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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
An interesting take on the mafia romance genre. The characters are interesting enough to keep me reading the series, though I feel like it leans heavily on a lot of mafioso stereotypes.
*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I really liked the Elite. It was definitely not what I was expecting when I started it, but I found myself really liking Trace.
Trace was just a girl from rural Wyoming, but there was something that seemed off from the beginning. This poor girl goes through hell from the beginning to the end of the book. I wanted Trace to just catch a break, she seemed to be surrounded by some morally questionable people. It frustrated me through a large part of the book that no one would step up to help her. Not even Monroe who is supposed to be her best friend and roommate. Everyone gave excuses, but that's all they were, even if they couldn't intervene directly they could have done a lot behind the scenes.
Nixon is an ass, and I did end up liking him only because although he was the cause of most of Trace's problems, he also was the one who did the most. Plus, he at least tried to give her hints and explanations for what was going on. She didn't understand because she didn't grow up with him, but you could see he at least tried.
The only thing that takes this from a 4 star rating down to a 3 star rating was the love triangle. It just felt incredibly forced, especially because Trace and Chase felt more like siblings. Trace doesn't even really notice Chase like that, she feels bad because she knows he has feelings for her, but it isn't because she loves him like she loves Nixon. I don't think it's ever going to be an issue, the next book will try to play it up to cause drama but ultimately I think Trace will be with Nixon.
I really liked the Elite. It was definitely not what I was expecting when I started it, but I found myself really liking Trace.
Trace was just a girl from rural Wyoming, but there was something that seemed off from the beginning. This poor girl goes through hell from the beginning to the end of the book. I wanted Trace to just catch a break, she seemed to be surrounded by some morally questionable people. It frustrated me through a large part of the book that no one would step up to help her. Not even Monroe who is supposed to be her best friend and roommate. Everyone gave excuses, but that's all they were, even if they couldn't intervene directly they could have done a lot behind the scenes.
Nixon is an ass, and I did end up liking him only because although he was the cause of most of Trace's problems, he also was the one who did the most. Plus, he at least tried to give her hints and explanations for what was going on. She didn't understand because she didn't grow up with him, but you could see he at least tried.
The only thing that takes this from a 4 star rating down to a 3 star rating was the love triangle. It just felt incredibly forced, especially because Trace and Chase felt more like siblings. Trace doesn't even really notice Chase like that, she feels bad because she knows he has feelings for her, but it isn't because she loves him like she loves Nixon. I don't think it's ever going to be an issue, the next book will try to play it up to cause drama but ultimately I think Trace will be with Nixon.
Nando's Spice Rating: Wild Herb
I actually really enjoyed this book.
It was mafia which I didn't realise.
This book was really easy to read and binge. There was some parts where I didn't like the writing but the plot made up for it and vice versa, so I always felt that there was something driving me to keep reading.
I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of this and really made me want to keep going.
The characters sometimes bothered me often a bit immature trying to act mature but I think given their ages I can forgive this.
I actually really enjoyed this book.
It was mafia which I didn't realise.
This book was really easy to read and binge. There was some parts where I didn't like the writing but the plot made up for it and vice versa, so I always felt that there was something driving me to keep reading.
I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of this and really made me want to keep going.
The characters sometimes bothered me often a bit immature trying to act mature but I think given their ages I can forgive this.
This book is just one big mess - it rushes through everything.
And yet at the same time, I kinda want to know what happens in the sequel.
And yet at the same time, I kinda want to know what happens in the sequel.
DNF @ 41%
Part of this is my fault. I just got done reading "Rip" by the same author and loved it. I was looking for another edgy and darkish mafia book so I thought I would start her Elite series. The problem is.. I didn't realize this series (or at least the start of it) was YA. I have no problems with YA and will read it on occasion, but I thought it would fall along the same lines as "Rip". I was very mistaken.
What I read was annoying and childish not edgy and gritty. I realized once I logged onto Goodreads that it is listed under YA. That is my fault as I didn't think to look before I started the book. It wasn't what I thought it was, and therefore I stopped reading because I was too annoyed. Because of all this, I will not rate the book.
