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seitenhain's review
3.0
Silver ist vieles: eine junge Frau, ein Mitglied einer Elite-Einheit - wenn auch kein besonders gutes -, eine Red - jemand, dessen Abstammung verachtet wird. Sie lebt in einer dystopischen Zukunft, in der nur noch eine Stadt existiert, abgeschottet vom Rest der Welt: Neo-Babel.
Als eines Tages ihre Eltern entführt werden, gibt es nur einen Ort an dem sie sein können: Draußen, außerhalb der schützenden Mauern der Stadt. Silver muss sich entscheiden: zur Verräterin werden und die Stadt verlassen - oder ihrer Regierung und Vorgesetzten treu bleiben...
Nachdem ich mich Anfang des Jahres in "Girls of Paper and Fire" verliebt habe, wollte ich auch die beiden ersten Bücher von Natasha Ngan lesen. Dieser Erstling hat allerdings kein gutes Lektorat genossen - viele Fehler sind noch drin, Sätze direkt hintereinander doppelt - und auch die Handlung ist stark gestrafft. Dadurch passiert zwar ständig was und es wird nie langweilig, manche Handlungsstränge hätten aber auch mehr Hintergrundinfos vertragen.
Weiteres Problem: aufgrund der Hitze und Allergien bin ich beim Lesen ständig eingeschlafen und habe für die 350 Seiten über eine Woche gebraucht - obwohl es so actionreich war.
Witzige Idee: Auf der Rückseite hat der Verlag ein Tortendiagramm abgedruckt, das dem Leser die Themen des Buchs verrät. Was sie nicht verraten, sind Ngans wiederkehrende Themen: asiatisches Leben; Freiheit; Inklusion; LGBT+-Liebe.
Eine spannende Lektüre für zwischendurch - durch das dystopische Thema eher nicht für den Strand geeignet...
"A person's DNA shouldn't dictate their lives. Skin-tone, genetics; how could any of those things decide what a person could become?"
~ Lilith ~
05.07.2019
Als eines Tages ihre Eltern entführt werden, gibt es nur einen Ort an dem sie sein können: Draußen, außerhalb der schützenden Mauern der Stadt. Silver muss sich entscheiden: zur Verräterin werden und die Stadt verlassen - oder ihrer Regierung und Vorgesetzten treu bleiben...
Nachdem ich mich Anfang des Jahres in "Girls of Paper and Fire" verliebt habe, wollte ich auch die beiden ersten Bücher von Natasha Ngan lesen. Dieser Erstling hat allerdings kein gutes Lektorat genossen - viele Fehler sind noch drin, Sätze direkt hintereinander doppelt - und auch die Handlung ist stark gestrafft. Dadurch passiert zwar ständig was und es wird nie langweilig, manche Handlungsstränge hätten aber auch mehr Hintergrundinfos vertragen.
Weiteres Problem: aufgrund der Hitze und Allergien bin ich beim Lesen ständig eingeschlafen und habe für die 350 Seiten über eine Woche gebraucht - obwohl es so actionreich war.
Witzige Idee: Auf der Rückseite hat der Verlag ein Tortendiagramm abgedruckt, das dem Leser die Themen des Buchs verrät. Was sie nicht verraten, sind Ngans wiederkehrende Themen: asiatisches Leben; Freiheit; Inklusion; LGBT+-Liebe.
Eine spannende Lektüre für zwischendurch - durch das dystopische Thema eher nicht für den Strand geeignet...
"A person's DNA shouldn't dictate their lives. Skin-tone, genetics; how could any of those things decide what a person could become?"
~ Lilith ~
05.07.2019
keeva995's review
5.0
Absolutely amazing. I went into this book with no expectations what so ever and I was so pleasantly surprised. I would recommend for the ages 12 and above due to some things that younger readers might not understand. It was such an amazing read and defiantly my favourite read of 2017 so far. Highly recommend
booksofamber's review
1.0
Like the rest of the blogosphere, I was dying to read The Elites. From the cover, to the tagline, to the promise of a badass main character, I was sure this one was going to score with me. Unfortunately, as you can see by the rating, that wasn't the case at all. The Elites was a basic dystopian that has been done time and time again in YA.
