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Surviving Elite High #1
Surviving Elite High
John Henry Ames is a sixteen-year-old boy from a small New Jersey town. Humble, shy and studious, John lives as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies. Just when he is on the verge of dropping out of school due to overdue payments, a teacher enrolls him as a tutor in a program where he meets the school’s star quarterback and hero, Nick Anthony Hawking.
Nick needs John's help to pass and graduate high school. As John becomes closer to the jock, he develops a strong affection towards him even though Nick has a reputation for sleeping around with a lot of women. Nick becomes his friend and protector in school. Their growing friendship helps to bring out the best in each of them and as they grow closer, John begins to wonder…and hope…that maybe Nick’s studly activity is a front for something else. He hopes to get much closer to Nick.
When unspeakable tragedies threaten the school…and John’s life…John and Nick have a chance to discover what they really mean to each other. But high school is a hard place to be yourself. Will Nick and John follow their own hearts or return to the safety of their own shadows?
Surviving Elite High is a breathtaking saga that illustrates a flourishing same-sex love, family, and friendship.
Nick needs John's help to pass and graduate high school. As John becomes closer to the jock, he develops a strong affection towards him even though Nick has a reputation for sleeping around with a lot of women. Nick becomes his friend and protector in school. Their growing friendship helps to bring out the best in each of them and as they grow closer, John begins to wonder…and hope…that maybe Nick’s studly activity is a front for something else. He hopes to get much closer to Nick.
When unspeakable tragedies threaten the school…and John’s life…John and Nick have a chance to discover what they really mean to each other. But high school is a hard place to be yourself. Will Nick and John follow their own hearts or return to the safety of their own shadows?
Surviving Elite High is a breathtaking saga that illustrates a flourishing same-sex love, family, and friendship.
204 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2012
15 people are currently reading
1292 people want to read
About the author
John H. Ames
12 books86 followersMy real name is Juan H. Alvarado and I was born in El Salvador, C.A. I currently live in Belize and my passions are writing, reading and spending time with the ones I love. I began writing in 2009. After posting some of my work on an internet website and receiving positive feedback, I went on to write several full-length novels under my penname, John Henry Ames. My first completed series is the Surviving Elite High Trilogy which chronicles the life of a gay sixteen-year-old boy as he makes his way through life as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
April 24, 2013
Summary of Nick, High School Student and part-time Nutjob:
a) Fights like a pro and routinely puts people in the hospital but
b) Does not get expelled
c) Capable of putting on underwear with his towel still on.
d) Doesn't stop fucking women until they - I quote - crawl out of bed on a wheelchair.
e) When cell phone gift is refused by friend, says, "Don't you want to know if I'm going to jail?"
Summary of John, High School Student and part-time Self-Insert
a) Loves Burger King. Thinks everyone loves Burger King.
b) Ate Burger King for his birthday.
c) Ate Burger King when he graduated from middle school.
d) His first date with Nick is at Burger King.
e) Refused to eat his burger during date to have something to remember the date by and then stored the Burger King paper bag for posterity's sake.
f) Goes to see the Burger King establishment again to relive date.
Other Assorted Things about the Book:
1."How many women have you slept with?"
Nick replied with a laugh.
"A lot actually, but I always use protection."
"That's (sic) says a lot about you," I answered as I ate my pizza.
Yes, using condoms says a lot about a person.
2. I-like-apples sentences:
I started to cry. I was so upset. My best friend Kitty put a hand on my shoulder and said, 'Yo, man up.' 'This guapo face,' I said, 'is not made for fistfights, homeboy.' After that, we continued our meal in silence.
3. Awkward phrasing:
He pulled me into him... I had never been so close to anyone like that before, I mean, besides my mom and my two best friend."
I can understand why the MC might have once been 'inside' his mom, but his two female best friends??
4. "I need to maintain my dignity. It's a guy thing."
Hello, casual misogynist. See this ferret I'm putting on your dick? It's a guy thing too, okay?
5. "I want to have his babies!" Madison murmured as Nick walked to the back of the class.
Jesus, I thought I escaped this when I stopped reading het romance and here it is again stalking me like a hungry dog.
