The Young Elites
(The Young Elites #1)
Author: Marie Lu
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Magic.
Published: February 5 2015
Pages: 368 pages (Paperback Edition) (Penguin)
Read: July 2015
Rating: 5 Stars
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.
Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.
Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.
The Young Elites is the first book in Marie Lu's new series 'The Young Elites'. It is a fantasy series revolving around a world where a plague has turned children into malfettos, with some malfettos having magical abilities, just like our main protagonist Adelina, and a world that is rife with revolution and with dark depths at every corner.
I was apprehensive to pick up The Young Eiltes, simply for two reasons:
1. I disliked the cover, I know did no-one ever tell me not to judge a book by it's cover!! (But it has grown on me now)
2. I was afraid after completely falling head over heels for the Legend trilogy that if I didn't like this book it would taint my experience of reading that trilogy and the author.
Alas, I needn't have been afraid because I absolutely adored this book!
The plot of The Young Elites is rather entertaining. Marie Lu writes action packed to a whole new level and not only was this book action packed but it was mysterious, it was twisting, it was dark. So, so dark! And that is why I found this book to be such a refresher in the YA genre. It doesn't follow your usual set out plan. Really can you honestly expect that with Marie Lu anyway? Just look how the Legend series ended??? Not expected! It didn't follow the usual rules of YA fiction! And neither did The Young Elites and I loved it for that.
And to just point out the most obvious difference - our main 'heroine' was a villain and boy, was she bad?! Adelina was the most dark, twisted character I've ever read a perspective from and I was really surprised to see this as she is the main protagonist in the book. But, by damn I can see her getting a lot more evil come the next books in the series as I'm sure everyone else who as read this book can see too...
But Adelina was not the only twisted around character, personality wise, there was also Enzo who was portrayed as the saviour of all malfettos, but was he really? And then is Teren the bad guy?? You're just going to have to read it to find out..
But this book led to an awful set of questions stirring in my mind. Are the good guys really good?? When our main protagonist is anti-hero, can the group she admires really be good? Are the bad guys really bad? Or do they have a point with what there doing?? Is anyone in this book good? These are just some of those mind boggling questions that you get when reading this book because literally Marie Lu has placed a very thin line between good and evil in this book and it is really hard to place who is on which side.
And let's not forget the twists and turn of events in this book as per-se the Marie Lu fashion!! I was left HEARTBROKEN and BETRAYED!! Come on, Marie, why do you do this to me?? And I have been left completely terrified to read the next book 'The Rose Society' because I'm holding onto this semblance of hope and I really don't want it to be squashed. Please, don't... don't scar me forever....
But I will be reading the next book, you can expect it to be in my hands on the day of it's release in October, if I'm a very good girl and on track with my goals for my TBR for 2016 that is..
I recommend this book to you, you, you, you and you! So why aren't you reading it yet???
I was apprehensive to pick up The Young Eiltes, simply for two reasons:
1. I disliked the cover, I know did no-one ever tell me not to judge a book by it's cover!! (But it has grown on me now)
2. I was afraid after completely falling head over heels for the Legend trilogy that if I didn't like this book it would taint my experience of reading that trilogy and the author.
Alas, I needn't have been afraid because I absolutely adored this book!
The plot of The Young Elites is rather entertaining. Marie Lu writes action packed to a whole new level and not only was this book action packed but it was mysterious, it was twisting, it was dark. So, so dark! And that is why I found this book to be such a refresher in the YA genre. It doesn't follow your usual set out plan. Really can you honestly expect that with Marie Lu anyway? Just look how the Legend series ended??? Not expected! It didn't follow the usual rules of YA fiction! And neither did The Young Elites and I loved it for that.
And to just point out the most obvious difference - our main 'heroine' was a villain and boy, was she bad?! Adelina was the most dark, twisted character I've ever read a perspective from and I was really surprised to see this as she is the main protagonist in the book. But, by damn I can see her getting a lot more evil come the next books in the series as I'm sure everyone else who as read this book can see too...
But Adelina was not the only twisted around character, personality wise, there was also Enzo who was portrayed as the saviour of all malfettos, but was he really? And then is Teren the bad guy?? You're just going to have to read it to find out..
But this book led to an awful set of questions stirring in my mind. Are the good guys really good?? When our main protagonist is anti-hero, can the group she admires really be good? Are the bad guys really bad? Or do they have a point with what there doing?? Is anyone in this book good? These are just some of those mind boggling questions that you get when reading this book because literally Marie Lu has placed a very thin line between good and evil in this book and it is really hard to place who is on which side.
And let's not forget the twists and turn of events in this book as per-se the Marie Lu fashion!! I was left HEARTBROKEN and BETRAYED!! Come on, Marie, why do you do this to me?? And I have been left completely terrified to read the next book 'The Rose Society' because I'm holding onto this semblance of hope and I really don't want it to be squashed. Please, don't... don't scar me forever....
But I will be reading the next book, you can expect it to be in my hands on the day of it's release in October, if I'm a very good girl and on track with my goals for my TBR for 2016 that is..
I recommend this book to you, you, you, you and you! So why aren't you reading it yet???
No comments:
Post a Comment