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readingvalkyrie 's review for:
Elite
by Rachel Van Dyken
3/5
For a book written in 2013, it was definitely way ahead of its time. It has some flaws, like any first book in a long series, and many moments of writing that I guess was normal back then because I wrote with the same "formula". but having read Debase, a newer release of the same author, I can say with authority that the storyline, the writing, and characters GET BETTER with time so I'm willing to put the time to see it through.
Nixon has some shitty attitudes at the beginning where I wanted to throttle him, and Tracey seemed way too naive. Still, they surprised me evolving a LOT in the course of the whole book, and I ended up LOVING most of the main crew. There was humor, there was mafia, guns, and shoot-outs. I loved the friendship between Trace and Mo, it is my opinion that any good mafia book (or book at all) should have some quality girl gang friendship. Don't @ me.
I don't know how I feel about the whole thing, I guess it was popular back then, not so much now. It didn't seem forced in the whole plot of the story but am a bit over that trope.
Overall, if you can get over the cringe-fest that is the beginning of this book and that so-2010 trope, you're good because I think the characters and their stories are worth it.
“'So you'd die for me?' I joked trying to break the awkwardness. 'Don't you get it? I'd give my life for yours'.”
For a book written in 2013, it was definitely way ahead of its time. It has some flaws, like any first book in a long series, and many moments of writing that I guess was normal back then because I wrote with the same "formula". but having read Debase, a newer release of the same author, I can say with authority that the storyline, the writing, and characters GET BETTER with time so I'm willing to put the time to see it through.
Nixon has some shitty attitudes at the beginning where I wanted to throttle him, and Tracey seemed way too naive. Still, they surprised me evolving a LOT in the course of the whole book, and I ended up LOVING most of the main crew. There was humor, there was mafia, guns, and shoot-outs. I loved the friendship between Trace and Mo, it is my opinion that any good mafia book (or book at all) should have some quality girl gang friendship. Don't @ me.
I don't know how I feel about the whole
Spoiler
"love triangle"Overall, if you can get over the cringe-fest that is the beginning of this book and that so-2010 trope, you're good because I think the characters and their stories are worth it.