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Allison's Story #1
The Elect
Allison Noble never liked the Baileys. They were too good-looking, too popular, too charming to be legitimate. For most of their high school career she avoided the pair, convinced their outward affability was just a ruse to disguise their true character. Okay, yeah, she’s a little neurotic. Even so, she never suspected that what they were hiding was dangerous. It never occurred to her that they might have abilities based more in fiction than reality. Why would it? People can’t produce fire with their bare hands. There are no such things as mind control and telekinesis. Except, she discovers, there are.
The Baileys are Elect, gifted with supernatural powers Allison is able to not only sense, but use herself. In the history of the Elect, there has never been one such as she, and with good reason. Because she wasn’t born to such power, she has a difficult time controlling it. Accidents happen, putting them all at risk. As others draw near—some who wish to protect her, others who want to destroy her—she is forced to uncover the secrets of her past, and face the consequences of being what her own kind refers to as an abomination.
The Baileys are Elect, gifted with supernatural powers Allison is able to not only sense, but use herself. In the history of the Elect, there has never been one such as she, and with good reason. Because she wasn’t born to such power, she has a difficult time controlling it. Accidents happen, putting them all at risk. As others draw near—some who wish to protect her, others who want to destroy her—she is forced to uncover the secrets of her past, and face the consequences of being what her own kind refers to as an abomination.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2013
4 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Elle Todd
3 books18 followersElle Todd is the author of the YA series, Allison's Story. She lives in Ohio with 11 million other people....
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 23, 2014
We’re introduced to Allison Noble the night of her sixteenth birthday, when she and her best friend, Delaney, break into their high school to enact revenge on a fellow student. Their plan is pretty solid, and going well, until they encounter a group of boys in the basement, playing with fire. This single incident puts Allison on a dangerous path of self-discovery, for the boys aren’t exactly what they seem…and neither is she.
This book is categorized as young adult paranormal. I’ve seen it shelved as fantasy, science fiction, and romance. Not one of these genres accurately defines the story. It’s young adult, but certain aspects would appeal more to older readers. Pop culture references, for example, are dated. Our heroine is a fan of classic TV in the truest sense of the word. No Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or The Nanny (Nick at Nite’s current line-up), but Patty Duke and The Brady Bunch.
Allison is (in the words of another character) “…shy, cynical, and cautious to the point of being irrational.” She doesn’t fit the idea cable television tells us is the typical teenage girl. I found this a refreshing change of pace. We have a lead character who avoids extremes. She’s neither ugly nor pretty, neither strong nor weak. She doesn’t spend the book fawning over some boy, but rather discovering her own potential.
There are many areas in which this novel avoids stereotypes, but it is in the presentation of the paranormal elements that it is most significant. Supernatural powers are introduced in the blurb, yet the author does not allow them to take center stage. They are a whisper in the background, teasing the reader with a potential only fully realized in the last hundred or so pages. This was both a surprise, and something of a disappointment.
Had I read this without the preconceived notions planted in the author’s summary, my first taste would have been sweeter. Instead, I spent too long waiting for elements I now realize weren’t entirely the point.
This is not The Mortal Instruments. It’s not Harry Potter. Fans of YA fantasy will likely feel let down by the lack of action, while fans of Sarah Dessen may not welcome the paranormal aspects of the story. This book almost requires an open mind. It needs to be taken one chapter at a time, not for the climax, but for the thoughtful introduction to a world not unlike our own, filled with a cast of characters you aren’t likely to forget.
The people that make up a story, that give it life, are what keep me reading. The Elect did not lack here. From Delaney’s wit, to Nate’s charm, I can’t remember ever enjoying dialogue so much. I laughed out loud, something I don’t usually experience with a book, and found myself rereading passages for the sheer enjoyment of the punch line. The people (the main five characters) were fully-fleshed out. They were clever, and funny, and real. They’ve stayed with me since I put this down…as has the absolute thrill-ride that makes up the final chapters of the book.
When the true excitement begins, it doesn’t let up. There are no absolute conclusions here. There aren’t even minor conclusions. To tell you The Elect ends with a cliffhanger is an understatement of massive proportion. Many series contain a set of several stand-alone books, with whatever larger issues building to a climax over three to five installments. This novel does not stand alone. The author drops bombs and lets them blow up in your face, then walks away.
For those readers who detest that sort of thing, I’d caution you against starting The Elect. Upon reaching the last page, (and after I threw the book in frustration) I had to immediately purchase the next. I couldn’t stand to wait. There is so much build up, so much promise for what comes next…walking away was not an option.
If you enjoy character-driven stories set in a contemporary young adult environment, if you’re looking for a subtle introduction to the extraordinary, I’d urge you to try The Elect.
This book is categorized as young adult paranormal. I’ve seen it shelved as fantasy, science fiction, and romance. Not one of these genres accurately defines the story. It’s young adult, but certain aspects would appeal more to older readers. Pop culture references, for example, are dated. Our heroine is a fan of classic TV in the truest sense of the word. No Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or The Nanny (Nick at Nite’s current line-up), but Patty Duke and The Brady Bunch.
Allison is (in the words of another character) “…shy, cynical, and cautious to the point of being irrational.” She doesn’t fit the idea cable television tells us is the typical teenage girl. I found this a refreshing change of pace. We have a lead character who avoids extremes. She’s neither ugly nor pretty, neither strong nor weak. She doesn’t spend the book fawning over some boy, but rather discovering her own potential.
There are many areas in which this novel avoids stereotypes, but it is in the presentation of the paranormal elements that it is most significant. Supernatural powers are introduced in the blurb, yet the author does not allow them to take center stage. They are a whisper in the background, teasing the reader with a potential only fully realized in the last hundred or so pages. This was both a surprise, and something of a disappointment.
Had I read this without the preconceived notions planted in the author’s summary, my first taste would have been sweeter. Instead, I spent too long waiting for elements I now realize weren’t entirely the point.
This is not The Mortal Instruments. It’s not Harry Potter. Fans of YA fantasy will likely feel let down by the lack of action, while fans of Sarah Dessen may not welcome the paranormal aspects of the story. This book almost requires an open mind. It needs to be taken one chapter at a time, not for the climax, but for the thoughtful introduction to a world not unlike our own, filled with a cast of characters you aren’t likely to forget.
The people that make up a story, that give it life, are what keep me reading. The Elect did not lack here. From Delaney’s wit, to Nate’s charm, I can’t remember ever enjoying dialogue so much. I laughed out loud, something I don’t usually experience with a book, and found myself rereading passages for the sheer enjoyment of the punch line. The people (the main five characters) were fully-fleshed out. They were clever, and funny, and real. They’ve stayed with me since I put this down…as has the absolute thrill-ride that makes up the final chapters of the book.
When the true excitement begins, it doesn’t let up. There are no absolute conclusions here. There aren’t even minor conclusions. To tell you The Elect ends with a cliffhanger is an understatement of massive proportion. Many series contain a set of several stand-alone books, with whatever larger issues building to a climax over three to five installments. This novel does not stand alone. The author drops bombs and lets them blow up in your face, then walks away.
For those readers who detest that sort of thing, I’d caution you against starting The Elect. Upon reaching the last page, (and after I threw the book in frustration) I had to immediately purchase the next. I couldn’t stand to wait. There is so much build up, so much promise for what comes next…walking away was not an option.
If you enjoy character-driven stories set in a contemporary young adult environment, if you’re looking for a subtle introduction to the extraordinary, I’d urge you to try The Elect.
January 8, 2015
Another book on a string of really good YA novels I've read, and another cliffhanger!!! These authors are killing me with suspense. I'm putting this on top priority in my To Be Bought list.
I would have given this 5 stars if not for the feeling that the next book would be far, far better. I love the story, I don't read Dystopian much but this book hooked me from the first chapter. I love the characters. Allison is very different from the heroines that I'm used to. She's cool on my list. Weird, but cool. And Ryan... *sighs* Who doesn't want someone like Ryan? He's so amazing I was waiting for that "moment" where he and Allison will just click. And just when things started to heat up and became more intriguing, "BAM!" you need the next book. Argh!!! And the romance was just blooming! Bad, bad, Ms. Todd.
Anyway, I will definitely read the rest of the books in this series. Seriously, this is addicting. The story and characters hooked me.
I would have given this 5 stars if not for the feeling that the next book would be far, far better. I love the story, I don't read Dystopian much but this book hooked me from the first chapter. I love the characters. Allison is very different from the heroines that I'm used to. She's cool on my list. Weird, but cool. And Ryan... *sighs* Who doesn't want someone like Ryan? He's so amazing I was waiting for that "moment" where he and Allison will just click. And just when things started to heat up and became more intriguing, "BAM!" you need the next book. Argh!!! And the romance was just blooming! Bad, bad, Ms. Todd.
Anyway, I will definitely read the rest of the books in this series. Seriously, this is addicting. The story and characters hooked me.
July 21, 2014
Synopsis:
Allison Noble never liked the Baileys. They were too good-looking, too popular, too charming to be legitimate. For most of their high school career she avoided the pair, convinced their outward affability was just a ruse to disguise their true character. Okay, yeah, she’s a little neurotic. Even so, she never suspected that what they were hiding was dangerous. It never occurred to her that they might have abilities based more in fiction than reality. Why would it? People can’t produce fire with their bare hands. There are no such things as mind control and telekinesis. Except, she discovers, there are.
The Baileys are Elect, gifted with supernatural powers Allison is able to not only sense, but use herself. In the history of the Elect, there has never been one such as she, and with good reason. Because she wasn’t born to such power, she has a difficult time controlling it. Accidents happen, putting them all at risk. As others draw near—some who wish to protect her, others who want to destroy her—she is forced to uncover the secrets of her past, and face the consequences of being what her own kind refers to as an abomination.
My Thoughts:
I find myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn't really expecting to be in the mood for a YA novel as it's been a really long time since that last time I've read one. I downloaded a sample for this book over the weekend because it was featured as a possible BOM selection for one of the groups that I'm in. Last night, I started reading the sample because I was bored with the adult CR I was reading and needed something paranormal. I got hooked on finding out what would happen to Ally and Delaney and how Ryan, Nate and Jeremy would play into things.
When Ally had her first encounter with weird powers the day she caught Jeremy, Nate and Ryan playing with fire the night they all broke into the school (for different reasons), I was already interested. It was a while before something happened again, but I became even more interested the night of the bonfire. It became really interesting when Ally was able to resist Nate's Pushing and then again even more so when she Pushed back. They all thought it was strange that she had more than one ability when it turned out she was just as fiery as Jeremy. They didn't know why, but their theory was a good one. I had the same idea, early on. It isn't until the very end of the book that we find out what's really going on with Ally.
There is some romance in this, but it's not a huge part of the plot. Ally doesn't do the usual YA heroine thing of mooning over a hero and there isn't a love triangle, so there's none of that wishy washyness you tend to find in a lot of YA these days. There are some typical high school mean girl antics, but even that wasn't so prevalent that it annoyed me. Ally didn't think that much of herself when it came to people liking or noticing her, but she pretty much just accepted things as they were. She didn't dwell on it or really let it get her down, so when one of her newfound guy friends starts crushing on her, she doesn't even notice. It takes some real convincing on his part to get her to accept it or to even accept that she likes him in that way back. By that point, there isn't a lot of hope for a relationship between these two considering what happens afterwards.
I really like the ending to this book even though it's a bit of a cliffhanger. It's a good thing I've got book two ready to go because I really can't believe that happened. I cried a bit. I really can't wait to find out what will happen next. Ally is in a pretty big mess and I'm assuming a lot of trouble based on the things her mother told her. What will happen to her now? Will Delaney, Ryan, Nate and Jeremy find out what happened? Will Ally find her father? So many questions.
Allison Noble never liked the Baileys. They were too good-looking, too popular, too charming to be legitimate. For most of their high school career she avoided the pair, convinced their outward affability was just a ruse to disguise their true character. Okay, yeah, she’s a little neurotic. Even so, she never suspected that what they were hiding was dangerous. It never occurred to her that they might have abilities based more in fiction than reality. Why would it? People can’t produce fire with their bare hands. There are no such things as mind control and telekinesis. Except, she discovers, there are.
The Baileys are Elect, gifted with supernatural powers Allison is able to not only sense, but use herself. In the history of the Elect, there has never been one such as she, and with good reason. Because she wasn’t born to such power, she has a difficult time controlling it. Accidents happen, putting them all at risk. As others draw near—some who wish to protect her, others who want to destroy her—she is forced to uncover the secrets of her past, and face the consequences of being what her own kind refers to as an abomination.
My Thoughts:
I find myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn't really expecting to be in the mood for a YA novel as it's been a really long time since that last time I've read one. I downloaded a sample for this book over the weekend because it was featured as a possible BOM selection for one of the groups that I'm in. Last night, I started reading the sample because I was bored with the adult CR I was reading and needed something paranormal. I got hooked on finding out what would happen to Ally and Delaney and how Ryan, Nate and Jeremy would play into things.
When Ally had her first encounter with weird powers the day she caught Jeremy, Nate and Ryan playing with fire the night they all broke into the school (for different reasons), I was already interested. It was a while before something happened again, but I became even more interested the night of the bonfire. It became really interesting when Ally was able to resist Nate's Pushing and then again even more so when she Pushed back. They all thought it was strange that she had more than one ability when it turned out she was just as fiery as Jeremy. They didn't know why, but their theory was a good one. I had the same idea, early on. It isn't until the very end of the book that we find out what's really going on with Ally.
There is some romance in this, but it's not a huge part of the plot. Ally doesn't do the usual YA heroine thing of mooning over a hero and there isn't a love triangle, so there's none of that wishy washyness you tend to find in a lot of YA these days. There are some typical high school mean girl antics, but even that wasn't so prevalent that it annoyed me. Ally didn't think that much of herself when it came to people liking or noticing her, but she pretty much just accepted things as they were. She didn't dwell on it or really let it get her down, so when one of her newfound guy friends starts crushing on her, she doesn't even notice. It takes some real convincing on his part to get her to accept it or to even accept that she likes him in that way back. By that point, there isn't a lot of hope for a relationship between these two considering what happens afterwards.
I really like the ending to this book even though it's a bit of a cliffhanger. It's a good thing I've got book two ready to go because I really can't believe that happened. I cried a bit. I really can't wait to find out what will happen next. Ally is in a pretty big mess and I'm assuming a lot of trouble based on the things her mother told her. What will happen to her now? Will Delaney, Ryan, Nate and Jeremy find out what happened? Will Ally find her father? So many questions.
December 11, 2014
*Note: I received a free copy of The Elect from the author, Elle Todd, in exchange for an honest review.*
Wow! I can honestly say this is one of the best R2R books I've received yet. Phenomenal debut! I probably won't do the story justice in my review, but I'll try.
The plot itself isn't exactly unique. Basically, a normal girl witnesses something she shouldn't have - something which shouldn't even be possible outside of a sci-fi/fantasy story - but the closer she gets reveals a truth she never knew about herself. Like I said before, not terribly unique, but how things end up playing out is refreshingly handled.
Elle Todd definitely has a way with words. Both the dialogue and the characters feel very natural and real. The characters are strong, well-written, and relatable, especially Allison. She wasn't reckless or too stupid to live; she's realistic. She has a good head on her shoulders and definitely made for a good heroine. Delaney, Ryan, Nate, and Jeremy are also likeable supporting players as Allison's friends. I can't forget to mention the parents in the book, too, especially Regina! Personally, though, I believe The Elect could have benefited from a first person perspective. I noticed a couple of times that when one is meant to feel particularly close, the distance a third person perspective can sometimes create felt a little too great.
Great pacing, introduction to the characters, awesome and gut wrenching twist. With that kind cliffhanger (you know, the kind where you let out a strangled yell when you realized you've finished it!), I cannot wait until I get the opportunity to read the sequel, The Vanguard!!
By the way, I live in Ohio and I've been through the real Stillwater, Ohio. Let's just say it's not nearly such a substantial small town as it's made out to be in the story. It's more like one of those blink and you'll miss it kind of places! :)
Thanks very much, Ms. Todd for sending me a free copy for my honest review. I really enjoyed The Elect and I highly recommend it!
Wow! I can honestly say this is one of the best R2R books I've received yet. Phenomenal debut! I probably won't do the story justice in my review, but I'll try.
The plot itself isn't exactly unique. Basically, a normal girl witnesses something she shouldn't have - something which shouldn't even be possible outside of a sci-fi/fantasy story - but the closer she gets reveals a truth she never knew about herself. Like I said before, not terribly unique, but how things end up playing out is refreshingly handled.
Elle Todd definitely has a way with words. Both the dialogue and the characters feel very natural and real. The characters are strong, well-written, and relatable, especially Allison. She wasn't reckless or too stupid to live; she's realistic. She has a good head on her shoulders and definitely made for a good heroine. Delaney, Ryan, Nate, and Jeremy are also likeable supporting players as Allison's friends. I can't forget to mention the parents in the book, too, especially Regina! Personally, though, I believe The Elect could have benefited from a first person perspective. I noticed a couple of times that when one is meant to feel particularly close, the distance a third person perspective can sometimes create felt a little too great.
Great pacing, introduction to the characters, awesome and gut wrenching twist. With that kind cliffhanger (you know, the kind where you let out a strangled yell when you realized you've finished it!), I cannot wait until I get the opportunity to read the sequel, The Vanguard!!
By the way, I live in Ohio and I've been through the real Stillwater, Ohio. Let's just say it's not nearly such a substantial small town as it's made out to be in the story. It's more like one of those blink and you'll miss it kind of places! :)
Thanks very much, Ms. Todd for sending me a free copy for my honest review. I really enjoyed The Elect and I highly recommend it!
April 15, 2017
More like 4.5 stars. I loved it this book. Its pretty easy to read. I was waiting for something with more action and I thought it would be like " I am number four" with a lot of battles but instead we have a book that takes the time to introduce the caracthers to you, to form a connection with you. Wich is good but at the same time i think it took too long between talking and the boys watching her to know how much she knew and for Ally start to understand what was going on with her.I loved Ally caracther, she is the tipical girl that think its not pretty and has nothing in especial. I think she is funny and loyal and what I like the most its that she is genuinely happy and not jealous of her beautiful friend Delaney. I liked her connection with Natan but at the same time this connection made me confused about her feelings for Ryan and Natan. I changed my mind all the time. I didn't know who she liked or if she liked on of them or even if they liked her, but I liked this feelling of guessing all the time. The book its pretty slow at the beginning but after they come clean with what they all are it becomes very interesting and I couldn't put the book down. Finally we had some action at the end , maybe what I thought what it would be the whole book was just at the end of the book, but I'm glad, because this gave strong material for the next book. I think that Ally's condition its weel explained to her for the boys but I thought the end when her mother was explaining some things it was a little bit rush and confusing. I thought the language and the plot was a little juvenile but I like this kind of book. I didn't understand the reason for her <*pushing the boys alway when she found her powers dangerous. She didn't think they were dangerous but she was? Why all this resistance about them staying close to her if they could teach her how to control herself? I guess that is just the way Ally is.*>. The reason for less half star its that I wish they could interact earlier in the book instead of taking so long for the girls to figure it out what they were. I loved it and I can't wait to read the next one. My favorite character, besides Allison of course, its Ryan.
July 21, 2017
I received this book for free as an ebook for review through The Source here on GR.
When I first started reading this book, I was afraid it might not quite be my cup of tea, as the main character is a 16 year old high school girl, and many of the scenes revolve around the typical life of the modern day teenager such as work, school, social life hanging out with friends, etc. Apparently, I had stumbled into a YA novel, which, admittedly, isn't exactly my genre of choice. All my fears faded when I finished the first chapter, though. By that time, I was effectively hooked.
I thought the storyline and characters were very well thought out and presented, and I unexpectedly found myself connecting with Allison and the troubles she kept stumbling into. Apparently there are some family secrets from the past that her mom has never even mentioned, and Allison's ignorance of where both her parents came from seems to add to her curiosity when she discovers some of her classmates have special abilities.
I found the story very engaging, well paced, and easy to read, and it proved to be a very quick read, as I couldn't bring myself to put it down. The only thing I found that cost a star in my rating was I thought the story got a little bogged down about three quarters of the way through. The dialogue kind of made me lose my interest for a bit. Not that it was poorly written, or didn't fit into the story, but I don't have a ton of interest in girls shopping for prom dresses. LOL! But I hung in there, and I'm very pleased I did. The action really gets turned up toward the end, and when I got to the last page, what I saw there made me say, "WHAAAAT?! Now I gotta get the next book to find out what happens to Allison!"
