Elixir

3.5 stars

When seventeen-year-old Clea, the daughter of a wealthy Senator, returns home after a vacation in Europe, she discovers the image of a strange man in a lot of the photographs she took. The man appears in the background of her photos, in strange positions, one even shows him suspended in the air. The man follows her into her dreams, where the intimacy between the two of them almost feels tangible. When Clea and her friend Ben-who is totally in love with her-head to Brazil to investigate the disappearance of her father, the mystery man appears again, this time in the flesh.

This is a book I couldn't put down (after I struggled through the first two pages)! The story flows at a comfortable, but action-filled pace. What makes this story is the intense love affair between Clea and the mystery man, with Ben being the solid stand-by love. The plot has several holes (very well described by Alexa Maris), but I was able to skim over these (although the "internationally recognizable" Senator's daughter had me rolling my eyes) since it's a fantasy world. What really annoyed me about this book was the ending. It was just ... nothing. No resolutions, no cliffhanger... just nothing. Will I be buying the sequel? YES! I can't wait to find out what happens next!

I absolutely love this book. The author has a good talent for bringing the story and all it's plot points together. I could not put this book down for the life of me. My family is grateful it only took me a day to buzz through it. They were getting a little hungry... The characters become very endearing and sweet. At least some of them do. There are always villains afoot. The thrills and chills really had me hanging on every word. She weaves an intricate, entangled web of mystery. Centuries of haunted truths and a soul wrenching, intense true undying love. This is one of my new favorite books. I cannot wait to read the next in this series. Very, very highly recommend. I loved it and could not get enough of it.

Publisher-Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
My Score: 5 STARS!
Reviewed by~Mechele

Celeb turned author is all the rage today. You simply have to walk into any random bookstore to find one celeb or another writing about this or that. Thankfully, the Young Adult genre has been slightly untouched by this new phenomenon. Enter Hillary Duff. When I first heard of Elixir, my inital reaction was "ooo, pretty cover." My next, more realistic, reaction was "she can write?" Going into the novel. I had tons of assumptions about Elixir. Some were right on and some were way off.

Elixir is surprisingly a quick read. You might not think that based on the 327 page count. But for some reason, I flew through this novel. Duff and Allen have created a decent setting with characters that made me wish I was a few years younger, so that I might be able to fully appreciate them. From the beginning, these characters and I had a problem clicking. Maybe it was the way they acted, maybe it was the way they talked, or maybe it was just everything. I really don't know. But whatever it was, it was not what I was wanting it to be. The plot of Elixir, unfortunately, did the same.

I will be really honest. I wanted to like Elixir... heck, I wanted to love this book. But I couldn't. Yes, there are elements to the novel that were promising. Past lives, soul mates, mythology. However, all this was ruined by sloppy writing and characters that made me want to pull my hair out. It is every paranormal YA cookie-cutter formula pulled into one book.

Ulitimately, Elixir was not for me. Duff's debut novel had promise, but as author, she needs a lot more polish. And to add insult to injury, due to Elixir's abrupt ending, I have tons of unanswered questions. With the sequel on the horizon, I am not sure if I will be able to put aside my issues to venture back into this world. Hopefully, Duff and Allen can think outside a little bit on the next novel and turn things around. But I am not holding my breath.

Booklist Book Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Clea, the daughter of a senator and a famed surgeon, is a paparazzi magnet, photojournalist, and world traveler. Things change when she notices a handsome, timeless young man in her vacation pictures. Even more unsettling, in some photos he seems to float, and the specter soon haunts her dreams as well. Vivid visions of past lives with this man make Clea curious and lead her to the jungles of Brazil, where her father has gone missing while on a search for the "elixir of life." Whether readers are drawn to this because of Duff's Lizzie McGuire fame or are taken in by the surprisingly solid premise, they may be disappointed by the authors' execution. The love between Clea and her mystery man, Sage, never quite reaches believability, and overall, the story reads like a friend's hasty rehashing of a movie plot.

Let me start by saying I was unable to finish this book but I'm also not the target demographic. I got the book because I wondered why Hilary Duff would write a book. I wasn't drawn into the book either because of the writing or because I'm not the target demographic. That being said my wife wasn't able to finish this book. I guess the mark would be teen girls.

I felt compelled to give the book a 3 star even though I wasn't able to finish the book, because I'm not sure if the book gets any better.

I think it's really cool that Hilary Duff decided that she wanted to add "author" to her resume alongside actress and singer. Assuming she's written at least a few of her songs, it's safe to say she knows how to tell a good story. Which is pretty much what this book was - a good story. The writing wasn't exceptional, but it wasn't awful like some books by other celebrities tend to be either. I thought that the main characters (Clea, Ben, and Sage), were introduced well and then had pretty good development over the course of the book. There could have been a bit more, but it was enough.

Not much really happens in this book though, and it makes me feel like the whole thing was a set up for the rest of the series (I think it's part of a trilogy... like everything else). I appreciate the need to set up a story if you intend to take three books to tell it, but by the end of the book I felt like Clea had more problems than she started with. The only problem that ended up resolved was that she figured out who the shadowy man in all of her pictures was and how he played a part in her life/lives. Oh, but then he disappears again. Sorry, Clea. I guess she also kind of finds out what happened to her dad, but at the same time she still has no idea where to find him or even if he's still alive.

I'm really intrigued as to how Devoted is, and I kind of really want to read it. I think that Hilary will have learned from her first novel and improved on the second one, and I'm interested in how the story pans out. I'd probably give this book a 3/5, and I'd recommend it to fans of Hilary Duff who are looking for a quick, easy read.

Before you scoff at the fact that Hilary Duff wrote a novel, hear me out. Yes, I did pick this up because she wrote it and I was curious. And I'm glad I did. The story just drew me in from the get-go and I wanted to keep on reading to see what would happen next.

It's been a year since Clea's father disappeared in Rio, so when she gets contracted for a job in Rio, she jumps on the opportunity, dragging her friend and international guide, Ben, along with her. I loved the relationship between these two. To Clea they are just great friends, even though it's blatantly obvious Ben wants to be more. Either way, he was a great friend to her and very protective. It was cute.

And then there's Sage, the mysterious, random guy that's been showing up in her pictures when it's impossible he was really there when she took them. I liked Sage because I was never sure if he could really be trusted. As soon as we found out he knew something about Clea's father's disappearance, I was on and off about him and his intentions. He was very hot and cold, but it really worked for the story.

In the majority of the book, Clea, Sage, and Ben are following clues left by Clea's father, that are supposed to lead them to the Elixir of Life. They jet around the world, from Rio, to Clea's home in Connecticut, to New York, then Japan. It's a wild adventure and it's fun to take with Clea and the two boys. The one thing that felt really unresolved for me, was Clea's father's disappearance. It was the reason she went to Rio in the first place. Sage said her father was still alive and could help find him, but once they found clues about the Elixir of Life, that whole objective kind of went on the back burner. Looking for the Elixir was exciting, and the ending was great, but I still would have liked there to be more about her father's disappearance in the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was skeptical about Hilary Duff's writing, and I have to say it's not the best writing ever, but it's not bad either. The story is exciting and new (I don't know who else has written about the Elixir of Life), and I'm glad I picked it up. I can't wait for the next book, because I definitely have some unresolved feelings.