50% in and I'm just going to quit before I break something in me from laughter. Are all the good reviews having a lark...?
a) Fights like a pro and routinely puts people in the hospital but
b) Does not get expelled
c) Capable of putting on underwear with his towel still on.
d) Doesn't stop fucking women until they - I quote - crawl out of bed on a wheelchair.
e) When cell phone gift is refused by friend, says, "Don't you want to know if I'm going to jail?"
Summary of John, High School Student and part-time Self-Insert
a) Loves Burger King. Thinks everyone loves Burger King.
b) Ate Burger King for his birthday.
c) Ate Burger King when he graduated from middle school.
d) His first date with Nick is at Burger King.
e) Refused to eat his burger during date to have something to remember the date by and then stored the Burger King paper bag for posterity's sake.
f) Goes to see the Burger King establishment again to relive date.
Other Assorted Things about the Book:
1."How many women have you slept with?"
Nick replied with a laugh.
"A lot actually, but I always use protection."
"That's (sic) says a lot about you," I answered as I ate my pizza.
Yes, using condoms says a lot about a person.
2. I-like-apples sentences:
I started to cry. I was so upset. My best friend Kitty put a hand on my shoulder and said, 'Yo, man up.' 'This guapo face,' I said, 'is not made for fistfights, homeboy.' After that, we continued our meal in silence.
3. Awkward phrasing:
He pulled me into him... I had never been so close to anyone like that before, I mean, besides my mom and my two best friend."
I can understand why the MC might have once been 'inside' his mom, but his two female best friends??
4. "I need to maintain my dignity. It's a guy thing."
Hello, casual misogynist. See this ferret I'm putting on your dick? It's a guy thing too, okay?
5. "I want to have his babies!" Madison murmured as Nick walked to the back of the class.
Jesus, I thought I escaped this when I stopped reading het romance and here it is again stalking me like a hungry dog.
50% in and I'm just going to quit before I break something in me from laughter. Are all the good reviews having a lark...?
April 25, 2012
Surviving Elite High is a jock/nerd love story told in first person by the central character John. The story chronicles the development of a teen romance involving the shy, self-effacing narrator with the jock football hero he's tutoring. Elite High has several unique plot twists that include a school shooting, a tempting love interest who threatens the primary romance, and a psychotic ex-girlfriend. Ames' writing style is endearing and captivating. The emotion seems to leap through the pages, and this story honestly touched me far deeper than most of the professionally edited/published novels I've read recently. Please watch for this aspiring author. He's an amazing talent. I'll be reading any future releases as soon as I can get my hands on them.
June 22, 2012
I’m not going to waste time restating the blurb above. It’s a pretty good overview of Surviving Elite High. But, what it doesn’t reveal is just how fabulous this book really is. I’ve never been a big fan of the whole 90210 vibe of some YA romance novels. Somehow, the poor guy always gets screwed and the rich guy is never as good as we want him to be. But, reading Surviving Elite High was like watching the pilot of a new TV series (with its growing pains) and watching the growth of the actors and the entire crew as they grow together as the season progresses.
The first couple of chapters weren’t earth shattering, but the writing was interesting enough to keep me reading. But, as we get to know John and meet, first his tormentors and then his friends, you couldn’t help but want to get to know this kid more. At this point, his sexuality wasn’t even an issue. He was just trying to get from point A to B without getting his ass beat by dumb jocks. His first person POV was quite interesting. Despite all the negativity in his life, he has a great attitude. He is really thrown off kilter, when he meets Nick and finds his secret crush is really a nice guy…most of the time.
So like I said, after that slow start, this book is really fast paced. It really is like watching a soap opera…there is so much going on. But, somehow, it wasn’t too much. And even with all the drama going on, it wasn’t maudlin. The secondary cast is great. John’s best friends, Madison and Kitty are two little rich girls that have kinda adopted John. But, rather than being the typical teenage bitches, like on Pretty Liars, they are genuinely nice girls. Hell, even Nick’s competition is a nice guy. It was really cool, to see them all supporting each other through the chaos of high school.
Now, I know for a fact that this is supposed to be John’s story. It’s written from his point of view, but for me…Nick is the bomb. From the minute that John makes a blip on his radar, Nick is unwavering in his devotion; first as a friend and later as a lover. To everyone else, he can be a bipolar dickhead, but not with John. With John he is always protective and emotionally open and I loved him. There were several times, throughout the book, where I could have just reached in a hugged him for his choices.
