Elixir

by Ted Galdi

Meet 14-year-old Sean Malone. He has an IQ above 200, a full-ride scholarship to one of the country’s top universities, and more than one million dollars from his winning streak on Jeopardy. However, Sean wishes he could just be normal.

But his life is anything but normal. The US government manipulates him, using him as a codebreaker in pursuit of a drug lord and killing innocent people along the way.

For reasons related to his personal security, Sean finds himself in Rome, building a new life under a new name, abandoning academics, and hiding his genius from everyone. When he’s 18 he falls in love. The thrills begin again when he learns that his girlfriend is critically ill and it’s up to him to use his intellect to find a cure, a battle pitting him against a multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical company and the demons of his past.

Elixir is a story about identity, secrets, and above all, love.

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For more information about Elixir, including the book trailer and three-chapter preview, visit the official website: www.elixirthebook.com.

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Fiction, Action, Mystery, Adventure, Science Fiction

245 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Ted Galdi, an Amazon #1 bestselling author, writes suspenseful, smart crime thrillers. His goal is to get your blood and brain pumping when you read his novels and short stories.

He's been featured by Kirkus magazine, ABC, FOX, iHeartRadio, and many other media outlets. He’s a winner of a Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award and a Silver Medal in the Readers' Favorite Book Awards. Ted is a graduate of Duke University.

To learn more about him and download a free bestselling crime thriller, visit his website at tedgaldi.com.

Reviews

[xrysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc kindly provided by the author in exchange of an honest review

Kick a$$ debut from Ted Galdi. Elix is a very well written book and obviously well edited. One of my few complaints about this book was the fact that some chapters weren’t long enough.

The plot
Our hero,Sean, is the winner of Jeapardy! and the smartest kid in the world. Truth be told, being at the top is lonely. Sean during his whole life is trying to find someone or something smarter and better than himself. However, his efforts are worthless, until his teacher introduces him to the “Travelling Salesman Problem”. One of the most powerful algorithms that has ever existed is solved and hacked by a boy who hasn’t even finished his college. His motives...innocent…..The results…disastrous…

After a few events he reaches the edge because of his anxiety. One step before self-destruction.


A few years later his life has changed a lot. Finding the love of his life was easy but saving her? I didn’t find it equally easy. Sean is determined to save the girl no matter the cost. Will he succeed ?

If you are going to lie,lie for a friend.if you are going to steal,steal a heart.If you are going to cheat,cheat death.

I liked this book a lot. It was such an enjoyable read and the one thing I’m sure about is that I will read again a book by Ted in the future. It was a fun ride and recommend this book if you are seeking an action packed story. It was not focused on the romance part a lot but it didn’t affect the wanted result.


Cheers

[Jane Jago · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It's what I would call a boy's book, being intensely masculine in its point of view. That is not to say that it is in any way anti-woman as women are treated with tenderness throughout. It is simply my reaction to the book.

A good read and a good story

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before I start my review of this book I’m just going to preface a few things that contributed to why it didn’t work for me.

I’ve been steering away from YA because I haven’t really liked many books in that genre lately. I lose patience early with young characters and have a hard time connecting recently. I also don’t read a lot of Sci-Fi because I have a degree in Chemistry with a minor in Math and Physics and usually I find something that is just horribly wrong with most books in this genre. Let’s add to that I have worked for a biotech company and in the medical industry with a significant amount of time spent on viruses, diseases and cancer. This book did not stand a chance. I almost feel bad for it.


The Story Sean is a super genius, with off the charts intellect. He holds the record for the longest Jeopardy winning streak playing against adults when he was 10. At age 14 he is in college and working on some of the most ambitious coding of our time. When he cracks an algorithm that can be used to decode any encryption his life takes a turn and Sean has an opportunity to disappear and start over again in a new country with a new identity.

After years of living like an average person he is again forced to use his super intellect to try and save his girlfriend Natasha from a critical illness that will kill her. That means revisiting his old life and identity to get what he needs to save her.

What I did like: In every book I read there is generally something I do like in the story. That is also true for this one. While I did have a very difficult time connecting to Sean when he was younger and suffering from being a genius and feeling responsibly for the death of his parents and a few others, I did like him more at age 18 in Rome. The middle section where he meets Natasha and they have their first date and get to know each other was really my favorite part of the entire book. I also enjoyed the chase between Sean and ‘The Bad Guy’ when he was fighting the clock and trying to save his girlfriend. I really wanted him to make the time deadline and get to her.

What didn’t work for me: Almost Everything else!

The entire book is mostly about Sean however it is written in 3rd person and really that is my least favorite writing style. I find that it rarely works for me except for in high fantasy. I never really connected with Sean because I was never in his head. Just a random paragraph for example:

About an hour later he’s sitting on a folding chair outside a room in the clinic’s main zone. He has a blue soft cast on his left foot stretching to mid-calf. As he gulps from a bottle of water, the door opens with a squeak, a nurse stepping into the hallway. He swallows his sip….

There are too many he’s she’s and such in this, it made it so much harder to connect to the characters.

The beginning Sean was difficult for me to really like. Before I became at all attached to the character he became broody and blamed himself for things far out of his control. Remember how Harry Potter sort of became a brooding Ass in the half blood Prince after seeing Cedric Diggory die well he had 4 books prior so when that happened I was still rooting for Harry. Sean had maybe thirty pages so I really didn’t care.

And now on to the science of it. I’m spoiler tagging this entire section as it will give away the crux of the plot. If I didn’t have such a big science background maybe I could have let it go and just enjoyed the story but alas there was just too much that I couldn’t do it.

I really don’t like it when books make bold discoveries or solutions to big problems without any real effort and in this book there are two.

1) Sean solves a complex algorithm problem that will break any code or encryption. Does he spend a lot of time doing this, no he pretty much sat down one afternoon to work on a problem his College professor gave him and voila life changing decryption program invented and it is perfect the first time he tries it. He is 14 and why do we believe Sean can to this, well because he is a genius of course.

Now if this was the only thing that happened I probably would have just tried to go along with it for the sake of the story and not put too much thought into it.

2) Later his Girlfriend contracts ebola *sighs* when she goes on a trip to Africa with her parents. I really don’t like when authors throw this in. It is the most widely known deadly virus and it seems almost like cheating. Even Micheal Crichton changed it up a little bit when he used it in Outbreak and it almost didn’t work for me and he is Michael Freaking Crichton. There was no backstory to the contraction she comes back from the trip gets sick and hey it is ebola.

