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The Beginner's Guide to Winning an Election
In 2025, the “youthification” of democracy has inspired younger candidates to challenge the ineffective and hypocritical gray-hairs in Congress. Running for student body president at an Indiana high school, political novice Brit Kitridge takes on incumbent Matthew Boltanski, who, with help from a mystery backer, already has his eyes set on Washington. Brit gains courage and insights from a wise history teacher on how to win, but ultimately finds a maze of deceit and corruption in her school. Is exposing the truth enough to win the election?
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 20, 2018
3 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. French
26 books120 followers#1 Amazon best selling author Michael French graduated from Stanford University and Northwestern University. He is a businessman and author who divides his time between Santa Barbara, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is an avid high-altitude mountain trekker, as well as a collector of first editions of twentieth-century fiction.
He has published twenty-four books, including fiction, young adult fiction, biographies, and art criticism. His novel, Abingdon’s, was a bestseller and a Literary Guild Alternate Selection. His young adult novel, Pursuit, was awarded the California Young Reader Medal.
The Reconstruction of Wilson Ryder was published January 2013.
Mountains Beyond Mountains was published April 2013.
Once Upon a Lie was published March 2016.
He has published twenty-four books, including fiction, young adult fiction, biographies, and art criticism. His novel, Abingdon’s, was a bestseller and a Literary Guild Alternate Selection. His young adult novel, Pursuit, was awarded the California Young Reader Medal.
The Reconstruction of Wilson Ryder was published January 2013.
Mountains Beyond Mountains was published April 2013.
Once Upon a Lie was published March 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 31, 2019
This book was the perfect blend of politics and teenage drama. Michael French does a marvelous job of exploring The political world in an entertaining and relatable way. This is a young adult book, but you can definitely see a crossover to today’s political climate. The book starts off with Brit excited to be on “team Mathew“, putting up posters and campaigning for the boy who has always been part of the high school political arena. When she realizes things are a little shady she finds herself being framed for something she didn’t do and eventually being kicked off the campaign. Brit is now a little disillusioned, a little hurt, and a lot angry, so she decides she is going to run against the powerhouse that is “team Mathew“. But how do you fight a dirty campaign and loads of money? Well Brit gives it a shot with the help of an amazing AP history teacher and a lot of self-confidence and integrity.
I like this book way more than I was anticipating. I was so riveted and invested in Brit and her campaign. She was such a great character you could not help but cheer for her, I found myself crossing my fingers that she was going to be the next student body president. The book is set six years in the future and this gave it a bit of a unique twist. The story really delved into the world of politics not only at the high school level but at the national level, the good, the bad, and the oh so very ugly. Even our heroine Brit got a little caught up in it all and had to make some tough decisions. This book is a great teaching tool for middle grade and high school age kids, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned some things as an adult.
This book in three emojis: 🗳 👩🏼🎓 🏫
I like this book way more than I was anticipating. I was so riveted and invested in Brit and her campaign. She was such a great character you could not help but cheer for her, I found myself crossing my fingers that she was going to be the next student body president. The book is set six years in the future and this gave it a bit of a unique twist. The story really delved into the world of politics not only at the high school level but at the national level, the good, the bad, and the oh so very ugly. Even our heroine Brit got a little caught up in it all and had to make some tough decisions. This book is a great teaching tool for middle grade and high school age kids, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned some things as an adult.
This book in three emojis: 🗳 👩🏼🎓 🏫
August 19, 2019
Politics is anything but boring in this novel, where high school drama meets the tough tension of political nitty gritty.
Brit is in her senior year of high school and would like to learn more about the working behind political elections. The approaching election for student body president is the perfect place for her to jump on board and get some hands on experience. Although she's just a poster hanger for the boy whose sure to win, she's satisfied. That is, until she notices that they seem to be harboring some secrets. When she asks a few simple questions (with no harm intended), she finds herself framed for hacking and kicked out of the group. Brit isn't about to let this obviously secret-holding candidate treat her like that and decides to run for president herself. But she has no clue what she's doing. Not only is she forced to quickly learn the ropes of the entire election process, but soon finds herself up against a conspiracy much larger than she could have imagined. To say things look hopeless is an understatement.
Set slightly in the future, the author has allowed the familiar world as we know it today to exist while building in a slight change—politics is becoming an arena where younger politicians are gaining power. While this doesn't effect the story right away, it sets the perfect basis for this intriguing high school election. Brit is a girl full of determination. She's not popular and struggles to keep bullying at bay. Still, she's got great self-esteem and a heart of gold. It makes her easy to connect to and cheer for the entire way through.
The characters, for the most part, come across very natural. Their hopes and desires are understandable as they struggle through the best they can. They do make good as well as very bad decisions...even Brit...which gives them a more realistic feel. Nobody is purely good or bad, but each has their own interests and hopes they're trying to achieve.
I'm not usually a fan of political fiction, but the author did a great job of making this tale interesting and keeping up the pace. I didn't want to put it down and did read the book in one sitting. There were a few events and bits of logic which were slightly over-the-top and did make me wonder, but it wasn't enough to hurt the story...and definitely not the message. It offers food for thought and will have readers questioning processes they might not have wondered about before.
I received a complimentary copy and was drawn into the tale enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.
