Book Review

Election
by Tom Perrotta
Publisher: Berkley Books 
ISBN: 0-425-16728-3                   Review by Jillian Mandelkern
JRuthM21@aol.com
If you hate to read, then you should read Election by Tom Perrotta. It's
about the class president campaign at Winwood High School in suburban New
Jersey, but more importantly, it's about what goes on in the personal lives
of the candidates and their faculty adviser, Mr. M.
At first, no one really cares about the election except for Tracy Flick, an
overachiever whose credentials include President of the Junior Class and
editor of the school newspaper. She also had an affair with an English
teacher.
Tracy is running the race unopposed until Mr. M. convinces Paul Warren, the
handsome yet brilliant varsity fullback, that he would be the perfect
candidate for president.
Paul's little sister Tammy, eager to get some recognition and excitement in
her confusing life, decides to enter the race too. Just like Tracy, Tammy
also has secrets. She's gay and she's depressed because her ex-best friend,
Lisa Flanagan, has ditched her to become Paul's girlfriend and campaign
manager.
Meanwhile, Mr. M's life is just as unstable; he realizes that he is falling
in love with his wife's best friend.
It seems like a crazy story, but Perrotta manages to weave it all together
into a novel that's hard not to finish in one sitting (partly because it's so
short).
The best thing about Election is that you don't have to read too deeply into
the plot. It is what it is, and it's still great without symbolism and all
those extra literary elements that just make you search for the purpose of
the book.
Sure, you could rent Election the movie, but wouldn't it be nice to have at
least one title on the list of books you've read?

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