Elana Johnson

In this dystopian society, there was only two choices for Vi Schoenfeld: duty or death. Vi didn't follow the rules—she broke them. She doesn't want to be controlled. Too bad, cause it's “control or be controlled.”

Bad. Ass. That's what Vi is. Totally headstrong, I admired her character throughout the novel. Plus, I couldn't get enough of her. She cracked me up with her witty comments and sarcastic remarks. She and Jag, the irresistible and charming Baddie, have great chemistry that was show more absolutely entertaining and amusing. Not to mention how totally great these two are with their abilities—especially Vi.

There were twists throughout the story that made me gasp in realization and making me go, “Whoa!” The plot was just wow—interesting and captivating, always leaving me with questions with the only answer being turning the page.

Elana Johnson's debut novel is overall entertaining, intriguing, and exhilarating! Not to mention, totally wicked awesome. The ending had me in tears, leaving me breathless and needing the next dose of Possession. show less

Just His Secretary by Elana Johnson had a little bit of everything, a grumpy boss, a forbidden boss/employee relationship, a plus sized FMC, a very particular cat, and a fake relationship all rolled into one. Callie’s a talented secretary who keeps everything running like a well oiled machine. While not initially attracted to her handsome, grumpy boss, she feels the sparks fly whenever he’s in the room. But, she hasn’t had a raise in 18 months, and she won’t let him take her for show more granted.

Dawson Houser hasn’t been lucky in love, but, his oh-so-efficient, attractive secretary makes him want to try again. And, he’s finding it hard not to act on his feelings. When he finds out his mother is coming to town, he needs to find a girlfriend fast to solidify his inheritance. So of course, he turns to Callie for help.

This was a cute, funny, dual POV, Southern romcom. Dawson’s the epitome of a grump and I loved that Callie wouldn’t let him buffalo her. I enjoyed seeing a softer side to him as the story progressed. Callie’s intelligent, spunky, & endearing. I enjoyed reading her POV. Their romance is a little volatile which makes it all the more fun.

The side characters are intriguing. I liked Dawson’s friend Lance and Callie’s friend Tara. I also enjoyed the antics of Callie’s cat, Claude Monet. Dawson’s mother is the definition of interfering and without a doubt makes things interesting.

While this is a closed door romance, there were definitely some spicy kissing scenes & innuendo. I was wondering how far the author would go. Luckily, she kept things PG.

If you enjoy cute, closed door romcoms with sweet Southern charm, you might enjoy this! show less

Elana's work ethic and marketing acumen is inspiring. I really recommend this book for the helpful case studies it contains, but it's worth reading even to motivate yourself as to what's possible for an indie author. I'm not seeking the same financial success Elana has, but what I love about it is that she emphasizes the liberty we have when indie publishing to prioritize what matters most to us. I found it very empowering. My only complaint is that I wish the practical writing parts were show more more fleshed out - but honestly, she seems to be a superhuman machine, so I'm not convinced I'll ever have quite that strength anyway, lol. show less

Possession is more of an experience than just a book. To some, it may seem like just another novel in the cascade of teen dystopian novels being released this year, but it is so much more than that. Possession is an incredibly well-crafted and unique world with amazing detail and an incredible main character that readers will want to cheer for. Really, reading Possession was unlike what I was expecting, as well as unlike anything else I've read so far this year.

Possession begins with Violet, show more aka Vi, being dragged into prison. Vi is something of a troublemaker, a rule-breaker, who dares to defy the strict rules created by the society in which she lives. While in prison she meets Jag, a rulebreaker himself and a member of a rebellion brewing in the outlying Badlands. After Jag and Vi escape, Vi is given the option to join the rebellion, but is torn by her growing love for Jag, whom she just met, and her near-lifetime romance with Zenn, the boy she was matched with, and the boy the Thinkers are using to brainwash Vi into coming back and conforming. Vi finds herself torn, not just between two boys she loves, but between rebellion and conformity.

The most engaging thing here is debut author Elana Johnson's dark and gritty dystopian world. Virtually everything about it is very well, and carefully constructed to create something truly original. The world-building and world mechanics are some of the best I've ever seen, making it easy for the reader to slip into this new world and fully understand what is going on with the characters. Did I also mention that Johnson is a great writer? Her technical talent shines through in every word with crisp, polished sentences that move the story along quickly and easily. The dialog is also well done, though at times not necessarily believable as something that teens would say -even in this world.

Speaking of characters, I love Vi. Can I say that again? I love Vi. She's freaky awesome. Not only does she come across as some superhero-like, butt-kicking heroine, but she's also smart and resilient, though not perfect. Vi is a fighter, which I absolutely love. She is a character who readers can cheer for and identify with, and most importantly, genuinely become invested in and care about what will happen to her next.

As soon as I finished Possession, I wanted to read it again. More importantly, I wanted to know if there would be more. Even though I haven't seen anything online about sequels, they would be amazing. Possession is an excellent teen dystopian novel with just enough romance to keep younger audiences happy and plenty of science fiction/dystopian grittiness to pull in older audiences. Seriously -read this book! show less