3) So Sean because he is a genius and created that program listed in point 1 breaks into a pharmaceutical companies files and finds everything they have on how to treat/cure ebola. They aren’t even close but they have a few compounds that they are working on with notes and ideas. Sean a few hours later because he is a genius solves it by taking their research and adding a few thoughts of his own to come up with a cure for not only ebola but every virus on the planet as well as cancer. *throws hands up in the air*

So a kid without any formal training of any kind totally just understands the chemical composition of everything in the files, human biology and virology enough to make one compound that cures everything, because all virus’s operate the same. Arggg…No They Don’t and Cancer behaves differently as well

And this is where I’m like WHY??? Why didn’t someone talk to the author a little bit about research? It would have been difficult for me to understand how he could make something to cure just the Ebola but to solve it for every virus on the planet *shakes head in utter bewilderment*

4) Okay and then don’t get me started on the whole ebola thing. Sean was exposed but he got on a plane to the U.S. They didn’t even quarantine him or anything. I had so many issues with the handling of this. I know that it is a YA book but still a little semblance of plausibility would have been nice.


This book totally wasn’t for me. I don’t really recommend it to anyone with any sort of science/math/logic background.

Copy received from the Author for review.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Sean Malone is the smartest person on earth. Ever since he appeared on the game show Jeopardy! , he has been hounded by others to answer trivia questions. All he wants is a normal life. He gets it when he solves a very hard math question which attracts the attention of the NSA. To stay safe he goes under the FBI's witness protection program with his aunt at age 14. Several years have passed and Sean who is now 1 8 falls in love with a beautiful woman named Natasha. When a mysterious illness befalls her, it is up to Sean to find the elixir to save her from the clutches of death. Can Sean save natasha before it is too late? Read Elixir and find out for yourself.

This was very action packed. I was held at the edge of my seat while reading this. Fans of young adult and thrillers will enjoy this action packed adventure.

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.


Self-published author Ted Galdi graduated from Duke University, where he acquired a background in film, and the various forms it has taken over the years. Through my brief conversation with him, the author seemingly absorbed and applied several literary techniques throughout the writing of his debut novel, Elixir.


Sean Malone is an 11-year-old Jeopardy! contestant, and with an IQ of approximately 250, his sheer wealth of knowledge at first felt somewhat contrived, unbelievable. As I compulsively flipped the pages, however, my opinion dramatically changed. Sean's character became very real, even relatable. Galdi consistently takes relatively flat surfaces and imbues them with life. This applies to the locale(s) as well.
Fast forward three years and we see a slightly different, though not necessarily mature, protagonist. Enrolled at So Cal Tech and reluctantly attempting to complete a supposedly "unsolvable" mathematical equation for his professor and long-time mentor, Sean unsurprisingly solves the algorithm. This, in turn, propels the plot forward, as the calculations catch the attention of the DEA, resulting in a change of identity and location.
At this point, Elixir reminded me of the hit film, Mercury Rising, starring Bruce Willis. Having seen the film multiple times, I expected much of the same, only from a different perspective with similar circumstances. Sadly, the novel takes a drastic turn from there (not for the better, either, IMO,) and earnestly I'm not too sure if it fully recovers or not.


The changes didn't deter me much, though, as I'd already invested too much. I needed to know where it was going. Not only that, but there was a nagging voice in the back of my head, insisting that there had to be something connecting the present with the aforementioned political intrigue. I was anticipating it very much and anxious to unlock the secrets, but to no avail. There are subtle connections that you learn later on, but not in the traditional sense and not what I wanted at all.


The most jarring aspect seemed to be Galdi's choppy prose, which initially looked like a slightly polished rough draft. And it wasn't until the 3/4 mark that I thought to ask him if his unique style was intentional, or merely a drawback of reading an ARC, and learned that it was, indeed, deliberate. Interestingly enough, Ted took his knowledge of film and utilized that here. For instance, there are an insurmountable instances where he omitted certain words in order to move the action along faster. Also evident are the absence of many commas (reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy,) making it essential to go back to clarify what I'd just read. In this way, his style is quite effective, despite my initial impressions.
Another way that it reads like a script are the short scenes/chapters which comprise the novel. These really emphasize dialogue, action, visualization and atmosphere, while limiting internal dialogue and "telling" the reader about character back history. Instead, he adheres the cardinal rule of good writing: "Show, Don't Tell."
Most impressive to me, I think, was how Galdi developed Sean's character. (Natasha's as well, to an extent.) He approached certain aspects from a single angle, then came back later from another direction entirely. Then another, etc.. In my experience, it's rare that a writer attempts this technique, let alone pull it off successfully. I don't think it's an easy feat, either. Kuddos, Ted!


Towards the end, there were a couple elements that felt unrealistic, but overall I enjoyed it a lot. An impressive debut, needless to say. Regarding the three scenes in question, I suspect the author thought they'd propel the story forward, and to a degree that's true. However, I think it's dishonest writing and a disservice not only to his readers, but especially to himself.


If you've read this book and are interested in my problematic scenes, click here:1.) when Sean's adversaries are after him- in fact have him cornered-- and demand the elixir, why would they let him go, no questions asked, without at least testing it first? They wouldn't. I mean, Dante was a hired killer and vowed to follow through on his threat!! 2.)the happily-ever-after-Hollywood wrap-up of an ending-- it's too idealistic, IMO, and 3.) the last we see of Natasha, she was receiving her last rites and appeared on the brink of death; many hours later, Sean returns to Switzerland and she's miraculously ALIVE! It's like, "What!!? You gotta be kiddin' me, man!!"


Not that I wanted Natasha to die, that's not it all all. I feel in love with her character almost instantly. I just think it could have been better/different if maybe she wasn't so near to death, or if Sean had showed back up shortly after her last rites, but it's literally hours later. Sean had to catch a plane to get back there, plus all that went down with Dante and co.. It just doesn't seem feasible.




"I think if we have something inside of us that's...put there by nature for a reason. We shouldn't repress it. We should listen to what it's saying and not care too much about the consequences."


Thank you again, Ted, for this wonderful opportunity!

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say, "Intelligent Men are dangerous". Or is it? Ted Galdi, a 29-year old debut author has portrayed otherwise in his new novel, Elixir. He has not followed the traditional way of making super intelligent man as the most dangerous species, instead he has presented him as the life-savior, a genius on whom nature might have given some extra brownie points to make living of other less fortunate human beings better. This may be Ted Galdi's debut novel, but it feels like he is really a pro and quite a natural while penning down his story. With all the right amount of twists in the right places, right amount of mystery and suspense, right amount of actions and bloodshed, the book proves to be a real page-turner right from the very beginning.

Sean, a 14-yeard old kid, with an IQ of 250, becomes a threat to the nation within overnight. His talent was already known to the world when he won half a million dollars on the show, Jeopardy! Consequently, bagging him a full paid scholarship to the country's most elite university. Along with a computer science professor, Steven, he invents mind-blowing hacking formulae. Thereby, Steven makes his colleague, P.Goya from F.B.I aware of Sean's invention. Thereby, he becomes n overnight threat to the country, following which he was forced to leave the country along with his aunt to Rome, where four years later, he is a graffiti artist and also falls in love with a very rich girl, Natasha. But Natasha's getting diagnosed with a deadly disease, makes Sean trace his old steps back to Pasadena, his hometown, where he gets almost murdered, beaten up badly, but finally, invents a cure for all those deadly and painful disease like Cancer, HIV, etc.

