Unteachable

by Leah Raeder

[Leah]

I've been wanting to read one of Elliot Wake's books for ages. I've got Unteachable, Black Iris & Cam Girl sitting on my shelf, and I've just been waiting for the perfect time to dive in. So I was looking for a new read (I can never pick a book so I just read the first pages until one really grabs my attention) and Unteachable did just that. I knew from the start that I was going to absolutely love Maise O'Malley. She's confident in herself, she knows what she wants, and she isn't afraid to get it (unless it means getting on the first car on a roller-coaster because everyone else on the coaster is a savage). She's the perfect heroine, because I love girls who are confident, because I can live my life through them, because I am so not.

Unteachable is just one of those books that drags you in, until you literally sit and read it until you're finished and that's what I did. Maise's story is fantastic, and her relationship with Evan is completely intense. It sucks you in and doesn't let you go, and because of the nature of their relationship, and the whole teacher-student thing, you're never quite sure if you should be cheering or not, which is hard considering I'm a hopeless romantic, no matter who it's between. I just love a happy ending. But watching Maise and Evan was a bit like watching a car crash, it was too intense, too much, too fast, and I was kind of wanting to read it through eyes hidden by my hands because I couldn't help wondering if it was all going to implode in their faces.

What actually sets this book apart from other books, is not only the intoxicating romance, duh, but the writing. This is one of the best written New Adult books I've ever read - in fact, it's just one of the best written books, ever. So lyrical, there were even words used that I had no idea what they meant, so I had to look them up, but it added to how amazing the book was, because Wake really has a way with words. It makes me want to go and dive into the other two books immediately, because I need that kind of book in my life, it lets me just dive away into a different world for a few hours, and forget my own life and that's hard to do. Not a lot of authors can do that.

I loved this book, and I'm not sure my words could ever do it justice. Unteachable is one of those books that doesn't let you go until the very last page, and even then there's a part of me that would absolutely love a sequel. I need more of Maise O'Malley in my life. And Wesley! I kinda liked him, I kinda feel like he has a story to be told, too. And Evan was kinda dreamy. I KNOW. You need to read this book, if you like the New Adult genre you will love this, and if you just like a well written book, this is for you. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel, but it is and it was amazing.