Part of this is my fault. I just got done reading "Rip" by the same author and loved it. I was looking for another edgy and darkish mafia book so I thought I would start her Elite series. The problem is.. I didn't realize this series (or at least the start of it) was YA. I have no problems with YA and will read it on occasion, but I thought it would fall along the same lines as "Rip". I was very mistaken.
What I read was annoying and childish not edgy and gritty. I realized once I logged onto Goodreads that it is listed under YA. That is my fault as I didn't think to look before I started the book. It wasn't what I thought it was, and therefore I stopped reading because I was too annoyed. Because of all this, I will not rate the book.
My Thoughts
Ok so I have to admit that while reading this I kept thinking there was going to be something paranormal going on.. I just KNEW it, reading the description I had a feeling that it was going to be about vampires, aliens, monsters, SOMETHING because I mean the Elect just sounds like something paranormal.. then I get to the middle and I am going huh definitely NOT paranormal but the book is just as magical..
When we first meet the main character, she is on her way to a college that she was accepted too by winning the lottery. No, not the actual lottery but it is harder to win than the real lottery. This college is full of overly privileged children who get a kick out of making other people's lives a living hell, in order to make them feel better about themselves.
At first, while reading this, it rubbed me the wrong way, colleges weren't like this and it felt more like high school than college because bitches are bitches but they aren't that catty in college. Most people act mature and leave high school drama in high school.
But when I really thought about it, I figured if this prestigious school was full of the spawn of the rich and famous then of course there was going to be high school drama going on.:
I immediately liked Tracey as soon as she was introduced. She was sweet, caring, sarcastic and everything a good main character is. She also grew up in this book, started to stand up for herself and it was an exciting transformation to see from the beginning..
Nixon is my favorite type of book boyfriend, an asshole with a heart.
I am such a sucker for a leading man that will irritate the shit out of me but will also make my panties swoon from the words that come out of his mouth
That is what Nixon did, he was a huge asshole but damn if he didn't have a heart to make up for it.
Tracey was instantly attracted to him, I mean she did say that he looked like Channing Tatum with longer hair
"Why did he have to be so beautiful? And why did his touch make me want to sell my soul?"
(yummilicous I would seriously hump his leg).
When Tracey and Nixon are introduced, he of course, brings out his asshole charm to tell Tracey about the rules of the Elect and to put Tracey in her place as soon as possible.
That went over as well as expected, she pretty much told him to fuck off and I am pretty sure he fell in love with her right there on the spot.
While Tracey is at school, her roommate Monroe, happens to be the sister of the "spawn of satan" aka Nixon and at first I thought she was going to be a bitch because the rest of the school acted that way but she is pretty kick ass and my second favorite female character in the book. Monroe sticks to Tracey's side and looks out for her, introduces her to her world and helps her adjust to the school in all it's grandiose.
Tracey is always targeted at school because she is new and Nixon and his goons have made it their mission to make her life hell because she doesn't like to follow the rules.
But then something shifts and changes and Nixon is now trying to protect her, he knows the secret that will destroy Tracey's world and yet he wants nothing more than to protect her from the heartbreak. He tries to stay away from her and keep his distance but he ends up crushing himself and Tracey.
I was weeping and crushed, I wanted to punch and kick Nixon's face but at the same time I knew he had to be doing this for a reason..Ugh
"I love you, Trace. I always have. Just remember that okay? Hold on to it. No matter what I say or what I do... and trust me, I'll do some terrible things. Just know. I love you. With every fiber of my being"
As the book continues and comes to the big climax and plot reveal, I am already salivating about the relationship between Nixon and Tracey. I am so full of angst and lust that it is really hard to even concentrate on where the book is headed. All of a sudden I almost didn't want to know what Tracey is and her true identity because I just know, KNOW without a doubt that it is going to rock her world. And boy does her world get ROCKED
(and not even by Nixon either, unfortunately hummpphh).