Brit is in her senior year of high school and would like to learn more about the working behind political elections. The approaching election for student body president is the perfect place for her to jump on board and get some hands on experience. Although she's just a poster hanger for the boy whose sure to win, she's satisfied. That is, until she notices that they seem to be harboring some secrets. When she asks a few simple questions (with no harm intended), she finds herself framed for hacking and kicked out of the group. Brit isn't about to let this obviously secret-holding candidate treat her like that and decides to run for president herself. But she has no clue what she's doing. Not only is she forced to quickly learn the ropes of the entire election process, but soon finds herself up against a conspiracy much larger than she could have imagined. To say things look hopeless is an understatement.
Set slightly in the future, the author has allowed the familiar world as we know it today to exist while building in a slight change—politics is becoming an arena where younger politicians are gaining power. While this doesn't effect the story right away, it sets the perfect basis for this intriguing high school election. Brit is a girl full of determination. She's not popular and struggles to keep bullying at bay. Still, she's got great self-esteem and a heart of gold. It makes her easy to connect to and cheer for the entire way through.
The characters, for the most part, come across very natural. Their hopes and desires are understandable as they struggle through the best they can. They do make good as well as very bad decisions...even Brit...which gives them a more realistic feel. Nobody is purely good or bad, but each has their own interests and hopes they're trying to achieve.
I'm not usually a fan of political fiction, but the author did a great job of making this tale interesting and keeping up the pace. I didn't want to put it down and did read the book in one sitting. There were a few events and bits of logic which were slightly over-the-top and did make me wonder, but it wasn't enough to hurt the story...and definitely not the message. It offers food for thought and will have readers questioning processes they might not have wondered about before.
I received a complimentary copy and was drawn into the tale enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.
June 9, 2019
Linda APPLEMAN SHAPIRO
THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WINNING AN ELECTION by Michael R. French
Delighted to review French’s novel, Once Upon a Lie when it was released in 2016, I was eager to accept an invitation by W.O.W. to review his newest novel, The Beginner’s Guide to Winning an Election.
In his page of acknowledgements, French credits his inspiration to write this book to the high school student activists of the Parkland, Florida, killings, adding: “history suggests that a democracy thrives when everyone speaks up about social issues and their own sense of wrong and right.”
Announcing his book in a recent blog, French states: “There are numerous benchmarks of achievement in high school, whether social, athletic, academic or personal growth. School is a busy, often overwhelming journey, and carving out one’s identity may include a mix of the above. What is often missing, however, is one’s political voice. For many, cynicism about politics starts at the dinner table, but for others so does the realization that no matter how bad things are in Washington, D.C. or your own community, one dismisses politics at his or her own peril.
Politics affects our lives in subtle, sometimes seemingly invisible ways; if we’re not paying attention, it’s our fault. The Parkland, Florida shootings sparked an awareness that one’s protest, combined with others, can lead to a movement, and a movement can lead to significant change. But the effort requires courage, time, and an understanding of history.
***
What I find most encouraging about this novel is that it may accomplish more to affect change in America than many of our political pundits.
Of the many praises French has already received prior to this book’s publication, Senator Tom Udall, stated that although it is categorized as a book for young adults, “French supplies valuable lessons for politicians of all ages.”
Author, Marc Talbert, wrote: “French weaves a frighteningly plausible tale of political and educational corruption and gives us a heroine worthy of exploring, uncovering, and confronting . . . This is a novel for anyone who honors idealism, and courage in the face of our country’s current political, economic, educational and moral challenges.”
I find both these statements to be true and, as any good author, French engages the reader by creating complex, fascinating characters who capture our attention and imagination from the very first page. To drive his narrative, he has each of them make choices, take risks, and meet the challenges in life that compel them to act or not act when faced with the possibility of creating social change in their world.
He crafts his characters with an artist’s brush–broad strokes where needed and fine lines no matter how minor or major a role the character plays. We know as much about each one as we need to know. We move with them throughout their days as the lead character, Brit, a shy, brilliant, high school senior is guided and challenged by her AP history teacher, Mr. Wilson. He plants seeds of wisdom all along the way and we are taken through her internal struggles – once she has decided to run for office—to figure out how she might follow Mr. Wilson’s teachings and defeat her opponent.
His three golden rules for running for office help her throughout:
1. Develop a thick skin, as thick as a hippo
2. Know opposition better than it knows you
3. Don’t beat yourself up when your campaign come off the rails at times. Setbacks are how you learn.
She tries to live by his philosophy, believing that “history is essential to study and that doubt and laziness are the enemies of history . . .the more you know, the less you’ll be fooled by bigotry, conspiracy theories and shoddy research.”
I don’t know how French spins his magic, but it seems to me as though he channels all the dialogue–specifically Brit’s–making whatever she thinks and says seem both natural and spontaneous reactions to experiences requiring careful but quick thinking, coming from a richly woven knowledge of world history and a mature understanding of her own sense of integrity.
Writing her speech for the graduating class, French describes what she does, and it is how I imagine he has crafted this entire book: “At home,” he writes, “her fingers flew across her keyboard as she wrote: “The words jumped onto the page like acrobats, twisting and contorting into strong statements and fresh ideas.” That’s exactly how I believe French keeps us totally engaged in each character’s emotional growth and change. With Brit in the lead, he shares with the reader how our culture–including candidate culture–has changed and is continuing to change.
Where it had once been face-to-face communication when there were no smartphones or social media feeds and technology had not yet created new values, Brit tells us that “It’s all about living in the moment, showing off, being crude or cruel, and spreading gossip. The future comes in second place. And history gets third.” In the end, she reminds them that her opponent was heavily funded and as the underdog all that she had was “spontaneity, the courage to take risks, and integrity. . . .and she concludes that “this is ultimately a race between two very different points of view: giving up your independence to serve the interests of others or finding your own voice and making it heard. When you walk into a voting booth, ask yourself two questions: Can one person make a difference in this world? Is that person you?”
This is perhaps the loudest message of French’s novel: Addressing voter suppression and the knowledge that one person canmake a difference if he or she so devotes the time and energy to do so. Time and energy that often starts in the voting booth.
French is most assuredly committed to giving his readers hope for what affects us in 21stcentury America: the ever-growing chaos and demise of American values as dictated from up high in the political climate of our day.
He succeeds in showing us—through Brit’s discovering her voice and finding the determination to fight the corruption she discovers–how it is possible to fight it and win. But she does not do so without FACTS, without an in-depth knowledge of world history, that, indeed, has shown her how each person can make a difference. French then leaves us with hope that we may not have had before reading his book.
His closing paragraph reads: “She had so much more to learn, but she had already had a sense of what was real. The world was made of fire. Most battles worth fighting were ultimately waged in the trenches. That was the way the world had always been. . . She brushed away an aggressive bee from her face wondering, just possibly, if the world one day could end up being something better.”
THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WINNING AN ELECTION by Michael R. French
Delighted to review French’s novel, Once Upon a Lie when it was released in 2016, I was eager to accept an invitation by W.O.W. to review his newest novel, The Beginner’s Guide to Winning an Election.
In his page of acknowledgements, French credits his inspiration to write this book to the high school student activists of the Parkland, Florida, killings, adding: “history suggests that a democracy thrives when everyone speaks up about social issues and their own sense of wrong and right.”
Announcing his book in a recent blog, French states: “There are numerous benchmarks of achievement in high school, whether social, athletic, academic or personal growth. School is a busy, often overwhelming journey, and carving out one’s identity may include a mix of the above. What is often missing, however, is one’s political voice. For many, cynicism about politics starts at the dinner table, but for others so does the realization that no matter how bad things are in Washington, D.C. or your own community, one dismisses politics at his or her own peril.
Politics affects our lives in subtle, sometimes seemingly invisible ways; if we’re not paying attention, it’s our fault. The Parkland, Florida shootings sparked an awareness that one’s protest, combined with others, can lead to a movement, and a movement can lead to significant change. But the effort requires courage, time, and an understanding of history.
***
What I find most encouraging about this novel is that it may accomplish more to affect change in America than many of our political pundits.
Of the many praises French has already received prior to this book’s publication, Senator Tom Udall, stated that although it is categorized as a book for young adults, “French supplies valuable lessons for politicians of all ages.”
Author, Marc Talbert, wrote: “French weaves a frighteningly plausible tale of political and educational corruption and gives us a heroine worthy of exploring, uncovering, and confronting . . . This is a novel for anyone who honors idealism, and courage in the face of our country’s current political, economic, educational and moral challenges.”
I find both these statements to be true and, as any good author, French engages the reader by creating complex, fascinating characters who capture our attention and imagination from the very first page. To drive his narrative, he has each of them make choices, take risks, and meet the challenges in life that compel them to act or not act when faced with the possibility of creating social change in their world.
He crafts his characters with an artist’s brush–broad strokes where needed and fine lines no matter how minor or major a role the character plays. We know as much about each one as we need to know. We move with them throughout their days as the lead character, Brit, a shy, brilliant, high school senior is guided and challenged by her AP history teacher, Mr. Wilson. He plants seeds of wisdom all along the way and we are taken through her internal struggles – once she has decided to run for office—to figure out how she might follow Mr. Wilson’s teachings and defeat her opponent.
His three golden rules for running for office help her throughout:
1. Develop a thick skin, as thick as a hippo
2. Know opposition better than it knows you
3. Don’t beat yourself up when your campaign come off the rails at times. Setbacks are how you learn.
She tries to live by his philosophy, believing that “history is essential to study and that doubt and laziness are the enemies of history . . .the more you know, the less you’ll be fooled by bigotry, conspiracy theories and shoddy research.”
I don’t know how French spins his magic, but it seems to me as though he channels all the dialogue–specifically Brit’s–making whatever she thinks and says seem both natural and spontaneous reactions to experiences requiring careful but quick thinking, coming from a richly woven knowledge of world history and a mature understanding of her own sense of integrity.
Writing her speech for the graduating class, French describes what she does, and it is how I imagine he has crafted this entire book: “At home,” he writes, “her fingers flew across her keyboard as she wrote: “The words jumped onto the page like acrobats, twisting and contorting into strong statements and fresh ideas.” That’s exactly how I believe French keeps us totally engaged in each character’s emotional growth and change. With Brit in the lead, he shares with the reader how our culture–including candidate culture–has changed and is continuing to change.
