Increasingly, Alex is drawn to the nuances of Brittany’s less than perfect family life.

But as Alex talks to his lab partner, he realizes that she’s more complex than he had assumed. They want Alex to have sex with Brittany before Thanksgiving, and to use his own bad boy image to smear the reputation that Brittany has so diligently constructed. But it’s not just innocent flirting they want him to partake in. When his friends dare him to hit on her, he takes up their bet. Alex, meanwhile, doesn’t think much of Brittany. After a less than kind argument, they go their separate ways. In the parking lot, Brittany, rushing to class, nearly crashes into Alex’s motorcycle. Their first encounter is less than perfect. Alex works out a lot and is pugnacious when it comes to protecting his family. Alex is a gang member (Latino Bloods) from the south side of Chicage, a part of town that Brittany resolutely avoids.

Her perfect life is further disrupted when she’s assigned to work with Alejandro “Alex” Fuentes. For instance, Colin routinely pressures her to have sex with him, even though she’s not ready later, she’ll find out that Colin cheated on her. She seems to have the perfect life, but even her best friends don’t realize how unhappy she is. She’s also the cheerleading captain and dating the star quarterback, Colin. She’s wealthy, popular, and white the world is her oyster. She has, for all of her life, been a straight A student, and she plans to continue her academic success in her last year of high school. It’s the first day of her senior year, and she’s determined to make everything perfect.

The novel opens as Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class. The themes of Perfect Chemistry include looking beyond appearances, prejudice, being true to one's self, and the courage required to declare an unpopular love.

The novel is written in alternating first person point of view, offering the perspective of both protagonists this structure complicates the story and contributes to its considerable suspense. Perfect Chemistry won the RITA award for Young Adult Romance, the top honor within the romance genre. Elkeles was raised around Chicago, where the story is set. The novel won praise for its humor, heart, and suspense, and became a New York Times bestseller. This urban romance story follows two 18-year-olds as they overcome stereotypes and fall in love. YA novelist Simone Elkeles published the first of her three-part trilogy, Perfect Chemistry, in 2008.

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