Review by lionheartedbooks.blogspot.com:

I have a lot of respect for Hilary Duff for what she has achieved in her life, despite the constant scrutiny of the media she has to deal with. So, when I discovered that she was writing a book series, I was more than eager to read it and also quite surprised at this potentially risky move. It's hard enough to put your own work out there when you aren't famous. But, when you are? It's like giving people a VIP card to rip you apart. Because of this, I ended up having rather high expectations of this novel, especially after I read the plot summary (and that beautiful cover!). The concept of a mysterious stranger in your photos? Give me. Now.

I think Hilary Duff and Elise Allen did a great job when it comes to the relationship between the characters. I liked the friendship Rayna, Clea and Ben shared. It wasn't the sophisticated kind, like some novels like to create, in the pretense that that's how friend's interact. Theirs was silly, comfortable and real. I also think Duff and Allen did a good job (in the majority) of portraying Clea. It's not easy to write a character that is so clearly privileged without making her seem spoiled. In fact, Clea's social status never seemed particularly relevant in the story compared to who she was as a person. Bonus points, as well, for creating a likable personality for her, without making it unrealistic.

Unfortunately, as a whole, I was rather disappointed with the novel. While I enjoyed many aspects of it, I can't help but be bothered by the strong similarities with Elixir and The Immortal series by Alyson Noël and the predictable story line. I didn't enjoy how the story focused on Sage and Clea's love life when I felt that there were far more relevant and interesting directions the story could have taken instead. I think it would have made far more sense to integrate the romance in a stronger story line rather than let it become the focus.

Of course, there were several strong plot points involved, but I don't think they have been explored to their full potential and I also think that the path the authors took from getting to one plot point to the other was too weak. I think this was most notable given the strong beginning of the story. At first, Clea was easily a very independent and intelligent young woman. As the story progressed however, readers are literally watching her IQ drop as her involvement with Sage grew. I hated that. There was one particular moment, when she stopped questioning her dreams, where you can actually see intelligent Clea being replaced by irrational love-struck Clea.

Finally, what got me the most out of everything in the novel, is Clea's treatment of Ben at the end of the book. If you've read it, you'll know what I mean, and if you haven't, or haven't predicted it, I won't spoil it for you. I just feel that what happened, and the aftermath thereof, was very out of character for both Clea and Ben. It didn't make sense and appeared to be only a crutch to enable a similarity between Clea and the, uh, thing (there you go, still spoiler free). I'm hoping that there will be this sneaky plot-twist in the next book(s) that will explain the necessity for this behavior. Please.

Although Clea's character development backtracked, and I was downright disgusted with her behaviour at the end of the book, I still enjoyed reading through her. She was still a far better YA heroine than a significant others that are out there. This is most clearly seen in her reaction to Sage after he did the avoiding thing, which I won't got into details about to keep this spoiler free. She was upset, sure, but compared to the usual, well, Bella Swan reaction of pinning-after-him-hopelessly-with-no-mind-of-her-own, she actually respected herself (yes, you heard that right. She's got self-respect, cue back to the 'better YA heroine than a significant others out there') and downright refused to be treated that way.

I'm serious. Stop gaping. That actually happened.

In conclusion, while the book was not as great as I hoped it would be, it was actually a pretty decent read. I particularly recommend it if you enjoy tragic love stories and don't mind love triangles (I personally don't like them, which probably contributed to my annoyance at the heavy romance story line). The characters are all great, although Clea has her moments of being ridiculous and Sage was too attractive for my liking, and I again have to comment on the excellent portrayal of friendship until the end/aftermath scenes. This book was definitely a credit to YA books, although it had several shortcomings and wasn't very original. I will be reading the sequels, and if you're into books that take place in various countries, heavily feature romance, sort-of involve the elixir of life and are not too serious, I would absolutely suggest you pick this up.

The story was entertaining. I liked Clea. Love her name. She's a little oblivious at times, but who isn't. Ben was adorable. I feel bad for the poor dude. He tries. Read it, and you'll know why. What a life Sage has had. It's almost like a punishment. There were some similarities to other stories. I kept thinking of Fallen by Lauren Kate for one, but I still found it to be an entertaining read. Overall, Elixir had an interesting premise, and it kept my attention from beginning to end. I'm definitely curious about what happens next!

Hilary Duff's shimmering book debut had me up all night thinking about what would happen next between Clea and Sage. Even when the book was finished I kept imagining an infinite list of things that could possibly happen next in a sequel. What I loved most about this book is that it was a mixture of different genres and Hilary Duff blended them together perfectly. I felt like I was getting a little bit of everything: romance, fantasy, mystery, action/adventure, some horror and even some comic relief. The love triangle between Clea, Sage, and Ben was just simple sweet romance. The hilarious girl talk with Clea and Rayna and the non stop action as they travel around the world builds on every single page. This book shows that Hilary Duff not only has a natural instinct for acting and singing, but also for writing. Also just because this book was written by a girl does not mean that it's only for girls to read. I feel that anybody can read it. It's a fun story, but it also has that drama and suspense that is good for everybody. This book is probably not for younger kids however because of some language and romance. Like I said, the never ending suspense is truly what made the book so strong. If I could describe this book in two words, they would definitely be "page turner". The plot is unique, well put together and well written, without being too predictable. Its filled with surprising twists and turns. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun thriller. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised.

Quite the dilemma. To stay young or not. Once you take the elixir, you take it for life, or die a horrible death. There are quite a few things to think about in this book and Gary Braver pretty much hits on all the consequences of most decisions. The pace of the book is fast. Maybe sometimes too fast as far as skipping time periods. There is good (Chris Bacon and family), there is bad (Quentin), and there is ugly (graphic details). Of course, along with the good action, there is the evil character of Antoine and the total idiot of Lamar Fisk. All these things bring this novel together to bring you some high brow entertainment along with an emotional rollercoaster ride. Happy reading
Recommended

ELIXIR, Gary Braver's biomedical thriller, offers the best of why we read. For fiction fans, the storyline moves along at a "can't put it down" pace. For information junkies, we learn about tribal medicine men - both from Papua New Guinea and America! For those of us over-50s, we learn that getting old has its drawbacks, but that "Forever Young" is best left to Rod Stewart lyrics. For those who long for deep insight from their reading, there's a wealth of points to ponder long after the last page is turned.
Gary Braver explains just enough about the biology of the aging process to help us put the book in a proper context. The reader won't get bogged down in too much science but will learn to understand the implications of what we hear each evening on the news health reports. It teaches the reader to look beyond any headlines of "miracle drugs."
I anxiously await Gary Braver's next offering!

While reading every page, I couldn't get the idea that one of my favorite actress/singers had written this book. I have always loved Hilary Duff, ever since I fell in love with her early career endeavors including "Lizzy McGuire", "So Yesterday", and "Our Lips Are Sealed", all of those being my personal favorites. Now that she is a young adult novelist, I really have no choice but to love her unconditionally, do I?

I can not discount Elise Allen, however. I am sure she played a big role in the writing of this book, as she is credited as a co-writer. I am excited for her young adult novels, the first of which debuting next year.

I was really pumped to read Elixir, since the hype for it was so large. My blogging friends kept bugging me to read it and eventually one of them had to send it to me so I could read it. And I am so glad he did, since I adored it!

Clea was a great character, strong and confident, but still accepting love from her friends and family. I loved her friend Rayna and I hope to see more of her in future books. The two love interests, Ben and Sage, were very entertaining and had all the characteristics of the perfect heartthrob. Both did things that made me love and hate them.

