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A review by innodavid
Unteachable by Elliot Wake
4.0
4 STARS
I'd never thought a romance could make me feel this devastated. This is very close to perfection for me, and I don't just give out complements like that easily. What made me loved it even more is how much I wasn't expecting to love or even like this book. I just read it in a whim because I need to meet my reading goal for the month. But alas, here we are, so utterly in loved with this book and wished I could read it for the first time again.
This is half a teacher-student/age-gap romance and a coming of age contemporary. Both tropes I've previously liked but hesitant to try because they could easily borderline problematic. And just based on the synopsis and cover alone, I thought I was just getting a typical New Adult romance with lots of steam and lust, and a bunch of unlikable but forgettable characters. Who would've thought that this was going be so emotional and real and JUST WELL WRITTEN.
The author wrote the story with such empathy that even though the story can be quite taboo and problematic, you couldn't help but sympathize with what's going on, especially the characters' journey.
I absolutely LOVED the main character in here. Maise might be one of my favorite heroines of all time and not because she's perfect, but because she felt so real. She's flawed and sometimes angsty like any other eighteen-year-old, and most of the time make very bad decisions. But how the author wrote her will make you connect with her instead of despise her. She's honest in what she wants, even if that thing is not right, and she's very self-aware with her problems and doesn't dismiss them like other heroines in romances. And despite her being selfish at times, you can still relate to her because you might probably make the same decisions she did when placed in a similar situation. She's the definitely the highlight of the book and the main reason why I kept on reading.
The side characters also felt very human. I don't consider them morally grey because to me, they're good people but are still developing and would most likely make terrible choices.
I've never read a novel where the topic of teacher-student relationship is handled more truthfully than I did with this one. It explores true feelings of infatuation and exhilaration of having a secret and taboo relationship with a person you're not supposed to be with, and how that brings light and also complications. I also enjoyed how the book addressed that her having an older-men kink is a result of her not having a father/parental figure and thus made her reach out to others for validation. She doesn't have a good upbringing. Her mother is an addict and a drug-dealer. Her father is non-existent. She's constantly trying to fight for herself, especially when most of the older men her mother brings into their house sexualize her. She doesn't have friends and is constantly overthinking her future. And half the book is her journey through self-development and learning to handle her own life without the influence of others.
I'm actually not ashamed of admitting it, but I liked Maise and Evan's relationship. I loved their romance. I loved their scenes together, and I'm constantly rooting for them despite the messy and difficult situation they're in. This is not a swoon-worthy romance that you could squeal and fangirl about. Their journey together is emotional and heartbreaking and you just can't help but hope they find their peace and happiness, even though you know that it would take a lot for them to fight for that kind of relationship when others are quick to judge and any time they could end up in a jail. And no, their relationship is not illegal. She's 18 and he's in his thirties when they met. But adding to that is that he's her teacher and they're both in the same class without them knowing initially.
The writing in here is also beautiful and sometimes can be considered purple-prose, but it's just the right amount and not over the top. All throughout the book, you'd get a sense that something terrible is about to happen, but you don't know why or what. And that feeling of anxiety and impending doom is what kept me reading. I've never felt more engrossed and impressed while reading a romance book. I wanted to know what's gong to happen. I needed to know if there's going to be a happily ever after. I wanted the characters to be happy. I wanted to be happy.
That "reveal" at the end reminded me of how Colleen Hoover does her twists. Maybe that's why I loved this book so much is because it reminds me of her works. Not in the plot, but the writing and the overall emotion it evokes in you. Some people said that this is a better version of [b:Slammed|30333938|Slammed (Slammed, #1)|Colleen Hoover|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464826448l/30333938._SY75_.jpg|18602144], but I haven't read that book, so perhaps if you're a fan of that one, you could probably enjoy this one as well.
I have so many more positive things to say but this review is getting a little longer than usual already, so I would probably just sum it up that I absolutely loved this book and hope that most romances were written like this. I'm surprised this isn't getting much attention from booktok because it definitely has the compulsively readable quality of those other booktok books that are being hyped, but to me personally done way way better.
