I’m A Sucker for Hamilton!

De La Cruz’s previous books have been alright but didn’t grab me and could drop them easily. 

 

Teared up at the description of the story. Teared up on Hamilton's POV talking about slaves and writing his way out of hell. 

 

Cannot stop hearing the musical in my head and seeing it behind my eyelids. It’s synced perfectly together. 

 

“Do with him what you will.” 

 

Oh. My. God. I need to read the rest of this!

I love this peek at a great new book. I love Melissa de la Cruz's books and this will continue the pattern. I can't wait to continue and read the whole thing!

I liked the excerpt enough to read the finished book but I was ultimately disappointed with all the liberties the author took with historical fact. When she did include historical facts, it was done in a dry encyclopedia entry manner. I will not be reading the sequel. Instead I am reading Ron Chernow's excellent biography about Hamilton.

Anything Melissa De La Cruz writes is great!! I really love this book!!

I'm interested at this point and will probably pick this book up from my digital library at some point!

Alex and Eliza is a historical fiction novel about a love story for the ages. As much as I love history, I don’t pick up historical fiction very often and reading this book makes me want to. It is a wonderfully written young adult novel that makes America’s history more relatable. Some historical texts tend to be dry and don’t lend themselves to casual reading. My belief is that this novel (and others like it) might spark an interest in history that will lead teens, or really anyone, to seek out further information.

As this is a work of fiction, the author takes liberties with the plot and adds a fair amount of drama. Historically, there is not a lot known about the courtship between Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. As you may be aware from history lessons, or your obsession with Hamilton the musical, the two fell in love quite hard and fast. It was nice to see the author’s take on their first meeting, interactions, and ultimate wedding.

This love story reads true and will warm your heart, even if you are aware of the future turmoil in their lives. I enjoyed getting to know Alexander and Eliza so much over the course of this book. The author also does a fantastic job of introducing and developing the supporting characters in this love story. They don’t feel like flat portrayals, but dimensional people that you love (or hate, as the case may be).

For those readers familiar with Hamilton, you will not find that this is the young adult novelization version of the musical. I’ve heard many readers dismaying that fact and it is unfair to the author to make those comparisons. They are two different mediums that each share their love and admiration for the powerhouse that was Alexander Hamilton. The musical follows and chronicles much of Hamilton’s life, whereas this book is a love story. It tells the tale of two souls who found their match, despite all the odds and fell in love.

While the dialogue at times can be cumbersome and strange, it is likely because the reader is used to the modern way of speaking. If you were to read letters that were composed during that era, you likely would notice they have a much more formal, or flowery, way of speaking. Although I found some of the lines to be a bit over the top, overall I felt that they were authentic to the time period in which the book takes place. It would have been unfortunate if the story had been written as if these historical characters were speaking in modern times.

I highly enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history. I believe that it is a very accessible book and would lend itself well to those who are hesitant to delve into historical fiction. It does a wonderful job of blending the love story with purposeful doses of actual historical events. Whether you are a fan of the musical, historical fiction, American history or something else – I urge you to give this book a chance.

This was a fabulous book that I think many of the YA audience could use to read rather than simply try to watch the play Hamilton.  I loved the portrayal of the sisters bond in this book.

If you are a Hamilton fan, then Alex and Eliza is a must read! De la Cruz takes you on a historical ride with one of our founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton and the love of his life, Eliza  Schuyler. It starts off with us meeting the  Schuyler sisters, Eliza being the one I can relate to. The one sister that is beautiful on the outside as well as the inside and who wants to help colonists during the revolution.  Then comes the fateful night the will start a beautiful relationship. This is a must read and one of my favorite authors.

Alex and Eliza, a fictionalized version of the romance between Alexander Hamilton, an aide for General Washington and America's first treasury secretary and Eliza Schuyler, a socially connected young woman, includes some historically accurate information and much imagined. Alex meets Eliza and incurs her wrath, when he delivers news to the family that her father is to be court martialed. He can't forget her fiery nature and two years later pursues her in Morristown, NJ, where she has come to inoculate soldiers against smallpox.  Although he comes from humble beginnings, he ultimately earns her love and rescues her from a disastrous engagement.  The story ends with the wedding of the two, who become a political power couple in the early days of a new nation.  Although many of the characters are real, much of the action, including Eliza's engagement to Henry Livingston and Hamilton uncovering Benedict Arnold's treason,  are fictional embellishments to add pizzazz to the story.  Told from Eliza's perspective, the story sheds some light on the civic minded woman who aided her husband with his political writings throughout his career.  This is an entertaining read for those who enjoy "history light."

Not my type of book, I tried to start it but just couldn't get into anything about this book!

This book was INCREDIBLE and just what this reader needed! I am a huge Hamilton fan and this story made me love Eliza and Hamilton even more! I couldn't get enough and will be recommending to all of my friends.

I will be purchasing this book due to the number of students into Hamilton right now, but it was not a very engaging story. I wanted more.

This book was such an interesting take on Alex and Eliza's story, and the Hamilton references were always fun to see, but I couldn't, really, get into it properly? Enjoyable read, would read again though

I want more of this book! Being a Hamilton fan, I NEED the rest.

This sneak peak gives the first few chapters of Alex and Eliza, just enough to set the scene.  We get to the know their backgrounds and see their first interactions with each other.

I enjoyed the bit we got to read and look forward to getting the full book so I can see where it goes from there.

I didn't read or review because it was only a sneak peek. I will wait until I have a full copy of the book.

The premise was interesting but I found the characterizations shallow and uninteresting. I haven't seen Hamilton the play, so the information was new to me. I do like historical fiction but was that interesting, possibly because this is "very YA' meaning for young readers. There isn't anything very wrong with the writing, except for the info dumps, which caused me to skim.

I, like most musical- and history-loving people, am obsessed with Hamilton.  As a history teacher I absolutely love that this musical has grabbed the attention of teenagers and gotten them interested in a subject that many tolerate, at best and find boring and detest, at worst.  Melissa de la Cruz's Alex and Eliza blends fiction and historical fact to weave a lovely, witty, and romantic story about Elizabeth Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton.  It is sure to delight both YA and adult readers.

de la Cruz focuses the story on the relationship (fictionalized, but apparently rooted in historical fact) between the title characters, with a great deal of the spotlight on Elizabeth herself -- after all she was as important (more, some might argue) as her famous husband!  The author uses wit and humor to give us a glimpse of the cautiously rebellious girl Eliza may have been.  In the end this is a sweet love story with historical basis that offers a different view of a couple that some Americans only know from a hip-hop musical!

After reading the sneak peek I ordered a copy for my library and devoured it.  I have already recommended this book to several students (male and female) and they've loved it, though one boy remarked that the cover was "a little too girly" (he read it anyway!).

After reading this sneak peek, I am definitely interested in this book! It's a little slower-paced than I was expecting, but I love Cruz' writing and am looking forward to the full story.

Sweet, entertaining & pretty accurate.  Some leniency of course but I wonder if readers know Hamilton acknowledged a affair later on.,,