The author proves that he has natural talent when it comes to penning down his imagination. The plot is thoroughly well-developed as well as it sounds like the author has intensively researched about the whole scientific background in the plot and also giving valid logical and technical explanations when required. The characters are also very strongly built, especially, Sean. He has portrayed Sean as a brave hero, never ever scared for a single moment and always maintains his calm in the toughest of tough situations, for instance, he tries to bargain for his life with a professional killer, he sweet-talks him, but never ever losing his cool or show any sign of panic. Sean is determined having a very strong will-power, besides his intelligence. Also Natasha has been portrayed a s a sweet, simple, lovely and not all posh girl. Aunt, Mary seems like a woman who is very strong to stand beside Sean in all his pain, failure and happiness like his own mother. She tries to fill the gap of having no parents in Sean's life. Sean had two best friends in the book, one when he was 14 at Pasadena, named Kyle, who believed in his heart that Sean would return one day and another was a bad boy in Rome, while he was 18, named, Fabrizio. Yeah the Rome part may not be that interesting, but the climax of the book is a highly compelling one.

The best part o the book is when Sean makes up his mind to share his formula to save people from the deadly diseases with the director of CDC. He says that nature has made him strong for a purpose and that he should not repress or hide his power.

The chemistry between Natasha and Sean is something to look out for. It's very sweet and cute and both dreamt the same dreams. It was something so innocent, pure and beautiful.

Guys this books is one hell of an addictive one. After just, 4-5 pages of the book, I totally got hooked into it. It's intriguing and thrilling and some adrenaline-rushing moments that you'll die for.

Read this book, and get your mind blown over with the impact of this book.

Thanks to Ted Galdi for providing me with the physical copy of the book in return for an honest review.

[Jola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review also on www.jolasbookshelf.wordpress.com

'Elixir' is a nice debut novel by Ted Galdi. It has an interesting premise. The action sequences weren't badly written and I found myslef enjoying them.
My only complaint is that I'd like other characters, beside Sean, to be more developed. I liked the world presented in the story and the suthor's style, so I'll look forward to read his other works.

Thanks to Ted Galdi for sending me an ebook of his novel!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Ted Galdi, for gifting me with a copy of Elixir in exchange for an honest review!

You know, I've always been fascinated by intelligence. What causes it and the people who seem to have higher than normal intelligence. It's always been very interesting to me so it's no surprise that I loved this book. Granted, there were a few rough spots but it's all water under the bridge.

When I started reading this book, it gripped me and didn't let me go until the last sentence. I risked missing the Super Bowl people! Now that is some major gripping! While the final 'problem' did go on for quite some time, it wasn't really drawn out per say. There was just a lot contained within it. I think that's the best thing about this book - there wasn't anything that was necessary so everything just flew by.

Now about the Ebola. I won't tell you how it's related to the story other than Sean has to find a cure or his girlfriend dies. With the Ebola crisis hitting Africa now, this seemed all too real and is happening on a daily basis. That's what made the ending so fabulous for me.

The one rough patch would be Sean and Natasha's relationship. It all just kind of jumped from first date to serious relationship. There was a little in between but it didn't seem real exactly until she becomes ill. I know there's a page restriction and all to keep it interesting but it could have been developed a bit more I suppose.

The Final Verdict:
An action packed book with thrilling twists and turns that never bored me for a second. The ending was very well done and I loved Sean's 'superintelligence'. Sean and Natasha's relationship could have used a little more oomph although the relationship between Sean and his aunt was amazing!
5 stars


Quotes:
"She almost doesn't seem real to him, more like a collection of thoughts plucked from his brain and played back to him on a screen. But he can smell her perfume and notice how she narrows her eyelids a bit when the wind blows and the way the shoelaces of her leopard-print sneakers flop as she steps. She is real. And he's glad he's real to her."


"He can feel her heartbeat, just as fast as his"


"For Sean the idea of avoiding Paul Pine's allegations is comforting, but he sees a new identity as something with much larger potential, a shedding of the labels he's has his whole life, an escape from the story of his dark past. A thrill courses through his chest. He picks up the envelope and tears it open."


"'Why'd you try to solve it then?'
'I wanted to see if I wouldn't be able to.'
'What do you mean?'
'Everyone at school said it was the hardest one out there. I thought maybe I'd... hit a wall trying to figure it out.'
'You don't hear that a lot at the NSA.' Patrick chuckles, so does the professor. 'Why would you hope for... failure?'
'It would be a change I guess.'"


"He bangs his hands together a few times, knocking the Doritos dust off. 'How much encoded info is in that...group?'
'Pretty much all of it.'
Sean leans back, the gravity of the situation sinking in. He's quiet for about a minute, the crying baby the only noise between them. 'Sorry.'"


"The Smartest Person on Earth. He hates that title, been called it three times before."

[Miodrag ★❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now you can find this review on My Blog too!

*I got this book free from author to rate/review*

Elixir is Ted Galdi's first novel and now me after reading it, I can't wait to see what he will come up with next. This book is beyond good. I loved it!
STARS: 5+

This book was really something!

I divided this book in three parts and I will review it like that. (I will not do whole recap of the book, I will just say some important [but not all] things that happened, but those are just some little parts, you should read this amazing book for more!) :)
Let's start:

First Part - Start of the book is mostly everything to me, if it starts good, I'm in for a ride, if not, it gets hard to get drown in the story. But I liked whole introduction to Sean, smart 14-year old kid with IQ 250, loved his Aunt, his friend Kyle, then Professor Steven. Problem starts when he resolves something no one on earth ever could and then some things happens... he gets himself in danger and needs to fake his death (and his Aunt too), and they get help from one really good man Peter. Many things happen in this first part of the book. Be prepared!

Second Part - This was my least favorite part, I mean only couple of pages of 'Four years later' part (after faking his death). His name is now James (but I will use Sean forward), and he have 18 years now. I really didn't like seeing him I don't know, doing graffiti, drinking... it was kinda boring, one other part I wanted to see, what's happening with Aunt Mary, we find out later. Also, here he meets a girl, Natasha, how they meet, I will not tell. One more thing, he have friend here, new one, Fabrizio, they do graffiti together. ^_^ That should be it, this was just that new start in Italy, and I kinda lost it, because all those 4 years before Italy, it was just like nothing, and I didn't like that, I wanted to know what happened in those four years, but later I totally forgot about this little part and when we get to know most of the things now about Italy, Aunt Mary and his new identity, what they are doing and all, it gets better!