Where it had once been face-to-face communication when there were no smartphones or social media feeds and technology had not yet created new values, Brit tells us that “It’s all about living in the moment, showing off, being crude or cruel, and spreading gossip. The future comes in second place. And history gets third.” In the end, she reminds them that her opponent was heavily funded and as the underdog all that she had was “spontaneity, the courage to take risks, and integrity. . . .and she concludes that “this is ultimately a race between two very different points of view: giving up your independence to serve the interests of others or finding your own voice and making it heard. When you walk into a voting booth, ask yourself two questions: Can one person make a difference in this world? Is that person you?”
This is perhaps the loudest message of French’s novel: Addressing voter suppression and the knowledge that one person canmake a difference if he or she so devotes the time and energy to do so. Time and energy that often starts in the voting booth.
French is most assuredly committed to giving his readers hope for what affects us in 21stcentury America: the ever-growing chaos and demise of American values as dictated from up high in the political climate of our day.
He succeeds in showing us—through Brit’s discovering her voice and finding the determination to fight the corruption she discovers–how it is possible to fight it and win. But she does not do so without FACTS, without an in-depth knowledge of world history, that, indeed, has shown her how each person can make a difference. French then leaves us with hope that we may not have had before reading his book.
His closing paragraph reads: “She had so much more to learn, but she had already had a sense of what was real. The world was made of fire. Most battles worth fighting were ultimately waged in the trenches. That was the way the world had always been. . . She brushed away an aggressive bee from her face wondering, just possibly, if the world one day could end up being something better.”
March 17, 2019
What Michael French has done here, in an approach not dissimilar to William Golding's Lord of the Flies, is to create a metaphor and an insight into the problems of the adult world through the agency of children. We're in the world of high school politics. Brit Kitridge's dark horse campaign to unseat popular incumbent Matthew Boltanski as Student Body President starts out idealistic, but like any high stakes political race (and the stakes here, in context, are high), it takes morally relative and even dangerous turns. Big money, dirty money in high school politics? French has set his novel just far enough into the future to give us pause, as we look on uneasily at the way our world is spinning, to wonder whether this scenario just might not be far fetched at all. As unlimited spending turns our politics darker and more cynical, wealthy interests seeking to get an ever firmer grip on the reins of decision-making could easily be reaching down to co-opt the "leaders" of tomorrow. Today, high school. Tomorrow, Pre-K?
February 11, 2019
Great way to present politics to teens!
I think this book would be a valuable teaching tool on the junior high and high school level. It keeps the topic light by following high schooler Brit Kitridge through the process of running for student body president of her high school. On the surface the book just seems to be about a high school election but it’s easy to make the connection between Brit’s election and a governmental election when the truth starts coming out. The book delves into the good, the bad and the ugly of how politics work. Brit soon realizes that there’s a giant web of corruption that goes well above the hallways of Brits High school. The writing style is smooth and entertaining while still presenting information that will help kids understand how the government works a little better! I’m surprised at how well the book depicted our current government situations so well as well.
I think this book would be a valuable teaching tool on the junior high and high school level. It keeps the topic light by following high schooler Brit Kitridge through the process of running for student body president of her high school. On the surface the book just seems to be about a high school election but it’s easy to make the connection between Brit’s election and a governmental election when the truth starts coming out. The book delves into the good, the bad and the ugly of how politics work. Brit soon realizes that there’s a giant web of corruption that goes well above the hallways of Brits High school. The writing style is smooth and entertaining while still presenting information that will help kids understand how the government works a little better! I’m surprised at how well the book depicted our current government situations so well as well.
August 11, 2019
I'm giving this a 4.5 but rounded up to a 5. I really, really enjoyed this one and think that if you work in a middle or high school, you should have this in your library and/or classroom. Even more so if you teach American History or Social Studies- include it.
This follows Brit on the quest of becoming her student body President and she quickly learns how corrupt high school politics is, but also how that corruption spreads like wildfire and is far reaching. I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait until my 14 year old finishes it because I'd like to hear what her thoughts on the book are. A very fast read, you'll likely get through this in one day because I had a hard time putting it down, now only did I want to know if Brit won, but what the cascading consequences would be if she did.... or what would happen if she didn't, as well.
To see my full review (and many more), visit my blog: Stranded in Chaos
This follows Brit on the quest of becoming her student body President and she quickly learns how corrupt high school politics is, but also how that corruption spreads like wildfire and is far reaching. I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait until my 14 year old finishes it because I'd like to hear what her thoughts on the book are. A very fast read, you'll likely get through this in one day because I had a hard time putting it down, now only did I want to know if Brit won, but what the cascading consequences would be if she did.... or what would happen if she didn't, as well.
To see my full review (and many more), visit my blog: Stranded in Chaos
February 7, 2019
‘Most battles worth fighting were ultimately waged in the trenches’
California author Michael French earned his degrees from both Stanford University and Northwestern University. As a businessman and author he lives in both Santa Fe, New Mexico and Santa Barbara, California. His books to date include ABINGDON’S and PURSUIT, both award winning novels, among the many young adult fiction, adult fiction, children’s books and screenplays.
Michael understands youth and the crises of coming of age and facing the expectations and disappointments that alter entry into the contemporary world. He has a keen sense of parody, able to take on controversial subject (such as our elections system) and weave a fine story around it. Transporting his story to a few years into the future offers the reader the advantage of retrospection – an entertaining and enlightening diversion that makes of a very fine story.
