FRIDAY MUSINGS: Friendship With Simone Elkeles

The Beautiful Simone Elkeles

I would be here all day if I had to list every single reason and every single example as to why Simone Elkeles is such an amazing person. Notice I said PERSON. I chose that word instead of author because sometimes I think we forget that authors are people just like you and me. They have feelings and emotions beyond the quill pen or rapid fingers typing away on the keyboard. I can't believe I'm about to go all Shakespeare on everybody, but Shylock from Merchant of Venice sums up my point completely only I took the liberty of taking the word "Jew" out and replacing it with "author": "I am an [author]. Hath not an [author] eyes? hath not an [author] hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as [you]? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die?" 

Perfect Chemistry | Rules of Attraction | Chain Reaction

Simone Elkeles is a NY Times & USA Today  best selling author of the Perfect Chemistry  series. She has a new book coming out in October called Wild Cards and I have not a doubt in my mind that she will be climbing back up the NY Times best seller chart soon. Her books are just THAT good. But this post is not about her climb to success. I want her to know how much I appreciate HER. Not because of her fame. Not because she writes amazing books. Our friendship goes back a few years ago when she responded to an email I had sent her in regards to 2 teenage students of mine who were struggling in school and in their personal lives. She not only emailed me back, but was so touched by the fact that the boys had read her novel Perfect Chemistry (both were reluctant readers at the time) that she ended up sending them a box of goodies with one stipulation: they had to email her back personally. From that day forward, we all formed a connection with Simone and she flew out to not only meet the boys, but also was kind enough to do a talk at my school.  To my astonishment, she even mentioned the boys and I in the acknowledgment page of Chain Reaction, the third and final book in the Perfect Chemistry  series. The rest is history.

Acknowledgment Page

Through the years we have kept in contact with each other. She even visited again about a year ago, fitting in a quick visit amidst a very tight schedule. But that is Simone. When she cares about someone and considers you a friend, she will move heaven and earth to spend some time with you. This past year she has been busy finishing her new book, Wild Cards,  touring in AND out of the country, and trying to spend time with her kids. I remember quite a few months ago getting a call from her in a panic. She talked to me about her excitement and anxieties over the new book, her wondering why she was having such a difficult time writing it, why the words weren't flowing like they should. I remember telling her to take a deep breath, that I had every confidence in the world that she would finish. Why was she so stressed out? Because this is a woman who cares about her fans and respects the people she works for and with. I know in her mind she kept asking herself, what if this new novel isn't good enough? What if I disappoint my fans? I wanted to shake her and say, no Simone. You are doing everything right. I just hope we don't disappoint YOU. Because like I said at the beginning of this post, authors are human beings like the rest of us. I wish I could have flown out to be with her, to give her that boost of confidence that she needed. All I could do was try to project some positivity into my words and to let her know that I would be her cheerleader along the way.

Simone & Me

Wild Cards is finished and now it's time for promoting. Simone and I hadn't had one of our catch up phone calls in awhile. I wasn't stressing over it because I know how busy she is. We finally got a chance to chat the other day and it felt like we had never stopped. We just picked up where we left off. She told me about all the crazy things going on in her life, new projects she is working on to promote her new novel coming out this fall, and most importantly, new stories of fans she has met. Because that is what it's all about for Simone, the fans. I've never met a person so dedicated to her fans. She interacts with them daily and quite often will go out of her way if you somehow worm yourself into her heart. I sometimes worry about this--- I told her that we need more people like her in this world to make it a better place. But at the same time, because she has such a big heart, I worry that she will get hurt somehow. But having a big heart myself,  I know that telling people like us to stop helping others is like telling us not to breath. To sum up what an amazing person she is, click the link below this picture.

 Wish Granted For Teen With Brain Cancer

During our recent phone conversation I was telling her my frustrations over not getting approved to read a galley version of her new novel Wild Cards on netgalley. She was like, "What?? Why didn't they approve you?? Why didn't you just ask me for an ARC!? I got one right here. I'm sending it to you today!" I laughed but my response was that I didn't want to take advantage of our friendship by just assuming she was going to give me one. I wanted to try to do it the professional way first. But Simone being Simone just said, "We're friends and friends ask, so next time just ask!" Lesson learned :)

I received the ARC copy of Wild Cards in the mail today...

 ...and my eyes got a little misty. When I opened the cover, this is what I found:

It's not just the note inside that affected me. I was on the phone with her the day she sent it and I know how hectic her day was. I know she was talking to me while she was in the car. I was put on hold while she had to take another call. She had a bazillion things going on and I felt extremely lucky that she was sending me the ARC, no matter when it arrived. But not only did it arrive within days, she still took a moment out of her very hectic day to write that little note to me. She didn't have to do that. But again, this is Simone we are talking about. How she still has the ability to shock me will always be a mystery!