Third Part (I was blown away!) - This is the BIG part of this book, when Natasha gets sick and he makes a formula to cure her (he found most of the formula from the site of one big Facility that do those things, he hacked from their site. They made some mistakes, but he resolved everything after some hours of thinking.), now he needs to make a cure, then problems start, when he gets back in US, then he and Steven looks for chemical things for cure and everything after that is just WOW, getting kidnapped (and whose work is that, come on, guess? :P), everything that happens on that little trip... I was just like reading and reading and I couldn't stop. End was really good and I like how this book ended. At one moment, I really though it wouldn't end well, but it's good that it ended with how I should say "Happily Ever After" for Sean and Natasha.

My favorite quote from this book:

"I think if we have something inside of us that's... put there by nature for a reason. We shouldn't repress it. We should listen to what it's saying and not care too much about the consequences."

Almost forget, while reading this book, I got all this thinking and imagining about how cool movie would look based on this book, I really hope it happens one day, I totally would go and watch it.

RECOMMENDATION: Everyone who likes good mystery/thriller book, should give this book a try, and even if you don't read books of this type, let this one be a first for you. I know book is not yet released, but when it hits stores, run to the nearest one and get this thrillingly-good book!

I want to say Thank you to Tom for giving me free e-book and you did a great job with your firstborn (LOL), keep up! I really can't wait to read more books from you! :)

[Janet Hecht · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author via Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, Exilir is a good debut novel with an interesting premise and I look forward to reading future works by the author.

Exilir is a thriller involving Sean Malone who is a genius with an IQ of over 200 (off the charts). At the age of 11 he became a millionaire from his winnings on Jeopardy. At the age of 14 Sean is attending college and inadvertently solves an “unsolvable” computer hacking problem that creates problems that will follow him throughout his life. As a result of this and his subsequent actions, Sean and his aunt have to flee the country. The story picks up again when Sean is 18 and is living under an assumed name in Italy. Sean is trying to live a normal life. What follows is a series of events that result in Sean discovering the cure for a horrible disease that has stumped hundreds of scientists. This cure is the only way to save his girlfriend's life. He then goes back to the United States to acquire the chemicals needed for this cure. What follows is a race to save his girlfriend’s live while being chased by an “evil” corporation dead set against him succeeding in his mission.

I liked the premise and concept of the story. I felt I understood the protagonist and could really see a development in his character. It was well written and did keep me on the edge of my seat. The plot itself was good, however, I felt that there were three plots in the book and perhaps this would have been better if it was separated into one novel and then a sequel. That way, there could have been some more backstory on his childhood and more development of other characters in the book, especially Sean’s aunt, his childhood friend, and his girlfriend. They felt two-dimensional to me.

I know thrillers like this often have a lot of unbelievable events that would be unlikely to occur in the real world, requiring you to suspend your belief in the realistic. This is normally okay, but I had to do this too many times. 1. Sean is a genius who solved a mathematical algorithm that the combined brains of many geniuses couldn’t solve. 2. He found a cure to an illness that the combined brains hundreds of scientists had not been able to solve. I don’t believe one person’s IQ of over 200 makes him smarter than the combined brains of dozens of other geniuses each with an IQ over 150 couldn’t solve. 3. How long could Sean’s money from winning Jeopardy have really lasted? It doesn’t’ appear he ever held a single job. Either he had a smart (non-evil) financial advisor or he was hacking into other peoples’ bank accounts.

While Sean was a well-developed character, I didn’t feel invested in him as a person and felt that he acted very rashly. I think that may be a generational disconnect, as my teen years passed several decades ago.

It’s not the author’s fault that I have gotten weary of corporations being portrayed as so evil that they will hire someone to murder another person.

While I had several problems with this book, it did take me on a suspenseful thrill ride, which I enjoyed very much. The author is a very good writer and I look forward to reading more from him in the future.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introducing... Ted Galdi! Do NOT forget this name because, if his debut novel "Elixir" is any indication, Galdi is a name you will see on Bestseller & TopTen lists often!

"Elixir" grabbed a hold of me from the vey beginning when we're introduced to 12 year old wunderkind, Sean Malone, who is literally the smartest person in the world. At the beginning, Galdi begins to take you on a journey of a boy struggling to fit into a world that he doesn't fit into. You would be forgiven if you think that this is a story that's been told before, but it HASN'T been told like Galdi tells it. Because just as you begin to settle into a "good" book, Sean does something totally EXPECTED but takes the story into a direction totally UNexpected & quite suddenly, you're now reading a "great" book.

No more on the specifics because I don't want to give anything away but I don't want to hide this in the "spoiler" section. Suffice it to say, "Elixir" features a cast of characters who find themselves challenged by this boy wonder, & who, although has an unequaled intelligence, is still very much a boy; an immature, emotional & a confused boy. Sean will challenge the "adults" in a way they've never been before & how they rise to this challenge is what makes this book so surprisingly good!

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given a free (PDF) copy of this book in exchange for a review.

In retrospect that was probably a mistake on the part of the author. Thrillers are not my favorite genre but I was in the mood so I figured I would give it a go.

I started out annoyed because the PDF wouldn't convert to EPUB so I could read this on my reader, strike one but not the author's fault. I almost wonder if that was on purpose so it would be more difficult to highlight passages.

The premise of the story is okay, a little cliche. A boy genius solves an "unsolvable" problem and the government goes after him leading him to enter witness protection.

Now my biggest complaint in this book was Sean. It say repeatedly that his IQ was off the chart. Then it says it was charted at 250. Does off the chart not mean off the chart? Also could we not choose a slightly more plausible number? They say that Einstein was at 165.
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Then we have the character himself. Aside from some guilt issues the kid had no real personality. It proceeds on to the least detailed and boring romance of the century. His aunt likes her because she looks just like the picture he drew of his future wife when he was a child? Are you joking?

The characters were flat and the writing was not up to my reading standards. I want to be shown the picture. I love description, I hate just being told. There were multiple times in which the brand dropping were reminiscent of American Psycho but without the need.

The part that probably bothered me the most was her disease. You are telling me that the girl went on safari in Africa and caught EBOLA?? Are you kidding? Her family was right there with her the whole time and they didn't get it. She was sleeping with Sean after her return and he didn't get sick, but nope she has Ebola. To add insult to injury someone says something along the lines of (and keep in mind that reading on my laptop meant limited notes) "She must have brushed against a dead chimp in the jungle." Add to this the fact that never once does the family mention which African they did this "jungle safari". Sorry but people love to drop the names of the countries they have visited.

What follows is a series of coincidences and cliches resulting in numerous eye-rolls and sighs from me.

I think that the author has some good ideas but needs to slow down. The characters needed more development, the story needed fewer gaping holes, and the writing needed more description beyond simply telling me she wears "pink wayfayers".

I don't like giving such a low rating to a book that an author sent me for a review. I wanted to love this but unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.

[Mitsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! Sean Malone is a 14-year-old genius who gets himself in trouble with the wrong people and literally has to leave the country. He spends four years in Italy, where he falls in love with Natasha. When Natasha becomes seriously ill, he risks everything to save her. I love Sean's transformation from beginning to end. Natasha is great. I love how this story's written. Exciting YA novel. I'd love a sequel.

[Sara Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sean Malone is a young genius. With an IQ over 200, he has the capacity to solve even the most difficult problems. However, this intelligence led him to danger, forcing him to move to Rome for his safety. There he meets the love of his life, who becomes critically ill. His intelligence is the only thing that might save her; for love, he'd solve it all.

I won't lie to you: I read about half the book and just quickly skimmed the rest. I had been looking forward to reading Elixir and seeing how the concept would unfold. However, this book barely captured my attention and interest. It's unfortunate to say that the numerous flaws present in this book is what hindered its potential.

Sean : Sean is the lead protagonist and he's brilliant (or so we're told he is). But in truth, for someone who is considered "the smartest person in the world", Sean is inconceivably stupid. He has the privilege of having the highest IQ known to men and the capacity to solve worldwide issues, yet he never takes advantage of it. He never thought about how much he could attain; the good he could do. All he did was blame himself for things that were out of his reach (such as the death of his parents) and hide/hate his brain's capacity. It frustrated me to read his constant struggles.
(Life tip for all of you out there: Stop feeling sorry for yourself and for your circumstance. Accept what you have, enjoy it, and live!)

As a benefit of his intelligence, Sean has a full scholarship at fourteen years old to one of the country's top universities (to emphasize my point of his stupidity, I should probably mention that he drops out). However, his intelligence just didn't make sense. In the beginning, he is given an impossible equation that no one before him had ever been able to solve. He sat looking at particularly nothing for an hour, and then POOF! He solved it. Don't get me wrong: there is nothing abnormal about hitting realization and solving something out of nowhere (it happens to me at school in abundance). However, it's impossible for me to grasp or accept the idea that without any background knowledge, he was automatically able to solve an equation in which professionals with years of experience struggled with. There is a difference between knowledge and intelligence. You could tell an incredibly intelligent child who knows nothing to do a simple sum such as two plus two, and yet the child will not be able to solve it, simply because they have not been taught the concept or process. People need the necessary knowledge in order to succeed. Einstein was a brilliant man, but he never sat down and after an hour of doing absolutely nothing did a light bulb appear above his head. The things he learned and accomplished took time and background knowledge. Just as a person can't simply give the definition of a word they've never heard before. They must read it or hear it and then they'd be able to assume the definition using context clues. Therefore Sean's spontaneous ability to solve things is just completely unbelievable.

I think what most bothered me (and you might not want to click "View Spoiler" if you're really looking forward to Elixir) was the fact that just because he's a genius, was he able to come up with a cure for his girlfriend's terminal condition. But, no wait, that's not all! He also finds a cure for cancer and all diseases/viruses in the whole world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to touch once again the point of how his intelligence didn't make sense. Here we have an eighteen year old genius with no experience or knowledge in biology, chemistry, medicine, the human body, etc. and yet in a few hours he does what scientists have been trying to do for years; find a cure for different types of illnesses. Need I remind with NO FREAKING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE. It makes me quite sad for all the other doctors in the book's world. Poor guys and gals studied their whole lives just to have an eighteen year old dropout accomplish their goals in a few hours. Sigh.

The writing & organization : While I do enjoy reading in third-person point of view, it just didn't work for this book. I never knew what was happening inside Sean's head, which resulted in me never connecting with his character. I didn't understand him (or even want to), and it's mainly because of the POV used. However, it has crossed my mind that maybe the POV was essential due to the fact that the head of the brightest person in the world's would be hard to write about. Yet the way Galdi handled third-person point of view could be improved.

The writing was plain and some authors manage to make that work. However, there was little to no descriptions. What does Sean look like? What does his aunt look like? His best friends? What does the sky look like? What does anything look like? It's important for the reader to picture a scene perfectly in their head. I did not have such privilege with Elixir.

The way the book is organized is unsettling. All chapters were sweet and short, which came to be actually invigorating. Yet it made it hard to understand the relationship between Sean and his girlfriend, Natasha. One chapter they have their first date, the next chapter it's three weeks later and she's meeting the fam and then they're in bed. It didn't flow smoothly and made their relationship two-dimensional. The reader did not grow with the relationship, it didn't feel as if the reader was watching the relationship evolve live. It just felt as if looking through a picture book; cute but not real enough. Also, what was the main plot in this story? What was the climax? The resolution? There were too many things going on, as if there were two plots. First Sean was in danger; the rising action, climax, and resolution was explained. Then Sean met Natasha; a new rising action, climax, and resolution was also explained. It was confusing and simply didn't fit.

Last but not least (and maybe my top complaint), was the dialogue between Sean and his friends. 'Yo', 'Homie', 'Dude', 'Sup', 'Man', 'Bro', and the list goes on and on. I am aware that these words are popular within the youth (myself included), but I also do know that they are not as excessively used as they are in this book. Every dang sentence that comes out their lips and directs itself to a friend includes one of those words. Every one. Always. As part of the current youth, I can assure you (and like to believe) that our vocabulary isn't as low and disappointing as to constantly use those words in a manner where they become absurd and annoying.

Overall : Ted Galdi has lots of potential and I have no doubt he will live up to that potential. Elixir is only his first novel, and I'm excited for any upcoming ones. Writing is not an easy feat, and I can't even begin to imagine the struggle, but with more and more experience, I know great things are to come.

Rating: 2.5 stars | ★★★☆☆ | *I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*(less)

[Caru · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

Rating: ★★★★☆

My Opinion Of This Book: It was really entertaining, but it had a few flaws!
_____________________________________________________

Let's Meet The Characters!
Sean Malone: Our protagonist is Sean Malone/ James. He's very, very, very intelligent; in fact, he's the smartest person ever with an IQ over 200.
I liked Sean's character. I thought I wouldn't be able to relate to him since he's a freaking genius, which I thought would make him so not like a regular teenager. But, I was wrong! Sean is like a regular teen; he has the slang, he makes dumb decisions sometimes, and all that other stuff teens do.
Yup, relatable, well developed, and complex. Plus, he's super cute!!

She smiles, moved by what he said. "Six boys and four girls, huh? Why not five and five?
[Sean] "So the boys can look out for the girls. When we're not around. It'll be easier if there's more boys. Me and my wife are gonna make sure we teach them stuff like that really young. Watching out for each other and sticking together and all. My wife is gonna be cool. I know exactly what she's gonna be like. I picture her a lot."

Natasha: Natasha is Sean's girlfriend. I really liked her. She's playful, fun, cool, and strong. I just really loved her personality! I wish she would've been in the book more,though.

