Elixir by Hilary Duff

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis: Two years ago, her father disappeared while on a humanitarian mission and is presumed dead, but that doesn't stop Clea and her mother from continuing to do good throughout the world. On one such trip to Columbia, she meets Race, the guide for the trip. She feels a connection to him but cannot explain why. Was it something in their past or possibly in their past lives? Whatever has brought them together is threatening to tear them apart forever. As the mystery of her father's disappearance unravels, Clea discover that she has powers that are bigger than anything she could have anticipated.

Rating: 3 stars

Review: I know what you're thinking... Hilary Duff? An author? Since when? Yeah, those are the same things I thought of when I found this on the "highly recommended" shelf in the library. I have heard mixed reviews about this so I knew I had to check it out for myself. I was hoping it'd surprise me, and well, I guess it did. Now Elixir is not exactly the next best thing, but it is a pretty decent read. I think it offers something new, and something original. I even liked the main character, Clea. She has some stereotypical qualities in her, but I found her likable nonetheless. While the pace, the writing, and the overall plot development could be a lot better, as it was sometimes too cliche and too slow, I have to say, I still enjoyed reading this. I don't know if I would pick up the sequel in a hurry or anything, but I would probably still read it someday to find out what happens next. While it's not a great book, I don't think it's bad either.