Well done, Ms. Todd! It appears you've found a fan here in Texas!
This review is also posted on Amazon.
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
When I first started reading this book, I was afraid it might not quite be my cup of tea, as the main character is a 16 year old high school girl, and many of the scenes revolve around the typical life of the modern day teenager such as work, school, social life hanging out with friends, etc. Apparently, I had stumbled into a YA novel, which, admittedly, isn't exactly my genre of choice. All my fears faded when I finished the first chapter, though. By that time, I was effectively hooked.
I thought the storyline and characters were very well thought out and presented, and I unexpectedly found myself connecting with Allison and the troubles she kept stumbling into. Apparently there are some family secrets from the past that her mom has never even mentioned, and Allison's ignorance of where both her parents came from seems to add to her curiosity when she discovers some of her classmates have special abilities.
I found the story very engaging, well paced, and easy to read, and it proved to be a very quick read, as I couldn't bring myself to put it down. The only thing I found that cost a star in my rating was I thought the story got a little bogged down about three quarters of the way through. The dialogue kind of made me lose my interest for a bit. Not that it was poorly written, or didn't fit into the story, but I don't have a ton of interest in girls shopping for prom dresses. LOL! But I hung in there, and I'm very pleased I did. The action really gets turned up toward the end, and when I got to the last page, what I saw there made me say, "WHAAAAT?! Now I gotta get the next book to find out what happens to Allison!"
Well done, Ms. Todd! It appears you've found a fan here in Texas!
This review is also posted on Amazon.
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
September 29, 2013
Elle Todd's debut book, The Elect, is the first in a series called Allison's Story. It's a solid effort, though it tends to offer nothing new to the Young Adult genre. While I felt that the interplay between the main character, Allison, and her friend, Delaney, was quirky and fun, the book suffered from an inexperience with writing that was most notable in the author not trusting the reader. Ms. Todd showed that she is yet unable to walk the fine line of knowing when to give more information and not giving enough.
This book did show a strong foundation of basic authoring skills that, I think, with time and practice, Ms. Todd can hone - and I look forward to that time.
This book did show a strong foundation of basic authoring skills that, I think, with time and practice, Ms. Todd can hone - and I look forward to that time.
April 10, 2014
SUMMARY
Allison Noble, a typical high school girl, discovers that three male classmates are behaving suspiciously strange, and comes to suspect that they are hiding a dangerous secret. Struggling to balance schoolwork while helping her poor single mother pay the bills, Allison and her friend Delaney are caught up in a web of deceit by these three classmates, and eventually discover that the three boys have superpowers. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg, as Allison soon begins to manifest an unusual ability of her own…
THE GOOD…
1) The anti-Twilight
This story has a lot in common, superficially, with the popular book series by Stephanie Meyer. It features a female protagonist who goes to high school with a trio of attractive young men who have superpowers. But, despite this, the book is actually quite the opposite. This is a book where the female lead uses things like... logic. For example, when the three attractive young men start making special efforts to hang out with her and her friend... she realizes that something is up, and starts becoming suspicious. Rather than losing her head and falling for the pretty guy in front of her, Our Heroine manages to keep her wits and remains distrustful of these three weirdoes who are practically stalking her. She does not thrill over the possibility of any romance, and we definitely got the impression that if she woke to find one of these young men was watching her sleep in her bedroom, she would scream and call the cops. (Just like every sane, intelligent young woman should.)
2) Excellent beginning
The book opens with Allison and her friend Delaney sneaking into their school in an effort to frame one of Delaney’s enemies (high school trope ahoy!). They then discover that three male classmates are also there, and something weird is going on. From there, the story flips the “paranormal romance” genre on its head: these guys were doing something unusual in a bad place, ergo they might be dangerous (and they certainly sound such), so naturally the female protagonist is suspicious of them and doesn’t trust them. Yay for common sense!
3) Fun protagonist
The story is told in third person limited from Allison’s POV. We can’t tell you what a relief it was to read the story of a relatively intelligent teenage girl. She is young and makes stupid mistakes, but compared to some of her classmates she is far above her age. This is understandable given her home situation (single mother, poverty), which lends her an extra level of maturity above her peers. She’s not perfect by any means–sometimes we found ourselves yelling, “Just say ‘no’! Stick up for yourself, girl!”–but overall we found her an intensely likeable character. For that matter, even though they’re only seen from Allison’s limited perspective, all of the characters appear to be fully fleshed-out individuals, and it was great to see how different they all were. We certainly enjoyed all of the interpersonal play between them.
4) Witty conversation
Sometimes there are authors who just know how to make their characters’ conversations have a little extra spice, a little “zing” in their words, and yes, this novel is written by one such author. The lines in these characters’ mouths were amusing and clever, and made the read feel very much like a television show, with witty repartee between the leads. It gave a definite sense of chemistry among all these characters.
5) Flowing writing
This novel stands at about 250 pages, but it flows fast, in no small part thanks to the author’s writing style. It takes little to no effort to read and understand what is happening, which was great. Although there wasn’t a large cast of characters (perhaps 8 or so who need be remembered), they often gathered together in the same scene, which could have been confusing if not for the flowing writing. We never felt as though there were too many people on the page, and never had trouble differentiating one character from another.
THE BAD…
1) High school drama + clichés
Now, some people will like this aspect of the book. We don’t particularly enjoy these tropes, but we also know that a great many people like stories about young people going to school. But, even though this book has high school clichés in spades, the author found ways to make these clichés bearable. First, the protagonist a specific voice, and it was interesting just to read the situations from Allison’s eyes, even if the situations themselves were not particularly interesting on their own. Second, the writing style and especially the witty conversations made this all fly past, so we could practically soar through the boring parts and go right to the important plot elements. Third, the mystery of who these three boys were and what they were doing or intending to do kept us on our toes. For these reasons and more, we can just shrug and say, “So it involves high school… so what?” Which, believe us, is not something we would usually say.
2) Lack of description and scenery
The characters all are fairly well fleshed out, especially the protagonist, and their interplay is great. The description of space outside the characters’ heads and voices? Not so much. Literally, “not so much”: there were typically only markers (“they sat in the living room,” “we were at so-and-so’s house,” “she went into the classroom”), with no description of anything within these locations. How big was the living room? What color was the couch? We can’t even tell you the hair color of the protagonist. Of course, this is easily made up by the reader’s imagination, but it would have been nice to have a little bit more of a framework for our imagination to work with.
THE BIZARRE…
1) Telepathy mistaken for ventriloquism
In this book, when a telepath’s ability is discovered, the character doing the discovering decides that it must be a case of ventriloquism, because “obviously” telepathy isn’t real. We thought this little twist was a cool and interesting take on this power, a fun way for the character to “explain away” the discovery of the ability, and in this way kept the mystery going for a bit longer. For that matter, we loved the descriptions of this book’s telepathy, it was so intriguing (and occasionally hilarious).
2) Ability theft
Later in the story, we’re introduced to the concept of villains who can steal people’s superpowers. We thought this was a cool twist and liked the idea that there were these two communities–superpowers and superpower-thieves–who worked in balance with each other. We thought this was an interesting explanation for why both of these communities remained hidden from the eyes of normal people.
…AND THE VERDICT:
This book is GOOD.
As we said above, the writing is fast-paced, and its flaws are of the sort that they only appear intermittently; by the time a reader becomes annoyed with them, the flaws are already gone as the plot pushes ahead. What really makes this story shine is its characterization and emphasis on personal interactions. Each of the characters felt unique and real, and we really enjoyed the mystery of figuring out what was happening. In short, this book knows what it is, and it’s not difficult to categorize or understand. It is a fun, attention-keeping read, and we very much look forward to seeing where this story goes in the future.
Allison Noble, a typical high school girl, discovers that three male classmates are behaving suspiciously strange, and comes to suspect that they are hiding a dangerous secret. Struggling to balance schoolwork while helping her poor single mother pay the bills, Allison and her friend Delaney are caught up in a web of deceit by these three classmates, and eventually discover that the three boys have superpowers. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg, as Allison soon begins to manifest an unusual ability of her own…
THE GOOD…
1) The anti-Twilight
This story has a lot in common, superficially, with the popular book series by Stephanie Meyer. It features a female protagonist who goes to high school with a trio of attractive young men who have superpowers. But, despite this, the book is actually quite the opposite. This is a book where the female lead uses things like... logic. For example, when the three attractive young men start making special efforts to hang out with her and her friend... she realizes that something is up, and starts becoming suspicious. Rather than losing her head and falling for the pretty guy in front of her, Our Heroine manages to keep her wits and remains distrustful of these three weirdoes who are practically stalking her. She does not thrill over the possibility of any romance, and we definitely got the impression that if she woke to find one of these young men was watching her sleep in her bedroom, she would scream and call the cops. (Just like every sane, intelligent young woman should.)
2) Excellent beginning
The book opens with Allison and her friend Delaney sneaking into their school in an effort to frame one of Delaney’s enemies (high school trope ahoy!). They then discover that three male classmates are also there, and something weird is going on. From there, the story flips the “paranormal romance” genre on its head: these guys were doing something unusual in a bad place, ergo they might be dangerous (and they certainly sound such), so naturally the female protagonist is suspicious of them and doesn’t trust them. Yay for common sense!
3) Fun protagonist
The story is told in third person limited from Allison’s POV. We can’t tell you what a relief it was to read the story of a relatively intelligent teenage girl. She is young and makes stupid mistakes, but compared to some of her classmates she is far above her age. This is understandable given her home situation (single mother, poverty), which lends her an extra level of maturity above her peers. She’s not perfect by any means–sometimes we found ourselves yelling, “Just say ‘no’! Stick up for yourself, girl!”–but overall we found her an intensely likeable character. For that matter, even though they’re only seen from Allison’s limited perspective, all of the characters appear to be fully fleshed-out individuals, and it was great to see how different they all were. We certainly enjoyed all of the interpersonal play between them.