The Side Characters: Kyle, Fabrizio, etc: Kyle and Frabizio are Sean's/James' best friends. I like them both, they were pretty funny and cool. But I wish they both would've had more page-time. Same goes for the other side characters.

The Romance: The romance was so cute!! And I'm ao glad it wasn't insta-love. It was well executed. And Sean and Natasha definitely are a great couple!

[Natasha] "Look at you up onstage with your little fancy hair and your fancy little outfit."
His cheeks get red. "Stop."
"Awwwww." She snickers. "What happened to this style? I think I like it better than the one now. Much more refined. Really. You should consider --"
He starts tickling the sides of her belly. "You want to laugh?" he asks with sarcasm. "I'll make you laugh."
Giggling, she tries to push him off. "Stop. Baby."

The Writing: The writing is what really made me knock off a star. It was okay, too simple, I think. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible -not even close- , it was just okay, not the best. It could've been more descriptive. Plus, there was some sentences that were missing commas.

The Plot/Storyline: The plot was unique and original. It was also fast-paced and very entertaining! I LOVED it!

Overall: This is a definitely a great read! I'd recommend it to anyone that likes a thriller/ action-packed novel!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not heard of Elixir before, so when I was contacted to possibly read and review the book after some research I said yes. The synopsis is intriguing, and mysterious, and made me wonder what cure would Sean need to find and how would he find it.
Elixir

I loved the first chapter of Elixir, it gives a great example of what Sean is really capable of, he is on mastermind and beating everyone by miles and making so much money. Some of the questions asked I had no idea about myself, and just seeing how young he is, and how much he is out of his depth made me immediately want to give him a hug to make things better.

Elixir consists of a lot of small chapters that not only make it easy to speed through this book, but also make it easier to follow what is going on. Each chapter gives you the pertinent information you need for what is going on at the time, but also makes it easy to follow Sean and his journey throughout the book. The pacing of the story is a perfect pace, but also adjust to what is going on at the time. When things are going well it is nice and relaxed, when there is trouble I felt like it picked up a bit to match the pace of what is going on, and when big jumps in time happen they are proceeded with 'four years later' or 'two weeks later' so you know where you are at that point in time.

The characters are likeable and I found it easy to fall into the world and gain an attachment to them, when Sean is fighting for survival, my heart was in my throat as time was running out for him. I like how he is loyal to what he believes in, and wants the right people to be involved, and not those just in it for money, he wants them involved for the reason they will help others, that it benefits others and not just their pockets.

The story itself drew me in quickly, and there was a moment that I was confused over who was who, but as this was part of the story it definitly worked on me ;). Elixir was a unique read that I read as fast as I could, and as often as I could. Ted has done a good job of making someone who could be typically out of reach to us, feel normal and down to earth. I for one would want Sean on my side for his resourcefulness alone.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review-

***The author sent me this book in exchange for an honest review. The author in no way influenced this review.***

Describe this book in one sentence- A boy, who just happens to be the smartest person on earth, finds himself while searching for the cure to an "incurable" disease.

Rating- PG-13

Why this rating?- Destruction of property, violence, and mild kissing.

For ages- 16-35

Recommended to- Fans of Divergent and YA Mysteries.

Stars- Three and a half out of Five.

Why this number of stars-

The Cover~ Correctly portrays the desperation of our main character trying to get to his girl before the government catches him. The colors go well with each other. I do not believe that virtually anything is worth 5 stars. That is why the rating of the cover is not perfect.

Cover Stars- 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.



The Content~ This story starts off quite slow. Some of the information given to the reader in the first paragraphs is completely unnecessary and sometimes bothersome. This information and unneeded details bog the story down. Also, the story was sometimes jumpy. With no steady transitions it felt like the reader was being jerked around from place to place. It didn't feel like the reader was placed in the story. It felt like the reader was more an observer of the going ons and the happenings.



Content Stars- 2.5 stars out of 5.





Character Development~ Sean, our main character, defiantly grew through the book. He went from a confused and kind of bratty little kid, to a wild, rambunctious, and "living on the edge" teenager, finally to become an understanding mature adult. Other than Sean, however, there was not much character growth seen in the other characters.



Character Stars- 3.5 stars out of 5.





Would I read the second book?-Yes, I would read the second book if there was one. I would like to see Mr. Galdi improve on his overall writing skills. (To the best of my knowledge, the is not and will not be a second book.)

[Emma Andje · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this book. I am sorry to admit this, especially since the author was so kind to have sent me a copy of this in the mail to review.

Let me start out with what I did enjoy, though. I liked the concept of the book, hence the reason why I requested it. Second, I think it was smart of the author to have used the third person point of view, because it would be next to impossible to get inside someone's head who is supposedly "the smartest person in the world." The only problem that came with this, is, it read more like a script than a book. Unfortunately, that is all I liked about the book.

I did not like the main character, he made me frustrated because all he did was have temper tantrums when things did not go his way. Also, I was never able to connect with him, which furthered my frustration. Secondly, the relationships were never developed, and because of this, they seemed very superficial. For example, we tag along to the main character's, Sean's, first date with a girl, and then on the next page, it is three weeks later and they are vacationing and in bed together. Relationships should not behave like that! And then, even though Sean changes his name to James partly though the book (for a good reason), he is still referred to as Sean, which gets a little confusing when one character is referred to by two names in one paragraph. Lastly, this book is very unbelievable. Sean's IQ is said to be 250, when the smartest person ever recorded has a 230 and Sir Isaac Newton, who discovered Calculus, is said to have had a 190. What really irritated me about this is that he only solves two problems in the entirety of the book, because he gives up his old life for one full of partying, drinking, drugs and sleeping around. One would think that someone that smart would realize their potential and figure out problems, even just for fun. For someone so smart, Sean is very, very dumb.

Overall, this read like an unedited first book, and needs more development and refining before it should be published.

[Anna (Enchanted by YA) · Rating 1 out of 5]

***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review***

For once I don’t really have much to say! To be honest I didn’t like this book, and it’s not so much because of the book itself (which sounds crazy I know) and I’m sure any other day I might have loved it; but stuck in a book slump, Elixir just didn’t hold my interest. The first 150 pages or so were exactly like the synopsis says, so in a way it felt repeated. Granted it was time to connect with characters, but then Sean leaves some of them behind at the beginning. Sean I also found, while undoubtedly clever wasn’t an extraordinary character because it was hard to relate and this had nothing to do with him being a boy. You see him grow up, but never really felt like you knew him.

I wanted to love this book, I really did, but I didn’t even have the effort to finish (put down at 75%). When reading turns into a chore you know you haven’t found the book for you. Personally this book wasn’t for me; but if you love the idea of a tragic romance, a boy hiding from his true personality and a government trying to use/remove him, it might be worth giving this book a shot upon its release.

Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. Not since "The Goldfinch" has a book kept me up so late at night! The difference between this book and "Goldfinch" is that this book never wavered in its suspense and focus.
The author created a very likeable character in
Sean Malone.
We are introduced to Sean as a 14 year old contestant who is competing on "Jeopardy," Turns out that Sean is a genius, in fact, he is the most intelligent person in the world.
We are taken on a wild journey with this young man as the story unfolds over the next four years of his life.
Early on he is forced to go into hiding with his Aunt, and takes on an assumed name in another country.
This author is very skilled at creating both the intellectual life of Sean, and pairing it with the emotional life. This gives reality and vibrancy to the character.
When Sean's girlfriend becomes ill with a incurable disease, Sean uses all means to come up with a formula to cure her.
I enjoyed this character so much that I hope the author will consider writing a sequel.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean is a 14 year old boy with a very high IQ. He won a lot of money on Jeopardy. He really just wants a normal life and to be a normal teenager. He is framed for a crime he didn't do and put into a witness protection programme and moves abroad.

He falls in love with a girl who becomes seriously ill- and he needs to use his intelligence to save her life. This leads to a new twist in the story.

Really enjoyed this one and would look out for more by this promising author.

Received from Net Galley.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book was very slow and jumpy. It was very hard to follow and you were wondering what on earth was going on. I didn't really connect with any of the characters so that kind of made me shy away from it as well. I really enjoyed the concept of the novel however and my favorite part was the last 20% honestly. So glad it had a happy ending but it could've been more interesting during the first half.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had the feel of a YA movie...teenager Sean that might be the smartest person on the planet....falls in love.....figures out a cure to save her life....... But, in between all of this, was an eighteen year old ordering Vodka drinks in a bar **guess that's legal in Italy** and getting pretty smashed. That pretty much ended the YA feel for me. Some nice action, in this decent debut.
Thanks, Ted for sending me a copy.

[Tulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping story.

Captivating page turner about identity, secrets and love. Very good hopeful ending. But in real life drug, insurance and hospital company making billions won't be happy.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elixir - a review by Rosemary Kenny

With shades of A Simple Mind, or The Theory of Everything, Elixir is certainly not your common-or-garden YA thriller, as the brilliant storyteller Ted Galdi soon reveals. A fast paced narrative is enhanced with brief sentences and a reasonable number of well-written and engaging characters in an almost stream-of-consciousness narrative over a 4 year time-frame.

14 year old boy genius Sean Malone's life is turned upside down, when he wins the Jeopardy tv game show's top prize and is engaged as a code breaker by the NSA .There, in a comparatively stimulating lab environment, he's accepted for the fetal brain development that made him so different to his school friends and his ultra-high IQ is considered an asset, not a curiosity to be mocked or avoided. As his skills grow exponentially, Sean's able to help law enforcement uncover criminal plots, murders etc, When Sean invents a maths formula that could prove apocalyptic in the the wrong hands, he's made to sign the Official Secrets Act and relocated to Italy with his Aunt, who's his guardian, (as his parents are dead) and with a new identity, under the Witness Protection Scheme.

Who does Sean (now James), fall for in his new location? What happens to her and what does James/Sean do to help?
Where do they travel as a result? What does the NSA decide to use James'/Sean's formula for? How does James/Sean react to this information?
Can he come up with a mutation of his original work to prevent a dreadful catastrophe? Is Armageddon inevitable?

Author and film actor James Galdi segues seamlessly between careers, excelling at each and rewarding readers and fans alike, in a tale of innocence corrupted, ignorance and prejudice, love and loss, development and reaction, corruption and self-sacrifice, set against one man's rites-of-passage and how 'no man is an island', as every action has a consequence for good or evil. Grab this book for your action-thriller bookshelf today - and tell all your friends too!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book by the author for an honest review.

In the beginning it was interesting. I can't remember reading too many books about child geniuses/prodigies/whatever you want to call them. I was a little jealous because Sean was the smartest person in the world and knew all of the answers to random questions on Jeopardy! when he was 11. I am 26 and can hardly remember if I even ate breakfast. Anyway, I expected Sean to be completely full of himself and look at everyone else as if they were lowly peasants unworthy of licking his boots, but he wasn't. I was thoroughly surprised to learn that he was a down-to-earth kid who just wanted to be normal despite the fact that he wasn't, which was a good decision on the author's part. It made Sean more relatable even though most of us aren't right up there with him in the intelligence department. In a way I could understand when he was hoping he wouldn't have figured out the Traveling Salesman problem. It must be frustrating knowing everything and not having anything left to learn especially at such a young age.

I will have to admit that I got a little lost and found myself wandering a little when we were following Patrick Goya and he was talking to some of his colleagues about Sean and the algorithm. I think it was just because I tend to find Government parts of books a little boring, but that's just me. Once we were past it and back with Sean I was hooked in again. I was also a little disappointed in the age jump. We leave Sean at 14, who has just had a drug overdose because of the stress of keeping his mouth shut about the algorithm he created and he made a threat to the Secretary of Defense. I was happy for the relocation and name change on one hand, but another part of me wanted the original path to play out to see what would've happened. I would've also liked to have seen Sean's journey through the relocation instead of four years after the fact, but these are just small things that would've been interesting to see.

I definitely didn't see the end coming, part of it yes, but not the path it went down. I was hoping we would see more of the genius Sean, not just the kid running around putting graffiti on everything. I was completely thrown for a loop when Natasha became sick. I was mad and wanted to throw things, but I didn't lol. She and Sean were so annoyingly cute and I hated that she was sick. I knew it would be a matter of time before Sean attempted to find a cure for her, but I thought he wasn't going to get the medicine to Natasha in time. I thought she would die before he made it back to Switzerland. I figured he would make it back to the hospital and he would find her family standing outside crying because she was gone. How glad I am that he made it! I always like when stories have happy endings. I was glad that he was able to go back to being Sean instead of someone he was pretending to be. The whole time we were in Italy I just knew that Paul Pine would pop up on Sean's doorstep say, "Surprise!" and attack him and that it would be the end of Sean Malone, but it wasn't. I'm probably not the only one that thought that, but I'm glad to see I was wrong. I don't like being able to figure out the ending of a story halfway through it.

Anyway, I think this is probably long enough. I want to thank Ted Galdi (the author, obviously) for givng me a copy of his book to read and review. I enjoyed it immensely and can't wait to see what you come up with next.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ted Galdi's first novel entitled Elixir is part YA political thriller, medical mystery, and action-adventure. It's a fast-paced page turner that takes off quickly and holds your interest throughout. Lots of action, adventure, and suspense in this globe-trotting thriller with a teen genius at the helm.

