Elixir

By Hilary Duff

Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, Clea has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But following Clea's father's disappearance while on a humanitarian mission, Clea's photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man - a man she has never seen before.

When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father's disappearance, and begin to discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together the pair find themselves in a race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their futures…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Oct 16, 2010
• ISBN: 9780857070555

Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff is a multifaceted actress and recording artist whose career began on the popular Disney sitcom Lizzie McGuire. She has since appeared in many films and TV series, including a guest appearance on Gossip Girl. She has sold more than 13 million albums worldwide and has a clothing line, Femme for DKNY, and a bestselling fragrance, With Love…Hilary Duff, for Elizabeth Arden. Hilary’s humanitarian work is recognized throughout the world, and she is actively involved with many different charities benefitting children and animals. She has served on The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation and was named ambassador to the youth of Bogatá, Colombia. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Elixir, Devoted, and True.

Reviews for Elixir

[preston.kringle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book by Hilary Duff. With a story that is easy to imagine the words just fly from the pages with characters that you like from the moment you meet them. Overall great storyline with a want to see what happens next type of attitude.

[emma_manolis · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Oh goodness I don't even know quite where to begin. First off the characters / plot is way too unbelievable. I understand that it is a supernatural teenage thriller but some of the basic elements are simply ridiculous. Clea is a seventeen-year-old, secret photojournalist who is apparently home-schooled while traveling the world. Yet somehow her mother is a senator. That alone is laughable. Can you imagine a woman running for politic office and winning while her daughter is galavanting around who knows where? That simply doesn't happen, even in the more liberal states. That sort of stuff makes news. Secondly, it makes zero sense to me for her father to be considered a world renowned surgeon when he seems to do very little surgery and a whole lot of treasure hunting. Maybe having him be an archeologist would be more believable?
The writing is weak enough to make me believe that Hilary probably did contribute to the writing. I found it funny to see such weak sentence structure combined with such a strange word choice. The word of the day appears to be reverie which was used about three times during the novel. Also, who says "I felt my gorge rise." Seriously? Gorge?
I appreciated her reference to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Coleridge however the simile fell slightly flat to me.
"I was furious, imagining a brainless meathead of a bodyguard who'd hang like an albatross around my neck."
The albatross wasn't really weighing the mariner down or cramping his style. The albatross was more bad luck than anything. While I didn't particularly think the simile worked, I appreciate that one of the writers is clearly well read.
Overall, I think Elixir is a silly, rushed story and I will most likely not be reading the second novel.

[leirali · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Yes, I read the Hilary Duff novel. Because Hilary Duff is awesome, that's why. If you don't believe me, please see "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" for further proof.I was very impressed with the story that Duff wove, and I devoured it like candy. Riveting right up until the end, then the abrupt/cliff-hanger type ending left me fat. I had hoped this was going to be a stand-alone book -- even if it is the first in a series.And, yes, I'll read the next book when it comes out. Because Duff is actually a pretty good storyteller. I hesitate t to call her a "writer," as there is a co-writer credit on this book alongside Duff's name. So I'm not sure how much she crafted herself. But I'm positive the story is completely hers. The writing does fumble in spots, when too much dialogue trumps giving solid descriptions. I could never clearly envision the main players. Well, it's a book, after all -- perhaps I should let my imagination do some of the work.The story involved a privileged teen (the daughter of famous parents -- one a politician, the other a world-renowned surgeon) who has a passion for photography. After a trip to Europe, Clea finds some unsettling images in the photos she snapped. The photos are what catapult her on a scavenger hunt across the globe to find the answers from everything to the secret to immortality and the mysterious man that keeps appearing in her dreams. All in all, the writing flaws weren't enough to take away from its delicious story. No, there are times it doesn't make sense. Just go with it. It's a fun paranormal mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously (so I'm not going to either.) For reals, I can't expect any more than that.

[morgantaylor-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As someone who's never been super into YA paranormal or fantasy and seeing all of the terrible reviews of this my expectations were very low. However I found this book to have an interesting story and while it wasn't above average writing it did hold my attention much better than a lot of hyped up fantasy YA books. I read it quickly and will be picking up the sequel. It's not reinventing the literary wheel but it was a fun and a fast read and I can't help but wonder if some of these bad reviews would have gone a little easier if the name on the cover wasn't familiar.