4) Witty conversation
Sometimes there are authors who just know how to make their characters’ conversations have a little extra spice, a little “zing” in their words, and yes, this novel is written by one such author. The lines in these characters’ mouths were amusing and clever, and made the read feel very much like a television show, with witty repartee between the leads. It gave a definite sense of chemistry among all these characters.
5) Flowing writing
This novel stands at about 250 pages, but it flows fast, in no small part thanks to the author’s writing style. It takes little to no effort to read and understand what is happening, which was great. Although there wasn’t a large cast of characters (perhaps 8 or so who need be remembered), they often gathered together in the same scene, which could have been confusing if not for the flowing writing. We never felt as though there were too many people on the page, and never had trouble differentiating one character from another.
THE BAD…
1) High school drama + clichés
Now, some people will like this aspect of the book. We don’t particularly enjoy these tropes, but we also know that a great many people like stories about young people going to school. But, even though this book has high school clichés in spades, the author found ways to make these clichés bearable. First, the protagonist a specific voice, and it was interesting just to read the situations from Allison’s eyes, even if the situations themselves were not particularly interesting on their own. Second, the writing style and especially the witty conversations made this all fly past, so we could practically soar through the boring parts and go right to the important plot elements. Third, the mystery of who these three boys were and what they were doing or intending to do kept us on our toes. For these reasons and more, we can just shrug and say, “So it involves high school… so what?” Which, believe us, is not something we would usually say.
2) Lack of description and scenery
The characters all are fairly well fleshed out, especially the protagonist, and their interplay is great. The description of space outside the characters’ heads and voices? Not so much. Literally, “not so much”: there were typically only markers (“they sat in the living room,” “we were at so-and-so’s house,” “she went into the classroom”), with no description of anything within these locations. How big was the living room? What color was the couch? We can’t even tell you the hair color of the protagonist. Of course, this is easily made up by the reader’s imagination, but it would have been nice to have a little bit more of a framework for our imagination to work with.
THE BIZARRE…
1) Telepathy mistaken for ventriloquism
In this book, when a telepath’s ability is discovered, the character doing the discovering decides that it must be a case of ventriloquism, because “obviously” telepathy isn’t real. We thought this little twist was a cool and interesting take on this power, a fun way for the character to “explain away” the discovery of the ability, and in this way kept the mystery going for a bit longer. For that matter, we loved the descriptions of this book’s telepathy, it was so intriguing (and occasionally hilarious).
2) Ability theft
Later in the story, we’re introduced to the concept of villains who can steal people’s superpowers. We thought this was a cool twist and liked the idea that there were these two communities–superpowers and superpower-thieves–who worked in balance with each other. We thought this was an interesting explanation for why both of these communities remained hidden from the eyes of normal people.
…AND THE VERDICT:
This book is GOOD.
As we said above, the writing is fast-paced, and its flaws are of the sort that they only appear intermittently; by the time a reader becomes annoyed with them, the flaws are already gone as the plot pushes ahead. What really makes this story shine is its characterization and emphasis on personal interactions. Each of the characters felt unique and real, and we really enjoyed the mystery of figuring out what was happening. In short, this book knows what it is, and it’s not difficult to categorize or understand. It is a fun, attention-keeping read, and we very much look forward to seeing where this story goes in the future.
February 17, 2014
Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed reading The Elect, and would recommend it to fans of YA fiction and especially newcomers to the genre. No monsters such as vampires or werewolves, and I was even hard-pressed to find any kind of story-defining love triangle, possibly a first in my experience. For a detailed breakdown of what worked and didn’t quite work for me, keep reading.
The Elect is the powerful, young-adult debut novel of author Elle Todd. Allison Noble is your typical teenage girl, relying on her smarts rather than good looks to get by, and she is fiercely loyal to her best (and only) friend, Delaney Gray. But on the night of her sixteenth birthday, by the light of an impossible flame, she discovers a secret that will change her life irrevocably.
Descendants of certain powerful bloodlines have abilities that make them Elect—supernaturally powerful in ways that most humans could never understand. Their abilities must remain a secret, or they would be branded as freaks and hunted by those who fear them.
Elle Todd’s rich mastery of language and clever use of dialogue instantly draw us into the characters of her story, bringing them alive with distinct personalities and viewpoints. Every conversation serves the story in some way, either to have characters hash out their thoughts, to confront some issue, or to simply show how this kind of life-changing revelation impacts Allison. The dialogue, cadence of speech, and development of characters are all on par with established, professional writers, and it is a refreshing surprise to find such a gem with a self-published author. Her cover art is beautiful, the formatting is perfect, and it has all the styling of a professionally-proofed novel.
Some characters felt as if they were going through the motions, both in their own actions as well as how everyone else dealt with them (I’m looking at you, Troy and Rebecca). The most unfortunate casualty of this is Allison’s mother, Regina. Aside from being a loving, single mother working three jobs, we don’t get much information about her, and I would really have loved to see more integration of her into the main storyline during the bulk of the book.
The story starts off in media res with a break-in at the high school and Allison discovering the Baileys’ secret, and action seemed to be occurring at a promising rate, but the next third of the book is spent in ignorance, peppered with a healthy dose of suspicion. And the excuse she comes up with for explaining Nate’s supernatural gift, two-fifths of the way into the book? Absurd.
Allison prides herself on intellect, contrasting it outright with Delaney’s beauty, but she is downright oblivious to some of the things that really matter (including her painfully awkward relationship talks with Ryan). However, the story picks up again once she accepts the idea of powers, and we can finally start resolving the cursory issues of the storyline (another glance to Troy and Rebecca).
The flow of the novel is pretty consistent throughout—until the white-water rapids at the end that leave you desperately clawing for answers to new questions. I’m not sure why so much had to occur in so little time, but it hints at more active usage of powers happening in the books to come, which is a plus.
Judging from the short story description, I thought that this book would contain much more information about the world of the Elect. We as readers know from the description that the Baileys and Allison are Elect, and I expected a greater amount of the story to be more action-oriented.
Instead, the most powerful part of this novel is its central characters, and I think that was the purpose of Elle Todd’s style of writing to begin with. We aren’t omniscient, and we don’t get every emotion and thought from every character, yet the core five characters are all fleshed out and developed by the end of the book. I was instantly taken with Nate’s charming, sarcastic personality (and his power gives the most potential for this kind of thing), and Delaney remains a delight even in rough times. While we’re never viewing the world through Allison’s eyes, the ride-along on her shoulder reveals plenty, and the abrupt series of events that form the climax of the novel are just as tumultuous to us as they are to our protagonist.
It might not be obvious from the paragraphs above, as they tend to point out the critical aspects of the novel, but I really enjoyed this book. I read it over the course of two days, often in blocks of several hours straight, and I never felt like I was wasting my time. Parts could be condensed, sure, but the evolution of Allison’s character took place over months in the book; if the story felt like the action took place over one very solid week, I would have taken much greater issue with that. Allison and her friends are charming and organic, feeling very much like real people I could know. The Elect powers, while not wildly unique, are interesting in their own right and seem to play a much more understated role in the book than in most paranormal stories; The Elect is primarily about interactions between characters, not the powers they have. As stated above, I would recommend this book to fans of YA fiction and newcomers who would like a gentle introduction to the paranormal.
Assuming the action picks up as we delve into the world of the Elect and Vanguard, I will be looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
The Elect is the powerful, young-adult debut novel of author Elle Todd. Allison Noble is your typical teenage girl, relying on her smarts rather than good looks to get by, and she is fiercely loyal to her best (and only) friend, Delaney Gray. But on the night of her sixteenth birthday, by the light of an impossible flame, she discovers a secret that will change her life irrevocably.
Descendants of certain powerful bloodlines have abilities that make them Elect—supernaturally powerful in ways that most humans could never understand. Their abilities must remain a secret, or they would be branded as freaks and hunted by those who fear them.
Elle Todd’s rich mastery of language and clever use of dialogue instantly draw us into the characters of her story, bringing them alive with distinct personalities and viewpoints. Every conversation serves the story in some way, either to have characters hash out their thoughts, to confront some issue, or to simply show how this kind of life-changing revelation impacts Allison. The dialogue, cadence of speech, and development of characters are all on par with established, professional writers, and it is a refreshing surprise to find such a gem with a self-published author. Her cover art is beautiful, the formatting is perfect, and it has all the styling of a professionally-proofed novel.
Some characters felt as if they were going through the motions, both in their own actions as well as how everyone else dealt with them (I’m looking at you, Troy and Rebecca). The most unfortunate casualty of this is Allison’s mother, Regina. Aside from being a loving, single mother working three jobs, we don’t get much information about her, and I would really have loved to see more integration of her into the main storyline during the bulk of the book.
The story starts off in media res with a break-in at the high school and Allison discovering the Baileys’ secret, and action seemed to be occurring at a promising rate, but the next third of the book is spent in ignorance, peppered with a healthy dose of suspicion. And the excuse she comes up with for explaining Nate’s supernatural gift, two-fifths of the way into the book? Absurd.
Allison prides herself on intellect, contrasting it outright with Delaney’s beauty, but she is downright oblivious to some of the things that really matter (including her painfully awkward relationship talks with Ryan). However, the story picks up again once she accepts the idea of powers, and we can finally start resolving the cursory issues of the storyline (another glance to Troy and Rebecca).
The flow of the novel is pretty consistent throughout—until the white-water rapids at the end that leave you desperately clawing for answers to new questions. I’m not sure why so much had to occur in so little time, but it hints at more active usage of powers happening in the books to come, which is a plus.
Judging from the short story description, I thought that this book would contain much more information about the world of the Elect. We as readers know from the description that the Baileys and Allison are Elect, and I expected a greater amount of the story to be more action-oriented.
Instead, the most powerful part of this novel is its central characters, and I think that was the purpose of Elle Todd’s style of writing to begin with. We aren’t omniscient, and we don’t get every emotion and thought from every character, yet the core five characters are all fleshed out and developed by the end of the book. I was instantly taken with Nate’s charming, sarcastic personality (and his power gives the most potential for this kind of thing), and Delaney remains a delight even in rough times. While we’re never viewing the world through Allison’s eyes, the ride-along on her shoulder reveals plenty, and the abrupt series of events that form the climax of the novel are just as tumultuous to us as they are to our protagonist.
