Blog Post #16: Chain Reaction Conflict

I just started reading the book Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles. It starts off by Luis free solo rock climbing. It is when you do not use any safety gear while rock climbing. The book is narrated by two teens that soon fall in love. Luis and Nikki switch narrating after each chapter and they feel differently for each other in the beginning.  While reading Chain Reaction I came across the conflict of unwanted love.

Unwanted love is one of the big conflicts in this book because Luis loved Nikki since the first time he saw her, but Nikki is not the same to Luis. When Nikki met Luis she thought he was a player that only had one night stands. It was unrequited love or a one-sided love. Luis felt something for Nikki, but Nikki did not feel a thing for Luis. I think that if Nikki really learned about Luis she would have liked him in the beginning.

Another example that unwanted love is a big conflict in this book is that when Luis was dancing with Nikki, Nikki kneed him in a spot where it hurts. At that time Nikki still had not fallen for Luis obviously. Nikki did not want to be involved with a guy that was like her ex-boyfriend, but soon enough she finds out that Luis is not the kind of guy that is like her ex-boyfriend. At first Nikki did not want Luis’ love because of many reasons, but soon after they bonded she found out that Luis was a great guy.  The unwanted love slowly changes into a love that is shared.

In conclusion, love can be a though thing if the person you love doesn’t love you back. If the person does not love you right away you should keep trying. Luis kept trying to get Nikki to like him and he soon succeeded with it. Even though it was hard for him to do so, he still hung in there and fought for the love he wanted.