The writing in this book was great. I tried not to think of Hilary as just a Hollywood debutant, crediting her as a legitimate writer the entire time I was reading. Elise and Duff were able to combine to create an engaging story that had me enchanted the entire time. I can't wait to see what they come up with in the future!

Though I feel not enough happened in this book, Elixir kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat for ninety percent of the time. It did a great job of setting up the story and world for the future books in this sure to be great series. I really loved this book.

Elixir was a great book that kept me gasping for more. I was eagerly flipping through the pages, determined to find out what would happen next the entire time I was reading.

Hilary Duff adds yet another title to her multifaceted resume as she delves into YA writing with her debut novel, Elixir. As a fan of Duff since her Lizzie McQuire days, I had to take a read (I LOVED when I was in third grade, playing her songs every day.) I admit to being a bit hesitant, not sure what to expect as I never thought of her as a writer but a celebrity who spent more time with her career than writing tedious essays. I knew about the book when it was first reached bestseller lists, but I dismissed it as just her name selling the novel rather than her literary merit. Regardless, I am glad I delved into Elixir.

The plot sounds like something out of a Disney movie, but with darker undertones. Clea, the protagonist, is a teen freelance photographer blessed with financial and social status. Her father goes missing, and her mother submerges herself in work. Her happy family is broken, leaving Clea with many questions regarding her father's disappearance. Clea doesn't care too much about romance (but her best friend, Rayna lives for it) until she gets weird, romantic dreams with a mysterious man: the same man who appearances in her photographs. Then a photo assignment, sends her off to Rio, the place of her father's disappearance. Clea, desperate for answers, hops on a plane immediately. She bumps into this mysterious man, Sage, find out he is her soulmate along with some dark secrets, and goes from suspecting him to hopelessly in love with him. They have sex in a car. He keeps his distance from her, she breaks down. Along the way she uncovers dark mysteries of her past and her father's disappearance which are all tied to the coveted Elixir of Life. And her other best friend who is head of heels in love her, Ben, goes along for the ride too; but he ends up to be a harbinger of horrible events (It is clear we are supposed to dislike this poor guy throughout the novel.)

Immediately, I started to dissect the novel trying to separate Duff with her collaborator, Elise Allen.The words flow effortlessly through the page. I could tell Duff paid extra attention to her descriptions, unfortunately it was aimed more towards people than setting. Knowing her status as a celebrity and that she travels often, I was expecting vivid descriptions of Clea's home in Connecticut, the beaches of Rio, and the city lights of Shibuya. However, to my disappointment, there was more description in the Swaronski crystal Hello Kitty mirror she buys in the mall than in whatever country she's in.

I have to applaud the writing in the scene where Clea takes pictures of her room to check if the mystery man will appear. She goes through the pictures on her computer, to find him in the picture of her closet. Read just like a scene of a horror film; I swear a shudder went down my spine. You start to think Clea is an idiot when she trusts this creepy guy.

The adventure is there, Clea runs through a forest escaping from creepy guys. At times, it feels like I am thrown into cliche CSI scenes: enlarging pictures that magically turn high-res with zoom, decoding secret codes in a computer, and a password engraved on a watch. These scenes almost made me wince as they just sounded, for lack of a better word, lame. You start to wonder why is it all so easy and why it took less than a handful of pages to "solve" the "elaborate" puzzle her father created involving Shakespeare, a cribbage board, and his watch.

The story was captivating: a mystery, with a dash of paranormal, and a gallon of romance (love triangle alert!) thrown in for good measure. The sexual inferences didn't do it for me, I had to check the age level to make sure this book was not inappropriate. I've read teen novels with much more graphic sex scenes, but for a novel aimed at 14 year olds I am starting to wonder if I was just too sheltered. Compared to Ellen Hopkin's Identical, Elixir's sexual references are mellow; but what bothered me is they just seemed to be sprinkled in there for the sake of it. The reader is already constantly being told that they are soulmates, we don't need sex in the car to consummate it.

There are many points in the plot that just seems too convenient. Need to travel? No worries, Sage has a black American Express credit card, perfect for booking first class plane tickets. Clea's mother clearly does not check her daughter's credit card statements or wonder how her daughter flew home without buying a plane ticket. Need a password to the world's most precious elixir? No problem, her father is forgetful and scribbles his passwords everywhere, leaving them in the most conspicuous places. Got an ugly 500-year old talking corpse in front of you? No problem, she commits suicide on her own.

However, even unlimited credit cards can't contain all my unanswered questions which I hope will be answered in the sequel. Where did that orchid necklace come from? If Clea is such a wonderful, "professional" photographer, why does she never carry extra lens, light modifiers, filters, model permission slips, or at least a tripod? and Why is Sage in all her pictures just because he is her soulmate? Do soulmates normally appear in pictures of your closet? If Sage has been playing for cribbage for centuries is dead even with Ben and Clea, does it mean the game is too easy, Sage isn't very smart, or Ben and Clea have past memories of playing the game? Why are those vials empty, do someone drink them and felt compelled to rebury them? What in the world is a small door along with a hidden chamber doing in the Shibuya 109 building, who built it? Why is there a store called The Little Door anyway? The Dark Lady is surprisingly nice, has has weird supernatural powers? Can we just kill Ben?

I just picked up its sequel, Devoted, today; despite being awkward at parts, it was an addicting read with s good pace, and intriguing plot. I expect a better sequel from Devoted (and I just want closure.) While the plot seems to be full of holes, Duff has definite storytelling potential Hilary Duff, I think you just made a fan out of me...again.

When you think of Hilary Duff, you automatically think 'Lizzie McGuire', right? So, it's probably weird for you to think that she's written a book--well, at least, I did.

Elixir was captivating, and not anything that I'd imagine Hilary Duff could write. I'm not dissing her, but it's just that I thought this would be some stupid story about a snobby-rich girl. True, the main character, Clea, was rich, but I didn't get the sense that she was snobby at all.

She was a pretty cool protagonist, and I liked her rational-way of thinking. To be honest, she thought things out more thoroughly than I would have! Me, I would have jumped and freaked at just about every turn of events (I mean, taking a snapshot of your room and seeing some strange dude standing in your closet would have me screaming like a banshee and running out of the house).

True, the story line kind of reminded me of Alyson Noel's Immortals series a little bit, but I filed all my negative comments away, in order to stop comparing all the characters.

The book was entrancing, and I finished it in under a day. I enjoyed it through-and-through, and although the ending is a little disappointing, I think there is going to be a second one in the near future (although I can't find any information on it...yet).

I suggest that every person who likes strange tales of love give this book a try. Set aside your views/opinions on the new author, and give her a shot (without envisioning Lizzie Maguire's little animated character writing this book on an overly-sized computer). 4/5 Stars

Clea lives in the spotlight - thanks to her two famous parents. Now, her father's been missing for a year. She'll do anything she can to uncover clues to his whereabouts as she refuses to think he's dead.

Clea returns from a European vacation with her BFF Rayna. While she's looking over the pictures she took, she spots something strange. There's a man standing in almost all of her pictures even though they toured different countries.

Clea's sure he's not someone trailing her for protection. She can't explain his presence. She begins have dreams about him, sometimes romantic and sometimes nightmares.

Clea's a photojournalist under a pen name. She receives an assignment to travel to the last known location of her father. She jumps at the chance. There on the beach, she spies the man from her pictures. She bolts after him.

When she does meet him, she discovers a dangerous world - a world of a repetitive cycle that has in the past lead to her death. Can she fight fate and change the cycle?