Full review on Books of Amber
Full review on Books of Amber
chloxdxnch's review
3.0
I really liked the idea of this book, with the different location to most dystopians and there were a few important messages hidden in the story. However, the way some of the characters acted just didn't make sense and I wasn't gripped until the very end.
septimasnape's review
3.0
Well crafted story. I really enjoyed this but I had some issues with the writing style. I would recommend reading it though. Not everybody is as picky as me
jamesflint's review
1.0
Rep: East Asian inspired characters
more like 2.5 but i felt generous (and also there were some quite good bits) so i rounded up
edit: 8/5/15
i honestly dont know why i gave it a 3 star rating it wasnt that great actually. and the main character would not stop crying istg
even further edit: 18/12/15
nah its 1.5 at best
more like 2.5 but i felt generous (and also there were some quite good bits) so i rounded up
edit: 8/5/15
i honestly dont know why i gave it a 3 star rating it wasnt that great actually. and the main character would not stop crying istg
even further edit: 18/12/15
nah its 1.5 at best
hannahtrahair's review
4.0
After what I considered a (reasonable) break from my favourite genre, a box full of hot key proofs arrived where I work and immediately I leapt upon this book because it sounded perfect for me and, after numerous recent disappointments, I have to say it is one of the best YA dystopians that I have read for a while.
Silver and Butterfly have both been streamed into a specialist training programme due to their DNA which leads them into a career as 'elites'. This leads to a lifetime protecting the city they live in, known as Neo-Babel which rose out of the dusts of The Great Fall. Without a doubt I want to know more about this backstory and it is something that I hope will be expanded in any potential sequels (of which I fervently hope there are plans!).
Nevertheless, the worldbuilding was something that I absolutely could not fault this book for. After finishing it, I looked back and couldn't believe how small it looked and how (relatively) short it was. Genuinely within this book you feel as if you have been swallowed by an entirely new world which swallows you whole and you feel as if you really know, something which is, in my mind, something an author should always be incredibly proud of and strive to achieve. There is genuinely an entire world within this book and it was a place I was unhappy about leaving at the conclusion of the book. A sentiment I could echo with many of the characters.
Furthermore, the interconnecting narratives allowed for not only a number of characters to shine, but also for the reader to gain an insight into a wide panorama of the futuristic society - from the slums to the Elites.
However, I would like to state that I feel the comparisons with [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)|Suzanne Collins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775] are incorrect and misplaced. Although I understand that it is probably the most successful book of this genre and that publishers wish to recreate this kind of success - there are other audiences which would most likely be more suited to this dystopian book. For example, I am positive that fans of [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899] would absolutely love it as there are far more similarities between this world at that which Veronica Roth created.
Therefore, for fans of YA dystopian, this is a book that I would highly recommend. I would argue that it brings something new to an over saturated genre and I can only hope that some sequels are planned!
Silver and Butterfly have both been streamed into a specialist training programme due to their DNA which leads them into a career as 'elites'. This leads to a lifetime protecting the city they live in, known as Neo-Babel which rose out of the dusts of The Great Fall. Without a doubt I want to know more about this backstory and it is something that I hope will be expanded in any potential sequels (of which I fervently hope there are plans!).
Nevertheless, the worldbuilding was something that I absolutely could not fault this book for. After finishing it, I looked back and couldn't believe how small it looked and how (relatively) short it was. Genuinely within this book you feel as if you have been swallowed by an entirely new world which swallows you whole and you feel as if you really know, something which is, in my mind, something an author should always be incredibly proud of and strive to achieve. There is genuinely an entire world within this book and it was a place I was unhappy about leaving at the conclusion of the book. A sentiment I could echo with many of the characters.
Furthermore, the interconnecting narratives allowed for not only a number of characters to shine, but also for the reader to gain an insight into a wide panorama of the futuristic society - from the slums to the Elites.
However, I would like to state that I feel the comparisons with [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)|Suzanne Collins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775] are incorrect and misplaced. Although I understand that it is probably the most successful book of this genre and that publishers wish to recreate this kind of success - there are other audiences which would most likely be more suited to this dystopian book. For example, I am positive that fans of [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899] would absolutely love it as there are far more similarities between this world at that which Veronica Roth created.
Therefore, for fans of YA dystopian, this is a book that I would highly recommend. I would argue that it brings something new to an over saturated genre and I can only hope that some sequels are planned!
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