Goodreads Summary:
But I wasn't counting on meeting Nixon.
Nor was I counting on the rules of the Elect.
1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.
And worst of all? Don't discover the secret they hide, because in the end, you may just realize... it's about you.
*This is a New Adult Book, blood, violence, cursing, sexual references, and drug use. Not recommended for those under 17.*
Publication Date: April 14, 2013
Elite turned out completely different than I was expecting.
Bizarre? Yes. Unrealistic? Yes. Intriguing? Yes. As crazy as the plot turned
out to be and as unlikable as I found the characters, I couldn’t stop reading.
In fact, I finished the book yesterday and I still can’t stop thinking about
it.
The premise starts out with Trace, a country-bred girl
coming to an elite college on a scholarship. Trace is a very sheltered and
naïve girl who seems to have only been friends with her cows, Matilda and
Wilbur. As soon as she arrives, a group of bullies start harassing her. Trace
decides to stay because graduating from the college guarantees a cushy future.
The setting of the book was so out there that I just found
myself gasping at the craziness of the whole thing. The students attend
college, but it’s completely run by Nixon (one of the bullies and of course the
love interest). There’s no adult authority figure as Nixon doles out cards that
decide how often students can eat, when they can eat and their elevator usage.
He roams the hall, keeping order while also be asked to teach one of the
courses.
Nixon was horrible. Even when the “explanation” is given for
his behavior, I still found him repulsive. He humiliates Trace, yelling at her
in the middle of public places by lying and saying she’s a desperate farm girl
who tried to throw herself at him. He moos at her, threatens her, bosses her
around. He then does a complete 180 when he finds out who she really is. And
she lets him get away with the behavior because of how “hot” he is. Gag.
Trace was even worse than Nixon. I think calling her a to
stupid to live character is an understatement. She not only allows for the
reprehensible behavior to take place, but never once thinks about leaving
school or reporting any of the guys to the police. Even after one of the guys
drug her and leave her in another guy’s room so that she gets the reputation as
being a slut. Plus, she comes out with gems like this: “I’d rather he beat me.
Cuts heal, bruises fade—but broken hearts? They carry scars for a lifetime.”
Here’s the but in all of this. I was still hooked on the
story. The twist is so crazy that it moves the story in a completely different
direction. I had no idea what to expect and I couldn’t put the book down. Maybe
I enjoyed the novel so much because it was like watching a train wreck take
place.
Do I plan to read the sequel? Absolutely. I’m doubtful that
Trace and Nixon will become a couple I could cheer for, but there were
secondary characters I enjoyed, especially Chase and Nixon’s sister Monroe. As
far as a rating, I’m at a loss, so I’ll leave this one unrated and suggest
readers give it a try, even if its only out of morbid curiosity.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for review!
