My Review of ~ The Chemist

Intelligent protagonist evolves into a better person while facing death daily

I gave this book 5 stars.

An excellent story, written with a great pace and the narration was spot on. The female protagonist, Alex, evolves into a better survivor than she thought possible. The character is an original (ex-government operative who worked to retract information via a lab) and she (many aliases at first) kept on developing as the plot evolved.

Alex, her true identity, has unique skills but meets someone who can actually challenge her in ways she never thought possible. After a difficult past, Alex now faces a difficult romance which evolves after some unfortunate events. The characters accept the situation and move past issues, but that's only one side of the novel.

The danger piles on and the characters struggle to survive, both killers and nature. They move from place to place while on the run and meet unusual accomplices. The four-legged assistance is a nice addition to the character list.

This book is packed with twists, unexpected solutions showing off the character's strengths, and has a great ending. I may listen to it again, or perhaps read it this time. I'll be watching for more Alex stories.

If you've read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books and think that she's only about teenage love, think again. Like in her book, The Host, The Chemist is a solid read, good writing with tension, developed characters, and compelling story. I highly recommend this book.

Add a copy to your library - the audio version was excellent. Available in other formats as well.

The Chemist  Audiobook – Unabridged

Stephenie Meyer (Author),‎ Ellen Archer (Narrator),‎ Hachette Audio (Publisher)

In this gripping thriller, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life.

She used to work for the US government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.

Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

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

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

In this tautly plotted novel, Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialized skill set. And she shows once again why she's one of the world's best-selling authors.