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earlysunsetsmp3's review against another edition
5.0
I've read this book so many times and I love it. My heart still hurts. I sobbed through out the last half hour of it; it was amazing
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
This was the third and final book in The Young Elites series and it starts off a year after The Rose Society ended.
Adelina is queen and she's not a very good one. She wants to take over the world in classic power-hungry psychopath style. And it doesn't help that she's a schizophrenic, power-hungry psychopath, who thinks she's been blessed by the gods to do whatever she wants. She's already driven away her sister and is now in a very dark place with the voices in her head.
And there's something going wrong with the world so now the Elites have to find a way to fix it.
Now, from the above synopsis, I think it's pretty obvious that I don't like Adelina. I never have. I guess I'm a little harsh but I don't condone her actions no matter what she suffered. There's a quote in the book:
"You cannot use cruelty against yourself to justify cruelty to others."
It rings very true to me, it's my favourite quote from the series, and it explains my issues with Adelina in a nutshell. There's another quote that's not from this series and is my favourite quote period, which also explains the same:
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
Ah, good ol' Dumbledore... Anyway, I'm writing all this because I want to discuss the end of Adelina's story in a non-spoiler way. And I liked how her story ended. I would've tweaked one little thing but I understand why the author did what she did. Also, the series ended with a folktale that was open to interpretation (smart move, Ms Lu) and I'm chosing to believe it was only a story, an exaggeration. Things just wouldn't seem right to me otherwise.
As for the other character, I'm happy with how their stories ended as well. I liked how they were portrayed in this novel, and the two highlights, for me, were Rafaele and Teren. Rafaele because he's interesting and wise, and Teren because he's also interesting, and because I can't help but feel sorry for him.
The story, in general, was really good and I can't imagine the series ending in any other way. I really liked this book and this series, how it was written, its dark tone, the world, the characters and what the author is saying through it: to always choose goodness.
Overall, I loved this series, just liked I loved Legend, and I can't wait to see what Marie Lu will write next.
mikazuki17's review against another edition
4.0
“Someday, when I am nothing but dust and wind, what tale will they tell about me?”
“You cannot harden your heart to the future just because of your past. You cannot use cruelty against yourself to justify cruelty to others.”
Marie Lu sure knows how to write unforgettable endings. It’s bittersweet, emotional and satisfying, I was trying so hard not to cry at the end because I was reading at a cafe. The author did a good job on this especially since I’ve read the first 2 books 7 years ago and I barely remember what happened, so I wasn’t sure if I’d still connect with the story. My favorite part is the relationship between the sisters, Adelina and Violetta. Even if so much has happened between them, their love for each other prevailed
“You cannot harden your heart to the future just because of your past. You cannot use cruelty against yourself to justify cruelty to others.”
Marie Lu sure knows how to write unforgettable endings. It’s bittersweet, emotional and satisfying, I was trying so hard not to cry at the end because I was reading at a cafe. The author did a good job on this especially since I’ve read the first 2 books 7 years ago and I barely remember what happened, so I wasn’t sure if I’d still connect with the story. My favorite part is the relationship between the sisters, Adelina and Violetta. Even if so much has happened between them, their love for each other prevailed
neverly's review against another edition
4.0
Weaker than the previous entry in the series IMO, but still very entertaining.
agnesgailx's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a little torn. I'd like to give this book 5 stars because that ending was just wow, but I hated the first few hundred pages of it. Okay, hate might be too strong. I didn't hate the writing or the story, I just hated Adelina. But I will say no more. I'm just glad I didn't give up on this series. This last book is worth it. :)
obanlord's review against another edition
4.0
nice ending, didn't see it coming, still love a whole lot more the second book, but character development is still on point
abbyl819's review against another edition
3.0
While I did enjoy this book more than The Rose Society, I still remained uninterested for about the first half. The story took a turn in a way that I didn’t expect in the second half, which I enjoyed. I also had an issue with Adelina’s redemption arc, as I thought that it was too fast and a very abrupt change.
serenity_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5