Everything she has ever known is suddenly unknown, the responsibilities that her family has is huge and complicated, and she is the center of it all. They have enemies and of course Tracey is the number one target so it would have been almost better that she was left in the dark..ALMOST
Everyone is trying to protect her from every angle and its that protection that leads to the end where shit gets SERIOUS and BAM the book ends..
SIGH
Just
Siiiiigh
It's not a cliffhanger per say but you are left craving the next installment like it is a drug and you want to know what happens and you want to know NOW. The only thing that I am praying for is that the author doesn't turn the next book into a huge love triangle..I don't think my nerves could take it with everything else that is going on.
The book series is already exciting as it is and the love triangle will probably cause me to fall over dead from angst!!!
This book was really good, well-written, well-rounded characters and I was entertained plus intrigued from the very beginning. BUT it was confusing at first, it gets better and I understood later, I just wish the "secret" would have been revealed a little sooner. Also even though I thought a college full of rich spawn would be catty, it still didn't seem very realistic.
Although, that is what a book is suppose to do, alter my reality, so I say this is a mix of good and bad
The romance was far from rushed, it built to the point of explosion, I was panting and wanting Nixon and Tracey to just rip their clothes off and do it to each other rough, hard, fast, slow...
I didn't care just as long as they do it so I could experience it too.
I swooned, laughed, teared up, was outraged, on the edge of my seat.. Shit just gets exciting and when it ends I wanted to read the fuck out of the next one ASAP
I honestly didn't think I would enjoy this one as much as I did but I really, really liked it. It definitely wasn't boring and I can't wait for the next one.
I give this book a 4/5 and I can't freaking wait to see what is going to happen...
BUT PLEASE PLEASE RACHEL DON'T Turn this exciting series into a love triangle, I am BEGGING you!!!!
Ok so I have to admit that while reading this I kept thinking there was going to be something paranormal going on.. I just KNEW it, reading the description I had a feeling that it was going to be about vampires, aliens, monsters, SOMETHING because I mean the Elect just sounds like something paranormal.. then I get to the middle and I am going huh definitely NOT paranormal but the book is just as magical..
When we first meet the main character, she is on her way to a college that she was accepted too by winning the lottery. No, not the actual lottery but it is harder to win than the real lottery. This college is full of overly privileged children who get a kick out of making other people's lives a living hell, in order to make them feel better about themselves.
At first, while reading this, it rubbed me the wrong way, colleges weren't like this and it felt more like high school than college because bitches are bitches but they aren't that catty in college. Most people act mature and leave high school drama in high school.
But when I really thought about it, I figured if this prestigious school was full of the spawn of the rich and famous then of course there was going to be high school drama going on.:
I immediately liked Tracey as soon as she was introduced. She was sweet, caring, sarcastic and everything a good main character is. She also grew up in this book, started to stand up for herself and it was an exciting transformation to see from the beginning..
Nixon is my favorite type of book boyfriend, an asshole with a heart.
I am such a sucker for a leading man that will irritate the shit out of me but will also make my panties swoon from the words that come out of his mouth
That is what Nixon did, he was a huge asshole but damn if he didn't have a heart to make up for it.
Tracey was instantly attracted to him, I mean she did say that he looked like Channing Tatum with longer hair
"Why did he have to be so beautiful? And why did his touch make me want to sell my soul?"
(yummilicous I would seriously hump his leg).
When Tracey and Nixon are introduced, he of course, brings out his asshole charm to tell Tracey about the rules of the Elect and to put Tracey in her place as soon as possible.
That went over as well as expected, she pretty much told him to fuck off and I am pretty sure he fell in love with her right there on the spot.
While Tracey is at school, her roommate Monroe, happens to be the sister of the "spawn of satan" aka Nixon and at first I thought she was going to be a bitch because the rest of the school acted that way but she is pretty kick ass and my second favorite female character in the book. Monroe sticks to Tracey's side and looks out for her, introduces her to her world and helps her adjust to the school in all it's grandiose.
Tracey is always targeted at school because she is new and Nixon and his goons have made it their mission to make her life hell because she doesn't like to follow the rules.
