Scan barcode
_nyctophob1a_'s review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
5.0
My fave book trilogy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Classism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, War, Genocide, Child death, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Racism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Self harm, Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, and Toxic friendship
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: Violence, blood, child abuse (emotional and physical), self harm, discrimination, death, torture
The Young Elites by Marie Lu is book one in the Young Elites series. This came out in 2014 and honestly I'm sad I slept on it for so long! This was such an excellent villain story! It gave me X-Men vibes.
We follow Adelina, a malfetto girl who is being abused by her father and only has her sister Violetta. One night when Adelina tries to runaway, she kills him with illusions she is able to conjure. She discovered that not only is she a malfetto, she is also a Young Elite, children who caught the fever when they were young and survived and gained powers.
Adelina is arrested and sentenced to execution, but is rescued by the Dagger Society, group of Young Elites fighting against the king and queen's brutal discrimination of malfettos. She finds out she is aligned most strongly with fear and Fury, and passion and ambition. We see her fight to control her power and the pleasure she gets from fear and power.There is a constant battle inside of her, and that makes her a great villain. There is also some political stuff with the main antagonist, Teren, who is an Elite that hates himself and has pledged to rid the world of all malfettos. Dude needs some therapy.
I loved this story. Adelina went from a meek, abused girl afraid all the time, to do gooder vigilante with some morally gray aspects, to complete villain. I want to learn more about the rest of the Daggers! I'm also really looking forward to the extended world-building that's coming up in the next book. I just really love the way Marie Lu writes her FMCs. Plus we get some queer rep in side characters and disability red in Adelina with her missing eye.
I'm very excited to read The Rose Society!
The Young Elites by Marie Lu is book one in the Young Elites series. This came out in 2014 and honestly I'm sad I slept on it for so long! This was such an excellent villain story! It gave me X-Men vibes.
We follow Adelina, a malfetto girl who is being abused by her father and only has her sister Violetta. One night when Adelina tries to runaway, she kills him with illusions she is able to conjure. She discovered that not only is she a malfetto, she is also a Young Elite, children who caught the fever when they were young and survived and gained powers.
Adelina is arrested and sentenced to execution, but is rescued by the Dagger Society, group of Young Elites fighting against the king and queen's brutal discrimination of malfettos. She finds out she is aligned most strongly with fear and Fury, and passion and ambition. We see her fight to control her power and the pleasure she gets from fear and power.There is a constant battle inside of her, and that makes her a great villain. There is also some political stuff with the main antagonist, Teren, who is an Elite that hates himself and has pledged to rid the world of all malfettos. Dude needs some therapy.
I loved this story. Adelina went from a meek, abused girl afraid all the time, to do gooder vigilante with some morally gray aspects, to complete villain. I want to learn more about the rest of the Daggers! I'm also really looking forward to the extended world-building that's coming up in the next book. I just really love the way Marie Lu writes her FMCs. Plus we get some queer rep in side characters and disability red in Adelina with her missing eye.
I'm very excited to read The Rose Society!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, Death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Torture
sophieamreacher's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
Dark and magical world. Interesting characters and plot twists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Vomit, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Blood, Torture, Police brutality, Gore, Body horror, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
yokelsoreads's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Torture, Violence, and Mental illness
nickitaylor915's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
OMG! This book is so underrated! I can’t believe I’ve never heard it talked about on Book Tok.
I would give The Young Elites 4 stars. Marie Lu creates a vivid and immersive world filled with magic and political intrigue. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. The writing is also excellent, with beautiful descriptions and a strong sense of atmosphere. However, the book can be quite dark at times, and some readers may find the violence and themes of betrayal and revenge disturbing.
The Young Elites is a fantasy novel by Marie Lu that follows the story of Adelina Amouteru, a young girl who discovers she has extraordinary powers after surviving a deadly fever that has killed many others. Adelina is taken in by the Dagger Society, a group of rebels who seek to overthrow the ruling class of the kingdom. However, Adelina's powers are unstable, and her thirst for revenge against those who have wronged her threatens to consume her. As Adelina becomes more powerful, she must navigate the dangerous political landscape of the kingdom and decide where her loyalties lie. The Young Elites is a thrilling and engaging read that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy and political intrigue.
