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samanthafondriest 's review for:
Chosen Ones
by Veronica Roth
It was fine, I liked it, but it bit off more than it could chew. I was much more interested in the psychology of what being a “chosen one” might do to people than the cockamamie plot and unclear magic system. Characters, great. Aesthetics, solid. Magic, made no sense. Plot, confused the heck out of me.
I’ll write a real review once I have time to sit with my thoughts and feelings.
***
Chosen Ones follows Sloane, one of five “chosen ones” who saved the Earth from “the dark one” in their teens. Now facing 30 and struggling to cope with the trauma she was forced into by the government at such a young age, Sloane wants answers and closure. After another traumatic event, Sloane and two other chosen ones are pulled into a parallel dimension to fight their dark one. As Sloane starts to piece things together, she discovers that their “victory” may not have been so final and that there are still many horrors left to face.
In the first third of this novel, Roth deftly handles the psychological impact of what being a “chosen one” would do to someone for the rest of their life. Sloane is directionless - she peaked as a teenager, has unstoppable panic attacks and PTSD, & can’t go out without being recognized. However, the cockamamie parallel universe plot and poorly defined magic system and world building left a lot to be desired from this as a fantasy novel. This might have been more successful as a quieter, more introspective novel where Sloane digs into the government secrets and corruption that destroyed her life. The characters are great and watching Sloane grapple with her mental health in a very realistic way was awesome. I think Roth has a lot of potential to write fantasy that appeals to the millennial audience - she certainly understands the psychology of her characters in a way I deeply appreciated - but this first book leaves a lot of room for growth.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are, as always, my own.
I’ll write a real review once I have time to sit with my thoughts and feelings.
***
Chosen Ones follows Sloane, one of five “chosen ones” who saved the Earth from “the dark one” in their teens. Now facing 30 and struggling to cope with the trauma she was forced into by the government at such a young age, Sloane wants answers and closure. After another traumatic event, Sloane and two other chosen ones are pulled into a parallel dimension to fight their dark one. As Sloane starts to piece things together, she discovers that their “victory” may not have been so final and that there are still many horrors left to face.
In the first third of this novel, Roth deftly handles the psychological impact of what being a “chosen one” would do to someone for the rest of their life. Sloane is directionless - she peaked as a teenager, has unstoppable panic attacks and PTSD, & can’t go out without being recognized. However, the cockamamie parallel universe plot and poorly defined magic system and world building left a lot to be desired from this as a fantasy novel. This might have been more successful as a quieter, more introspective novel where Sloane digs into the government secrets and corruption that destroyed her life. The characters are great and watching Sloane grapple with her mental health in a very realistic way was awesome. I think Roth has a lot of potential to write fantasy that appeals to the millennial audience - she certainly understands the psychology of her characters in a way I deeply appreciated - but this first book leaves a lot of room for growth.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are, as always, my own.