John H. Ames/Juan Alvarado is a fabulous fresh voice in GLBT YA fiction. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Senior year at Elite High promises to be another rollercoaster ride and I can’t wait!! And in a perfect world, Jacob will find someone just as amazing as he is. Highly recommending this title for readers who hate bullies, love enemies falling in love and young men growing up nicely.
The first couple of chapters weren’t earth shattering, but the writing was interesting enough to keep me reading. But, as we get to know John and meet, first his tormentors and then his friends, you couldn’t help but want to get to know this kid more. At this point, his sexuality wasn’t even an issue. He was just trying to get from point A to B without getting his ass beat by dumb jocks. His first person POV was quite interesting. Despite all the negativity in his life, he has a great attitude. He is really thrown off kilter, when he meets Nick and finds his secret crush is really a nice guy…most of the time.
So like I said, after that slow start, this book is really fast paced. It really is like watching a soap opera…there is so much going on. But, somehow, it wasn’t too much. And even with all the drama going on, it wasn’t maudlin. The secondary cast is great. John’s best friends, Madison and Kitty are two little rich girls that have kinda adopted John. But, rather than being the typical teenage bitches, like on Pretty Liars, they are genuinely nice girls. Hell, even Nick’s competition is a nice guy. It was really cool, to see them all supporting each other through the chaos of high school.
Now, I know for a fact that this is supposed to be John’s story. It’s written from his point of view, but for me…Nick is the bomb. From the minute that John makes a blip on his radar, Nick is unwavering in his devotion; first as a friend and later as a lover. To everyone else, he can be a bipolar dickhead, but not with John. With John he is always protective and emotionally open and I loved him. There were several times, throughout the book, where I could have just reached in a hugged him for his choices.
John H. Ames/Juan Alvarado is a fabulous fresh voice in GLBT YA fiction. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Senior year at Elite High promises to be another rollercoaster ride and I can’t wait!! And in a perfect world, Jacob will find someone just as amazing as he is. Highly recommending this title for readers who hate bullies, love enemies falling in love and young men growing up nicely.
July 13, 2012
The growing up process sucks enough as it is so getting bullied at school is another cross to bear its one scary place to be for unpopular teens. Expect quite a bit of angst and tears and a lot of emotional ups and downs when reading this romance. Its not all doom and gloom though you also get some really interesting and likable female friends, the gossips sessions, the bitchy digs, the love and affection shown for John is both lovely and crazy. Madison and Kitty are a great addition to this story and pure fun to have around. John is so shy and insecure but really adorable, I wanted to protect him from the big bad wolves, luckily Nick come along and does that even if he is one big douche bag! I had a love hate relationship for Nick he is a complete jerk who needed John to set him straight, he does redeem himself later on.....but still hmm! I loved John and Nick together they are a sweet couple and good for each other, there is a long and difficult road ahead for both of them and its not going to be easy but I have faith and believe this first love will work. Wonderful and sad, be prepared to have your emotions twisted into knots.
November 17, 2012
Free online Urban dictionary definition of badass
1. Badass
A badass isn't someone wears ripped leather jackets, a badass isn't someone who breaks stuff to look tough, and a badass isn't someone who fights for the fun of fighting. That's the definition of a poser. Being a badass is completely different.
Unspoken Rules of Being Badass:
1. First rule of being a badass. A badass does not talk about being a badass. Period.
2. Second rule of being a badass, a badass does not try to be a badass or look tough. A badass simply is a badass.
3. A badass stays true to themselves, always. This means being themselves for themselves, and not being fake to impress others.
4. A badass does not give up. Badasses will always push themselves for the better, no matter how hard it gets.
5. A badass is not a jerk. A badass does not prey on the weak, and shows kindness in return to those who are kind.
6. A badass knows his/her limits. Don't be stupid, you're not Superman, you'll die if you jump off a building.
7. A badass does not make enemies or go looking for fights. They do not fights that aren't worth fighting either.
Any breaking of these rules is grounds revoking of the status of being a badass. If this happens, a badass must once again prove they are worthy of being badass by following the rules.