[pocketmermaid · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Yes, I read the Hilary Duff novel. Because Hilary Duff is awesome, that's why. If you don't believe me, please see "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" for further proof.I was very impressed with the story that Duff wove, and I devoured it like candy. Riveting right up until the end, then the abrupt/cliff-hanger type ending left me fat. I had hoped this was going to be a stand-alone book -- even if it is the first in a series.And, yes, I'll read the next book when it comes out. Because Duff is actually a pretty good storyteller. I hesitate t to call her a "writer," as there is a co-writer credit on this book alongside Duff's name. So I'm not sure how much she crafted herself. But I'm positive the story is completely hers. The writing does fumble in spots, when too much dialogue trumps giving solid descriptions. I could never clearly envision the main players. Well, it's a book, after all -- perhaps I should let my imagination do some of the work.The story involved a privileged teen (the daughter of famous parents -- one a politician, the other a world-renowned surgeon) who has a passion for photography. After a trip to Europe, Clea finds some unsettling images in the photos she snapped. The photos are what catapult her on a scavenger hunt across the globe to find the answers from everything to the secret to immortality and the mysterious man that keeps appearing in her dreams. All in all, the writing flaws weren't enough to take away from its delicious story. No, there are times it doesn't make sense. Just go with it. It's a fun paranormal mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously (so I'm not going to either.) For reals, I can't expect any more than that.

[alyssakimpisarski · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Seventeen year old Clea Raymond has lived in the spotlight her entire life because her father is a world famous doctor and her mother is U.S. Senator. However, after her father mysteriously disappears on a humanitarian mission in South America her life is turned inside out. Shortly after her father’s disappearance, Clea realized that she is being haunted by a soul from the past. This spirit visits her during her dreams and she finds herself in an entangled love triangle that could put her and the ones she loves in serious danger. Elixir is the first novel in the series and is told from Clea’s perspective. The fast-paced, character driven narrative captures the reader’s attention from the first page to the last. However, readers may find the abrupt ending to be jarring and will likely be reaching for the sequel. Clea is extremely likable and relatable, despite her fantastical lifestyle and celebrity status. Duff is consistent with her depictions of the supernatural throughout the book which makes the story authentic and believable for readers. Fans of the Twilight series are likely to enjoy this series. However, casual depictions of the high school age characters visiting bars and engaging in sexual activity are made throughout the story and should be considered prior to recommending. This is recommended for purchase in a public library with a strong teen reading population with interests in romance and fantasy fiction. (Ages 16+)

[fireth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm quite surprised by how I can't seem to put down the book. Maybe cos it's written by 'Lizzie McGuire', I had low expectations for it initially.

[laphenix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I finally forgot about who I was reading, I really got into the book. The characters were a little marysue-ish, but enjoyable nonetheless. The plot was fun and fulfilling. I was a little bit disappointed by the end, but might change my mind on it, depending on the next book.

[eheinlen_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was amazing! I absolutely loved the story and the way that the author wove history into the story. The characters were amazing and easy to relate to. I could not put this book down! I recommend it for anyone who loves love stories and/or paranormal romances. Excellent book!

[nataliekot · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Natalie Kot November 10, 2011 Period 7 Critical ReviewElixir a New York Times Bestseller was written by the famous Hillary Duff. This being her first book, her past experience has been starring in the hit TV show Lizzie McGuire, being in countless movies, selling millions of albums, selling out concerts, and having a successful clothing line and a perfume. This pop sensation is also very charitable. In fact she’s a cofounder of a charity called Blessing in a Backpack and is the ambassador to the youth of Bogota Columbia. One of the things she hasn’t done yet is become an author. She made a statement saying she was “Nervous to come out with her first novel”. Will the public agree with New York Times?This heart wrenching novel is not only a mysterious read, but also grabs you into each chapter. The protagonist is named Clea whose father has gone missing for over a year. She soon realizes that this man in all of her childhood and current photos is this unknown man who is also in all of her dreams where she falls in love with him. In each of her dreams she is someone else, but she is being herself, but in a different life. Not to mention she also gets killed in every single one and he seems to survive. Clea keeps thinking about this man and sooner or later when she is on vacation, he appears running away from two groups of men, and soon they are coming after her too. Right from the moment she met this mystical man from her dreams named Sage, she knew he had something to do with her father. Its turns out he saves her life from running away from the violent enemies. He then explains to her that her father went missing because he was searching for the Elixir of Life which gives eternal life and it just so happens, Sage knows where it is. They then go on a journey together to look for her father and find the Dark Lady who according to Sage, knows clues on her father and if there still is more of the Elixir of Life. As time goes on during the journey, she seems to start to fall deeper and deeper in love with Sage, and soon feels an emotional attachment to him. But the question is, will she be killed like in her dreams? Plus is he lying to her, especially about her father? That’s when nothing went as planned.Overall the quality of the book was phenomenal because it leaves you wanting more! The story line had you routing for the main character. Overall, I would give this book a 4 stars out of 5 because I loved everything about it but the ending which answered not even half of what you were asking for through the whole book and plus it left most things in the open. The book is sort of similar to the Time Traveler’s Wife. This is recommended to people who like longer reads and also like mystery and romance novels.

