Book Review: Elevated

About the Book

Title: Elevated

Author: Elana Johnson

Publication Date: February 14, 2014

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The last person seventeen-year-old Eleanor Livingston wants to see on the elevator—let alone get stuck with—is her ex-boyfriend Travis, the guy she's been avoiding for five months.
Plagued with the belief that when she speaks the truth, bad things happen, Elly hasn’t told Trav anything. Not why she broke up with him and cut off all contact. Not what happened the day her father returned from his deployment to Afghanistan. And certainly not that she misses him and still thinks about him everyday.
But with nowhere to hide and Travis so close it hurts, Elly’s worried she won’t be able to contain her secrets for long. She’s terrified of finally revealing the truth, because she can’t bear to watch a tragedy befall the boy she still loves.

About the Author

Elana Johnson’s work, including Possession, Surrender, Abandon, and Regret, published by Simon

Pulse (Simon & Schuster), is available now everywhere books are sold. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for free download, as well as a Possession short story, Resist. School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers.

   

My Review of Elevated

Elevated is a beautifully tragic and emotional read with a refreshing original writing style. The story jumps between the present of the elevator and the past events leading up to the elevator. Slowly the door opens to the whole story of why Elly is pushing everyone away. Elly has been suffering under guilt and grief for months, and she cannot be with the one person who makes her feel like she can face anything. 

Elly is a very broken young woman whose guild and grief have been working together to shut her down to life and everything around her, and not allowing her to move on properly. While this is evident almost from the beginning, the true depths of Elly’s guilt and grief are not known until the very last few pages and the story completely unfolds. 

I really love the unique quick pace set by Elana’s writing in verse style. When I started Elevated I figured I was starting a story about the uncomfortable feeling of being trapped in an elevator with your ex, and having something to tell them you would rather they never know about. The story I actually got was beautiful, and heartbreaking but seriously a fabulous read. 

I think that this is a great read, but be warned you may want to keep a tissue handy, if you are a crier. I really love the beauty in the way Elana Johnson reveals the story and how as the puzzle pieces are revealed they fit together perfectly. I know I plan on reading more from Elana Johnson. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**

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