Why (I'm laughing) and posting the definition of badass?
Simple reason... Nick on the phone...
""Tell Isabelle to shut the fuck up because she went down on my dick for the last two weeks!"
My jaw dropped open. Nick was such a bad ass."
No, John (the narrator's name)... You are wrong. Nick is not a badass. He is arrogant, a prick and also vicious (when he said in another comment how women get out of his bed "begging for mercy or crawling out bed on a wheelchair")
This book is not for me... I liked the enthusiasm telling the story, but hate the womanizer main character possible partner, Nick. How could I want to read a story with someone like him?
BTW that phone call? Nick is talking to his ex girlfriend. Oh yeah... Great person huh? Because just ignore the call is not enough... He is a badass and so... Better talk about how many friends of his ex he had sex... On her face, saying it... Such a badass, no?
-.-"
I like to read a story when a bad guy will redeem himself and became a better person but in this case I can't. Nick irritated me too much. I will compile a petition to revoke his badass club membership!! Who is with meeeeee???? XD
So... Let's me say I like John (the protagonist) a lot, and also the enthusiasm I could feel reading the story, but the bad writting and the asshole (Nick) were the reasons I'm giving up. I knew it's a self published story, so I must admit I could even ignore mistakes but I can't ignore an asshole character.
Yeah, asshole not badass.
I know, I know, it's a matter of semantics. Let's just call him an ass....
July 14, 2012
I went into this story with a little apprehension, first because I normally do not read YA stories and second because from the blurb and reviews I knew there would be bullying, drama and tears. I am so glad that I did read it because I would have missed out so much on such a refreshing and wonderful story. There is so much to love about John and you can't help but love him from page one of the story. I was a little leary at first of Nick, because I kept waiting for him to be a jerk to John or hurt him, but Nick turned out not to be and you saw a completely different side to him. John and Nick are perfect together and make each other so much stronger. Madison and Kitty just rounded the story out as best friend and protectors of John and ultimately to Nick as well. I can't wait for a continuation of this story to see the ups and downs that they have to face now and how everything works out for all of them.
January 22, 2013
This book was TERRIBLE (yes, in capital letters!). I cannot for the life of me understand how this got the ratings and reviews that it did.
Three things make a good book: writing, story and characters. This book could not pull off any of these.
For one, the writing is extremely choppy. There is no flow to the words and though I don't really mind, I have to wonder if it's been edited at all.
Then, the story is atrocious.
And last, but certainly not least the characters. They were either pains in the ass or downright detestable. John the Martyr was ok, if you don't mind insufferable pushovers... Nick the Slime ball Slut however was so disgusting in some parts of this book that his "good deeds" were just not believable (or enough to make up for his behaviour). Either he has Jekyll/Hyde syndrome or he's a lunatic.
There are so many things that are wrong with this book, however I decided to stick with the basics. I think they're more than enough to explain why I would never recommend this to anyone. I sat through 80% of it feeling incredulous and feeling sick to my stomach the other 20%.
Never again.
Three things make a good book: writing, story and characters. This book could not pull off any of these.
For one, the writing is extremely choppy. There is no flow to the words and though I don't really mind, I have to wonder if it's been edited at all.
Then, the story is atrocious.
And last, but certainly not least the characters. They were either pains in the ass or downright detestable. John the Martyr was ok, if you don't mind insufferable pushovers... Nick the Slime ball Slut however was so disgusting in some parts of this book that his "good deeds" were just not believable (or enough to make up for his behaviour). Either he has Jekyll/Hyde syndrome or he's a lunatic.
There are so many things that are wrong with this book, however I decided to stick with the basics. I think they're more than enough to explain why I would never recommend this to anyone. I sat through 80% of it feeling incredulous and feeling sick to my stomach the other 20%.
Never again.
January 26, 2013
I just loved this book so much. Surviving Elite High is an amazing YA mm romance. It has everything I enjoy. Teens finding love, drama and coming of age. All of this and by the end we have a proper couple. John H. Ames wrote a great book for young adults and I found myself getting wrapped up in the book.
When I started reading this book I was excited. It had so many great reviews and the fact it was YA excited me even more. Not many authors do well with YA mm romance, but this was one of the best stories in my personal opinion and now a favourite of mine.