The start of a new series by Hilary Duff. I've heard a lot about this book - some good, some bad. I'm interested to see if my teens will be reading it. I liked the past lives and the fight to change the future. I find Rayna refreshing. I had a hard time liking the boys at the end of the book - though I loved Ben until the climax. I'm curious as to what will happen next.

Everyone hears about the book you can't put down. ELIXIR, by Gary Braver,is such a book. It is one of the few thrillers I WILL read again. Chris Bacon is a trained biologist in search of medicinal plants, but returns from Papua New Guinea with the 'Fountain of Youth.' Now Braver poses some very big questions. Would living for centuries, maybe forever, be too much of a good thing? Where will everyone live if people don't die? Suppose members of families disagree? What will be the new policies? Who decides?

The author draws you in to this potentially changed world, but unfortunately some things never change. Greed, corruption, jealously, murder, all play a part in the compelling plot. This book should be a movie. Someone once said, Man is Nature's sole miatake. Braver shows us why.

This book revolved around the idea of reincarnation and an elixir capable of sustaining eternal life. That was the most interesting thing about this book, I wanted to keep reading to see how the two characters kept finding each other in their future lives and falling in love.

The concept was great and backstory flushed itself out towards the end in a satisfying way. But the writing was just horrible. There was way too much narrative about nothing and very little action. And I just don't mean hide and chase'em down action...even the most ordinary conversation between ppl were boring. There was way to much "telling" and not enough "showing".

And what Duff and her co-author thought were witty and cool teenage things to say, weren't. I felt no love for or connection to the characters, esp the main character Clea. Not only was she too perfect to be relatable but the conclusions she were able to draw in order to discover the big secret were too far fetched. And the story does a complete 180 when we see Clea hating this mysterious guy from her past lives then all of a sudden she is having sex with him in a car on the side of the road. Seriously?

Try again.

You can definitely tell that a writer wrote this novel, the beginning of the book pulled me in and then it just fell apart. Clea is haunted by this presence following her everywhere and I loved the way they set up her background, her love of photography and the mystery behind her father's disappearance. Unfortunately when the heart throb male lead shows up, it all goes to the wind. It quickly descends into a "I will do anything to be with you" type novel and the scene that really made me want to throw this book was when they had sex in a car and she thought it was so romantic that he had brought protection because he knew they should be together. *GAG*

I really can't remember how it ended, because for me it ended with that scene. I'm thinking to myself, what kind of role model is this? I love reading about characters that are different, mostly realistic, but to put her as the heroine with that type of scene. . . I can't deal with it. It's another damsel in distress novel after that and why does the nice guy always lose out? There's a love triangle..sort of, but it doesn't really exist.

Wouldn't you choose the guy you barely know to sleep with in a car... as opposed to the guy who supports her and is there for her consistently...? No? Me either. Don't read this book, it was a waste of time.

"Elixir" was certainly not a bad book, but I cannot understand all the 5-star reviews. The story was interesting, but not completely original. The philosophical issues brought up were valid, but explored in a cursory manner. The prose felt clumsy to me, in a few places. Maybe this is not a fault of the author, but there were perhaps a dozen grammatical errors in the book - for example, when clearly referring to an individual, using a phrase like "...you can't just make a people do something..." instead of "...you can't just make a person do something..." I'm paraphrasing this, but it's the freshest example in my mind, as it's near the end of the book. Also, cocaine comes from COCA leaves, not COCOA leaves - that made me laugh.
However, there was a good twist in the last 50 pages that I did not see coming, and the story as a whole was worthwhile. Not great, but not bad. A decent read.

If you could prolong your life indefinitely would you?
The idea of a fountain of youth has intrigued human beings for centuries. Being able to live longer, better lives is an enticing idea that we've all considered. Hell, 90% of the "health & beauty" market is based on the desire to stay young. So what if there actually was something we could take. What would happen to us and to our world?
Elixir is quite the page turning thriller. I loved never knowing what was going to happen next. I'm not going to give anything away but here's the basic idea. Dr. Christopher Bacon (great name!) is a medicinal chemist working for Darby Pharmaceuticals, "a Boston laboratory pioneering the synthesis of folk medicines". They send him off to the jungles of New Guinea in search of plant steroids which could be used to create the world's first male birth-control pill - thus sending their stock price through the roof. Deep in the jungle, an old school friend introduces him to Tabukari, a flower with incredible anti-aging properties. Chris then brings the flower back to the lab in the States to attempt to create a synthetic variety. Things unfold from there.
The premise brings up a lot of questions. Should we live forever? If there were such a drug - who would get to take it? How much would it cost? What would happen to the population? What if you took the drug but your children didn't? All these questions are explored throughout the book. Another really interesting facet of the story is the drug/pharmaceutical industry. Does our desire (or need) for drugs put us in a dangerous position? Is enough time being given towards ensuring that there are no side effects or is money the true bottom line?
As Chris is working on different projects and researching aging there is a lot of scientific jargon used but it never seemed to get in the way. (Braver's past life as a physicist explains his "vast knowledge of DNA and the mechanisms of aging".) Everything is explained in a very conversational manner that allows us to have the information we need without completely confusing us. Put it this way, I dropped out of Chemistry in the tenth grade and I understood what he was talking about.
Elixir is wonderfully written. Most of the characters are beautifully realized and are intrinsically real. The relationship between Chris and his wife, Wendy, is a wonderful example. They are both complex individuals with deeply rooted needs and desires, all of which Braver allows us to be privy to. As time passes and the story changes, so do their relationship and their needs.
My only problem was with the bad guys. I felt like I was expected to hate one of the bad guys just because he was a drug dealer (great irony) and the other baddie was pathetic and I wasn't entirely convinced he was capable of murder. I like my bad guys to be really BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD and these ones were just kinda bad.
Even though this book was just released, Ridley Scott Productions (Gladiator, Blade Runner, Alien) has already optioned it! I think it'll make a great film. Lots of drama; lots of suspense.
This is a great thriller. I had trouble putting it down and stayed up until the wee hours of the morn in order to finish it. Gary Braver is a great new voice in the thriller market (especially if you're tired of the Grisham legal drama and the Clancy spy novel) and if you're looking for an exciting, fun read try picking up Elixir. I can't wait for Braver's next book - I hope he doesn't wait too long to write it - none of us are getting any younger!
Review Originally Posted online.

With this Sci-Fi-Suspense-Thriller, Braver has deftly tapped into a psychological vein feeding the consciousness of American culture. To be young and healthy indefinitely may be a primordial human desire, but our video-oriented youth-obsessed culture has tweaked it to an abiding ubiquitous lust. Braver skillfully unfolds a world in which the wonders and perils of the miracle agent are clear to a range of users, but the lust overpowers judgment for most. Can anyone already privy to the egoistical pitfalls of our accelerating, root-challenged modernity take the elixir without inherently abusing it? Could I? And that is the principal frustration in reading this magnetic work: the constant tension between the throttling suspense driving one quickly from sentence to sentence, page to page, and the need to slow down long enough to explore one's own answers to the moral questions that the plot invokes. My compromise was an occasional brief lapse into internal moral reflection during the hours in which I voraciously consumed Braver's writing from cover to cover--but evocative questions taunt me still. Braver's artful crafting of scenes, and skillful juggling of suspense points across converging plotlines draw one ever forward. Toward the conclusion there is nothing to do but give in to the acceleration. Buy two: because if you set your copy down, someone you know and trust will be off into an "it-could-happen-tomorrow" biotech tale of vain hope and cascading consequence, and you won't be able to wait for their return.