It might not be obvious from the paragraphs above, as they tend to point out the critical aspects of the novel, but I really enjoyed this book. I read it over the course of two days, often in blocks of several hours straight, and I never felt like I was wasting my time. Parts could be condensed, sure, but the evolution of Allison’s character took place over months in the book; if the story felt like the action took place over one very solid week, I would have taken much greater issue with that. Allison and her friends are charming and organic, feeling very much like real people I could know. The Elect powers, while not wildly unique, are interesting in their own right and seem to play a much more understated role in the book than in most paranormal stories; The Elect is primarily about interactions between characters, not the powers they have. As stated above, I would recommend this book to fans of YA fiction and newcomers who would like a gentle introduction to the paranormal.
Assuming the action picks up as we delve into the world of the Elect and Vanguard, I will be looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
July 5, 2015
Finished reading: November 10th 2014
Allison thought about telling him she'd seen the same movie and was pretty sure the claim was bogus. Instead, she offered her own bit of nonsense. "In some cultures, saving a life is considered an interference with fate and is punishable by death.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly given to me by the author through Ethereal Book Reviews in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
(Guest Reviewer Program) ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
September 21, 2014
I also posted this review on my blog at http://letbooksbee.blogspot.com/2014/...
*I received this book as a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
Hmm. I could name at least 5 books that are similar to this one, the only difference being the kind of supernatural power the main character possesses... Well that, and the fact that I actually enjoyed this book (mostly) while those others annoyed the crap out of me.
For starters i'd like to point out that, even though this will come over as mean, The Elect wasn't anything too special.
Sure, i enjoyed it and thought the whole idea of being ''elect" was pretty cool... but it was just another one of those supernatural YA novels. Girl discovers she has awesome powers, complicated romance, parent dies, girl has to run and hide her powers, etc. It's always the same, if slightly different.
That fact aside, let's talk about the things i enjoyed about this novel!
I really like the main character, Ally, mainly because she reminded me of myself.
She even has the same birthday as me, February 1st! That's a plus one.
She wasn't one of those typical teenage girls you find in YA novels.
Allison was a realist.
And I admired her for being such a nice daughter.
Even though all the shit that came down on her, she dealt with it pretty nicely.
Next up are the relationships in this book. I basically loved all the characters, which is a first.
Allison didn't drool over the guys she was around (thank Merlin), but pretty much had casual relationships with all of them.
Except one of them, of course. *winks*
I won't say who she ends up with because i really liked the whole shipping throughout the book.
At the beginning i really shipped Nate and Allison.. Then Jeremy and Allison... then Troy and Allison.. then Nate again and then Ryan. That loop repeated itself for the first half of the novel.
Which brings me upon another important point of this novel.
The first 200 pages are basically high-school drama. If you ask me, the novel focused too much on Allison's relationships than her actual powers. The book only started to get intense in the last chapter (which was pretty awesome). The rest was really just... not that interesting to me.
As for the writing; it was okay. It wasn't very descriptive, which bothered me just a little.
I love it when a book really describes the environment, but i understand that most people might find that boring.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that the writing was bad. I'm saying that if it had been more descriptive, it would have enhanced my reading experience.
But the thing that bothered me the most is that 60% of the time I couldn't tell who was talking. There was nearly no indication whatsoever of which lines were Allison's or one of her friends'.
It killed a smooth reading experience.
Mayor spoiler alert below, so if you haven't read the book... go away!
THAT ENDING. I loved it! Action packed, drama, violence, mystery and a cliffhanger!
That ending is what made me excited for the next book.
If the ending lacked any of those 3 points, i probably would forget about this novel and move on.
But now? I'll most certainly read the second book because i'm really curious and want more!
Spoiler alert again.
What's up with parents dying in YA novels?! What i think was really sad is that we, as readers, didn't really get to know Regina before she passed away. It was so sad... and yet, Ally had been dealing with her paranormal roller coaster on her own for months already... so her mother's death didn't really affect me that much.
Or I just don't have a soul.
That's more likely.
And may I just point out how awesome the cover is?! I love it!
I recommend this book to people that enjoy YA paranormal novels. It's a pretty light read and I read it in a few hours. It reminded me a lot of the Lux series... minus Deamon. So if you're into that series, you'll enjoy this too!
Lots of Luck,
Bee
*I received this book as a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
Hmm. I could name at least 5 books that are similar to this one, the only difference being the kind of supernatural power the main character possesses... Well that, and the fact that I actually enjoyed this book (mostly) while those others annoyed the crap out of me.
For starters i'd like to point out that, even though this will come over as mean, The Elect wasn't anything too special.
Sure, i enjoyed it and thought the whole idea of being ''elect" was pretty cool... but it was just another one of those supernatural YA novels. Girl discovers she has awesome powers, complicated romance, parent dies, girl has to run and hide her powers, etc. It's always the same, if slightly different.
That fact aside, let's talk about the things i enjoyed about this novel!
I really like the main character, Ally, mainly because she reminded me of myself.
She even has the same birthday as me, February 1st! That's a plus one.
She wasn't one of those typical teenage girls you find in YA novels.
Allison was a realist.
And I admired her for being such a nice daughter.
Even though all the shit that came down on her, she dealt with it pretty nicely.
Next up are the relationships in this book. I basically loved all the characters, which is a first.
Allison didn't drool over the guys she was around (thank Merlin), but pretty much had casual relationships with all of them.
Except one of them, of course. *winks*
I won't say who she ends up with because i really liked the whole shipping throughout the book.
At the beginning i really shipped Nate and Allison.. Then Jeremy and Allison... then Troy and Allison.. then Nate again and then Ryan. That loop repeated itself for the first half of the novel.
Which brings me upon another important point of this novel.
The first 200 pages are basically high-school drama. If you ask me, the novel focused too much on Allison's relationships than her actual powers. The book only started to get intense in the last chapter (which was pretty awesome). The rest was really just... not that interesting to me.
As for the writing; it was okay. It wasn't very descriptive, which bothered me just a little.
I love it when a book really describes the environment, but i understand that most people might find that boring.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that the writing was bad. I'm saying that if it had been more descriptive, it would have enhanced my reading experience.
But the thing that bothered me the most is that 60% of the time I couldn't tell who was talking. There was nearly no indication whatsoever of which lines were Allison's or one of her friends'.
It killed a smooth reading experience.
Mayor spoiler alert below, so if you haven't read the book... go away!
THAT ENDING. I loved it! Action packed, drama, violence, mystery and a cliffhanger!
That ending is what made me excited for the next book.
If the ending lacked any of those 3 points, i probably would forget about this novel and move on.
But now? I'll most certainly read the second book because i'm really curious and want more!
Spoiler alert again.
What's up with parents dying in YA novels?! What i think was really sad is that we, as readers, didn't really get to know Regina before she passed away. It was so sad... and yet, Ally had been dealing with her paranormal roller coaster on her own for months already... so her mother's death didn't really affect me that much.
Or I just don't have a soul.
That's more likely.
And may I just point out how awesome the cover is?! I love it!
I recommend this book to people that enjoy YA paranormal novels. It's a pretty light read and I read it in a few hours. It reminded me a lot of the Lux series... minus Deamon. So if you're into that series, you'll enjoy this too!
Lots of Luck,
Bee
March 19, 2022
I wasn't looking forward to reading yet another YA series. Those things take up way too much time and though they are pleasant and easy to read, most of them aren't very well written. Nevertheless, I was curious.
This story is about Allison Noble. A 'normal' 16 year old teenage girl who lives with her mom in a town called Stillwater. Her best and practically only friend, Delaney, is very different from her. Where Allison is average, paranoid, insecure and bright, Delaney is brave, confident, gorgeous and with that gets a lot of attention from guys, unwanted attention, but it's there nevertheless. The story starts by them taking revenge on one of Delaney her 'enemies', namely Rebecca. For this particular plan they have to sneak into their school, but once they are there, Allison sees something she was not supposed to see. There are other people in the school, in the basement, people she knows from her classes. Ryan, Nate and Jeremy. She never liked them much, especially since Ryan is Rebecca's boyfriend.
She sees one of them play with fire, but it didn't seem like they were using lighters or matches. They guy was just balancing fire in his hand. But how? They hear and chase after her when she runs away. Both her and Delaney hope the boys didn't see them. But they can't be sure.
Not to long after the incident in the basement, those boys start talking to both of them and spending time with them. Allison is doesn't trust them. They have know those boys forever and they never even so much as talked to them before, Allison didn't even think they would know her name. So why start spending time with them now?
This book was very exciting, I liked reading it, a lot. It was easy, clear and interesting. I enjoyed the main character a lot too. I get annoyed with most female characters form YA novels very easily. But I actually like Allison and her friend Delaney as well (though a little less). I didn't expect this book to be so exciting. But then the last few chapters throw you completely in an other direction. It has a major plot twist. One I did not saw coming. Elle Todd really surprised me. Finally something that I didn't predict or saw coming. I can not wait to read the next book.
For more reviews check out my blog.
This story is about Allison Noble. A 'normal' 16 year old teenage girl who lives with her mom in a town called Stillwater. Her best and practically only friend, Delaney, is very different from her. Where Allison is average, paranoid, insecure and bright, Delaney is brave, confident, gorgeous and with that gets a lot of attention from guys, unwanted attention, but it's there nevertheless. The story starts by them taking revenge on one of Delaney her 'enemies', namely Rebecca. For this particular plan they have to sneak into their school, but once they are there, Allison sees something she was not supposed to see. There are other people in the school, in the basement, people she knows from her classes. Ryan, Nate and Jeremy. She never liked them much, especially since Ryan is Rebecca's boyfriend.
She sees one of them play with fire, but it didn't seem like they were using lighters or matches. They guy was just balancing fire in his hand. But how? They hear and chase after her when she runs away. Both her and Delaney hope the boys didn't see them. But they can't be sure.
Not to long after the incident in the basement, those boys start talking to both of them and spending time with them. Allison is doesn't trust them. They have know those boys forever and they never even so much as talked to them before, Allison didn't even think they would know her name. So why start spending time with them now?
This book was very exciting, I liked reading it, a lot. It was easy, clear and interesting. I enjoyed the main character a lot too. I get annoyed with most female characters form YA novels very easily. But I actually like Allison and her friend Delaney as well (though a little less). I didn't expect this book to be so exciting. But then the last few chapters throw you completely in an other direction. It has a major plot twist. One I did not saw coming. Elle Todd really surprised me. Finally something that I didn't predict or saw coming. I can not wait to read the next book.
