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Elixir

Ted Galdi (Goodreads Author)

3.88 · Rating details · 833 ratings · 267 reviews

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 in ...more

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ebook, 245 pages

Published August 1st 2014 (first published January 1st 2014)

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Jul 10, 2014 xrysa rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

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 ar ...more

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Nov 19, 2016 Jane Jago rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 ...more

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Jul 15, 2014 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it did not like it

Shelves: sci-fi, ya

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 ...more

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May 22, 2014 Amber rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebooksiown, indiereads4review

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 lo ...more

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Jun 06, 2014 Aditi rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, my-reviews, mystery, science-fiction

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 q 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 (view spoiler)

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. ...more

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Jul 23, 2014 Dustin rated it liked it

Shelves: psychological, coming-of-age, ya

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 fir ...more

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May 29, 2014 Jola rated it liked it

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! ...more

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Sep 03, 2014 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, ya, favorites, r-r-s, science-fiction

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 riske ...more

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Jun 06, 2014 Miodrag ★❥ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-that-i-love, read-2014

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 ...more

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Jun 02, 2014 Janet Hecht rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed

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 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. (view spoiler)

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. (view spoiler)

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.
...more

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May 31, 2014 Terri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-authors

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 th ...more

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Jun 15, 2014 Lauren rated it did not like it

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 litt ...more

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May 22, 2014 Mitsy rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: young-adult, love-the-cover

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. ...more

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Aug 12, 2014 Sara Val rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: provided-by-author

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 ...more

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Jun 13, 2014 Caru rated it really liked it

**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 geniu ...more

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May 03, 2014 Michelle rated it really liked it

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 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. ...more

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Jun 10, 2014 Rachel rated it liked it

Shelves: read-my-library, read-for-reiews, 2014

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 C ...more

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Jul 07, 2014 Emma Andje rated it did not like it

Shelves: z-2014-summer-book-challenge, z-2014-ya-reading-challenge

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 th 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. ...more

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Jun 19, 2014 Anna (Enchanted by YA) rated it did not like it

Shelves: review-copy, meh, did-not-finish

***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 char ...more

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Jun 26, 2014 Miriam rated it it was amazing

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 th ...more

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Jul 09, 2014 Kim rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, kindle, 2014

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. ...more

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Jun 13, 2014 Heather rated it liked it

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. ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 Lee rated it liked it

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. ...more

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Oct 22, 2015 Tulay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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. ...more

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Jul 25, 2018 Rosemary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of coming-of-age thrillers for YAs.

Shelves: epic-adventure-thriller, overcoming-the-odds, rites-of-passage

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 sho 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!

...more

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Jul 30, 2014 Megan rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-reading-challenge

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 we 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. ...more

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Jun 11, 2014 Lauren Stoolfire rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads, adventure, thriller, young-adult

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 Sci 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! ...more

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Aug 04, 2014 Harlee rated it liked it · review of another edition

*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 *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. ...more

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Jun 06, 2014 Saloni rated it really liked it

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 e ...more

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Feb 20, 2015 Samuel rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I originally gave this two stars, but then I actually thought about the book. I liked the writing style (felt very "I'm seeing the whole room at once" to me), and I felt like it flowed fairly well with some exceptions (whenever describing a character that wasn't a white guy, for example). That Sean has an at-will super-power (as opposed to being "really smart") was not my hangup, because I enjoy superhero fiction. I even had no problem with the fact that the Cure at the end was fantasy, and save I originally gave this two stars, but then I actually thought about the book. I liked the writing style (felt very "I'm seeing the whole room at once" to me), and I felt like it flowed fairly well with some exceptions (whenever describing a character that wasn't a white guy, for example). That Sean has an at-will super-power (as opposed to being "really smart") was not my hangup, because I enjoy superhero fiction. I even had no problem with the fact that the Cure at the end was fantasy, and saved someone who was already several days into organ failure (again, superhero fiction). Things that did bother me:
- Natasha is a sexy lamp (Google it).
- Sean's Aunt only exists to process Sean's emotional feelings, and is not actually a character. This is true of every female character in the book that is not a sexy lamp.
- Natasha gets Ebola in Africa (yes the whole continent) by "brushing against a dead chimp or something." Suggested alternatives if Ebola is necessary: research a country in Africa where this would happen, then have her whole family get sick since they're all in the same place; enemies from Sean's past infect just Natasha on purpose to bait him into doing something like this (Pine already colluded with corporations, why not be in league with Colzyne?); a vial of Ebola falls on her during a tour of a lab; "and then the doctor said 'we don't know how she has Ebola, but she does'"; almost anything would be better than the current state. If Ebola isn't necessary (and it really shouldn't be), maybe fast acting previously undetected cancer?
- Dante is an inhuman "Native American" tracker (yes, the author couldn't even be bother to look up a tribe for his Native American Tracker). We know he's evil because he has DARK BROWN EYES *crowd gasps* and BROWN SKIN *several crowd members faint* and manages to be both the only brown character and a ranting super-villain (not good rants, either).

I would suggest that, at the very least, the author (and anyone else tempted to do this kind of lazy writing) read DJ Older's "12 Fundamentals Of Writing "The Other" (And The Self)" before writing anything else. Thanks. ...more

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About Ted Galdi

Ted Galdi

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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 ...more