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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Typical YA Fantasy ... now for adults!
Divergent author Veronica Roth tries her hand at adult fiction. A decade ago, five ordinary teenagers saved the world from an immense evil called the Dark One and turned them into celebrities. Now, the death of one of them reveals that the Dark One isn’t truly gone.
When I picked up this book, I was hoping for a more grown-up satirical look at YA Fantasy. Setting the story ten years after the Chosen Ones saved the world, Roth does an excellent job showing how complicated adult life is for these childhood heroes. Especially for the main protagonist, Sloane, who struggles with PTSD and has let her relationship with Matt, a fellow Chosen One, coast along.
However, when I thought she was being satirical, Roth was really just setting up a typical fantasy story. Sloane, Matt, and Esther end up getting thrown into an alternate universe full of magic where they must fight the Dark One again. From there, the story didn’t feel original and many of the action scenes were hard to follow. Roth attempts to bring in more thoughtful themes – the fine line between hero and villain – but fails to nuance them enough.
In all, I was unimpressed with her latest book, and I would only suggest diehard fantasy fans pick it up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Divergent author Veronica Roth tries her hand at adult fiction. A decade ago, five ordinary teenagers saved the world from an immense evil called the Dark One and turned them into celebrities. Now, the death of one of them reveals that the Dark One isn’t truly gone.
When I picked up this book, I was hoping for a more grown-up satirical look at YA Fantasy. Setting the story ten years after the Chosen Ones saved the world, Roth does an excellent job showing how complicated adult life is for these childhood heroes. Especially for the main protagonist, Sloane, who struggles with PTSD and has let her relationship with Matt, a fellow Chosen One, coast along.
However, when I thought she was being satirical, Roth was really just setting up a typical fantasy story. Sloane, Matt, and Esther end up getting thrown into an alternate universe full of magic where they must fight the Dark One again. From there, the story didn’t feel original and many of the action scenes were hard to follow. Roth attempts to bring in more thoughtful themes – the fine line between hero and villain – but fails to nuance them enough.
In all, I was unimpressed with her latest book, and I would only suggest diehard fantasy fans pick it up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I...
I skipped like 5 or 10 chapters to get to the last 'juicy' part, but that didn't happen.
I hate leaving books unfinished. It started really interesting but I don't know what happened
I skipped like 5 or 10 chapters to get to the last 'juicy' part, but that didn't happen.
I hate leaving books unfinished. It started really interesting but I don't know what happened
I’m not sure what it was that I expected from this book but two nights staying awake WAY past bedtime seems about right.
I tried in a whole number of ways to tell people why they should be reading this book, but nothing quite seemed enough.
If you have ever read too much YA, too much fantasy, too much urban fantasy, or just need a book that understands how to weave together a story from all of the stories that you’ve ever loved without boring you....
BUY THIS BOOK
I tried in a whole number of ways to tell people why they should be reading this book, but nothing quite seemed enough.
If you have ever read too much YA, too much fantasy, too much urban fantasy, or just need a book that understands how to weave together a story from all of the stories that you’ve ever loved without boring you....
BUY THIS BOOK
Pacing was a bit off while reading this. At times I just wanted to get through whatever was being described and at other moments I caught myself having to go back and see if I missed something as events were unfolding so quickly without a lead up. All in all really enjoyed the story and found the three distinct breaks in this book to be quirky and enjoyable.
I have to say, I don't recall requesting The Chosen Ones. It appeared on my Netgalley after publication and sat glaring at me from my arrears shelf until recently.
I'm familiar with the Divergent series and have the same popular opinion that the first two were great and the third an absolute disaster.
The Chosen Ones is described as Roth's first adult novel so I thought I'd approach it with fresh eyes and separate it entirely from what I know of Roth's previous work.
The problem with this was there doesn't seem to be any difference in tone.