For more reviews check out my blog.
April 15, 2014
The writing is superb.
So superb that I didn’t notice it until well into the novel, merely enjoying the ride. It is the essence of simplicity, with beautiful lines carefully wrought to accomplish what is so hard to accomplish – conveying the complex in ten words or less. The novel is a powerhouse of phenomenal writing, funny, subtle and – when called for – poignant. There was much subtext . . . Ah, subtext! So rare in YA. Rare in paranormal. All but nonexistent where the two genres meet.
I swear, even if I had hated the story, I would read anything Ms. Todd produces, just for the pleasure of reading her writing.
But I liked the story. A lot.
The clean writing underscored a plot that was neither derivative nor particularly original, lending freshness to an oft-told situation: A teenage girl finds out there are people in the world who have special powers . . . and she is one of them. So, not new, but so many clichés are broken that it feels new. [By way of explanation for this odd compliment: Anne Rice did not invent vampires . . . but she gave them a hell of a makeover. So too has Ms. Todd given new life to the tortured/lonely/gifted teen.]
The pacing was even and steady without plodding. The reader moves through Allison’s world, getting to know her [without the dreadful angst-y inner ramblings that normally plague the genre], her friends, and the weird knot of specially gifted Baileys. The voices of the teens are authentic, expressing ideas and suffering misconceptions in the way teens do. But they’re smart; just inexperienced, which is entirely appropriate. And not once did they bore me. [I read a review of this novel that decried the lack of interesting bits until the end . . . I didn’t understand the comment, as the entire book is a layering on of interesting things to exciting climax. But to each their own.]
Allison is sometimes a bit prissy, but it comes from her general lack of self-confidence. Not that she’s a shrinking violet in any sense – merely a not-terribly popular teen who doesn’t get too twisty about it. What a relief!
My standard formal style notes, which are shockingly few: A couple comma splices; ellipsis formatting was incorrect; and there should be italics on movie titles and the like.
I reco this book to anyone who likes the genre; and to anyone who loves solid writing. Furthermore, every YA and YA-paranormal writer needs to read this book.
For my random thoughts on writing, visit my blog.
So superb that I didn’t notice it until well into the novel, merely enjoying the ride. It is the essence of simplicity, with beautiful lines carefully wrought to accomplish what is so hard to accomplish – conveying the complex in ten words or less. The novel is a powerhouse of phenomenal writing, funny, subtle and – when called for – poignant. There was much subtext . . . Ah, subtext! So rare in YA. Rare in paranormal. All but nonexistent where the two genres meet.
I swear, even if I had hated the story, I would read anything Ms. Todd produces, just for the pleasure of reading her writing.
But I liked the story. A lot.
The clean writing underscored a plot that was neither derivative nor particularly original, lending freshness to an oft-told situation: A teenage girl finds out there are people in the world who have special powers . . . and she is one of them. So, not new, but so many clichés are broken that it feels new. [By way of explanation for this odd compliment: Anne Rice did not invent vampires . . . but she gave them a hell of a makeover. So too has Ms. Todd given new life to the tortured/lonely/gifted teen.]
The pacing was even and steady without plodding. The reader moves through Allison’s world, getting to know her [without the dreadful angst-y inner ramblings that normally plague the genre], her friends, and the weird knot of specially gifted Baileys. The voices of the teens are authentic, expressing ideas and suffering misconceptions in the way teens do. But they’re smart; just inexperienced, which is entirely appropriate. And not once did they bore me. [I read a review of this novel that decried the lack of interesting bits until the end . . . I didn’t understand the comment, as the entire book is a layering on of interesting things to exciting climax. But to each their own.]
Allison is sometimes a bit prissy, but it comes from her general lack of self-confidence. Not that she’s a shrinking violet in any sense – merely a not-terribly popular teen who doesn’t get too twisty about it. What a relief!
My standard formal style notes, which are shockingly few: A couple comma splices; ellipsis formatting was incorrect; and there should be italics on movie titles and the like.
I reco this book to anyone who likes the genre; and to anyone who loves solid writing. Furthermore, every YA and YA-paranormal writer needs to read this book.
For my random thoughts on writing, visit my blog.
November 23, 2013
I was given a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Characters: The two main characters are Allison, told in her point of view, and her best friend Delaney. They are both around 16 years old with average lives and attend high school in a small town in Ohio. Allison is very shy and closed off, and quick to assume the worst about people. This can be a little off-putting, but once I read about her parents, I could understand why she jumped to conclusions so quickly. With her witty remarks and impulsiveness, I immediately took a great liking to Delaney that lasted through the entire novel. The other characters include Allison's mom, a typical, loving, stressed-out single mother, and 3 boys that go to Allison's high school: Ryan, Jeremy, and Nate. All of them seemed like cool, average high school guys except for Ryan. I shared Allison's viewpoint when she scorned him for treating his girlfriend so carelessly in the beginning.
Plot: These 5 high school teens are part of The Elect, a group of people who inherited special talents such as mind-bending(called "pushing"), fire manipulation, and being able to see other's memories. Allison finds out she has all of these special powers plus more, which was evidently unheard of and dangerous since she didn't know how to control them. The book mostly tells about how Allison found out about her powers and how she copes with having them, until she loses control and must face the consequences of unleashing too much power at once. The events flowed smoothly and the plot remained interesting throughout the entire novel. I was surprised and heartbroken about the ending, but there is a sequel so I'm hoping my spirits will be lifted after reading that.
Writing: Todd has a way with words, to put it simply. The descriptions, sentence structure, and plot development are on point. The novel caught and kept my attention from beginning to end. Her characters were likable and easily related to, with believable flaws and quirks. With paranormal, the ideas come completely from the author's mind and sometimes aren't conveyed well enough to make sense. There was no such issue in this novel. The complexity of The Elect was explained clearly and easily understood.
I would absolutely recommend this to any lover of YA novels, paranormal or contemporary. The paranormal element stood out but there were enough realistic situations to make the whole story believable. All in all, a well-written, interesting read.
Characters: The two main characters are Allison, told in her point of view, and her best friend Delaney. They are both around 16 years old with average lives and attend high school in a small town in Ohio. Allison is very shy and closed off, and quick to assume the worst about people. This can be a little off-putting, but once I read about her parents, I could understand why she jumped to conclusions so quickly. With her witty remarks and impulsiveness, I immediately took a great liking to Delaney that lasted through the entire novel. The other characters include Allison's mom, a typical, loving, stressed-out single mother, and 3 boys that go to Allison's high school: Ryan, Jeremy, and Nate. All of them seemed like cool, average high school guys except for Ryan. I shared Allison's viewpoint when she scorned him for treating his girlfriend so carelessly in the beginning.
Plot: These 5 high school teens are part of The Elect, a group of people who inherited special talents such as mind-bending(called "pushing"), fire manipulation, and being able to see other's memories. Allison finds out she has all of these special powers plus more, which was evidently unheard of and dangerous since she didn't know how to control them. The book mostly tells about how Allison found out about her powers and how she copes with having them, until she loses control and must face the consequences of unleashing too much power at once. The events flowed smoothly and the plot remained interesting throughout the entire novel. I was surprised and heartbroken about the ending, but there is a sequel so I'm hoping my spirits will be lifted after reading that.
Writing: Todd has a way with words, to put it simply. The descriptions, sentence structure, and plot development are on point. The novel caught and kept my attention from beginning to end. Her characters were likable and easily related to, with believable flaws and quirks. With paranormal, the ideas come completely from the author's mind and sometimes aren't conveyed well enough to make sense. There was no such issue in this novel. The complexity of The Elect was explained clearly and easily understood.
I would absolutely recommend this to any lover of YA novels, paranormal or contemporary. The paranormal element stood out but there were enough realistic situations to make the whole story believable. All in all, a well-written, interesting read.
October 30, 2013
I have been having really good luck reading young adult books lately. There is some really excellent books for teenagers now and this book was no exception. I wish there had been books like this when I was a young.
Allison and her best friend Delaney stumble upon a scene they were not meant to see. And actually only Allison sees it. It involves some of the most popular boys at their high school and really shocks her. The boys know they have been seen and make it their business to find out who the witnesses were. When they do, it puts them all on an amazing path especially for Allison-because Allison is not who or what she always thought she was.
This story was paranormal but a really different paranormal. It was so easily read that I have already read the first two books in a two day period. There is also another one already released too. This book had a major cliffhanger ending and because it was so well written, I had to continue on with the next book.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the dialogue. It flowed easily, was real and did not sound juvenile, always a good thing in a young adult book. Another thing I liked was the really different premise of the book. I read a lot of paranormal books and this is different from any I have ever read. The author takes her time, introducing the characters, letting readers gradually(apart from the beginning) realize that something is just not right in this small town. And something is definitely not right with Allison.
The author knows how to write for young adults and how to write a great story. If you are looking for a big romance, that is not this book. There is a kind of romance but nothing full on. And really it wasn't necessary, because this book was character and story driven rather then romance driven. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and they were really well drawn by the author. I also would like to commend the author on a totally unique premise for this book. I will be interested to see if we learn more about this world the author has created in the next book. I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this book
Allison and her best friend Delaney stumble upon a scene they were not meant to see. And actually only Allison sees it. It involves some of the most popular boys at their high school and really shocks her. The boys know they have been seen and make it their business to find out who the witnesses were. When they do, it puts them all on an amazing path especially for Allison-because Allison is not who or what she always thought she was.
This story was paranormal but a really different paranormal. It was so easily read that I have already read the first two books in a two day period. There is also another one already released too. This book had a major cliffhanger ending and because it was so well written, I had to continue on with the next book.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the dialogue. It flowed easily, was real and did not sound juvenile, always a good thing in a young adult book. Another thing I liked was the really different premise of the book. I read a lot of paranormal books and this is different from any I have ever read. The author takes her time, introducing the characters, letting readers gradually(apart from the beginning) realize that something is just not right in this small town. And something is definitely not right with Allison.
The author knows how to write for young adults and how to write a great story. If you are looking for a big romance, that is not this book. There is a kind of romance but nothing full on. And really it wasn't necessary, because this book was character and story driven rather then romance driven. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and they were really well drawn by the author. I also would like to commend the author on a totally unique premise for this book. I will be interested to see if we learn more about this world the author has created in the next book. I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this book
February 25, 2015
Read my entire review in English and Portuguese here.
