book review: the chemist

i used to be a MAJOR book worm when i was younger. almost everywhere i went i had a book in hand. in fact, i remember once i went camping and my grandma remarked that she was weirded out b/c she saw my face, not the spine of a book. 

i can't help it! there's just something inviting about diving into a new world, learning new things, and making new friends. this quote sums it up completely: 

it's been awhile since i read a book that made me feel like that, so when i finished my latest book, i knew i had to review it.

for this book, i listened to it with Overdrive. at first, i was really confused on how to use this app. thank you YouTube: 

anyway, on to the book review! 

THE CHEMIST: by Stephenie Meyer

x

a review by alisha 

my friend first told me about this book and i thought:

"stephenie meyer? like Twilight...?" i'll admit i did like some of the heart-throb, shirtless romance of the Twilight saga, but, for the most part it wasn't my cup of tea. i preferred the adventure rather than the romance; the action of the werewolves rather than the awkward high school romance. 

but this latest novel from the BYU graduate had me begging for more. i think partly because the story felt more...real, believable. 

the book takes place in modern day as Alex, a Jason Bourne-esque ex-spy is in hiding when her former boss reaches out asking for help with a supposed biological terrorist attack. (#supposedly) turns out she nails the wrong guy and has to sort out what is happening. 

check out this summary from Stephenie Myer's website: 

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

the interactions between the characters are real and funny, even if the plot is a little...slow. it took me until about chapter 4 to get into the story, but then i was hooked. i listened to it non-stop at lunch, on my drives, and while i worked out.

while i did love the book and the story and the characters, i didn't appreciate the fact that Meyer HAD to throw in a romance. i get that that's her "thing" but can't the sexy, spy lady not have a romantic interest? can't she just be bad-A to be bad-A? i appreciated Alex's no-nonsense attitude but Daniel got on my nerves. he just was kind of whiny and irresponsible. then of course the fact that he goes all *heart eyes* on alex...

 it seems to much like stockholm syndrome if you ask me. 

some of the lines were a little cheesy and the guns weren't totally realistic. 

(i asked connor, who, btw, loved the book despite it's flaws)

Meyer is really good at details and doing her research on chemicals, i will give her that. she also has a talent for making dialogue sound realistic, even if it's cheesy. her characters are believable and have just the right amount of flaws to make them believable. that's one thing i need to work on in my own writing: real people. these poeple have real challenges and they are relatable. i honestly feel like i have book hangover after finishing this spy, thriller novel. 

all in all, if you are looking for an intriguing, captivating, and exciting story, pick up The Chemist. 

xoxoxo

ps  - stephenie meyer has the greatest playlist when it comes to her books. check it out!