In closing, the point I'm trying to make in this post is sort of what I used to tell my students. You won't know for sure unless you try and sometimes the smallest gesture can make the biggest impact. If I hadn't emailed Simone a few years ago, I wouldn't be able to call her my friend today. If I hadn't gotten to know her, I'd probably still be thinking that authors were these unreachable beings from another planet. Our friendship has taught me to always keep an open mind and never stop accepting people into your heart and life. I know I've already said this, but I'll say it again. The world would be a much better place if their were more people like Simone. And I look forward to many years of friendship with this one-of-a-kind gal!

best wishes,mia

Simone's Website | Pre-order Wild Cards 

BOOK REVIEW & A THANK YOU: Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3) by Simone Elkeles

Title: Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3)
Author: Simone Elkeles
ISBN: 978-0802720870
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Teen Romance
Theme(s): Gang, Urban, Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pgs
Binding: Hardcover
Published: 16th August 2011; Walker Children
Buy: Amazon.com, BN.com

Synopsis:

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks — whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill. Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules — boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules. Getting Nikki to take a chance on a south sider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

My Rating:

Wow. I can't believe that this amazing series has finally come to an end. However, the relationships that have been forged and the powerful lessons that have been learned will carry on for a lifetime. Simone Elkeles is a truly gifted author. You may hear those words all the time, but I am not just talking about her writing skills. While I'm not a deeply religious person, I do believe that we are all here for a purpose. Most people spend their whole lives trying to figure out what they were put on this earth to do. And nothing, in my opinion, is trivial. Simone is one of those rare people that not only found her niche, but utilizes it to touch others. Her writing is used not only to entertain our youth but to acknowledge and inform us on some of the grittier issues kids are dealing with every day. Some call her books controversial, but I see them as REALISTIC.

I work in the teaching field and the one thing I've figured out about myself is that I tend to connect with the students who everyone else has given up on. I have a soft place in my heart for the kind of kids that are like wounded animals. I'm talking about the ones that come from broken homes with no guidence, looking for acceptance and family in all the wrong places. The ones that look like boys on the outside but when you take one look in their eyes you realize they have seen and gone through things that even a grown person should never have to go through.

When I came across the first book in this series called Perfect Chemistry a couple of years ago, I had 2 students like this. I kept trying to find ways to break through their tough boy exteriors, to show them that someone cared. Simone Elkeles helped me accomplish this heavy task. My family, friends, and most of my colleagues already know the story and I don't want to write a book here since this is also supposed to be a review for Chain Reaction. But to give people an idea as to why I am thanking Simone, her books not only got both boys to read, but once the line of communication was opened and she felt the same connection I did with them, she decided to meet them in person. She literally changed their lives. She changed my life. The rest is history. I just couldn't go another day without putting something in writing as to how eternally grateful I am. Simone, you are my hero!

My Review: Now to Chain Reaction, the last in the Perfect Chemistry  series. I devoured the novel. It was fresh, engaging, gritty and most importantly realistic. From the language to the descriptions of gang culture, you can tell Simone did her research. Then again, I know first hand how seriously she wants to get things right, so that aspect of her writing was not a surprise.

One of the things I enjoyed about Simone's Perfect Chemistry  series is the way she weaves in different motifs. Even though each story revolves around a Fuentes brother and his struggle with gang life, Simone brilliantly gives her female characters a "problem" or "issue" that many teens go through. For example, in Perfect Chemistry, Brittany is not the shallow rich girl that everyone thinks she is. She has a dysfunctional family life that is hidden behind a big home and weathly parents. In Rules of Attraction, Kiara is not only slightly curvier than she would like (weight issues are prevalent in teens lives), but she also has a stuttering issue. In Chain Reaction, **SPOILER ALERT** Nikki must not only deal with an unplanned pregnancy at the beginning of the story and the abandonment of her baby daddy, but also suffers a miscarriage. Teens can relate to all of these issues that Simone tackles, especially in this last installment. Maybe that is why some of her books are considered controversial.

A reviewer on Amazon complained that Simone gave us the cliff notes version of Luis and Nikki's relationship, that she focused more on back story then new character development. Seriously? Did they read the same book?? The first several chapters of Chain Reaction IS character development. Simone introduces us to Nikki and Luis way before they even meet. Of course in classic Simone style, we get both of their perspectives by alternating chapters.

Chain Reaction  is the perfect blend of new and old. The last book of any series always has a lot of hype to live up to. Not only is the author responsible for wrapping things up in a way that leaves the reader satisfied, but what about previous characters? This is another reason why I love Simone! Even though Chain Reaction  is Luis and Nikki's story, Simone knows that her fans are still thinking about Alex and Brittany, Carlos and Kiara from books 1 & 2. Her fans want to know how their relationships have developed over time as well. And let's be real, this trilogy is about 3 brothers, so it just makes sense that readers would be curious about their own personal relationship as a family.

Overall, I could not come up with one thing negative, and I am not just saying that because this series holds a special place in my heart. I know first hand how seriously she takes her research in order to convey a completely authentic and relatable story-- and if you don't believe me go check out the acknowledgement page in the back of Chain Reaction :)

Simone, if you ever read this, I thank you for being the most down-to-earth, compassionate, funny, talented woman in the world! The boys and I love you and will always be your #1 fans!

best wishes,mia