[emilynagtegaal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clea loves to take photographs, and she travels the world taking pictures wherever she goes. It is her passion, well at least until she begins to see the same man in all her pictures. Is this man somehow related to her father's disappearance or to her mother's political career? Maybe she was going crazy. But everything changed when she met this mysterious man who haunted her pictures. All of a sudden her life was in danger, threatened by the same groups that caused her father to disappear. Caught up in paranormal intrigue that has been around for centuries, Clea and the man, Sage, must race against time to save their lives. A strange connection exists between the two of them and they are drawn closer. But can they overcome a fate that has haunted their souls for centuries and finally be together as they should be, as to soul mates? Can they overcome all obstacles and enemies that stand in their way and finally live with one another and love each other with no fear of death?"Elixir" by Hilary Duff was a very interesting read. I enjoyed the mystery and suspense throughout the novel and the intriguing story. For being her first novel, Hilary Duff has shown what a great read truly is. The story drew me in so that I felt like I was right alongside Clea as she was unraveling the mystery of Sage and how they are connected. I actually read the whole book in one day because it was such a fascinating read! The fantasy and paranormal aspects of the book mixed in with history make for an exciting and delightful novel. "Elixir" by Hilary Duff is a New York Times Best Seller.

[dpappas_25 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had low expectations for this book and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I was sure that it was going to be dull and poorly written, but that couldn't be further from the truth. While I thought the plotline to be a little iffy I still enjoyed the book.

[silliekoose · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was just ok. There were only one or two chapters that I wanted to keep going and not put the book down. The biggest problem I had was that there was no ending. It just stopped. Im not sure if her next book is a sequel to this one. You never really found out if her dad is dead or alive and you have no idea what happen to Sage. Hopefully there is a sequel.

[elliedreams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have loved Hilary Duff since Lizzie McGuire a kajillion years ago. When I heard she had written a book, I wasn't quite sure how to react; I just knew that I'd read it. Luckily, the synopsis sounded good, too. And I wasn't dissapointed at all. I read this book within a couple hours. As I read it, I wasn't even thinking that Hilary Duff had written it; I just read. The characters were so real, and the plot sucked you right in. I drank it right up. (No pun intended. :)) I was captivated by the story idea, and with all it's crazy turns, it still made sense. Like, that was how it was suppossed to be. Oh, yeah, that makes perfect sense. That's what went through my head. I loved how we got to visualize her time in Rio, and to feel her relationship with her father, and how much she missed him. The imagery was so intense, I could feel every single feeling with Clea. It was, actually, well written. I loved it. And I can't wait for the sequel. This is a must read for sure!

[bookittyblog · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Clea is a 17 year old who is the daughter of a politician and a surgeon. She’s been always under the spotlight due to her parents’ career. A year ago her dad disappears in South America and there’s no clue of what happened to him. Now a talented photojournalist, Clea is able to travel around the world taking pictures of beautiful and different places. But after her last trip to Europe Clea comes home to go through her photos and finds an image of a man in every single one of them. When Clea finally meets this man it feels like they belong together.Let me begin by saying that the cover of this book is beautiful and original. The concept was developed well and the chemistry between the characters was also good. I wish the couple in the book had more alone time and more dialog. I love Hilary Duff as a singer and actress and if she writes a sequel to Elixir I will love her as a writer. There are some cliff hangers in the book and the last time I check Hilary didn’t know if she was going to continue the series. Overall it was a fast and easy read.