Allison Noble is presented to us on the night of her sixteenth birthday when she and her best friend, Delaney, invade the school to put into practice a plan of revenge against the popular Rebecca. In this nocturnal adventure, the two friends are surprised by Jeremy and the Baileys cousins, Ryan and Nate, doing pyrotechnic tricks, in other words, playing with fire in the basement of the school. Ally, who always considered the Baileys as somewhat strange, too gorgeous and too friendly, sees herself involved, largely due to the insatiable curiosity of Delaney, in a dangerous investigation in order to discover what this sinister trio of boys hides.
Ally and Lane do everything in their power to spy on them and find out if they suspect that they were also at the school that night. When the Baileys and Jeremy start acting like close friends to the girls, for no apparent reason, Ally becomes increasingly reticent and fearful. Strange sensations take over her when they are close by, there is an aura of mystery that surrounds them and also involves us in the first half of this book. That mystery is completely spoiled by the synopsis which unfortunately reveals more than necessary. Still, I set myself to get to know the characters and quite enjoyed his company throughout the reading.
Allison Noble is presented to us on the night of her sixteenth birthday when she and her best friend, Delaney, invade the school to put into practice a plan of revenge against the popular Rebecca. In this nocturnal adventure, the two friends are surprised by Jeremy and the Baileys cousins, Ryan and Nate, doing pyrotechnic tricks, in other words, playing with fire in the basement of the school. Ally, who always considered the Baileys as somewhat strange, too gorgeous and too friendly, sees herself involved, largely due to the insatiable curiosity of Delaney, in a dangerous investigation in order to discover what this sinister trio of boys hides.
Ally and Lane do everything in their power to spy on them and find out if they suspect that they were also at the school that night. When the Baileys and Jeremy start acting like close friends to the girls, for no apparent reason, Ally becomes increasingly reticent and fearful. Strange sensations take over her when they are close by, there is an aura of mystery that surrounds them and also involves us in the first half of this book. That mystery is completely spoiled by the synopsis which unfortunately reveals more than necessary. Still, I set myself to get to know the characters and quite enjoyed his company throughout the reading.
December 4, 2014
*I revived a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Let me just first say "OMG! This could be the best R2R book I have had in a long while!". The story line, the characters, the realism, the foreshadowing, the setting, and of course the perspective were all unbelievable attention grabbers.
It wasn't fast paced and neither was it slow paced, it was simply perfect. Not too slow to bore me and not too fast to anger me. It was just the exact right amount of action and details. I loved watching the characters change and enjoyed getting to know them better through the events of the book.
Even though i still didn't get to meet the father (Ally's dad) something tells me I'll like him. But other than that my favorite character has to be Ally herself. She honestly has the best characteristics of an awesome main character. I liked her view of the world, realistic but a bit harsh.
I loved and still not over, the story it self. I have read lots of superpower related stories recently that all had many things in common and were a tad cliché. The Elect was anything but. Elle Todd's voice and style was so different that it gave the story a new layer. And I enjoyed every part of it! Super excited for book 2! Which I will hopefully be getting very soon!
Let me just first say "OMG! This could be the best R2R book I have had in a long while!". The story line, the characters, the realism, the foreshadowing, the setting, and of course the perspective were all unbelievable attention grabbers.
It wasn't fast paced and neither was it slow paced, it was simply perfect. Not too slow to bore me and not too fast to anger me. It was just the exact right amount of action and details. I loved watching the characters change and enjoyed getting to know them better through the events of the book.
Even though i still didn't get to meet the father (Ally's dad) something tells me I'll like him. But other than that my favorite character has to be Ally herself. She honestly has the best characteristics of an awesome main character. I liked her view of the world, realistic but a bit harsh.
I loved and still not over, the story it self. I have read lots of superpower related stories recently that all had many things in common and were a tad cliché. The Elect was anything but. Elle Todd's voice and style was so different that it gave the story a new layer. And I enjoyed every part of it! Super excited for book 2! Which I will hopefully be getting very soon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I wish I knew how the boys was able to figure out it was Allison and Delaney that pulled that on Rebecca. At least Allison had enough sense to know something was weird when the boys kept coming around. Usually ppl from other groups aren't just going to to start inviting you places.
In a way I wanted Allison to end up with Nate but I think that was mostly because I liked him the most.. I'm glad that this book shows a teenage boy and girl can become friends without it meaning anything. It seemed pretty cool to me that they would all be able to do something special ?
The whole thing with her mom at the end I found confusing. I think I'm going to reread that part because I'm still not exactly sure what she was saying.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for a honest review. Thank you.
In a way I wanted Allison to end up with Nate but I think that was mostly because I liked him the most.. I'm glad that this book shows a teenage boy and girl can become friends without it meaning anything. It seemed pretty cool to me that they would all be able to do something special ?
The whole thing with her mom at the end I found confusing. I think I'm going to reread that part because I'm still not exactly sure what she was saying.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for a honest review. Thank you.
April 17, 2015
I loved it!!!!
The only aspects than doesn't like me at were the 3rd person perspective, I would like the 1st person, so the reader can identify better with Ally. And Ally has to be a little more awake, there were many situations so obvious. And more curious too. She was like "oh, my mother went to the attic and when she went out she gives a silly excuse, but all is fine, parents sometimes lie to their children" and I was like "What???!!! The next time she goes to work, go up and look for something she would be able to lie for".
All the book was addictive, I didn´t sleep until I finished it. But it worth.
The Ally's ability was interesting, at x-men style.
And we (Ally and me) share birthday, it make me start the book with a smile.
Now, for the second one!!!!
PD: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The only aspects than doesn't like me at were the 3rd person perspective, I would like the 1st person, so the reader can identify better with Ally. And Ally has to be a little more awake, there were many situations so obvious. And more curious too. She was like "oh, my mother went to the attic and when she went out she gives a silly excuse, but all is fine, parents sometimes lie to their children" and I was like "What???!!! The next time she goes to work, go up and look for something she would be able to lie for".
All the book was addictive, I didn´t sleep until I finished it. But it worth.
The Ally's ability was interesting, at x-men style.
And we (Ally and me) share birthday, it make me start the book with a smile.
Now, for the second one!!!!
PD: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2014
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I quite enjoyed this book. I found the characters to be interesting and their descriptions realistic and diverse. We all know that no two teenagers are the same and the main characters of the book were sufficiently diverse to feel that you are reading about real people. The premise of youth finding out they have previously unknown powers is not totally unique, but the story is well-written (much better than many other first-time books I have read) and I think it would be enjoyable for most readers of young adult fiction.
I quite enjoyed this book. I found the characters to be interesting and their descriptions realistic and diverse. We all know that no two teenagers are the same and the main characters of the book were sufficiently diverse to feel that you are reading about real people. The premise of youth finding out they have previously unknown powers is not totally unique, but the story is well-written (much better than many other first-time books I have read) and I think it would be enjoyable for most readers of young adult fiction.
October 15, 2014
I grabbed a sample of The Elect when Ms. Todd pitched it to me during my 12 Days event on my blog. From there, I was sucked into the story and knew when I got to the last page and wanted more, I had to have this novel. So, I grabbed it, added it to my TBR list, and dove in. Let's move on to my thoughts.
From a Reader's Perspective:
Hello? Two girls breaking in to their high school to pay it forward to a girl who's wrecked the life of more than one person? I'm in! So many things could've gone wrong, and the drama of the people those girls find in the school not knowing who they were? Great tension in the beginning of this book. I was turning pages to see what happened next. But then, bam! I had the brakes thrown on me. My resulting whiplash served to annoy the heck out of the brain that kept screaming for more. As a result, I found myself putting the book down more than once out of frustration. What I'm saying is, there's a huge lag of action through the middle part of the story as the characters are built and go through day-to-day operations and interactions. Then, all of a sudden, near the end, the story picks up and rushes to a close. I left feeling like a lot of the potential for plot pacing wasn't realized. There's also a huge cliffhanger, which left me wanting the next book, but also peeved about the dragging on only to rush to an open end.
I loved the characters, and their personalities and abilities were interesting as all get out. They're people I could relate to those in my own life, and I could picture them perfectly. But, like I said, I would've liked to see them built as the action unfolded. World building was phenomenal, Ms. Todd really outdid herself with the infrastructure of this whole Elect secret society thing. It was charming.
Nate and Ryan. Couldn't keep those two straight. They needed more than one syllable to differentiate. But some of the twists were cool, and I chuckled more than once at the teen interactions and speech.
From an Editor's Perspective:
I've started highlighting only those things I think should be pointed out when I'm reading for review. Otherwise, I end up with pages and pages of notes. Pronouns were all over the place, and some things I had to re-read more than once to make sense of them because of those issues. Commas are sprinkled around where they shouldn't be, and they were left out where they should appear. It creates, problems when, reading a sentence. See what I mean? Because of these, I can't give a star for editing.
Rating:
1 Star for giving me a great beginning and wonderful characters
1 Star for world building, and a unique perspective
1 Star for the couple of twists I didn't see coming and the laughter
-1 Star for nomenclature of characters and a middle that dragged on and on and on
-1 Star for grammar, punctuation, and pronoun issues
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars. Recommended for those that are looking for a different take on young adult paranormal.
From a Reader's Perspective:
Hello? Two girls breaking in to their high school to pay it forward to a girl who's wrecked the life of more than one person? I'm in! So many things could've gone wrong, and the drama of the people those girls find in the school not knowing who they were? Great tension in the beginning of this book. I was turning pages to see what happened next. But then, bam! I had the brakes thrown on me. My resulting whiplash served to annoy the heck out of the brain that kept screaming for more. As a result, I found myself putting the book down more than once out of frustration. What I'm saying is, there's a huge lag of action through the middle part of the story as the characters are built and go through day-to-day operations and interactions. Then, all of a sudden, near the end, the story picks up and rushes to a close. I left feeling like a lot of the potential for plot pacing wasn't realized. There's also a huge cliffhanger, which left me wanting the next book, but also peeved about the dragging on only to rush to an open end.