As an avid reader of medical mystery/thrillers, ELIXIR rates at the top of my favorites list. Long after memories of other novels I've read have faded, this book will continue to make a lasting impression on me. The concept of longevity is endlessly fascinating, and Gary Braver presents thought-provoking questions surrounding the ethics versus practical aspects of this issue. The reader finds himself/herself immersed in the action-oriented plot, in which the central character handles the implications of his potentially dangerous discovery in a sensitive and realistic way. What helped to set this novel apart from others I have read is the skillful manor in which the author involves the reader in the riveting drama and makes it impossible for him/her to avoid imagining himself/herself dealing with the same fates as the characters. The surprising twist at the end of the book prompted me to do some inner-self searching about my values regarding the length and quality of my own life.
ELIXIR has all the elements of a superb read: an edge-of-your-seat plot, nonstop action, mystery, romance, and sensitive portrayal of realistic characters, with the added fascination of imagining... "what if this could really happen?! " "Would I want it to?!"
I look forward to Gary Braver's next novel, and hope he continues to contribute his high quality writing for years to come.

I absolutely love the Elixir series by Hillary Duff! Its captivating and more than just a gret read. As I read I would imagine the characters whilee listened to Lana Del Rey. If you want to enjoy a book as well as feel intrigued READ THE ELIXIR SERIES! In order ofcourse!

I loved Braver's Elixir! Hadn't been possessed by such a gripping read since I picked up my first Grisham novel. Elixir kept me up at night too late [sometimes with white knuckles] reading yet another chapter. I didn't want to finish it too soon - what would hold my interest after this? Braver gives us a new twist while one is still pondering the previous one.
I'm a huge Elmore Leonard fan, and Elixir has similar intrigue with great pacing, intricately interwoven sub-plots, and fast repositioning of the story line. The distinctive difference is that Elixir is more intelligently written. Braver did his homework before writing this one. It's strong on science, and has more depth of character development of the lead players - Christopher Bacon and his family. Braver brings us inside their heads, and we understand what motivates them.
Underlying the story are very real issues of aging, family values, greed, and genetic manipulation. One can't help but examine one's own attitudes. If eternal life and youthful appearance were options -what price would we be willing to pay? Braver makes us comprehend potential sacrifices - the effect on our relationships and the world at large. I appreciated the humanity and sensitivity expressed and the moral challenge to embrace life as it is - not as it might be!
Elixir will make a great flick - but be sure to read the book first - you'll be glad you did!

Many stories delve into processes by which people can indulge themselves and many science fiction stories delve into the process of indulging in the desire to live longer than humans are supposed to. Yet this story is a fantastic amalgamation of thriller, science fiction, and modern (21st century) issues. Braver demonstrates what it truly means to live, to love, and to love to live while keeping the reader's heart pulsing throughout. It is a story that is relevant and will continue to be relevant and crucial for as long as we continue to explore the themes of love and ultimate temptation.

Who doesn't want to live forever? The story starts with the discovery of a flower that promises life extension. Problem is, once you start using it, you can't stop. Imagine the difficulties of such a substance - everyone wants it, and whomever controls it can name their price, but ethical and moral considerations come into play when researchers start testing the substance - are they playing God?

Great story, a bit lengthy and drawn out, but well worth a complete read.

This is a book filled with intrigue, desire, hope, loss, action, and I couldn't put it down. In the classic style of John Grisham, this story won't let you go. You feel the fear and exhilaration, panic, and excitement of a family with no true identity because they are on the run. I also discovered that I would never take Elixir, even though it would heal my back -- the price is too steep. I read this book in one day, and look forward to the next Gary Braver novel. It's a golden book, and you won't go wrong taking this journey into Neverland.

As a woman who normally avoids reading biotech thrillers, I thought this one might be intriguing and light because of the title. To my surprise, it stands far above any bestselling thrillers I have read. It is an intelligent book with such a fast moving plot that I hated to put it down to sleep or go to work. But more than that, the characters prove to be real people who respond that way. Braver has done his homework in planning this book! There is no supernatural or gratuitous violence to turn my stomach, just consistently realistic descriptions of what happens. No, this novel deals with real issues and surprises us at every turn. Long after I have finished the book, I still feel a familiarity with Chris and Wendy as I do with Parker's Spencer and Susan. I reconsider actions that took place and wish for more. Braver leaves the reader with the possibility of a sequel OR the denouement may just be left to our imaginations. I want to read it again to pick up things I've missed, but I also want to share it with friends so we can debate some of the issues and consider other options at the end. Elixir is a real winner!

I enjoy thrillers that have some substance -- raising some moral or ethical dilemma -- and Elixir certainly does. In that way, it's a lot like one of Braver's other novels -- Gray Matter, which raises questions about a procedure that could make your child very very smart. Elixir is a mystery and a thriller, but at the core it raises some thought-provoking questions. If you could, would you stay young forever, even while others around you (your wife, your kids) grew old? How valuable would such a substance be? Who "deserves" access to such a substance? Ultimately, it's these questions that drive the story, and, as you might suspect, the value of the "elixir" attracts some very unpleasant people with more than a casual interest in making money. That aspects drives the thriller portion of the book, but, the personal dilemma raised by staying young forever is even more compelling.

Disclaimer: I have no real opinion on Hilary Duff. I haven't heard her music, and my only exposure to her movies was a two-minute cameo in Human Nature. Too bad her debut book is a lackluster limp lump of lifelessness. "Elixir" isn't a devastatingly bad paranormal romance, but it is crammed with cliches, clumsily written, and has a protagonist so Mary Suish that it burns.

After a vacation trip across Europe with her friend Rayna, Clea Weston discovers that a ageless hot guy has been stalking her across Europe. He's also in all photographs of/by her, and she's having dreams about past lives with him. And during an otherwise pointless trip to Rio, she finally encounters the man, who is named Sage.

Sage turns out to be connected to Clea's father, who has been presumed dead for months, and the Elixir of Life he was searching for. And after discovering her father's data on the Elixir (courtesy of REALLY IMPROBABLE GUESSES), she and her friends Ben and Rayna accompany Sage on a... very leisurely quest to discover the truth.

It feels like someone told Hilary Duff, "Paranormal romance is hot right now! Just write a plotless book with a bland heroine, sexy boys, and some supernatural stuff!", so she dashed off "Elixir" over the weekend. This is one of the blandest, most cliched paranormal romances I have ever read; it feels like it was made with Mad Libs.

Part of this is because Duff's writing is terrible -- her style is as bland as cold oatmeal, and it's full of leaden infodumps, repetition (Sage is always "magnetic!"), and cheesy descriptions that are trying to be poetic ("endless swirling mass of inky black nothingness"). And the dialogue will make you want to claw off your ears, especially when Duff tries to be romantic or funny ("Wow. He must spend a fortune on eBay").

To make matters more confusing, Duff stuffs the story with all sorts of confusing, inconsistent stuff about fate, and pads it with pointless scenes that add nothing (time to talk about cinnamon buns, sex and clothes!). Even worse, half the supernatural concepts in here like the reincarnation and the incubus/angel theory are TOTALLY NEGLECTED. They contribute nothing!

Finally, the ending is confusing, anticlimactic, and solves nothing... which means a sequel is probably is probably in the works.

Clea isn't as repulsive as many paranormal romance heroines... but she's still boring and immature. And even worse, she's a Mary Sue -- a wealthy yet humble girl who also happens to be a globetrotting teenage photojournalist. And a worldwide megacelebrity. AND a Krav Maga expert who becomes helpless at convenient times. Does she also sing like a nightingale and have rainbow hair?