[mrsteemae · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved the beginning of this book. It really drew me in and scared the poo outta me. I wish it would have stayed that way. I felt like the characters didn't really have much depth to them. The plot of the story was interesting, but I also felt like it jumped around a lot, and a few times I lost interest. But I had to finish it, and I am glad I did, the ending for sure makes you want to read the second. I'm interested to see where the story leads and what happens between Clea, Ben and Sage. I don't think it will be a series I am dying and waiting for, but out of sheer curiosity I will pick up for sure.

[suz4haugland · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have to admit that I kind of wondered just how much of this book Hilary herself had written and whether I would like it or not. The flower on the cover was absolutely pretty and I love that the cover is black and purple, with just a splash of yellow to make it pop. It was definitely eye catching, that's for sure. The book itself, was pretty good. I found myself enjoying it more than I had thought I would. Although I groaned at the whole idea of "soulmates" once I came to that part, but found myself definitely drawn into the main character's dreams, and was curious and wanted to embark on this journey of finding out more about Sage and the different incarnations of Clea. I think my favorite one was Delia. Rayna, Clea's best friend and confidante through the entire novel, was a breath of fresh air and was not at all overbearing and was just genuinely fun to read. I wish that we could have seen her featured a little more than she was in the novel, but there's always the second one and more stories and incarnations of Clea to come hopefully. It was interesting to see the part that both her father and Ben played in this story, as well. And at the end of the novel, I found myself sympathizing with Ben and feeling frustration towards Clea in regards to him. In a number of ways, he was just as much a victim to his story being told as the rest of them were. His incarnations had absolutely nothing to do with the present man that he is. And I found myself swayed to his side in the whole ordeal. To see his confusion and pain swept to the side in favor of hers, helped to put a damper on my enjoyment of the book.I'm glad that there will be a second novel, because I fear that the ending of this one would have definitely affected my overall rating of the book itself. Like I said, I enjoyed the book for the most part, the character's and the story they had to tell was both engaging and very well written and dveloped, but the ending (having not known before hand that there would be a second novel) would have pretty much ruined my enjoyment of the book overall. So, with that being said, I'm choosing to give this book three stars instead of my normal four because I feel like it deserves that. Definitely give this book a chance, I will be waiting on pins and needles, anticipating the rest of the story.

[heidigilia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good story, once it started to develop. How took a while to share the purpose of the book. Did not like that it ended with no end, like it was written for a sequel. Like the development of the dreams and the man in the pictures, as well as the that they were all linked in many different lives.

[bookaddictdiary · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Elixir is the unexpected YA debut from the once-popular Disney singer/actress Hilary Duff. Now, I wasn't expecting much from this book. In fact, I was completely prepared for it to be horrible and to absolutely hate it. I was never a fan of Miss Duff, and to me this just seemed like another attempt to revive her practically-dead career. Now, while I didn't find Elixir to be particularly mind-blowing, it was considerably better than I expected.Young Clea Raymond lives a charmed life, jet-setting across the world with her best friend Rayna, partying in all the best places without any responsibility. Clea's mother is too busy working as a senator to worry about her, her father is a workaholic surgeon, and Clea's bodyguard Ben couldn't be sexier. Then, Clea's world is turned upside down when her father goes missing and she stumbles across evidence that may help her find him. That's when the dreams start. Every time Clea find herself in a different time period, but always with the same mysterious man.I have to give Elixir a few kudos points. It's fairly well written, in fact, even better than some of the other books out there on the market. The descriptions are vivid and Clea's lifestyle is written in a way that feels like experience. However, the characters don't quite shine through. Their personalities are fairly flat and unbelievable and the romantic relationships in the novel never feel real enough, making it difficult for me to fully suspend reality to enjoy this book. Not bad -there are worse YA novels out there -but if you're looking for something new and exciting to read, I'd say to pass on this one.

[cagr1208 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. It was really one of my favorites. I never really would have thought Hilary Duff could write such a good book but she did, and it makes me want her to keep writing !

[thekinuk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I basically read this book becuse it sounded like an awesome train wreck. I mean Hilary Duff wrote a book? I have to apologise to Hilary because she did so well. This probably wouldnt stack up against adult books but it really is a good YA novel. Its reasonably original and pretty well written. I know I want to read the next one for sure. I like the characters and the mythology and the exotic locations. I really love the love triangle and am already dying to know how it turns out. The story is populated by great characters that you do care about and I like that its a little bit hard as in so much as there is no fluff here. It's straight into the story and pretty qickly into the action. There's just enough of the pretty people with bucket loads of money to keep it current. I could really go on but i will just finnish by saying FANTASTIC work, Great Debut.

