Devoted (#2 in the Elixir series) by Hilary Duff

Rating: 5/10

Summary:  Clea Raymond, is back for the sequel, we see a more depressed and emo side of her as her soul mate sage has been kidnapped. Through her efforts trying to find Sage, she meets a ghostlike family who is in part affected by the Elixir. With the help of the youngest “ghost” Clea turns to Cursed Vengeance, a group intent on destroying the Elixir to release the curse affecting them.  (This is as much as I will describe since the rest will tell you too much.)

My thoughts: This one is a little hard for me to rate, I did enjoy Elixir, and definitely enjoyed Devoted, however I was disappointed with the turn the story took. While Hilary Duff’s writing and creativity definitely shines in this book and has greatly improved, I was completely disappointed that her search for her father which was the main focus of Elixir, completely took the back burner in this novel, as she is utterly devoted to finding Sage. As much as I understand the need for romance and wanting her soul mate, this neglected thread in the story really affected my final opinion of the book. I was also a little annoyed that Clea became depressed and obsessed about Sage, it reminded me a little too much about the 500 pages of Bella (Twilight series) constant whining.  On a more positive note; the addition of the new characters, such as Amelia’s family and Cursed Vengeance created a more complex universe affected by the Elixir and offered the reader more options to relate to characters and feel for them. The end was slightly disappointing, but in a good way, as it finishes with a slight cliff-hanger (if cliff-hanger is the term to use) for the third book which will follow.   

While my rating is low on this book for many reasons, I still enjoyed the series so far and will read the third when it comes out.

 Quote p.222: “He knew me so well. Even better than Sage, in some ways. He knew details—like my favorite brand of energy bar, my favorite tea, my favorite place to sit on an airplane, and a million other favorites. They were the kinds of things anyone who spent enough time around me would know, if they cared enough to pay attention, and Ben had. Sage wouldn’t know any of those details, but he knew me. He knew my darkest places and deepest flaws, and he loved me not despite them but for them.”

Elixir Series:

1. Elixir

2. Devoted