The characters were so good. I was skeptical of Nick at first, by the end I loved him. He was one of those characters I thought might never come out. It was just the way I have seen a lot of books going and by the end they are still in the closet. But John tastefully wrote this and made it very emotional for me.
The protagonist John (I laughed at John and John) was such a sweet boy. He had a great mother and two wonderful friends. I always wanted the best for him, especially when he was being bullied. It was upsetting to see him so afraid. But unfortunately that is the reality of the life of a gay teenager in most high schools.
I would highly recommend this book to all YA fans. It is such a great story and you will miss out by not reading it. :)
When I started reading this book I was excited. It had so many great reviews and the fact it was YA excited me even more. Not many authors do well with YA mm romance, but this was one of the best stories in my personal opinion and now a favourite of mine.
The characters were so good. I was skeptical of Nick at first, by the end I loved him. He was one of those characters I thought might never come out. It was just the way I have seen a lot of books going and by the end they are still in the closet. But John tastefully wrote this and made it very emotional for me.
The protagonist John (I laughed at John and John) was such a sweet boy. He had a great mother and two wonderful friends. I always wanted the best for him, especially when he was being bullied. It was upsetting to see him so afraid. But unfortunately that is the reality of the life of a gay teenager in most high schools.
I would highly recommend this book to all YA fans. It is such a great story and you will miss out by not reading it. :)
June 23, 2012
All I want to know is, WHEN IS BOOK 2 COMING OUT!
July 4, 2012
Captivating and immediately relatable, I really enjoyed this engaging coming of age, gay fiction novel. (I truly want to give it four and a half stars, leaving the final half star for this promising new authors next effort, which I'm certain I'll purchase.) A stimulating debut work, the authors writing is sure and very accessible, yet has its own arresting style.
I found myself slipping inside of the skins of the two lead characters very easily. The relationships between the two high schoolers and their friends had me flashing back to my high school days and assigning faces to the supporting cast. The angst and the torment of being ostracized at that age was nicely balanced with lighter sunnier moments that had me laughing.
When the capitulating violence occurs, it is swift and startling in its intensity. It momentarily ripped me from the warmth of the engrossing narrative and into the reality of the violence occurring in high schools today. That jolt is the reason this one almost got five stars.
Suddenly the title Surviving Elite High took on new meaning for me. This is not only a gay coming of age tale, but rather a tale about overcoming the odds, of surviving and thriving when confronted with negativity of any kind, at any age. It shines a light on the fact that even though one often feels alone, we all share that feeling at one point or another in our lives. The book reminded me that humans can be humane and supportive and that one bad apple does not always spoil the entire barrel.
I also loved the ending which was conclusive without a pat happily ever after and left me hoping the author pens a second novel about the boys next adventure… senior high.
Buy the book, it's a classic and a keeper!
February 9, 2013
I couldn't even get through the first chapter. I have read MANY m/m books that have great character development, writing style and a fascinating plot. This was not one of them. From the very beginning the stereotypes were slapping me in the face. The main character acted like the weakest female version of sailor moon that I have ever seen. Good lord. Being gay does not mean you have to be a crying, clinging, pathetic weakling every 5 seconds. A person can be insecure and intimidated without being absolutely pathetic and annoying.
I would recommend that people just go on fanfiction.net and read stories like Roommates (by FastForward) Pyromaniac (also by FastForward), and Therapy (by NavyBlueWings). All three of these have amazing character development, beautiful writing styles and great plots. They have spoiled me for books like "Surviving Elite High". It is sad when fanfiction writers are a million times better at writing stories for free, than people who actually charge you money for it.
I would recommend that people just go on fanfiction.net and read stories like Roommates (by FastForward) Pyromaniac (also by FastForward), and Therapy (by NavyBlueWings). All three of these have amazing character development, beautiful writing styles and great plots. They have spoiled me for books like "Surviving Elite High". It is sad when fanfiction writers are a million times better at writing stories for free, than people who actually charge you money for it.
