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
l0velym00n's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
This book is dark and by dark I mean like new moon-night dark with no stars in the sky an clouds all over.
The book perfectly describes how darkness, isolation and loss can make you a “different” person. Outsider pressure mixed into all if this only tightens the stranglehold. Even though this is a origin story it makes you deeply connect with the character and their darkness. All of this, if not this graphic, happens within ourselves when experiencing said loss, isolation and betrayal.
The book is 100 per cent worth the read and I thoroughly recommend you to pick it up if you already have it at home.
The book perfectly describes how darkness, isolation and loss can make you a “different” person. Outsider pressure mixed into all if this only tightens the stranglehold. Even though this is a
Spoiler
villainsThe book is 100 per cent worth the read and I thoroughly recommend you to pick it up if you already have it at home.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Death, and Death of parent
lizzyc_16's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i finished this like 1 minute ago and...
what the frick.
what the frick.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Domestic abuse, Gore, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Xenophobia, War, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, Genocide, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Cursing, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic friendship
teri_b's review against another edition
Too much of the wrong kind of abuse and incredibly tropey. This YA book has not aged well. Also, did not really like the narrators.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gore
oliviaferlazzo's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book did not turn out like I expected. I kept thinking, “oh she’ll overcome that cause like, she’s the main character… oh wait… so no? But wait, yeah she will right?” Basically just like that throughout the whole book.
But yeah, Marie Lu did an amazing job at expressing the fear of darkness and what you could do to people. This personally is the first book I’ve read like where you see that darkness firsthand— the actions and consequences and the sad humanness of it all. Really it reminded me of when I was a child and I didn’t know how to control my emotions or thoughts and everything was just roiling around.
I had to close the book and weep at the turn of events and the way things ended up.
But yeah, Marie Lu did an amazing job at expressing the fear of darkness and what you could do to people. This personally is the first book I’ve read like where you see that darkness firsthand— the actions and consequences and the sad humanness of it all. Really it reminded me of when I was a child and I didn’t know how to control my emotions or thoughts and everything was just roiling around.
I had to close the book and weep at the turn of events and the way things ended up.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking, Abandonment, and Fire/Fire injury
krijemseoddusana's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
rekilluv'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
I've only read this book one time in 7th grade, and since I'm a high school junior I forgot a lot of detail. I will be re reading this book soon and updating my review but I remember enjoying this book a lot so I recommend it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Xenophobia
sarahmreads's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I read this book as a kid and I think I only got so far before not finishing it. So this summer I decided to give it a second shot and actually attempt to finish the series.
Adelina is a survivor of the blood fever, a disease that ravaged the world and left the survivors with special marks and powers. Adelina never knew what hers was, until she accidentally kills her father with the power of illusions and somehow finds herself in the hands of the Young Elites, a group of malfettos trying to take back what is rightfully theirs. How far will Adelina go, and how much will she discover about herself?
The world-building of this story was pretty simplistic and easy to pick up and understand from what is told. It has mystical creatures and easily defined boundaries and power systems. I did really like the magic system and how malfettos are connected to each other with these threads, but also how they connect to the gods themselves. It helped make a lot of connections in the story that I appreciated a lot.
The characters I would say were okay. I really liked seeing the slow process of Adelina's corruption and how she ends up in this spot in the first place, and it really demonstrates her as a morally grey character who is willing to do what is best for her, even with her powers slowly but surely corrupting her. I loved Enzo and Raffaele, and Teren had such an interesting complex that reminds me a lot of Eli from Vicious. Everyone else was kind of unforgettable sadly.
As for the plot, it's pretty basic. Rebel groups fights "bad guys," big final fight, something happens that makes them reconsider everything they know, and cliffhanger set up for next book. But I'm definitely excited to meet these new characters and how it will set up for the rest of the series.
Young Elites is a fast read and good for anyone looking to get their foot in the door of a dark fantasy.
Adelina is a survivor of the blood fever, a disease that ravaged the world and left the survivors with special marks and powers. Adelina never knew what hers was, until she accidentally kills her father with the power of illusions and somehow finds herself in the hands of the Young Elites, a group of malfettos trying to take back what is rightfully theirs. How far will Adelina go, and how much will she discover about herself?
The world-building of this story was pretty simplistic and easy to pick up and understand from what is told. It has mystical creatures and easily defined boundaries and power systems. I did really like the magic system and how malfettos are connected to each other with these threads, but also how they connect to the gods themselves. It helped make a lot of connections in the story that I appreciated a lot.
The characters I would say were okay. I really liked seeing the slow process of Adelina's corruption and how she ends up in this spot in the first place, and it really demonstrates her as a morally grey character who is willing to do what is best for her, even with her powers slowly but surely corrupting her. I loved Enzo and Raffaele, and Teren had such an interesting complex that reminds me a lot of Eli from Vicious. Everyone else was kind of unforgettable sadly.
As for the plot, it's pretty basic. Rebel groups fights "bad guys," big final fight, something happens that makes them reconsider everything they know, and cliffhanger set up for next book. But I'm definitely excited to meet these new characters and how it will set up for the rest of the series.
Young Elites is a fast read and good for anyone looking to get their foot in the door of a dark fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Hate crime
Moderate: Blood and Torture
beccaand's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent