Elle is the school’s punching bag, living a life of fear.
The only good girls Nero knows jump in his bed when he tells them to.
The closest Elle has come to a bad boy like him is in the cafeteria line.
The mob boss gave him orders to find out what she knows.
Her mouth is sealed.
I just want to be a fu**ing made man.
I’m just a fu**ing waitress.
4.25 Stars!
Review: So, here's the deal with this book. I liked the story - it's sort of a crime family/mafia story, and the main female character, Elle, is in the wrong place, at the wrong time and sees something that she should not have seen. However, in this day and age of security equipment, video footage, etc, the bad guys know pretty much immediately that Elle saw them. They just don't know if she would recognize them, and they also have a rule that no one hurts children. Elle is 17...but only for a few more weeks.
So, here is the part of the story that I have a hard time with - Nero, the main character and Elle are in high school. So, everything seems somewhat farfetched at times, but if you figure that most teenagers are certainly a little more worldly these days - or atleast think they are - then maybe you can suspend your disbelief, like I did. Otherwise, I did like this story.
Nero, being the son of the "boss", handsome, rich, tough...etc, is the king of the school. Elle, on the other hand, is the loser. She is not just the loser, but she has been hurt, physically, mentally and emotionally, for years, along with her one friend. They are just existing as they both try to make it through school. Elle comes to Nero's attention when he receives orders to get close to her and find out what she knows. In the process, however, he falls for her quiet strength and the way that she has persevered even amidst some pretty horrible things. Then, Nero becomes one of my favorite people. He finds her book of horrors - her own personal picture book of things in her life - and makes her friend tell him what was done to her for each of her bruises and sad looks. Then, he goes after everyone involved and returns the favors. I don't know if I'm a proponent of violence, per se, but there is a sense of justice in people getting so much evil returned to them just a little bit. All of their pain is spread out, where Elle's was concentrated on just her.
Things are not quite free and clear for Elle, yet, however. The "family" still has to find out what she knows and whether they can trust her. It may not matter that Nero is attracted to her and feels a connection to her. The "family" may come before all else. I can't wait to read about the other characters. This author has good story-telling abilities, and I look forward to reading more.
Jessica
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