I would give The Young Elites 4 stars. Marie Lu creates a vivid and immersive world filled with magic and political intrigue. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. The writing is also excellent, with beautiful descriptions and a strong sense of atmosphere. However, the book can be quite dark at times, and some readers may find the violence and themes of betrayal and revenge disturbing.
The Young Elites is a fantasy novel by Marie Lu that follows the story of Adelina Amouteru, a young girl who discovers she has extraordinary powers after surviving a deadly fever that has killed many others. Adelina is taken in by the Dagger Society, a group of rebels who seek to overthrow the ruling class of the kingdom. However, Adelina's powers are unstable, and her thirst for revenge against those who have wronged her threatens to consume her. As Adelina becomes more powerful, she must navigate the dangerous political landscape of the kingdom and decide where her loyalties lie. The Young Elites is a thrilling and engaging read that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy and political intrigue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
grizzlysnack's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I wanted to like this book so badly!
This is the third series from Marie Lu that I've read. The Legend and Warcross series, specifically. I went into The Young Elites expecting a similar format in pacing and narration. I was sad to see that this book did not grab my interest as quickly, nor made me want to keep listening chapter after chapter.
I will say that this book/series has a very different theme from Lu's other works. You are rarely rooting for Adelina to win in this book, which is the point of the text! Unfortunately, it didn't resonate with me as much of her other novels.
This is the third series from Marie Lu that I've read. The Legend and Warcross series, specifically. I went into The Young Elites expecting a similar format in pacing and narration. I was sad to see that this book did not grab my interest as quickly, nor made me want to keep listening chapter after chapter.
I will say that this book/series has a very different theme from Lu's other works. You are rarely rooting for Adelina to win in this book, which is the point of the text! Unfortunately, it didn't resonate with me as much of her other novels.
If you are looking for a young adult book that has a villain arc for the main character, and a solid amount of worldbuilding, I'd say this is the book for you! This just wasn't my cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Violence, Murder, and Body horror
Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Toxic friendship and Genocide
theespressoedition's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Child death, Violence, Torture, Death, and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual content
samhackett's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was alright. Unfortunately I found the epilogue to be the most exciting part of the book. Definitely not bad, but I didn't find the characters that interesting and there just wasn't enough detail in the story to hold my interest. A solid three stars though!
Also just my opinion, not entirely sure I'd recommend this as YA considering there are certain scenes that are quite dark and violent.
Also just my opinion, not entirely sure I'd recommend this as YA considering there are certain scenes that are quite dark and violent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child abuse and Violence
vaniavela's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-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
5.0
Adelina Amouterou is a malfetto, marked in more ways than one.
I loved the concept of The Young Elites and the different powers and abilities each Elite has. I can't believe Marie Lu always writes such amazing stories. I am so in love with her mind.
One of my favorite aspects is that the "special" characters, the ones with powers, are not treated like heroes or royalty. They are cursed and cruelly killed. Even if you're just marked, with no sign of powers, you can end up dead in the worst possible way.
These characters yearn for more. Whether it's love, power or revenge, they all need something. I love complex characters, they constantly make me hesitate between loving them or hating their existence. This time, Marie Lue has achieved both.
The diversity is this book has been well written, finding not only different skin colors, but sexualities and disabilities.
The Young Elites has exceeded my expectations, giving the perfect start to a trilogy.
TW: ableism, abuse (during a sexual encounter, off page), blood, body horror, child abuse, confinement, death, death of a parent, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, (minor) gore, self harm, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence, disease, bigotry, imprisonment, physical abuse, ableism, eye removal due to illness, ableist slurs, child selling, mention of stoning, mention of fire, mention of putting people the stake, child abandonment, bigotry, mass death, mention of death of parent, stabbing, soldiers brutality, mobs, murder, cheating, manipulation, vomiting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Murder
karelidz's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Honestly better than I expected. I was expecting it to be very distopian and maybe "hunger games-esque", and I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it wasn't. It reminded me a bit of Six of Crows a bit at times, in the sense of being a "band of outcasts" and being in a type of secret society.
I liked the magic aspect of it and the tiny bit of romance that we got. I also LOVE that it's basically a villain's origin story, it's so tragic - it's so good. It makes me excited to see what happens in the next book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 will be continuing the series
I liked the magic aspect of it and the tiny bit of romance that we got. I also LOVE that it's basically a villain's origin story, it's so tragic - it's so good. It makes me excited to see what happens in the next book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 will be continuing the series
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Death