Review: A fast-paced and interesting read.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 23, 2013
I was given a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.Characters: The two main characters are Allison, told in her point of view, and her best friend Delaney. They are both around 16 years old with average lives and attend high school in a small town in Ohio. Allison is very shy and closed off, and quick to assume the worst about people. This can be a little off-putting, but once I read about her parents, I could understand why she jumped to conclusions so quickly. With her witty remarks and impulsivity, I immediately took a great liking to Delaney that lasted through the entire novel. The other characters include Allison's mom, a typical, loving, stressed-out single mother, and 3 boys that go to Allison's high school: Ryan, Jeremy, and Nate. All of them seemed like cool, average high school guys except for Ryan. I shared Allison's viewpoint when she scorned him for treating his girlfriend so carelessly in the beginning.Plot: These 5 high school teens are part of The Elect, a group of people who inherited special talents such as mind-bending(called "pushing"), fire manipulation, and being able to see other's memories. Allison finds out she has all of these special powers plus more, which was evidently unheard of and dangerous since she didn't know how to control them. The book mostly tells about how Allison found out about her powers and how she copes with having them, until she loses control and must face the consequences of unleashing too much power at once. The events flowed smoothly and the plot remained interesting throughout the entire novel. I was surprised and heartbroken about the ending, but there is a sequel so I'm hoping my spirits will be lifted after reading that.Writing: Todd has a way with words, to put it simply. The descriptions, sentence structure, and plot development are on point. The novel caught and kept my attention from beginning to end. Her characters were likeable and easily related to, with believable flaws and quirks. With paranormal, the ideas come completely from the author's mind and sometimes aren't conveyed well enough to make sense. There was no such issue in this novel. The complexity of The Elect was explained clearly and easily understood.I would absolutely recommend this to any lover of YA novels, paranormal or contemporary. The paranormal element stood out but there were enough realistic situations to make the whole story believable. All in all, a well-written, interesting read.