Sage is basically a blank slate with "Mysterious Love Interest" stamped on his face, and Ben is just pushy and annoying. Almost all the other characters are devoid of personality, and even the antagonists -- who have the ridiculous name "Cursed Vengeance" -- are totally faceless.

"Elixir" is a paint-by-numbers paranormal romance, with no passion and not much of a plot. Hilary Duff, please stick to singing.

This is one incredible book. I've always enjoyed medical/scientific mysteries, but never have I been more fascinated and intrigued by a novel as this one. The story itself is so unbelievable that it's believable, and one twist after another in the plot and characterization leads you right up to the last line of the book wondering how it will end (and wishing it wouldn't). You will have a hard time telling yourself it's fiction because of Gary Braver's convincing style of writing. I recommend this book to everyone and guarantee an enjoyable trip!

SPOILERS because I'm saving you

"Elixir" by Hilary Duff sounds like it would be an interesting story. It follows Clea as she tries to make sense of her fathers death turned disappearance. Not to mention, Clea is a perfect Mary Sue who's rich and comes from well known parents (a senator and a surgeon). And when I say well known, I mean well known. As Clea goes to Paris, Rio, and Japan, EVERYONE seems to know she's the daughter of the senator and a surgeon. I'm sorry, but really? I hardly know the name of the president's daughters. You think I'm actually going to remember a senator's name AND the name of their children?! You think people around the world are going to know that much?! Honestly?

So, you have this girl which no one can really relate to because no one is like her where they can afford whatever they want, go to whatever country they want to and do whatever they want to, and be so well known that paparazzi follow them around the world. Add on the fact that Clea is also a photojournalist who has to hide that that's what she does because of her name.

I don't know either, but I keep seeing Clea as Hilary Duff... Strange because I like Hilary Duff - I like her music, her acting - but I wasn't sure about this book. I can't tell you what Clea actually looks like or sounds like, but every time she was described, I thought of Hilary. Every time she spoke, I heard Hilary's voice. I think it was also because of the girl on the cover of "Elixir" who happens to look just like Hilary Duff as well... >.>

Rayna is Clea's best friend in the story. They also happen to be the same age as well. Rayna also happens to find a new "soulmate" every night of the week. That's just a fancy way of saying Rayna's a slut. And of course, Clea mentions that even though Rayna isn't as rich or as privileged as Clea herself is, Clea's parents make sure Rayna has everything Clea does and Rayna is never ever jealous of Clea. Now, in a fantasy world, that might happen if we were devoid of any human emotions. But not in real life. In real life, Rayna would not be able to experience EVERYTHING Clea has, and chances are, she'd be jealous of Clea. I mean, your best friend has everything and the first thing people ask you is what it's like to be close to Clea and that doesn't bother you at all? Okay... thanks for being a robot.

Ben happens to be the best guy friend in the story. And for a good part of the story, he's not bad and actually just a friend. He seemed the most decent of all the characters, but then... on then it just got screwed up. But before I say all that, I have to introduce another character.

Sage is the man of Clea's dreams. Literally. I'm not saying that as he's what she's always imagined she'd be with. But that she dreams of him. Every night. But as a different person and she finds out that each of those different people are past lives of her. But then she dreams of her death and even though she's scared out of her mind because of Sage killing her, she still has to be with him. Sage was the last one to see her father and she wants to be with him. Clea also happens to be in his house in Rio and sees the murders clear as day and she wants to be with him.

And the one who has killed Clea in her past lives? In one way or another it has been Ben. Now if that doesn't tell everyone that they should fall head over heals with Sage and not Ben, I don't know what is.

And Sage has so many personalities, it was as if however Hilary felt Sage should be that day, that's how he was. She wanted him to be sweet, he was sweet to Clea. She wanted him to be a stalker, that he was. A pervert? Yes. A loveable guy there for her? Yep. None of it matched or flowed right. Unless he had a split personality or something...

Now, Ben wasn't bad until it dawned on Clea that Ben was in love with her. Rayna had to smack the sense into her and after that he was shown as the more evil guy, the guy that killed Clea, the guy that was annoying. Example, when they first meet up with Sage, no one is sure what to think about him. They all think he's a killer or something. They don't trust him. Even Clea is a bit worried about the whole thing. But after Clea has sex with Sage, she thinks Ben is overreacting. This is just HOURS after meeting the guy they have no idea who he is and suspect him of doing something with Clea's father, Ben tells them that Sage just probably left, which is a good thing. They don't need to be involved with him because they don't know him. Okay, got it. That's actually a good thing. Creepy stalker guy following you guys leaves, it's a good thing. But does Clea see it that way? No. She sees it as Ben being too aggressive and jealous. That Ben isn't thinking right. Um... hello, Sage has been a suspect all this time! Ben didn't sleep with Sage, you did Clea! Ben isn't going to be all trusting him now.

And sleeping with Sage? Yeah, that was all Rayna's idea. Seriously. She tells Clea to "just go with it", "don't think, just do". So when Clea suddenly thinks, I wanna have sex with this guy who's been killing my past lives (since that's what she knows so far) and I don't know anything about him, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it right in Rayna's car as well, as soon as we find a deserted place no one can see us. Rayna, you just lost any and all points you had with me because of this right here. Random guy you know nothing about and you tell your friend go take him somewhere and go with whatever you want, which would be having sex with the guy, and it doesn't matter what happens to your best friend? Um... if you were really her best friend, you wouldn't do that to her. You know what happens at times like this? Someone ends up dead. Raped and dead. And it's not the guy who dies. Thanks Rayna for setting your friend up to be a statistic.

What about school? Does no one go to it? Oh wait... that's right, Rayna does. For some odd reason, even though Clea and Rayna are the same age, Clea doesn't have to worry about school. Yet, she tells Rayna that Rayna has to go back and can't come with her because Rayna has school. Sounds to me like Clea just wants to hook up with the two guys and Rayna is just going to be in the way. But whatever.

Then... the story just ends. Randomly. I'm still lost. There is no way at all that it says it's part of a sequel or trilogy or whatever. It's made to believe it's just the one book and that's it. But it's not. Because it ends so randomly and suddenly because it's not the only one. It has a sequel. I don't know how many books are in this series either. There's no mention of that. But if it was actually mentioned how many mindnumbing books I have to read to finish this series, that would be nice. So I know how much time I'll be wasting.

If things were actually, I don't know, SHOWN here instead of TOLD, that would have been awesome. I can't tell you how many times everything was told to the reader. Things were good or bad or awesome or whatever. But nothing was shown. A great writer can show things. A bad writer just tells them. Hilary falls into the later category, a bad writer who tells the story instead of shows it.

Basically, this book is your stereotypical book where you have random, strange, stalker guy who is so mysterious though he's just a paper thin cardboard cutout, a hot girl who falls in love with cookie cutout guy because he's "hot" and "mysterious" even if her life might be in danger, a best friend who is the other love interest and even though he's a good character and has good qualities appears as a jerk or not as good because he's not "hot" and he can't have sex in a car with the MC. Throw in some bad writing and a horrible plot where nothing happens or is accomplished and you got yourself a standard book. Just like every other book out there.

Nothing was believable. It wasn't written even halfway decent. The characters were flat. The story was just bad. Bad bad bad. Hilary, I'll watch your movies, I'll listen to your music, but I WON'T read your books. You just can't write.