The synopsis distills the plots well: ‘In 2025, the “youthification” of democracy has inspired younger candidates to challenge the ineffective and hypocritical gray-hairs in Congress. Running for student body president at an Indiana high school, political novice Brit Kitridge takes on incumbent Matthew Boltanski, who, with help from a mystery backer, already has his eyes set on Washington. Brit gains courage and insights from a wise history teacher on how to win, but ultimately finds a maze of deceit and corruption in her school. Is exposing the truth enough to win the election?’
The style of Michael’s prose is set in the opening chapter – ‘A little after 3:00 PM Brit Kitridge punched in a new code for her hall locker: 1836, the date of the Battle of the Alamo. Last week her code had been 1964, a landmark year for civil rights. She loved history, less so the reason for having to periodically change her code. For school security, students marched through metal detectors and past uniform guars, and thankfully, there had never been a shooting at Hawthorn High School. However, thought Brit, there was zero protection form kids spying over your shoulder when you opened your locker. As a bullying tactic, one ninth-grader’s locker had been broken into three times, and it was only the second week of school. Others had lost jewelry, cameras, smartphones, and textbooks. And if something sensitive was stolen and exposed, you could be buried in an endless avalanche of gossip. Desperate times called for desperate actions, Brit conceded. Hawthorn High, 120 miles form Bloomington, Indiana was no different form other public schools across the country. Cities and states kept slashing school budgets, like this was the new norm.’
Mixing fact with adventure is a special gift for Michael. Read, be entertained, and think about the repercussions of his observations. Recommended.
California author Michael French earned his degrees from both Stanford University and Northwestern University. As a businessman and author he lives in both Santa Fe, New Mexico and Santa Barbara, California. His books to date include ABINGDON’S and PURSUIT, both award winning novels, among the many young adult fiction, adult fiction, children’s books and screenplays.
Michael understands youth and the crises of coming of age and facing the expectations and disappointments that alter entry into the contemporary world. He has a keen sense of parody, able to take on controversial subject (such as our elections system) and weave a fine story around it. Transporting his story to a few years into the future offers the reader the advantage of retrospection – an entertaining and enlightening diversion that makes of a very fine story.
The synopsis distills the plots well: ‘In 2025, the “youthification” of democracy has inspired younger candidates to challenge the ineffective and hypocritical gray-hairs in Congress. Running for student body president at an Indiana high school, political novice Brit Kitridge takes on incumbent Matthew Boltanski, who, with help from a mystery backer, already has his eyes set on Washington. Brit gains courage and insights from a wise history teacher on how to win, but ultimately finds a maze of deceit and corruption in her school. Is exposing the truth enough to win the election?’
The style of Michael’s prose is set in the opening chapter – ‘A little after 3:00 PM Brit Kitridge punched in a new code for her hall locker: 1836, the date of the Battle of the Alamo. Last week her code had been 1964, a landmark year for civil rights. She loved history, less so the reason for having to periodically change her code. For school security, students marched through metal detectors and past uniform guars, and thankfully, there had never been a shooting at Hawthorn High School. However, thought Brit, there was zero protection form kids spying over your shoulder when you opened your locker. As a bullying tactic, one ninth-grader’s locker had been broken into three times, and it was only the second week of school. Others had lost jewelry, cameras, smartphones, and textbooks. And if something sensitive was stolen and exposed, you could be buried in an endless avalanche of gossip. Desperate times called for desperate actions, Brit conceded. Hawthorn High, 120 miles form Bloomington, Indiana was no different form other public schools across the country. Cities and states kept slashing school budgets, like this was the new norm.’
Mixing fact with adventure is a special gift for Michael. Read, be entertained, and think about the repercussions of his observations. Recommended.
March 2, 2019
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
One young woman’s goal of learning as much about politics as possible leads her down a path of betrayals, lies and shocking revelations that leads her to take on the establishment in author Michael R. French’s “The Beginner’s Guide to Winning An Election”. Here is the synopsis.
The Synopsis
In 2025, the “youthification” of democracy has inspired younger candidates to challenge the ineffective and hypocritical gray-hairs in Congress. Running for student body president at an Indiana high school, political novice Brit Kitridge takes on incumbent Matthew Boltanski, who, with help from a mystery backer, already has his eyes set on Washington. Brit gains courage and insights from a wise history teacher on how to win, but ultimately finds a maze of deceit and corruption in her school. Is exposing the truth enough to win the election?
The Review
This coming of age YA drama was a fantastic exploration of the political system. Exploring a near future that sees backroom deals, corruption and scandal make its way from the halls of Washington all the way to a small high school in Indiana, the author expertly showcases the struggle to retain your morality and principles when fighting against money and power. In an age in which we now see more and more lies and corruption within our own government coming to light, this novel does a fantastic job of bringing the delicate nature of politics and intricacies of not only running for office, but holding office as well to younger generations, especially those who will be in a position to vote in just a couple year’s time.
The story itself is powerful, not only blending these themes and moral quandaries to the reader, but creating a narrative that is nearly cinematic in its approach. The characters are realistic, intriguing and hold the readers attention throughout the entirety of the novel. Yet it’s the powerful imagery used by the author to not only showcase the natural setting of the school and city this book takes place in, but to build an image of the emotions and complex state of the students and main characters as they go through this election, that really shines brightly throughout this book.