Elixir follows Sean Malone a 14 year-old past Jeopardy! champ with a 250 IQ. As part of an Independent Study for his Computer Science class at SoCal Tech, he's been working on The Travelling Salesman Problem which is supposedly unsolvable, but when Sean sets his mind to it he is able to solve it in a matter of hours. Sean's a little disappointed that he's able to do it because he was really hoping for something that would stump him. As a result of his work, the government uses his algorithm to track down a drug lord and kill innocents along the way. In order to keep himself and his family safe, Sean is placed into a protection program where he's relocated to Rome under a false identity and everyone in his past life believes he's dead. We meet back up with him as an 18 year old living a completely different life as James Crates. When his girlfriend falls terminally ill, he realizes he's the only one who can come up with a cure in the few days she has left to live. He's forced to face his past head-on and a billion dollar pharmaceutical company along the way.

I'm glad I gave this advance copy of Ted Galdi's work a try. I know I'll be keeping my eyes open for what he does in the future based on the strength of Elixir.

The story is essentially divided into three sections. In part one we get to know a 14 year-old genius who gets in trouble for being so smart. For the duration of part two, we are introduced to his new life as 18 year-old James Crates. Finally, in the third part, my personal favorite, Sean is forced to do everything in his power even if it means returning to the life of a dead teen in order to save the life of the girl he loves. All three sections work well together, but the story really comes to fruition in the incredibly intense finale. I wouldn't say the story ever gets boring, however, the second part is the slowest in comparison to the rest, but it is essential to see Sean's journey as it builds up to his girlfriend Natasha's sickness.

As for the characters, they're all pretty engaging even Dante, the villain from the final part. I wish Natasha got to be a little more active in the story, but her personality is infectious (pardon the pun) and it makes sense as we discover more about her that Sean would walk through fire to do whatever he can for her. For Sean, it's refreshing to see a genius level character to behave the way he does. His intellect isn't all there is to him, it's just one of the many pieces making up his character. He can't help his smarts and he's always looking for a challenge, particularly one that might stump even him. In regards to the minor characters, I wish Fabrizio and Kyle had more page-time.

Overall, I highly enjoyed Elixir and recommend it to fans of action thrillers. I think this could make an action-packed adaptation for the big screen. I will be looking for all future works by Galdi!

[Harlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I got a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
I wanted to make sure I had a very good review of this book, so I took my time and made a few notes along the way. I'll start from the beginning.
My first impression of this book is it starts off a bit choppy. We meet Sean Malone as an 11 year old boy on the Jeopardy! stage. Next page, he's 14. Because of the synopsis, I knew we'd eventually jump to him being 18, and because of how quickly it jumped from 11 to 14, I kept expecting to not stay with 14 year old Sean long. We stayed with him for a good bit, though. Also, the days moved quickly. I mean, some of them from paragraph to paragraph. Some people might like it, some don't. I'm not sure how I felt about it. It eliminates unnecessary filler bits but it is a bit disorienting when you're first starting a book.
I liked Sean from the get-go. Even though he's a genius, I found him a very real, believable 14 year old kid. He drinks orange juice from the jug, listens to music while doing his homework, and his favorite show is Family Guy. All these qualities endeared and connected him to me.
The beginning of this book is a bit slow.
I was impressed with his moral values. I think they come with his maturity and intelligence. His fantasy for the future I found to be child-like with it's outlandish-ness but it was sweet. He curses a lot, which I found a bit unsettling. I'm not saying cursing bothers me, it doesn't, but for someone his age to swear a much as he does, I didn't like it. Just because I have a brother about his age, and I know if my brother went around talking like that, it wouldn't go unpunished.
Finally, Sean is 18. I'm gonna call him New Sean. I didn't like New Sean as much as old Sean. He drinks (maybe the age limit is different in Italy?) he does drugs (that one time with his friend) and vandalizes (yeah, it's just graffiti art). I was glad when he went and saw his Aunt Mary. I was worried that New Sean didn't need her anymore.
The romance was a total love at first sight. Too fast. I couldn't help but compare the romance to that Jim Carey movie Yes Man and also, kind of, I am Number Four. I didn't really connect with Natasha. I feel like I don't know enough about her.
Then, Natasha starts getting sick. When she had that seizure, Sean ended up getting drunk in a bar and I'm not gonna lie, it pissed me off a bit. But I can't hold it against him because he definitely proves how much he loves her.
My last notes are about the writing style of this book. You know those pause in a sentence when someone is trying to get their thoughts together or is unsure what to say? (ex. ...) There were wayyyy too many of those and a lot of them seemed like they shouldn't have been placed where they were. And, for some reason, there was a lot of pointless chit chat between extra characters. Like the cops and the politicians with the "how's the wife, how's the kids, tell them I said hi". It felt odd to me. One more thing, there were a lot of "bro"s and "dude"s thrown around and quite a few repeated verbs like sauntered.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's a nice adventure with likeable characters and a wrapped up, happily ever after end.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that this one started with an 11 year old playing Jeopardy and just wiping the floor with the adults. But from there, I just didn't love the mc. It's nice he didn't stay 11, he grew up and we got a story with a later teenager.

I think I didn't love this as much because it felt a little too easy. Now that we've had a pandemic, you can't help but pause and think - *sigh* if only it was this easy.

It is an interesting adventure of a story, with shady bad guys, secret encryptions, and mysterious illnesses. And a very very smart kid.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Saloni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review

Elixir is a thrilling book following a genius basically saving the world. The protagonist, Sean Malone, is a brilliant mathematician who has just figured out the formula to hack into anything. With the authorities after him, Sean is forced to change identities and move to Rome.

Four years later in Rome, Sean falls in love, when suddenly his girlfriend gets sick with the Ebola virus and Sean has to relive his past to save his true love.

I really enjoyed this book, more the plot and events than anything else. Throughout the entire book I was rooting for Sean, wanting him to solve the mystery that's stumped everyone, wanting him to succeed. The story itself was incredibly intriguing and so thrilling to read. It's fast paced and action-packed book, if it sounds like something you'd like I'd definitely recommend it!
If you like books like the Unwind series then you should try out Elixir!

Like I mentioned before, I honestly enjoyed this book a lot. The plot was intense and thrilling and overall extremely fun to read.

However, there's one thing I had a problem with, mostly the only reason I had to knock off a star. This was primarily the emotional connection, or lack of, that I had with the characters. I was able to connect with Sean, which was good. However, I didn't feel the intensity and passion of his relationship with Natasha. I could tell he definitely cared about her, but I didn't feel invested in the relationship. I think the source of this problem was how the relationship was presented. Many times when a relationship is presented, we see the growth from their first meeting to their first kiss and so forth. However between Natasha and Sean, we skipped directly from their first date to her meeting his parents. Because we missed this crucial period of growth, it was really hard to emotionally feel the relationship and become invested in it.

Other than this (and some minor grammatical errors), the book was really great and I do recommend it!