This is one of those titles that I was ambivalent upon completion but then on further contemplation became completely flabbergasted that I actually completed it. Oh wait, yes, now I know why it wasn't a DNF, because this was an audio book - and I listened to it while I was at work. This novel had great potential it really did and I actually went in to it with an open mind. On first thought I believed this to be just a churned out celebrity endorsed fluff piece. Duff had a bright idea while sipping her latte on set - and she called someone that called someone else and then they wrote a book based on six words "Twilight but no vampires or werewolves." I really did push those thoughts aside. I watched the trailer. I tweeted about it and was reassured by a few peeps that they heard it was good, they heard Duff actually was a creative force behind the novel. I should have stuck to my guns. Really. This little literary piece of fluff was about as intellectually stimulating as Jersey Shore with Lindsey Lohan making a guest appearance. The only thing semi-decent about it was the writing style. Allen, because I'm pretty sure she is who crafted the words behind this baby, did a good job of staying in tone and the prose was typical young adult. The concept even had some merit...too bad the implementation was not very well done.

REVIEW:
Elixir is the story of a jet-setting teen by the name of Clea Raymond. Traveling the globe with her best friend Rayna she has accomplished more in her 17 years than most 80 year olds have dreamed of. She parties in Paris, jets back to the US which is her home and then sets off for a photo gig in Rio for Carnivale. But, all the while she is plagued by the death of her father, whom went missing on a humanitarian mission in Brazil. Recent events have brought about a resurgence of curiosity in his disappearance and leads her to searching his office...and finding images of one man, a man that seems to always be there, in her pictures and in her father's pictures, at every step of her life. Something that can't be explained and should scare her, but for some reason she is strangely drawn to the stranger.

Here is the critique. Where do I start? Let's start with the characters:
The characters were very one dimensional. They elicited no emotional reaction from me. I could careless about any of them. Clea, the main character was vapid, yet too perfect to be believable. Rayna, the ditzy best friend was overdone and her actions were annoying and almost offensive. The first part of the love triangle, Ben, was overpowering, overprotective and rather spineless. The second part, the mysterious paranormal, Sage, was so mysterious that you barely even connected with him at all.

Then the plot. It had holes galore. First we are searching for clues for the father's death. Then we find out the father might be alive. But, with that discovery we find out about our mysterious soul mate/serial killer/incubus guy. Well, with his introduction that search for daddy gets totally forgotten and now it is something new entirely. Let's forget dad and search for the vials. Then in between searching lets have odd moments of cinnamon rolls and drawn out moments in wonder of a black AMEX. Odd. Then there is the whole Elixir, Sage and these two mysterious groups that are chasing after them. These evil men, bred to what? Bred to just hunt down Sage? Bred to find the vials? There is no explanation, just these lethal groups of comic bad guys. This book left me with so many questions that weren't explained, or explained poorly. They mention over and over again that Clea is home schooled. But who home schooled her? And when? And what was the purpose of the Hungarian maid? That was just bizarre with all the spitting. Then the major, to top it off ending. It was horrible. Horrible. I think it was meant to elicit an emotional response...but by then I was so just indifferent that I could care less. It shouldn't be this way with a book. The worst part about it was that it was supposed to be this big climax and it just was a total dud. It reeks of sequel... egad brain, please just say no.

Now, on to the part where I say i wouldn't let my teenage daughter read this if it was the last book on the planet. This book is full of bad behavior, lack of parenting and just unrealistic teen life. The book starts with Rayna and Clea partying in an exclusive Paris nightclub. Alone in Paris! In a bar! And Rayna goes home with a guy and leaves Clea by herself in said club. These are two seventeen year old, high school seniors! This is just the start. Then these kids traipse all over the globe from Rio to Japan. There are sex scenes in the front seats of cars, a mother that just isn't there at all, and relationship with much older men. Not for tween and younger teen consumption, even though it is recommended for 9 - 12 grade.

Next part, we will cover the cliches. The tired Love Triangle. The self-sacrificing immortal male. The bland, anything-for-love heroine. Then the ever popular mysterious paranormal themes. Guess want mysterious boy is? Oh is he an incubus, or maybe a ghost, or maybe a serial killer? Very original {insert sarcasm font}.

I really hate saying this, but I do feel that Hillary Duff's agent or manager or something came up with this brilliant idea to try to recreate the Twilight / Harry Potter phenom. They brainstormed for a few hours on what would make a great Young Adult novel that could be made into a movie, churn out tons of merch like Clea Barbie Dolls and Sage Action Figures, they wrote a quick outline, had their people find a writer, and voila': Elixir. Allen came up with a book, they edited the crap out of it, like they would a script and the final product turned out to be this. In the great divide that is good literature, mediocre literature and really bad literature, I don't like saying this about a book, but this one is the last category. Stick to acting, Hillary Duff, because writing just ain't your thing. That is if you penned a word of this novel.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Older teens, there is sex, partying and no parental guidance.

there is a reason why everyone is giving this book a 5 star rating.. it is amazingly entertaining.. i haven't read a full book in years.. i usually get ambitious and tackle a novel.. but never pull my way through till' the end.. however, i was unable to put this elixir thing down.. i cruised through it in two days and found myself staying up absurdly late to get more of the story in. gary braver is an incredible writer.. i have recommeded this book to several people and they all loved it. so i am recommending it to you (person reading my crappy review).. if you want to know more about the story.. read the other reviews posted.. they are actually good.. however, i recommend you save your time and just read the book.. it is about something every person has thought about.. eternal life.. but further explains some of the problems that can come with it.. i also highly recommend the book rough beast by the same author. i read this immediately after finishing elixir because i wanted to read more from this author.

As an Active (voting) member of the Science Fiction Writers of America I have the privilege of receiving word of new books on the market I might otherwise miss. A postcard announcing the publication of ELIXIR by Gary Braver arrived in my mailbox about a month ago. Intrigued with the idea of a drug for eternal youth (who isn't! ) I decided to order a copy. What a wonderful surprise to escape the mundane world of editorial deadlines and publishing meetings within my own life and fall into such an exciting world created by author Gary Braver. When I discovered that Gary Braver is a pseudonym for Gary Goshgarian, I was not surprised at all. I have loved Mr. Goshgarian's other books as well, especially THE STONE CIRCLE and the out-of-print ATLANTIS FIRE (which I was able to get hold of through a rare-book search). I wish the publisher would allow Mr. Goshgarian to use his real name from now on so I become aware of his new works a little sooner!