I loved the characters, and their personalities and abilities were interesting as all get out. They're people I could relate to those in my own life, and I could picture them perfectly. But, like I said, I would've liked to see them built as the action unfolded. World building was phenomenal, Ms. Todd really outdid herself with the infrastructure of this whole Elect secret society thing. It was charming.
Nate and Ryan. Couldn't keep those two straight. They needed more than one syllable to differentiate. But some of the twists were cool, and I chuckled more than once at the teen interactions and speech.
From an Editor's Perspective:
I've started highlighting only those things I think should be pointed out when I'm reading for review. Otherwise, I end up with pages and pages of notes. Pronouns were all over the place, and some things I had to re-read more than once to make sense of them because of those issues. Commas are sprinkled around where they shouldn't be, and they were left out where they should appear. It creates, problems when, reading a sentence. See what I mean? Because of these, I can't give a star for editing.
Rating:
1 Star for giving me a great beginning and wonderful characters
1 Star for world building, and a unique perspective
1 Star for the couple of twists I didn't see coming and the laughter
-1 Star for nomenclature of characters and a middle that dragged on and on and on
-1 Star for grammar, punctuation, and pronoun issues
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars. Recommended for those that are looking for a different take on young adult paranormal.
December 19, 2014
*I received this novel through the Ethereal Book Reviews Guest Program. I would like to thank both Ethereal Book Reviews and Elle Todd for giving me the opportunity to read this novel.*
This book reminded me a little bit of “The Clann” by Melissa Darnell. I don’t know, maybe I’m reaching here. But, still. I was reminded of that series.
Anyways, “The Elect” was a very interesting novel. You’ve got some mysterious thing going on with the most popular boys in school and suddenly, a voice is telling you to do things. What is that voice is the biggest question and it does get answered. You’re just going to have to read the novel.
I thought that Allison was a very relatable character. In fact, she kind of reminded me of me. The highlight of my Saturday night is going to Chapters and getting a good book, not going to a party. I really connected with Allison and got her frame of mind because it is a lot similar to mine. The fact that I was really able to understand and connect with Allison really added to the story.
I didn’t like that we were bombarded with information at the end of the novel. For me, information is a key element to any novel that I read. I mean, there are some things that I need to know. I understand that the information was held back because of the way that the novel flowed and it made sense to go towards the end. However, I would have liked some more time to process it and understand it better before the novel ended. But, at the same time, it threw us in the same time of situation as Allison. She didn’t really get a chance to process it all, either.
1 more thing- I didn’t like the fact that we kind of dropped the Troy storyline. I wish that he had been brought back in towards the end. OOOOOhh, new thought (seriously, I just thought of this)! I think I know Troy’s placement in the next novel. Maybe. Note to self-read next novel.
I definitely enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading the next in the series. This is a novel for anyone who is interested in the whole magic thing. Definitely fit into the young adult genre perfectly!
This book reminded me a little bit of “The Clann” by Melissa Darnell. I don’t know, maybe I’m reaching here. But, still. I was reminded of that series.
Anyways, “The Elect” was a very interesting novel. You’ve got some mysterious thing going on with the most popular boys in school and suddenly, a voice is telling you to do things. What is that voice is the biggest question and it does get answered. You’re just going to have to read the novel.
I thought that Allison was a very relatable character. In fact, she kind of reminded me of me. The highlight of my Saturday night is going to Chapters and getting a good book, not going to a party. I really connected with Allison and got her frame of mind because it is a lot similar to mine. The fact that I was really able to understand and connect with Allison really added to the story.
I didn’t like that we were bombarded with information at the end of the novel. For me, information is a key element to any novel that I read. I mean, there are some things that I need to know. I understand that the information was held back because of the way that the novel flowed and it made sense to go towards the end. However, I would have liked some more time to process it and understand it better before the novel ended. But, at the same time, it threw us in the same time of situation as Allison. She didn’t really get a chance to process it all, either.
1 more thing- I didn’t like the fact that we kind of dropped the Troy storyline. I wish that he had been brought back in towards the end. OOOOOhh, new thought (seriously, I just thought of this)! I think I know Troy’s placement in the next novel. Maybe. Note to self-read next novel.
I definitely enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading the next in the series. This is a novel for anyone who is interested in the whole magic thing. Definitely fit into the young adult genre perfectly!
July 8, 2015
Ah! at last a well written YA story.
If you look for a lot of melodrama, you wont got it in this book. The story is written in a very precise language without all the unnecessary rattling that you find in most YA books and it really refreshing for me as a reviewer. I couldn't put it down all the time wanted to now what will happen next.
The paranormal elements does not take the center of the stage. Though, are a exit in the background, they fully merge in the last hundred or so pages.
The main character Allison is not a typical heroine - she is the type that prefer to hide in the background (the one that her external look will not project any saying) she isn't Barbi and she isn't a tomboy. She is bright and plain looking and she feel comfortable with that. Her humor tend to go on the sarcastic range of the spectrum, I found myself too many times smiling to that. She’s neither neither strong nor weak. She doesn’t spend the book fawning over some boy, but rather discovering her own potential. She is also a very loyal friend who will put the need of her BFF before her needs.
At last we see a heroin that really know how to use her brain. Usually, to cover for this kind of a real use of logic, the authors tend to mention it a lot along the plot without the "meat" to support it. For example, when three attractive young men started trying to hang out with her and her BFF... Allison immediately realizing that something isn't add up, and she don't lose her head and fall for the pretty charming guys.
I think, that what make the story are the characters, they give it life, from Delaney’s wit, to Nate’s charm.
Nate, Ryan and Jeremy belong to the Elect. The elect are gifted with supernatural powers. At age sixteen Allison start not only to sense this powers, but also use them herself. In the history of the Elect, there has never been one such as she, and with good reason. Because she wasn’t born to such power, she has a difficult time controlling it.
Summery - I did enjoy the reading so much that now I'm starting the next book "The Vanguard" and hope that the author will succeed to keep the same spirit.
If you look for a lot of melodrama, you wont got it in this book. The story is written in a very precise language without all the unnecessary rattling that you find in most YA books and it really refreshing for me as a reviewer. I couldn't put it down all the time wanted to now what will happen next.
The paranormal elements does not take the center of the stage. Though, are a exit in the background, they fully merge in the last hundred or so pages.
The main character Allison is not a typical heroine - she is the type that prefer to hide in the background (the one that her external look will not project any saying) she isn't Barbi and she isn't a tomboy. She is bright and plain looking and she feel comfortable with that. Her humor tend to go on the sarcastic range of the spectrum, I found myself too many times smiling to that. She’s neither neither strong nor weak. She doesn’t spend the book fawning over some boy, but rather discovering her own potential. She is also a very loyal friend who will put the need of her BFF before her needs.
At last we see a heroin that really know how to use her brain. Usually, to cover for this kind of a real use of logic, the authors tend to mention it a lot along the plot without the "meat" to support it. For example, when three attractive young men started trying to hang out with her and her BFF... Allison immediately realizing that something isn't add up, and she don't lose her head and fall for the pretty charming guys.
I think, that what make the story are the characters, they give it life, from Delaney’s wit, to Nate’s charm.
Nate, Ryan and Jeremy belong to the Elect. The elect are gifted with supernatural powers. At age sixteen Allison start not only to sense this powers, but also use them herself. In the history of the Elect, there has never been one such as she, and with good reason. Because she wasn’t born to such power, she has a difficult time controlling it.
Summery - I did enjoy the reading so much that now I'm starting the next book "The Vanguard" and hope that the author will succeed to keep the same spirit.
January 31, 2022
AIBA Book of the Day: 31 January, 2022: 146/41909
Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include THE ELECT (Allison's Story: Book 1) by ELLE TODD in the library of Awesome Indies' Badge of Approval recipients.
AIBA Book of the Day: 20 May, 2021: 146/41909
Original Awesome Indies' Assessment ( stars):
The Elect follows high school student Allison through her discovery of supernatural powers she never imagined existed, let alone that she possessed. A riveting YA read, this novel delivers where so many fall short. The main character isn't whiny or weak, nor is she dependent on her male interest. This is a fast, fun and completely mesmerizing read that I couldn't put down. As soon as I'm done reading this, I'm going to go buy book two!
The formatting and design of The Elect is professional and pristine. I saw only one editing error in the entire book (Allison's mother puts a black "back" on her bed instead of a black "bag") but it was so minor it only stood out in contrast to the lack of problems with the editing overall.
The plot flows smoothly, paced to engage and draw the reader in. At the end, it really picks up steam and I can't imagine how anyone could put it down during the last quarter without finishing.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characterizations. The use of high school students tends to lend itself to stereotypes and while The Elect certainly had the popular crowd and the creepy dude, they were fleshed out and never reduced to place holders. The cast of this novel is quite broad and yet each remained distinct in personality and motivation.
The only reason this isn't a full 5 stars is because I found Delaney's announcement that she was a member of The Elect to be forced. If she were a part of a secret society, she would probably be a little less insistent on exposing someone else's secrets. Her behavior prior to her disclosure just didn't match up with what someone in her supposed position would do. Other than that, this was a flawless book and I highly recommend it.
April 4, 2017
This was a really promising debut that was extremely well written.
What keep this from being a five-star for me were a couple of, frankly, lazy ideas.
For example,
What keep this from being a five-star for me were a couple of, frankly, lazy ideas.
For example,
March 1, 2014
I received a copy of this story for a honest review. The first couple chapters were very descriptive in regards to the scenery. At times i felt it was almost to much filler. As the story progressed the characters developed very interesting social dynamics. The authors writing style was smooth and the language was very appropriate for YA. Overall i thought the story was very imaginative and i will definitely read the rest of this trilogy when they're released.
August 3, 2016
*I revived a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is amazing! It was very well written and has all the things I love. Supernatural powers, suspense, life in school. Allison is one of my favourite chracter! Great job! Can't wait for book 2.
This book is amazing! It was very well written and has all the things I love. Supernatural powers, suspense, life in school. Allison is one of my favourite chracter! Great job! Can't wait for book 2.
May 20, 2014
*I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*.
Its an amazing book.I loved it . I hope i can get the next book.
Its an amazing book.I loved it . I hope i can get the next book.
April 14, 2016
Good book
I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. Now I have bought the second one. There is a a lot of teenage drama involved but it worth reading.
I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. Now I have bought the second one. There is a a lot of teenage drama involved but it worth reading.
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