Hilary Duff’s novel had me quite captivated for a while, but when the suspense begins to really build, the novel falls apart. Oh, and not only will she meet him, she may unravel the secrets to the strange dreams she’s been having over and over, wherein she plays the roles of many different women in time and oh, she might also figure out what happened to her dad. But oh, he’d be wrong: mom was okay with Clea jet-setting down yonder, where she inevitably will meet the mystery man in all of those photos face to face. When an opportunity arises to complete a photojournalism assignment in South America, Clea jumps at the chance, despite what Ben believes will be serious objections from her mother. Although she’s clearly privileged, she is still somewhat sheltered and naive. Was he a creeper or was he another layer of security?Įlixir sets up an exciting mysterious premise, and Clea herself is quite a likable and sympathetic character. A little sleuthing through old photos shows that this same man has appeared in the photos that her father has taken, as well as the photo of the day she and Rayna were brought home from the hospital. While going through photos one night, though, Clea discovers something bizarre: there is a man who has appeared in the background of every photo she’s taken. One of Clea’s favorite hobbies is photography: her father got her interested in photojournalism, and she’s always found passion in capturing images of people, of things, of stories. They are inseparable since her mother and Clea’s mother are also tight. Along with Ben is Rayna, Clea’s best friend. Although she doesn’t need a babysitter nor a housekeeper (she already has one!), he’s there to help her navigate the difficult lifestyle of one born to the well-known. Prior to his disappearance, her father had appointed Ben to be a sort of care taker for Clea. Since then, Clea’s life has been under even more scrutiny and security, as no one wants her to disappear in the same mysterious manner as her father. Her mother travels the world for her job, but her father - the surgeon - disappeared. That said, what began as a great premise falls apart about 2/3 of the way through the novel, suffering from the classic downfall of many books: too much tell and not enough show.Ĭlea is the daughter of a well-known politician and a world famous surgeon. This isn’t entirely uncommon for books written by celebrities, as Lauren Conrad’s books are also co-written.

Elixir by Hilary Duff, despite what it looks like, is a co-written book.

Elixir hilary duff series