June 25, 2012
I always enjoy the Jock/Nerd GBLT Genre, even though some people say it's been over done. Frankly, I find it hard to find many published books on this topic. John has done a wonderful job on his first book. I fell in love with the antagonist, John, and my heart just broke for him from the treatment he got from the "Jocks". I warmed up to Nick as the book progressed (which is expected since he's one of the "Jocks". The supporting characters were great too. Madison had me cracking up often. I enjoyed the story immensely and I can't wait to see how John's writing develops as he publishes more books. I'll definitely be following his writing.
June 29, 2012
I have to say that when this book was recommended to me I thought just another teen book but BOY was I in for a surprise. I loved this book it had drama, tears, friendship and happiness. A book well written and kept me reading from beginning to end. My question to you Mr. Ames is when can I get book 2!!! I can't wait looking forward to it.
July 27, 2012
Hmmm..how to review this book?
I liked a lot of it, it was a sweet tale of John and his struggles, financially, bullying, coming to terms with his sexuality and unrequited love.
Nick was a paradox, but hey he's a teenager, I guess that's the norm.
They both seemed at times very mature and then very naive and immature.
All that said, I felt it was maybe a bit ' too much ' story for me.
If their story continues I'll read it and hope for maybe a little less drama.
I liked a lot of it, it was a sweet tale of John and his struggles, financially, bullying, coming to terms with his sexuality and unrequited love.
Nick was a paradox, but hey he's a teenager, I guess that's the norm.
They both seemed at times very mature and then very naive and immature.
All that said, I felt it was maybe a bit ' too much ' story for me.
If their story continues I'll read it and hope for maybe a little less drama.
July 4, 2012
I was worried about all the tears, but I relaxed once I realized that John was just a very sensitive person. I was kind of skeptical of Nick. I kept thinking he was going to morph into a d-bag any second. Well, he already was a d-bag...just didn't want him to be one with John. I really liked John & Nick together. There was one part of the story that almost made me stop reading because I was so pissed...it worked out in the end. The two female BFF's were really sweet. I didn't get sick of them and they made me laugh, yay! I know I should probably hate Jacob...I just can't and I want to see him get a guy. I'm really looking forward to the next book.
July 8, 2012
Really well created story of Young Adults in an Elite High School. The main storyline circles around newly developed romance between John and Nick. Their story begins with tutoring, develops to true friendship and turns toward sweet first true love. Here we have a lot of dramatic even tragic moments and realistic aspect of bulling. Every character which was created in this story was real and interesting.
I definitely RECOMMEND this story to everyone.
I definitely RECOMMEND this story to everyone.
June 27, 2012
This was a very fun read. There were times I burst out laughing and there were times my heart broke. I would totally recommend.
December 1, 2012
I'm sorry to say, but there was just not anything good about this book. The writing was downright bad. It was awkward and clichéd, there was no life in it - and some of what those teenagers said! No one speaks like that, and certainly not high school kids.
The characters were too square and simple, without any kind of nuance - you didn't really feel with them. The main character constantly broke down, but instead of feeling sympathetic for his pain, I merely became annoyed with him, because the context was so badly described! He jumped from A to D without properly describing B and c. There was no logic in some of the main character's thoughts, no development in his relationship with Nick- they were just suddenly best friends. Nick was too perfect, too much white knight, too popular and I found it completely unbelieavable. John was too pathetic, too weak, too emotional.
The book was filled with stereotypes, the whole story was one big stereotype. It was just... bad. In my opinion, of course.
And, seriously, I wanted to rip my hair out every time someone said "Nick is a big dick".
The characters were too square and simple, without any kind of nuance - you didn't really feel with them. The main character constantly broke down, but instead of feeling sympathetic for his pain, I merely became annoyed with him, because the context was so badly described! He jumped from A to D without properly describing B and c. There was no logic in some of the main character's thoughts, no development in his relationship with Nick- they were just suddenly best friends. Nick was too perfect, too much white knight, too popular and I found it completely unbelieavable. John was too pathetic, too weak, too emotional.
The book was filled with stereotypes, the whole story was one big stereotype. It was just... bad. In my opinion, of course.
And, seriously, I wanted to rip my hair out every time someone said "Nick is a big dick".
August 17, 2012
I am a big fan of nerd/jock stories so this book moved me into the right places. The characters were likable. It definitely had a disney element to it. It's not really angsty and it left some questions that are literally begging for a sequel.