The Verdict
This is a must read YA, coming of age novel in 2019. An important message followed by a powerful narrative and memorable characters, author Michael R. French has created a stand-alone novel that grabs the reader’s attention and manages to wrap up the character’s stories beautifully, all the while allowing the reader to bond with these characters enough to ponder their fictional futures. If you enjoy a good YA novel with themes of politics, corruption and fighting the good fight, then grab your copy of The Beginner’s Guide to Winning today!
One young woman’s goal of learning as much about politics as possible leads her down a path of betrayals, lies and shocking revelations that leads her to take on the establishment in author Michael R. French’s “The Beginner’s Guide to Winning An Election”. Here is the synopsis.
The Synopsis
In 2025, the “youthification” of democracy has inspired younger candidates to challenge the ineffective and hypocritical gray-hairs in Congress. Running for student body president at an Indiana high school, political novice Brit Kitridge takes on incumbent Matthew Boltanski, who, with help from a mystery backer, already has his eyes set on Washington. Brit gains courage and insights from a wise history teacher on how to win, but ultimately finds a maze of deceit and corruption in her school. Is exposing the truth enough to win the election?
The Review
This coming of age YA drama was a fantastic exploration of the political system. Exploring a near future that sees backroom deals, corruption and scandal make its way from the halls of Washington all the way to a small high school in Indiana, the author expertly showcases the struggle to retain your morality and principles when fighting against money and power. In an age in which we now see more and more lies and corruption within our own government coming to light, this novel does a fantastic job of bringing the delicate nature of politics and intricacies of not only running for office, but holding office as well to younger generations, especially those who will be in a position to vote in just a couple year’s time.
The story itself is powerful, not only blending these themes and moral quandaries to the reader, but creating a narrative that is nearly cinematic in its approach. The characters are realistic, intriguing and hold the readers attention throughout the entirety of the novel. Yet it’s the powerful imagery used by the author to not only showcase the natural setting of the school and city this book takes place in, but to build an image of the emotions and complex state of the students and main characters as they go through this election, that really shines brightly throughout this book.
The Verdict
This is a must read YA, coming of age novel in 2019. An important message followed by a powerful narrative and memorable characters, author Michael R. French has created a stand-alone novel that grabs the reader’s attention and manages to wrap up the character’s stories beautifully, all the while allowing the reader to bond with these characters enough to ponder their fictional futures. If you enjoy a good YA novel with themes of politics, corruption and fighting the good fight, then grab your copy of The Beginner’s Guide to Winning today!
February 8, 2019
Excellent!!
P.M. Brit Kitridge used historical dates for her local being a history lover. During those days, bullying was experienced by students which led to tight security in Hawthorn High School. Though famous with the name of “Introvert” and “Science Brain” Brit had started mixing up with groups after losing the election.
Therefore, she felt the need to possess real experience in politics so, joined Matthew team and assisted in grunt work. Matthew Boltanski, an Eagle Scout with merit badges had the right mix of humility, ambition, and confidence. Brit had dreamed of leading student body in the Pledge of Allegiance written by Francis Bellamy in 1891. At a very young age, she learned to use her time wisely and her thought was provoked by her favorite teacher Mr. Wilson.
The country was surrounded by uncertainties, political turmoil, cyber-attacks, inflation, bombing by aircraft. She was told that her generation had the potential to change the world for the better. Matthew also became a star overnight after becoming freshman class president. Apart from her interest in politics, Brit used to enjoy the company of her four friends who had different aspects of personalities. She concluded to have a moral principle as a necessity.
This book is a relevant read as it signifies the current political state. Though listed under young adult fiction I would recommend this book for everyone as it is a smart novel with vision.
P.M. Brit Kitridge used historical dates for her local being a history lover. During those days, bullying was experienced by students which led to tight security in Hawthorn High School. Though famous with the name of “Introvert” and “Science Brain” Brit had started mixing up with groups after losing the election.
Therefore, she felt the need to possess real experience in politics so, joined Matthew team and assisted in grunt work. Matthew Boltanski, an Eagle Scout with merit badges had the right mix of humility, ambition, and confidence. Brit had dreamed of leading student body in the Pledge of Allegiance written by Francis Bellamy in 1891. At a very young age, she learned to use her time wisely and her thought was provoked by her favorite teacher Mr. Wilson.
The country was surrounded by uncertainties, political turmoil, cyber-attacks, inflation, bombing by aircraft. She was told that her generation had the potential to change the world for the better. Matthew also became a star overnight after becoming freshman class president. Apart from her interest in politics, Brit used to enjoy the company of her four friends who had different aspects of personalities. She concluded to have a moral principle as a necessity.
This book is a relevant read as it signifies the current political state. Though listed under young adult fiction I would recommend this book for everyone as it is a smart novel with vision.
February 7, 2019
The Beginner's Guide to Winning an Election is a teen and young adult novel about a spunky teenaged girl named Brit Kitridge who decides to run for student body president of her high school. Her opponent, the popular incumbent determined on a future in politics, is only one of the obstacles she faces down while learning to navigate the seedy underbelly of campaigning. Michael French has written the perfect book to expose youth to politics, good and bad. I feel like we need more younger people involved, or at the very least more informed about our government and the politics behind the scenes, if there is any chance for a promising future. In this book, the themes at issue are displayed in a way that feels real and honest to a person of that age while still pushing the notion that there is more and worse out there. Every character was developed well and the ending was satisfying, hopeful and realistic.