“I can't hold on to you. You're like a shooting star. Just a trail of fire in my hands.”
I'd never thought a romance could make me feel this devastated. This is very close to perfection for me, and I don't just give out complements like that easily. What made me loved it even more is how much I wasn't expecting to love or even like this book. I just read it in a whim because I need to meet my reading goal for the month. But alas, here we are, so utterly in loved with this book and wished I could read it for the first time again.
This is half a teacher-student/age-gap romance and a coming of age contemporary. Both tropes I've previously liked but hesitant to try because they could easily borderline problematic. And just based on the synopsis and cover alone, I thought I was just getting a typical New Adult romance with lots of steam and lust, and a bunch of unlikable but forgettable characters. Who would've thought that this was going be so emotional and real and JUST WELL WRITTEN.
The author wrote the story with such empathy that even though the story can be quite taboo and problematic, you couldn't help but sympathize with what's going on, especially the characters' journey.
I absolutely LOVED the main character in here. Maise might be one of my favorite heroines of all time and not because she's perfect, but because she felt so real. She's flawed and sometimes angsty like any other eighteen-year-old, and most of the time make very bad decisions. But how the author wrote her will make you connect with her instead of despise her. She's honest in what she wants, even if that thing is not right, and she's very self-aware with her problems and doesn't dismiss them like other heroines in romances. And despite her being selfish at times, you can still relate to her because you might probably make the same decisions she did when placed in a similar situation. She's the definitely the highlight of the book and the main reason why I kept on reading.
The side characters also felt very human. I don't consider them morally grey because to me, they're good people but are still developing and would most likely make terrible choices.
I've never read a novel where the topic of teacher-student relationship is handled more truthfully than I did with this one. It explores true feelings of infatuation and exhilaration of having a secret and taboo relationship with a person you're not supposed to be with, and how that brings light and also complications. I also enjoyed how the book addressed that her having an older-men kink is a result of her not having a father/parental figure and thus made her reach out to others for validation. She doesn't have a good upbringing. Her mother is an addict and a drug-dealer. Her father is non-existent. She's constantly trying to fight for herself, especially when most of the older men her mother brings into their house sexualize her. She doesn't have friends and is constantly overthinking her future. And half the book is her journey through self-development and learning to handle her own life without the influence of others.
I'm actually not ashamed of admitting it, but I liked Maise and Evan's relationship. I loved their romance. I loved their scenes together, and I'm constantly rooting for them despite the messy and difficult situation they're in. This is not a swoon-worthy romance that you could squeal and fangirl about. Their journey together is emotional and heartbreaking and you just can't help but hope they find their peace and happiness, even though you know that it would take a lot for them to fight for that kind of relationship when others are quick to judge and any time they could end up in a jail. And no, their relationship is not illegal. She's 18 and he's in his thirties when they met. But adding to that is that he's her teacher and they're both in the same class without them knowing initially.
The writing in here is also beautiful and sometimes can be considered purple-prose, but it's just the right amount and not over the top. All throughout the book, you'd get a sense that something terrible is about to happen, but you don't know why or what. And that feeling of anxiety and impending doom is what kept me reading. I've never felt more engrossed and impressed while reading a romance book. I wanted to know what's gong to happen. I needed to know if there's going to be a happily ever after. I wanted the characters to be happy. I wanted to be happy.
That "reveal" at the end reminded me of how Colleen Hoover does her twists. Maybe that's why I loved this book so much is because it reminds me of her works. Not in the plot, but the writing and the overall emotion it evokes in you. Some people said that this is a better version of [b:Slammed|30333938|Slammed (Slammed, #1)|Colleen Hoover|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464826448l/30333938._SY75_.jpg|18602144], but I haven't read that book, so perhaps if you're a fan of that one, you could probably enjoy this one as well.
I have so many more positive things to say but this review is getting a little longer than usual already, so I would probably just sum it up that I absolutely loved this book and hope that most romances were written like this. I'm surprised this isn't getting much attention from booktok because it definitely has the compulsively readable quality of those other booktok books that are being hyped, but to me personally done way way better.