After reading this book, and all of the subsequent five star reviews, I am shocked. This book was a cop-out of the highest order. Rather than write a compelling story of the possibilities of a serum that would pro long life and the ramifications of it thereafter, this story quickly turned into a standard "wrongly accussed man versus the rest of the world" ABC Saturday night movie of the week. It would have made for a much better story if the serum actually did see the light of day, and the book could have been about the new world problems it created. But no, a corrupt Pharmaceudical president (b/c all pharmaceudical presidents are corrupt) must use the serum to pay off debts to a drug lord, and plans to kill the laboratory team and blame it on the head researcher to cover his tracks. Thus, starts the ball rolling, and our hero (the Elixir head researcher) and family go on the lamb for 13 years, holding all samples and records of the miracle serum with them.
Take out the corrupt Pharmacy head, and how differently would this novel progressed? I would have wanted to know, but that would have been much more difficult story to pen. It is a lot easier to create a bunch of cardboards characters whose motivations make little sense other than to move the plot along, than to deal with the ramifications of an anti-aging drug actually hitting the markets. To suggest that such a drug would never get developed, because too many selfish people and people with other hidden agendas, would keep it from fruition, is just a cop-out, plain and simple. I am reminded of Michael Cricton's Jurassic Park, which concluded we could never bring dinosaurs back to life because some crazy computer programmer who thought he wasn't get paid enough would try to steal the formula and mess everything up. In Elixir's case, we could never develop an anti aging drug, beacause a crooked Pharmaceudical head would want to sell it to a Drug lord, kill the researcher(s), and frame the serum's developer for the murder(s).
Instead of going into this novel asking the question "What would happen if an anit-aging drug were developed. . .?", my guess is author Gary Braver, asked himself "What could possibly go wrong if someone attempted to develop an anti-aging vaccine?". Then, he constructed and moved the plot along those lines. That is unforntunate. He wound up creating a story that was more unbelievable than the idea of immortality itself.
As is the case, I could have guessed Mr. Braver's background was in literature, he teaches creative writing at Northeastern University, rather than science or socio political. In Elixir, it was the story that was important and not the idea of immortalty. I suspect if someone with a little more knowledge in biology and someone with a little more knowledge of sociology would have authored this book, it would have been vastly more optimistic. Mr. Braver had concluded an anti-aging drug could never be possible before he even sat down to write the book. It's a shame and waste of pages. I cannot recommend this book.

Fans of biotech thrillers will find this novel to be the right ELIXIRfor their needs. The story line is fasts-paced, filled with action, and numerous twists and turns. The characters seem genuine and, in turn, make the plot believable including the fountain of youth drug. Gary Braver provides a terrifying novel that will grip the audience with its insightful look at the aftermath of discovering the magical ELIXIR that reverses aging.

SURPRISE!! It was really good! I was a little apprehensive to read this book because when celebrities dabble in side projects, they aren't always successful but Hilary pulled it off with collaborator Elise Allen. Clearly, Hilary is super human. I decided to read this one after Brent from The Naughty Book Kitties had a pretty good review about it and I'm really glad I did (Plus I was also a fan of Lizzie McGuire). I couldn't say no after seeing this pretty cover! And by the way, this has one of those really soft, suede like covers that I love.

Clea's mom is a Senator and her dad is a famous surgeon. This puts Clea in the spotlight from an early age. She is closest with her dad who shares a passion for photography, so when he goes missing it's like she is missing a piece of herself. Rayna, her hilarious (and seemingly a bit promiscuous from the first chapter) best friend, sticks by her side as well as Ben, who is a hot smarty pants and seems to have a little crush on Clea. Enter the mysterious boy who shows up in Clea's pictures and dreams. They have this intense bond.

First, let me say that while you don't meet the mysterious Sage until halfway through the book, I felt it was paced really well. The first half really built a connection with all of the characters- Clea, Ben and Rayna. Also Clea's relationship with her dad is delved into. He wasn't just a spare character to tell a story. You get to know about him through Clea. Each character was distinct and it was a nice variety of personalities. This made them feel more like real people. Clea's perspective was easy to read. She is kind of famous because of her family name but not a spoiled brat. In fact she works as a photojounralist, traveling the world. Pretty awesome.

The mystery and the romance of Elixir was phenomenal. The synopsis above makes it seem like there is a tough choice in a love triangle but I never saw any one as competition to Sage but maybe it's just me. He is by far not the most perfect guy, especially with some key choices he makes toward the end of the book, but the connection Clea and Sage had was intense. There was also this ongoing mystery about this Elixir of Life and her missing father that took Clea on an adventure which included going down to Rio during Carnival, which I have to say, was really Brilliantly described. It kept me on my toes while keeping me in the dark until just the right moments. I liked that Clea was skeptical about things that should be considered fantasy so you could figure things out with her as she went along.

This relationship in this book some what reminded me of the Evermore by Alyson Noel with the doomed romance minus the chastity problem. Honestly though? I think I like Elixir better and I am really happy that this will be a series... at least I'm hoping so since GoodReads says it's Elixir #1. The end was a bit of a cliff hanger. It left just enough questions unanswered to make me want more! Read it!

Gary Braver's "Elixir" effortlessly juggles a number of storylines set to intersect in the most unexpected ways. His characters are real and stay with the reader well after the book is over -- and that happens quickly because you don't put this book down for long. Braver's first scene disorients us -- where the heck am I? -- then turns us about and gives us suburban security (one of many ironies in this novel). But nothing stays the same (except the user of the elixir), the main idea of this book. With genetic engineering and other biotech advances, the promise of eternal youth is an offer we may have to consider. Braver's "Elixir" frames the truth and consequences of such an offer. And he does this brilliantly. What a great gift for a person approaching a "significant" age! Gary Braver: a sequel, please.

Lots of guys write books about big themes. Plenty of writers can tell a story. Gary Braver does both, a real accomplishment
It's easy to see that Gary Braver teaches creative writing - he does some things that every novelist would do well to emulate - he puts his characters in big trouble and just keeps piling it on. Every character has thick spider web links with all the other characters. Best of all, normal people find themselves in situations where they do abnormal things. He plays the "what if?" game over and over - what if Elixir's hero is shown an immortality plant while bio-prospecting in New Guinea? What if he tries to synthesize it? What if, what if, what if?
Think it'd be neat to live forever? Read Elixir. And take one of Braver's writing courses - the only way Elixir-challenged folks like us will live forever will by writing books that last

Elixir is such a well written suspense thriller that you find yourself hooked from the very beginning page! Once I began the book I didn't put it down until I reached the end! Gary Braver is on a scale with Dean Koontz and Stephen King and Elixir kept me riveted page after page! I found myself growing so involved with the characters and the plotline I didn't want the book to end but alas one can only hope for a sequel!

I was totally specitacal about reading a book by Hilary Duff. After discussing it over with a friend and getting through the first few chapters i realized i choose a great read. check it out you wont regret it!

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Hilary Duff wrote such a nice book. It was full of mystery and intrigue. Well done Hilary. Looking forward to reading the sequel because that ending just wasn't doing it for me lol

This is a fantastic book - I HIGHLY recommend it. I enjoyed every minute of it! I read it really quickly because it was so good; I hope she writes another book soon! I know that this genre isn't for everyone, but I think you should try it because you will probably love it like I did!

This is not a genuine story. The writing is awful, I had to imagine the whole thing in my head to even think it worthwhile to finish reading the book (which I finished in less than 24 hours, just reading it casually in-between classes). The only interesting thing about it is the idea of soulmates where one is trapped immortal and the other keeps being reincarnated but dies in tragedy each time. This is essentially the main facet of Lauren Kate's series, Fallen, which is also not that high of quality but is a much more worthwhile read than this book. I would only read it for free, and if I had nothing else to do.

I absolutely adore this trilogy. The first book, "Elixir" really got me hooked and by the end I was begging for more. Whenever Hilary released this book, I was like, Hey, this should be interesting. It turned out it is quite interesting! I have read all three of the books and I would read them all again in a heartbeat!

The reason that I even bought this book was because that Hilary Duff wrote it. I started to read it and I could not put it down. The chemistry that Sage and Clea have is amazing and how they are connected will keep you wondering through out the book. I read this book in less than a day it was so good. I have to say that I personally loved a lot. I think that anyone should give this book a try and I think you will come to love it yourself. I am looking forward to the sequel whenever she decides to write it and release it!!!