February 11, 2019
Learning through a fun novel
The Beginner’s Guide to Winning the Election follows a high school student, Brit, who’s love of history propels her to try to run for student government after an unsuccessful first time. Through this experience, she learns first hand about the corruption found in politics. The novel is both educational and intriguing, which is a testament to the author. I did feel like the target audience was teenagers but I throughly enjoyed it as an adult. (I’m all about ways to learn through untraditional methods.) The characters seem realistic for their ages. Overall, a really enjoyable novel all around.
The Beginner’s Guide to Winning the Election follows a high school student, Brit, who’s love of history propels her to try to run for student government after an unsuccessful first time. Through this experience, she learns first hand about the corruption found in politics. The novel is both educational and intriguing, which is a testament to the author. I did feel like the target audience was teenagers but I throughly enjoyed it as an adult. (I’m all about ways to learn through untraditional methods.) The characters seem realistic for their ages. Overall, a really enjoyable novel all around.
March 7, 2019
The Beginner's Guide to Winning an Election by Michael R. French is a coming of age young adult novel that has wider connotations to both the world of politics and World politics in this day and age. I found this novel entertaining and educational without being pedantic. Even though it is styled as a YA novel, I think adults would find it interesting as well. I give it 4 stars !
For a complete review, please visit my blog at https://sreevarshasreejith.blogspot.c....
An e-book copy of this novel was provided to me to review, the opinions expressed are my own.
For a complete review, please visit my blog at https://sreevarshasreejith.blogspot.c....
An e-book copy of this novel was provided to me to review, the opinions expressed are my own.
June 14, 2019
I will admit it took several tries to finally get into the novel. I wasnt sure what I was expecting but decided to give it one more shot (maybe I was in a slump), however, I found this to be an interesting novel.
Politics is not really something I personally am interested in although I do find that it is an important topic for younger generations. Michael French found a way to incorporate politics in a way that young adults can relate to.
I would be willing to read another one of his novels.
Politics is not really something I personally am interested in although I do find that it is an important topic for younger generations. Michael French found a way to incorporate politics in a way that young adults can relate to.
I would be willing to read another one of his novels.
December 5, 2020
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Brit Kitridge's plan was just to get her high school diploma and head to med school, but nobody can escape from fate, or is it history?
High school student Brit loves history and, after spending a summer reading a number of books and obtaining a passion for politics, decides to join TM (Team Mathew), a fourteen-member group that helped Mathew Boltanski win the election of student body president. By orchestrating brilliant campaigns one after the other, TM has made Matthew a national young star and promising politician who could even run for higher office in Washington. When Brit is accused of sabotaging the team, she realizes that Hawthorn High has its secrets, and someone needs to shed some light on them. The story is set in a world six years ahead of our time. Security is a constant issue. Politics isn't black-and-white, it's not even gray anymore. Inflation is out of control and the educational system is in crisis. Brit's campaign message? Transparency.
Michael R. French does an amazing job of keeping his characters genuine. Brit is still a teenager despite the political intrigue surrounding her. She has doubts and fears but also the courage to address what most people would turn a blind eye to. Throughout the book, we watch her transform into a bold and fearless mini-version of what a true leader should really be. She wants to uncover the truth, make it accessible to everyone, fix what's wrong, and make it better, and that is exactly what makes her a great candidate. But money and corruption run deeper than values, and Brit has an extreme, almost impossible task: winning her own political campaign. She isn't alone in this race. She has a great team advising, managing and planning her campaign and, most importantly, supporting and defending her every step of the way. Her biggest ally, however, is her history teacher. He's something like a mentor to Brit. He never stops believing in her and her abilities. He is always there for her, advising and showing her the right way through his class lectures.
The Beginner's Guide To Winning an Election is a quick read with a well-written plot and a fast pace. I really liked the fact that the book didn't end on election day but continues until graduation day. If you thought politics is tough, high school politics belongs to a level of its own.
Brit Kitridge's plan was just to get her high school diploma and head to med school, but nobody can escape from fate, or is it history?
High school student Brit loves history and, after spending a summer reading a number of books and obtaining a passion for politics, decides to join TM (Team Mathew), a fourteen-member group that helped Mathew Boltanski win the election of student body president. By orchestrating brilliant campaigns one after the other, TM has made Matthew a national young star and promising politician who could even run for higher office in Washington. When Brit is accused of sabotaging the team, she realizes that Hawthorn High has its secrets, and someone needs to shed some light on them. The story is set in a world six years ahead of our time. Security is a constant issue. Politics isn't black-and-white, it's not even gray anymore. Inflation is out of control and the educational system is in crisis. Brit's campaign message? Transparency.
Michael R. French does an amazing job of keeping his characters genuine. Brit is still a teenager despite the political intrigue surrounding her. She has doubts and fears but also the courage to address what most people would turn a blind eye to. Throughout the book, we watch her transform into a bold and fearless mini-version of what a true leader should really be. She wants to uncover the truth, make it accessible to everyone, fix what's wrong, and make it better, and that is exactly what makes her a great candidate. But money and corruption run deeper than values, and Brit has an extreme, almost impossible task: winning her own political campaign. She isn't alone in this race. She has a great team advising, managing and planning her campaign and, most importantly, supporting and defending her every step of the way. Her biggest ally, however, is her history teacher. He's something like a mentor to Brit. He never stops believing in her and her abilities. He is always there for her, advising and showing her the right way through his class lectures.
