Elixir is the first YA novel by Hilary Duff, and Elise Allen.  The story follows Clea, who much like Hilary has spent her life in the spotlight.  Clea’s father is  well known in the medical world, and her mother is a politician.  She is a seventeen year old photo journalist who gets to travel around the world and take pictures of just about everything.  When her father mysteriously disappears Clea’s world is turned upside down, along with her mother they try to figure out what has happened to him while he was in Rio, but there is not much information.

After a recent trip from Rome, she discovers in her photos there is a strange, exotic, and beautiful man that she feels strongly attracted to, yet he could possibly have something to do with her fathers disappearance.

After reviewing him in these photos she starts to dream about him, where they are together but shes not totally herself in the dreams, she is always a different women who is with this strange man. But is it really a dream? Or just a memory of her past life?

Elixir is everything that a YA novel should be, a plot twisting action packed thriller with just that right amount of romance, you never want the novel to end!

I can honestly say that when I came to the last page of the novel I was sad.  I didn’t want the story to end, and am excited at the thought of a second novel. Clea’s story is so captivating that i felt like i was living in her world and watching it unfold before my eyes. Elixir is so far the best book I’ve read in 2010!

Great job to Hilary and Elise! And congratulations you deserved to make the NYT Bestseller list!

– Alex