Elixir

Hilary Duff

Oct 2010 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Clea Raymond is a talented photojournalist and the daughter of high-profile parents. Usually she’s in total control of her camera, but after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and handsome young man begin to appear in Clea’s photos—a man she has never seen in her life.

When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned—and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future—and their lives.

Ratings and reviews

I was pretty excited to read a book by a celebrity that I've know for quite a while, but as i had been afraid of, Hilary Duff should just stick with acting and singing. This book is about Clea, who's personality/appearance does not go into much detail at all. But I might be crazy for liking to get to know the characters. Clea and her friend go on vacation looking for her lost father where they run into a guy that Clea recognizes- Sage. Blah blah blah, time passes and nothing major happens between the two, except Clea keeps getting creepy flashbacks of lives of how Sage had been responsible for her death. Really weird, if i do say so myself. Also, there's really only 1 part in this book that Sage actually appears to love Clea, probably only because he says "I love you". As the book goes on, nothing flows or doesn't make sense to me. The absolute WORST part is the end when Clea's dumb friend ruins everything and causes Sage to get taken away by the bad guys- who really knows who they are? Anyways, it ends that Sage is taken away to probably be killed, Clea and her friend go back home and she hates him. The thesis of this review- Don't buy it for over $5. Its not worth it :P

Knowing that you could live forever? Elixir: the gift of life; or a curse of reoccring death? Elixir is a thrilling novel written by Hillary Duff. Your first thought would be that this Disney star Lizzy McGuire,singer/songwriter cant possibly have a talent for writng as well. Well you're wrong. The protagonist of Elixir is Clea Raymond whos mother is a successful politician and her father is a world renound doctor/scientist who has gone missing while doing research in Rio de Janero. Clea's best female friend is Rayna who is the person who always had Clea's back and extremely flirtatious. Her best male friend/ secret lover is Ben who was hired by her father before he went missing to be her bodyguard to protect her from "unknown dangers." Elixir begins the plot when Rayna and Clea are working in Europe for a photography job that Clea was offered. When they return home Clea searches through her pictures and finds an apperation of an attractive man in EVERY picture that she took. Frightened, she began flashing pictures all over her room and found that the paranormal figure was watching her. She begins to have vivid dreams of this man but the female in her dreams were always different, and didnt look like her, but she felt the same emotions as if it was her. Clea tells ben about the dreams and he believes that it is an incubus, "Alost soul...evil spirit that attaches its self wo wemon...and has relations with her in her sleep" (Duff). Clea gets offered another photography job down in Rio during a big festival. There's only one problem: Clea's father went missing down there while he was on busniss a few years ago and hasnt been found. Clea and Ben travels there for her job and to search for more information about her father until she sees HIM, the paranormal apperation in her pictures, the mysterious man in her dreams,"The man from my dreams was on the beach"(Duff). The stalker, Sage, is actually knowlegeable and witty, which makes Clea fall more deeply in love with him. Clea figures out that Sage has a possible connection with her missing father who becasue Sage is always on the run from 'elixir hunters'.They return home to only fine more information of the Elixir and they are off to Japan to find out the truth about Clea's father. They are soon off to japan to find the 'Little Door' where they find the eldest person who knows of the elixir who is a frail five hundred years old. She tells Ben, Clea, and sage of all their past life connections, and they are unseperable; their souls always come together and always end with Ben and Clea dying by the'Elixir hunters'. Sage is the only one that can survive becasue he has the elixir so he can live forever. The five hundred year old woman tells the group that to stop the chase, Sage must die by suicide and burning his body, just to spare the souls of Ben and Clea. The books strongly suggest that people should fllow their heart as shown in the love triangle between Clea, Ben, and Sage. Clea cant decide if she wants the "bad boy" or the "loyal one" , but decides that she wants to expirience both. Elixir is similr to thar of Twilight becasue of the love triangle, et action packed like the Hunger Games becasue they are always being chased in the book and dodging the bullet from the 'elixir hunters'. But also like the Alchemist with the same slogan that it's not about the treasure, it's the journey with the constant chase and traveling all over the world with her two lovers. I enjoyed this book becasue this was romantic, action packed and an easy read. It was very predictable and very detailed, at times too much. Duff did an adequiate job at making this fiction book. I would reccomend this book to a female 13 and up espically to thoes who are intrested in Twilight for the romance or hunger games for the action.

Although Duff may be an amateur when it comes to being a writer, I like the idea and concept of the plot and story. Most of you are honestly giving her a hard time but like any fresh writer this is her first book in which she may not have all the strings attached as a great book should have. I believe this story will have a satisfactory ending and I will also be looking forward to Duff's more experienced literary skills as I read her second book.

About the author

Hilary Duff is a multifaceted actress and recording artist whose career began on the popular Disney sitcom Lizzie McGuire. She has since appeared in many films and TV series, including a guest appearance on Gossip Girl. She has sold more than 13 million albums worldwide and has a clothing line, Femme for DKNY, and a bestselling fragrance, With Love…Hilary Duff, for Elizabeth Arden. Hilary’s humanitarian work is recognized throughout the world, and she is actively involved with many different charities benefitting children and animals. She has served on The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation and was named ambassador to the youth of Bogatá, Colombia. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Elixir, Devoted, and True.