The Beginner's Guide To Winning an Election is a quick read with a well-written plot and a fast pace. I really liked the fact that the book didn't end on election day but continues until graduation day. If you thought politics is tough, high school politics belongs to a level of its own.
August 20, 2019
A topic that might not seem interesting shows a different side to the world of high school politics.
Being involved in high school politics is the last thing Brit Kitridge had on her mind. She wanted to finish high school, go to college and then onto med school. She has always loved history, especially her history teacher and looks to him for guidance. After he fuels her passion for politics, she joins the team of Matthew Boltanski, the school’s shoo-in for winning the election. He has a team of fourteen that has helped him win everything he has gone out for and now he wants to be Student Body President. Before she can do much for the team, she is accused of being a spy and trying to sabotage the team. It doesn’t take long for Brit to realize she wants to be the change in her school and sets out to beat Matthew at his own game and win the election herself. Winning is going to be harder than she imagined and the secrets she uncovers go deeper than anyone in school could have predicted.
I would like to say I enjoyed this book, but I can’t. It started out far too slow, especially for a YA novel that should take off from page one. Not only did it start slow, but for me it was very unbelievable. Set a few years in the future isn’t enough to make the scenarios feel real for me. High school students being paid by a corporation to win elections in high school? And the amounts paid? It was just too farfetched for me to buy. The rest of the storyline itself is good, a high school election with the underdog going out to try and make a difference for the school. I liked that along with the values that Brit stood for and tried to be a moral compass, even when she made mistakes she owned up to those mistakes. The author did a good job of portraying young adolescents in a difficult time, one of the best aspects of the novel. Several points in the book had language that I am not comfortable recommending to young readers. I don’t recommend this to YA readers with the language and slow start, but older readers might enjoy the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Being involved in high school politics is the last thing Brit Kitridge had on her mind. She wanted to finish high school, go to college and then onto med school. She has always loved history, especially her history teacher and looks to him for guidance. After he fuels her passion for politics, she joins the team of Matthew Boltanski, the school’s shoo-in for winning the election. He has a team of fourteen that has helped him win everything he has gone out for and now he wants to be Student Body President. Before she can do much for the team, she is accused of being a spy and trying to sabotage the team. It doesn’t take long for Brit to realize she wants to be the change in her school and sets out to beat Matthew at his own game and win the election herself. Winning is going to be harder than she imagined and the secrets she uncovers go deeper than anyone in school could have predicted.
I would like to say I enjoyed this book, but I can’t. It started out far too slow, especially for a YA novel that should take off from page one. Not only did it start slow, but for me it was very unbelievable. Set a few years in the future isn’t enough to make the scenarios feel real for me. High school students being paid by a corporation to win elections in high school? And the amounts paid? It was just too farfetched for me to buy. The rest of the storyline itself is good, a high school election with the underdog going out to try and make a difference for the school. I liked that along with the values that Brit stood for and tried to be a moral compass, even when she made mistakes she owned up to those mistakes. The author did a good job of portraying young adolescents in a difficult time, one of the best aspects of the novel. Several points in the book had language that I am not comfortable recommending to young readers. I don’t recommend this to YA readers with the language and slow start, but older readers might enjoy the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
September 5, 2019
It is refreshing to read a book about a high school girl that is not focused on chasing love! This well-written book takes the phrase “honesty is the best policy” very seriously and it is almost inspiring – had the book been set in college, I would have even said that the writing was captivating. Reading about the word of high school politics has me feeling nostalgic for something I was not overly involved in. The race, the emotions, and the people are written in such a way that I would not have been surprised if the book was based on real-life events.
While there were a few factors that irked me – classic situation where an introvert is magically turned into an extrovert; the race causing out-of-proportion eagerness to commit serious criminal offenses for a relatively low pay out; no allusion to how the future is different from life today – these were not disturbing enough to significantly affect the story.
This book is great entertainment for high school students, and there definitely is a lesson to be learned when it comes to ethics in political races, no matter at what level.
While there were a few factors that irked me – classic situation where an introvert is magically turned into an extrovert; the race causing out-of-proportion eagerness to commit serious criminal offenses for a relatively low pay out; no allusion to how the future is different from life today – these were not disturbing enough to significantly affect the story.
This book is great entertainment for high school students, and there definitely is a lesson to be learned when it comes to ethics in political races, no matter at what level.
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September 19, 2019I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a family member who I think will enjoy it too.
May 6, 2019
This was not what I was looking for. It was written by someone who hasn't been around teenagers in quite some time. It felt uncomfortable and just wrong. I can't recommend this to anyone.
February 13, 2019
A Timely Story
As we live in a time when teens are politically aware this book presents a look at the future and influence of "Big Politics" working its way down the age scale. It's a fascinating look at the future of what could happen. The characters are well written and come to life. While it's a YA book I would encourage everyone to read it!
As we live in a time when teens are politically aware this book presents a look at the future and influence of "Big Politics" working its way down the age scale. It's a fascinating look at the future of what could happen. The characters are well written and come to life. While it's a YA book I would encourage everyone to read it!
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