Author: Hilary Duff
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Rating: ★★★★
So here's what went down. Clea (I giggled at this name several times, I don't know why) is the privileged daughter of a politician and a surgeon. Even though she is only a teenager, Clea works as a photojournalist, and in the book, notably travels to Rio de Janeiro to photograph the Carnival (ummm, jealous much?). It isn't until her father mysteriously disappears that she begins to notice a strange man in the background of all of her photographs. Is he a ghost? An angel? Clea sets out to find this man.
Reincarnation is a heavy theme in this book, something that I absolutely LOVE to read about. The plot is very interesting and well woven together; I was very impressed with Hilary Duff's writing and ability to develop characters. Truthfully, I almost put the book down a few pages in, since all we get are descriptions of Clea's fabulous lifestyle while she parties in Paris. Pushing past the rich-girl stuff was definitely worth it. I'm not a big reader of either YA, paranormal, or romance books, but it seems to me that the plot could be somewhat predictable and recycled, but I still enjoyed it. Props to Lizzie McGuire!
I saw this book at Borders the other day for $3.99, and I was debating whether I should get it or not. I know 4 bucks isn't a lot, but I felt like I had to look up its Goodreads rating before buying it. And my determining rating for a book purchase is usually if it's 4.0 and up. Since it wasn't... I passed it off. But now I might look at it again. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sad that Hilary Duff is getting all the credit for this book, when she didn't actually write it. (See this article, in the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/fashion/noticed-celebrity-books-and-ghostwriters.html.)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see it's an enjoyable read, of course, but I do feel like it's deceptive for Hilary to claim ownership of a book written by a ghostwriter. Made the decision not to read the book at all because of this... (Further thoughts on the issue here: http://lostbookgirls.blogspot.com/2011/07/celebrities-writing-novels.html.)
I actually just finished this book last night and was pleasantly surprised as well. I really didnt like the ending though, so I only gave it 3(.5)stars. And it looks like the second book will follow the story further, which is both good and bad. I hoped for a different outcome. No Spoilers, but you might know what i mean.
ReplyDeleteAnyway. Thanks for the review :)
Rebecca, I totally agree with you. I also made sure Duff's book was off my to-read shelf. I take authors very seriously and have so much respect for them. I mean, they write so that I can be transported to a new world. Their writing is what makes a book amazing... not the story or the characters. It's the writing. Sometimes I feel like the author is my friend by the time I'm done reading. I think it is so selfish, and a true testament to Duff's character, that she refused to give credit where credit was due.
ReplyDeleteKelly, I'm really glad you enjoyed the book. :) The premise does sound interesting, and if it had been written by anybody else I'm sure I'd read it. I just won't read Elixir on principle. lol. One less reader is one less ego boost for Duff and her so-called "writing".
I'm surprised the didn't make Hilary Duff's name super huge on the cover. The title actually stands out!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this and I probably won't (paranormal's not really my thing), but I am glad the ghostwriter was able to get her own book deal because of this stint. Her name is Elise Allen, and her book is called Populazzi. It's great that a great writer is able to make her own debut thanks in part to Hilary Duff's name.
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't even know that Elise Allen was the ghostwriter! I see on goodreads that she is listed as a 'Contributor,' but I didn't really know what that meant. Huh. Looking back, I don't think this new knowledge changes my perception of the book, though it might have if I'd known beforehand.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll give it a try. Luckily, I don't have any huge bias against Hillary Duff like I do say... Lindsey Lohan. Duff's not annoying, so I'll be willing to read it.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing sounded a little far fetched for me but I was actually intrigued that Hillary Duff wrote it. Still haven't tried it though.
ReplyDeleteFantastic point about the ghostwriter, Rebecca.
ReplyDeleteHaha, as soon as I saw Hillary Duff was "writing" a novel I was like, can we say ghostwriter? But I'm sure the ghostwriter did a great job.
ReplyDeleteHaha, as soon as I saw Hillary Duff was "writing" a novel I was like, can we say ghostwriter? But I'm sure the ghostwriter did a great job.
ReplyDeleteI downloaded this book for my Kindle awhile ago and still haven't gotten to it yet! I'm glad to hear that it's an okay book!
ReplyDeleteI had the exact same initial reaction when I discovered this book at Borders while my friend was looking at a math book (it was a sign of how everyone at Borders has pretty much checked out. No one's putting anything back and the books are so scattered it's ridiculous) I read the plot out loud to him and was left a bit unsure if it would be interesting. After reading your thoughts I guess I'll give it a try someday.
ReplyDeleteI read the book based on this review and have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! I was disappointed in the ending and some of the transitions were pretty stilted, but it was fun, and I'll definitely read the next one. Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteI love this book
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