But then something shifts and changes and Nixon is now trying to protect her, he knows the secret that will destroy Tracey's world and yet he wants nothing more than to protect her from the heartbreak. He tries to stay away from her and keep his distance but he ends up crushing himself and Tracey.
I was weeping and crushed, I wanted to punch and kick Nixon's face but at the same time I knew he had to be doing this for a reason..Ugh
"I love you, Trace. I always have. Just remember that okay? Hold on to it. No matter what I say or what I do... and trust me, I'll do some terrible things. Just know. I love you. With every fiber of my being"
As the book continues and comes to the big climax and plot reveal, I am already salivating about the relationship between Nixon and Tracey. I am so full of angst and lust that it is really hard to even concentrate on where the book is headed. All of a sudden I almost didn't want to know what Tracey is and her true identity because I just know, KNOW without a doubt that it is going to rock her world. And boy does her world get ROCKED
(and not even by Nixon either, unfortunately hummpphh).
Everything she has ever known is suddenly unknown, the responsibilities that her family has is huge and complicated, and she is the center of it all. They have enemies and of course Tracey is the number one target so it would have been almost better that she was left in the dark..ALMOST
Everyone is trying to protect her from every angle and its that protection that leads to the end where shit gets SERIOUS and BAM the book ends..
SIGH
Just
Siiiiigh
It's not a cliffhanger per say but you are left craving the next installment like it is a drug and you want to know what happens and you want to know NOW. The only thing that I am praying for is that the author doesn't turn the next book into a huge love triangle..I don't think my nerves could take it with everything else that is going on.
The book series is already exciting as it is and the love triangle will probably cause me to fall over dead from angst!!!
This book was really good, well-written, well-rounded characters and I was entertained plus intrigued from the very beginning. BUT it was confusing at first, it gets better and I understood later, I just wish the "secret" would have been revealed a little sooner. Also even though I thought a college full of rich spawn would be catty, it still didn't seem very realistic.
Although, that is what a book is suppose to do, alter my reality, so I say this is a mix of good and bad
The romance was far from rushed, it built to the point of explosion, I was panting and wanting Nixon and Tracey to just rip their clothes off and do it to each other rough, hard, fast, slow...
I didn't care just as long as they do it so I could experience it too.
I swooned, laughed, teared up, was outraged, on the edge of my seat.. Shit just gets exciting and when it ends I wanted to read the fuck out of the next one ASAP
I honestly didn't think I would enjoy this one as much as I did but I really, really liked it. It definitely wasn't boring and I can't wait for the next one.
I give this book a 4/5 and I can't freaking wait to see what is going to happen...
BUT PLEASE PLEASE RACHEL DON'T Turn this exciting series into a love triangle, I am BEGGING you!!!!
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
30% into this book all I could think was, "what the hell am I reading? I mean seriously this is all so way over the top and a bit ridiculous."
50% in I. Can't. Stop. Reading. It's all still a little over the top but I need to know whats going on. I love Nixon, I think Nixon is an ass, I'm kind of swooning over Chase but I'm cheering for Nixon too. I was all over the place!!
I can't find an explanation for why I enjoyed this book other than it kept me guessing. I'm not usually a fan of mafia type stories or stories that seem a little too outrageous but I think I enjoyed exactly those two things the most about this book.
The way that it ended got me pretty interested in waiting for the next book in the series then they threw in a teaser and now I KNOW I'll be reading the next one.
**Received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
50% in I. Can't. Stop. Reading. It's all still a little over the top but I need to know whats going on. I love Nixon, I think Nixon is an ass, I'm kind of swooning over Chase but I'm cheering for Nixon too. I was all over the place!!
I can't find an explanation for why I enjoyed this book other than it kept me guessing. I'm not usually a fan of mafia type stories or stories that seem a little too outrageous but I think I enjoyed exactly those two things the most about this book.
The way that it ended got me pretty interested in waiting for the next book in the series then they threw in a teaser and now I KNOW I'll be reading the next one.
**Received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