The star of this book for me is Madison. She had me laughing out loud most of the time. Nick was frustrating especially in the earlier parts. A total "badass", his alpha male attitude with all the beating up and candid remarks made me go "Madison" a few times. He's a jerk. A hot jerk.
John was really relatable, even in the cringe-y crying for x pages scenes. It's high school! Everyone's hormonal and hyperemotional.
It was definitely a good read! Very entertaining and has its "aww-shucks!" moments. I do hope for a sequel.
The star of this book for me is Madison. She had me laughing out loud most of the time. Nick was frustrating especially in the earlier parts. A total "badass", his alpha male attitude with all the beating up and candid remarks made me go "Madison" a few times. He's a jerk. A hot jerk.
John was really relatable, even in the cringe-y crying for x pages scenes. It's high school! Everyone's hormonal and hyperemotional.
It was definitely a good read! Very entertaining and has its "aww-shucks!" moments. I do hope for a sequel.
April 24, 2012
I’m one of the few who had the opportunity to read this novel beforehand. At first I was like, “Here we go, another cliché story with very cliché characters.” BUT I was wrong. There is more to each character than meets the eyes. Nick is not the egocentric a****** that every thinks, Allison is not the cheerleader slut that I met in high school, Jacob is not the psychotic bully that he portrays, Madison is not the typical slut and Kitty is not the saint that she claims to be (Kitty is hiding a big secret from John. It will be revealed on Surviving Elite High: Senior Year, which is freaking awesome by the way.) John grows so much throughout the book and he grows even more on the second part. This is the first GLBT novel that I have read and I don’t regret reading it. I wish you the best of luck Jaan and I’ll always be here for you.
Yours truly,
The real Nick Wild Hawk.
Yours truly,
The real Nick Wild Hawk.
July 1, 2012
I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it has a lot of problems, mostly do to the characters. The lead character cried way too much, and in nearly every situation. It was just hard to believe a guy would cry so often and he did it so much it took me out of the story at times. Second, there are many unbelievable and implausible plot twists. And some things that are just all too convenient to make things work out for the characters. OTOH, I liked it enough to keep reading and I'll even check out the next book. Let's just hope the writing is better next time around.
August 22, 2012
Never have I thought that i was to read a gay book that was situated in high school!. it was really awesome and im looking for more books on high school bromance! have any recommendation? Well wait, this was an awesome weak and strong point of boys, i love that Nick came through all of his issues and still got to be with John and I don't slightly like John for not even pursuing the relationship it was like he just got in with the flow and not declared his undying love for Nick XD, Nick lost a lot and all that shit soo i was just disappointed a little :D
July 7, 2012
Great book. I really like John and Nick.
July 5, 2012
Pretty Damn Awesome :)
June 29, 2012
Story about a poor, gay, bullied teenager who can barely afford his expensive "Elite High" education, and ends up tutoring a rich, popular, attractive football player for his school fees. This reminded me a bit of Jeff Erno's first book--the writing is kind of stilted in the same way--but with over-the-top melodrama. This could have been much better had the characters been more likable, but they were mostly just 1-dimensional and annoying.
dnf
January 10, 2017I bought this book when it was released. Since then it was waiting on my TBR, until I finally chose it for my annual challenge and today I started reading. Well, what can I say - 'I didn't like it' is not enough to tell you why I can't finish this. For me there is nothing to like about this book, the characters were not likable, their dialogues were horrible and all that drama, and that only in the first two chapters, was way over the top! As I DNF, I won't rate it, although I'm really tempted to give 1 star. That's how much I didn't like it.
January 1, 2013
This story was just adorable! It's about a boy who is just on the brink of admitting to himself and others that he is gay. The boy falls in love with the most popular jock in school and experiences his first love, his first heart break, and together they even survive a horrendous act of violence. I look forward to reading more of this author's future work.
Read
August 1, 2012It was sweet...well, not the bullying, I meant the relationship between MCs...I just couldn´t really connect to the characters...but I probably will read the sequel because I want to know how their story continues
July 19, 2012
I loved this book. I am fond of most books like this actually. I enjoyed it so much that i was disappointed when i came to the end of the book. i was actually wondering if there was going to be a sequel to Surviving Elite High because i would love to know what happens to Nick and John.
July 31, 2012
Almost a 4
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