Elevated

Elana
Johnson
Genre: 
Young Adult

Elevatedby Elana Johnson is a YA novel that is written in poetic verse as opposed to prose. Elevatedtakes place in present day city and is narrated by Eleanor Livingston. The poem begins with Eleanor going for groceries in a mild rainstorm. She believes she doesnt deserve happiness or even a clear sky because she broke up with her boyfriend Travis under false pretenses.

 

One of the reasons she seldom explains her actions is shes afraid bad things happen when she speaks the truth. Is it coincidental or real? Part of her personal penance for dumping an adoring boyfriend is that she forces herself to take the stairs. Riding the elevator only reminds of her Travis. Building remodeling forces her onto the elevator. Things are even trickier when she encounters Travis on the elevator. Can she hide her secret that she still loves him, along with everything else she left unsaid?  

Kudos to author Elana Johnson for trying something new in her book, Elevated.Her verse is readable and understandable unlike many poems. The book begins with a heavy emotional pity party that will have teen girls all over empathizing with the depressed Eleanor. The raw emotionality will resonate with teen readers. The verse starts out fresh, but it begins to drag by mid-book with only one POV. Its similar to a very long diary entry. On the upside, its a quick read. 

Morgan Stamm