

Date Publisher Pages Format Review copy / Personal copy / Library copy Genre Content: Violen

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Clea: I love how she gets to travel the world so much, and she discovers a lot about herself as she starts to solve mystery. 

Is there another character who deserves a special mention? Piri, who looks after the house and Clea - she's really entertaining. 

How evil/nasty is the enemy? Moderately evil - what they want to do with Clea is not good. 

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? There are quite a few, although sometimes I found it a bit disjointed. 

One of my favourite parts was....when Piri takes a strong dislike to one of Clea's new friends. 

I give this 7/10, a relatively light read and book 2 is out in the autumn! 

Suggested reads 

For another tale where the heroine's family life has a strong cross over with her current circumstances , try Trance by Linda Gerber