Though the main characters are in their 30s they still behave and speak as teenagers would. In fact I continuously forgot that they weren't teenagers. There seemed to have been absolutely no character development between their current selves and the flashbacks to 10+ years earlier. I don't know about you but I can honestly say 30 year old me is EXTREMELY different to 15 year old me... and I didn't have to save the world.
I liked the idea of a book set after the heroes had accomplished their task but actually, most of the novel is flashbacks and government reports explaining what happened in the past- and those were more interesting than the current timeline
All of the characters were either empty or unlikeable with the exception of the one who dies early on. The 'Dark One' really isn't that menacing for a man who's supposed to be a magical mass murderer and the ARIS agents behave like parents to the 30 year olds.
I'm halfway in and I don't care where this is going. I'm putting it down and stepping away from any future Roth titles.
I'm familiar with the Divergent series and have the same popular opinion that the first two were great and the third an absolute disaster.
The Chosen Ones is described as Roth's first adult novel so I thought I'd approach it with fresh eyes and separate it entirely from what I know of Roth's previous work.
The problem with this was there doesn't seem to be any difference in tone.
Though the main characters are in their 30s they still behave and speak as teenagers would. In fact I continuously forgot that they weren't teenagers. There seemed to have been absolutely no character development between their current selves and the flashbacks to 10+ years earlier. I don't know about you but I can honestly say 30 year old me is EXTREMELY different to 15 year old me... and I didn't have to save the world.
I liked the idea of a book set after the heroes had accomplished their task but actually, most of the novel is flashbacks and government reports explaining what happened in the past- and those were more interesting than the current timeline
All of the characters were either empty or unlikeable with the exception of the one who dies early on. The 'Dark One' really isn't that menacing for a man who's supposed to be a magical mass murderer and the ARIS agents behave like parents to the 30 year olds.
I'm halfway in and I don't care where this is going. I'm putting it down and stepping away from any future Roth titles.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
What comes after your duty as the chosen one is fulfilled and peace is bought and your innocence is stolen from you and no one has prepared you to return to the normal, real world?
Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth follows Sloane, one of 5 chosen ones. She feels she hasn’t adjusted as well as the other four and struggles with PTSD and a guilt she can’t seem to voice, a secret she isn’t ready to give words to. Where the Dark One appeared mass damage and death followed, the chosen ones found various magical items in an otherwise magicless world to take on their big bad at cost to themselves.
On the 10th anniversary of their victory over the Dark One, one of their own dies. When the remaining chosen ones gather for the funeral something happens that has Sloane asking lots of questions and wondering if everything she and her friends went through was for nothing and if she has it in her to go through it all again because the Dark One had a goal and maybe he’s gone but something is happening.
***
I liked the pacing of this story, it was slow and thoughtful and careful, at least until the end where lots of things started to happen again, but at the beginning you’re post defeat of the dark one and Sloane has not been taking care of herself. She’s twitchy, has nightmares of the things she went through, and has decided she needs more answers to what happened so is digging through confidential information surrounding the things she went through, can’t be good for her mental health. She’s prickly and uncomfortable around most people except for those who went through the same nightmare she did. She’s also extremely awkward and more punch first and ask questions later.
I loved Sloane. I found her believable. I found her plight sympathetic. She fought like she was trained to do, taking on the Dark One, but it appears no one took the time to prepare her for a life post Dark One. Ten years after the fact, some of it is on her sure, but someone whose been burned as many times as she has it's also no surprise she doesn’t look for help or know how to ask for it properly.
I liked the breaks in chapters, the documents, articles, interviews, etc.. that helped offer more insight into the worlds you witnessed and helped fill in some background info.
This was an intriguing read and Sloane at the end, just wow. I can’t wait for more people to read this so I can talk about it with them.
***
What comes after your duty as the chosen one is fulfilled and peace is bought and your innocence is stolen from you and no one has prepared you to return to the normal, real world?
Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth follows Sloane, one of 5 chosen ones. She feels she hasn’t adjusted as well as the other four and struggles with PTSD and a guilt she can’t seem to voice, a secret she isn’t ready to give words to. Where the Dark One appeared mass damage and death followed, the chosen ones found various magical items in an otherwise magicless world to take on their big bad at cost to themselves.
On the 10th anniversary of their victory over the Dark One, one of their own dies. When the remaining chosen ones gather for the funeral something happens that has Sloane asking lots of questions and wondering if everything she and her friends went through was for nothing and if she has it in her to go through it all again because the Dark One had a goal and maybe he’s gone but something is happening.
***
I liked the pacing of this story, it was slow and thoughtful and careful, at least until the end where lots of things started to happen again, but at the beginning you’re post defeat of the dark one and Sloane has not been taking care of herself. She’s twitchy, has nightmares of the things she went through, and has decided she needs more answers to what happened so is digging through confidential information surrounding the things she went through, can’t be good for her mental health. She’s prickly and uncomfortable around most people except for those who went through the same nightmare she did. She’s also extremely awkward and more punch first and ask questions later.
I loved Sloane. I found her believable. I found her plight sympathetic. She fought like she was trained to do, taking on the Dark One, but it appears no one took the time to prepare her for a life post Dark One. Ten years after the fact, some of it is on her sure, but someone whose been burned as many times as she has it's also no surprise she doesn’t look for help or know how to ask for it properly.
I liked the breaks in chapters, the documents, articles, interviews, etc.. that helped offer more insight into the worlds you witnessed and helped fill in some background info.
This was an intriguing read and Sloane at the end, just wow. I can’t wait for more people to read this so I can talk about it with them.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Suicide
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not sure what I was expecting from this new series, but while I did like it, I wasn’t exactly blown away. I really enjoyed the Divergent series (right up until that last book, anyway), and was intrigued with the billing of Chosen Ones as an ‘adult’ book about a group of 5 heroes, ten years after they apparently saved the world as teenagers.
The book is actually a whole lot more than what the blurb lets on: much of it takes place in an alternate-dimension Chicago, and this world is full of magic. Nothing is quite as it appears, and the whole concept is very original.
Roth’s writing is strong, and the plot is clearly developed. The book is very compelling at the beginning, but there is quite a lull in the action towards the middle. Fortunately, things pick up again near the end, which is really quite brilliant. No cliffhangers, but I’m definitely down for a second book.
From the blurb, you would think that the book is about all of the 5 heroes… but really it’s about Sloane. One of the 5 dies near the beginning, another is nearly absent from the rest of the book, and the other two are peripheral at best. I’m not sure if the next book will deal more with the other ‘chosen ones,’ but I would love more development of those characters. For much of the book, I didn’t like Sloane very much, and she felt a lot like a YA character trapped in an adult character’s body, but she grew on me. Esther and Mox are really fun characters, but again, I would love more about them. This is really a 3 1/2 star book for me.
The book is actually a whole lot more than what the blurb lets on: much of it takes place in an alternate-dimension Chicago, and this world is full of magic. Nothing is quite as it appears, and the whole concept is very original.
Roth’s writing is strong, and the plot is clearly developed. The book is very compelling at the beginning, but there is quite a lull in the action towards the middle. Fortunately, things pick up again near the end, which is really quite brilliant. No cliffhangers, but I’m definitely down for a second book.
From the blurb, you would think that the book is about all of the 5 heroes… but really it’s about Sloane. One of the 5 dies near the beginning, another is nearly absent from the rest of the book, and the other two are peripheral at best. I’m not sure if the next book will deal more with the other ‘chosen ones,’ but I would love more development of those characters. For much of the book, I didn’t like Sloane very much, and she felt a lot like a YA character trapped in an adult character’s body, but she grew on me. Esther and Mox are really fun characters, but again, I would love more about them. This is really a 3 1/2 star book for me.