[katiedoll_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Elixir kind of blew my mind. And not in a good way. I loved the premise; a group of three searching for the elixir of life before two other groups find it. It had the potential to be really great, but for me, it wasn’t.In the first few chapters, it’s easy to be discouraged because Clea is just telling aimless stories about characters and events that have no relation to the actual story, but when she stopped doing that, I held hope for the rest of the book. Unfortunately, it all went downhill after that. It was the snap-of-your-fingers plot pace that got me. The page count may be well over 300, but considering the font size is so large, it’s obvious that this is a short story. It has no room to develop. The plot rushed and crucial things happened without breathing room mixed in. And along with the underdevelopment of the plot is the characters. Clea and Sage’s relationship happened with minimal interaction and knowledge of past circumstances.When I got the very end, all I could think was “this would be such a great book if it were actually drawn out and developed.” I like the twist of Sage’s past relationships and Clea’s role in them. I liked their adventure to find the elixir of life before two other dangerous groups did. I liked what was happening, I just hated how it happened.Overall, Elixir just wasn’t a good book for me. It’s too fast, too undeveloped and I didn’t enjoy it at all. I would recommend this to fans of Evermore by Alyson Noel or Fallen by Lauren Kate.

[emmery_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really like it this book. It had me hooked onto it. The book starts the reader off with Clea wondering where her father had disappeared at in Rio. The story slowly unfolds, leaving questions that had a couple of answers. The beginning starts with basic reality, but emerges with fairy tales of the Elixir Of Life. The story tells of how Clea finds out about her soulmate... and everything twists around. I just hope that Hilary will finish her second book soon. I would really like to find out what happens to Sage, her soulmate.

[fabricatedtruth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've got some mixed feelings about Elixir. I think I had a bit of a preconceived notion going into it. I was pleasantly surprised though! Elixir turned out to be an exciting, short read. It was one of those books where you couldn't just sit around wondering what would happen, you had to know right then! That being said, it took no time at all for me to finish this satisfying tale. The drawback to Elixir is the actual romance. I feel like it was a little too rushed...you dream about a guy, see him in photos (creepy much?), meet and are instantly "in love"? No, that's not how it works! It takes time to fall in love, and this book simply didn't have that time. Other than that, i'd highly recommend Elixir and urge people to throw out those biased opinions...as it turns out, celebrity books can be quite good!.

[ilikethesebooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to admit, when I first heard Hilary Duff was writing a book, I thought, “Oh, boy. Another actor turned musician turned writer.” Not that I’ve ever read an actor turned musician turned writer’s book before. But I have listened to an actor turned musician’s music that made my ears bleed. And on top of that, I was still a little peeved at Hilary’s character Olivia on Gossip Girl (I was NOT the only one who thought that!). As soon as I enlisted the help of my old friend, Mr. Google, and read the description of Elixir, my mindset changed completely. It sounded right up my ally (plus the cover looked gorgeous) and I could not wait for its release date. Needless to say, I was presently surprised. This is the only book, the only piece of literature really, that I have read that is able to explore the term “soul mate” without seeming abstract and dumb. Actually, Clea’s relationship with Sage beautifully compliments the mythology of the events surrounding The Elixir of Life.If you are familiar with my reviews, you’d know that I usually add a little bit of the story of the book. However, Hilary’s book is so complex that even saying a little will give away too much. But I will say that the book is absolutely something you do not want to miss. Somehow Hilary was able to write a story filled with immense amounts of description, back-stories, twists, suspense and love that didn’t come out at all confusing. I would recommend this to anyone thirteen and up, especially fans of Alyson Noel’s Immortals series. I’ll let you all know that my opinion of Hilary has changed dramatically and I am ashamed to say I ever thought anything badly of her. I had the pleasure of visiting her first book signing (ever!) at Borders in Columbus Circle, NYC on October 11th. Hilary was in such a good mood and just radiating sunshine. She was taking the time to hug the fans and take pictures with each one. She was striking up conversations, smiling, and the hours of signing didn’t phase her at all.