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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
the being secretly disliked hit me personally ouch-
meh... villain that doesnt know she is a villain?
nope i will not keep on reading it.
nope i will not keep on reading it.
Didn't get through this one. Got 3/4 of the way through the audiobook before I realized that I don't think I really listened to half of the book.
The code names were incredibly silly and the world building was almost non-existent beyond throwing some names around.
I bet the main character gets more interesting the more dark she gets, but unfortunately in the first book she's just annoying to listen to.
I won't actually rate the book because I have to acknowledge that my brain tuned most of the book out as background noise. And if you love this book I totally love that for you! It just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe one day I'll try to actually read it rather than listen to an audiobook, but based on how big my TBR is it probably won't happen.
The code names were incredibly silly and the world building was almost non-existent beyond throwing some names around.
I bet the main character gets more interesting the more dark she gets, but unfortunately in the first book she's just annoying to listen to.
I won't actually rate the book because I have to acknowledge that my brain tuned most of the book out as background noise. And if you love this book I totally love that for you! It just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe one day I'll try to actually read it rather than listen to an audiobook, but based on how big my TBR is it probably won't happen.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was such an interesting concept with characters that didn't captivate me. All in all it was an easy and okay read.
I know who you really are. Who wil ever want you, Adelina?
My fury heightens. Everyone. They will cower at my feet, and I will make the bleed.
2.5 stars
In a low fantasy, Renaissance-like world, a mysterious disease called blood fever swept through the nation of Kenettra and killed a bunch of people. The ones who survived it are left with physical markings, called malfettos and considered disgraceful by their society and responsible for all that is terrible on the world; and a selected few of those survivors, for some reason, are gifted with extraordinary powers. They are called the Young Elites, and they're hunted by the crown and its Inquisitors. Our protagonist, Adelina, is a malfetto who discovers that she, too, has secret powers within her, and she accidentally kills her
So, obviously, I was initially interested in this because a) VILLAIN ORIGIN STORY and b) I'm down for all things involving superpowers. I'm not a big fan of Marvel/DC stuff, but I really like to read about powers (not really magic, but really like X-men powers) being incorporated into stories. My problems with this were mainly the
I honestly think that Marie Lu should've written this as alternate history and set it in Renaissance Italy rather than creating a fantasy world inspired by it. Apart from the different names and the once-mentioned "three moons", there's nothing that characterizes Kenettra as a fantasy world. I'm someone who's super into worldbuilding; most of the time I won't even mind super info-dumpy paragraphs because I just really enjoy knowing the foundations of a different world. And aside from a few historical-ish passages in-between each chapter, there was no worldbuilding whatsoever in this.
And then there's Adelina. For someone who spends so much time thinking about how dark and twisty she is, she doesn't actually... do... a lot of dark and twisty stuff. She's definitely a victim of fate - she happens to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time, a lot of times. But other than that? Eh. I want to see her actually being evil instead of just her worrying about the fact that she might be evil.
Spoiler
I kinda hope that her sister will turn out to be a really evil mastermind who begins to manipulate Adelina now that they're alone? I might be reaching a little bit here BUT honestly it'd be sooo good to see lil' old Violetta actualy being the villain at the end of the day.BUT, I do have to give credit where it's due: this is the first book I've managed to finish ever since I got into one of the worst slumps of my life at the end of February, simply because it's hella easy to read and, frankly, very addictive. I was interested in the ways the story was going to evolve and honestly surprised by some of the final twists (there's an extra half star just for that). I'll definitely pick up the rest of the series because I have faith that, as Adelina evolves, she'll become a more interesting character to read about.
So I was hesitant to start this book after reading Marie Lu's first trilogy Legend for some reason, but if you are in the same boat as me, don't be.
The Young Elites was definitely one of my favorite reads this past year.
I don't know why it really just resonated with me, the dark characters and the interesting world I feel like we may only just dipped our toes into...it just made me come to think while sitting on my couch turning page after page and not stopping until I reached the end, this is why I love reading. I borrowed this one from the library too, and I have a good feeling that when it comes out in paperback, I will be getting my own copy to cherish forever.
Adelina was such a great main character that I really enjoyed and found myself relating and loving a whole lot, even when she made decisions that I wanted to smack her over the head for. And what happens in the end that makes me need the second book of series to come out NOW. Slight cliffhanger alert coming at you now, but it is also so great.
Going into the next one with such interesting and characters that are constantly changing, for the next book I can't help but now we have something fantastic to look forward to and see where Adelina and her wild mind and power goes from here.
VERDICT:
Read this book. I loved it. I need everyone to read it if they like fantasy. Definitely up in the tops for favorite fantasy I have read. If you are a fan of Throne of Glass this is a fabulous read with such dark tinged edges that will leave you wanting more with each mystery and killer moments that you may never see coming.
5 stars
Original Review at: finefemmereview.blogspot.com
The Young Elites was definitely one of my favorite reads this past year.
I don't know why it really just resonated with me, the dark characters and the interesting world I feel like we may only just dipped our toes into...it just made me come to think while sitting on my couch turning page after page and not stopping until I reached the end, this is why I love reading. I borrowed this one from the library too, and I have a good feeling that when it comes out in paperback, I will be getting my own copy to cherish forever.
Adelina was such a great main character that I really enjoyed and found myself relating and loving a whole lot, even when she made decisions that I wanted to smack her over the head for. And what happens in the end that makes me need the second book of series to come out NOW. Slight cliffhanger alert coming at you now, but it is also so great.
Going into the next one with such interesting and characters that are constantly changing, for the next book I can't help but now we have something fantastic to look forward to and see where Adelina and her wild mind and power goes from here.
VERDICT:
Read this book. I loved it. I need everyone to read it if they like fantasy. Definitely up in the tops for favorite fantasy I have read. If you are a fan of Throne of Glass this is a fabulous read with such dark tinged edges that will leave you wanting more with each mystery and killer moments that you may never see coming.
5 stars
Original Review at: finefemmereview.blogspot.com
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes