ARC from NetGalley

Sloane and her 4 friends were recruited at a young age to determine which of them was "the chosen one" who would fight "the dark one" who was destroying the world. They fight together, win, and here we are in the aftermath of it all, 10 years later.

It starts interestingly, we have 3 sort of preface pieces. They each have a distinct voice. The first is an excerpt from a comedy show. The second is an essay, and the third is told from the point of view of a journalist (asshole) interviewing the MC. It gives 3 interesting perspectives, and I like this way of doing a sort of deconstructed prologue.

The newspaper piece is a bit eh, because the journalist is such a massive, disgusting POS that I can't possibly imagine Sloane would have agreed to the interview in the first place. There's no way that she wouldn't know he was a vile heap of human excrement before deciding to be interviewed.

The story continues from Sloane's perspective interspersed with, at first, information that she had requested about the man who recruited her. We eventually get different perspectives, and at one point I just started skimming/skipping them all because they were boring and weren't bringing much to the story.

It takes a long time to get to the meat of it. A significant portion of this book is just setting up the relationships and reflecting on the past. It had a major superhero vibe which I wasn't digging until we get to the crux point when things become a lot more magical.

The romantic relationships in this story were just eh. We get that whole forced relationship because it's all she's known and what she thinks she should be doing until we get the next relationship which sort of comes out of nowhere with absolutely no preamble, no building of tension, etc. It was a fucking waste honestly, and it could have been good. I was really disappointed.

The magic system wasn't well-explored. The characters, aside from Sloane, weren't well-explored. Sloane is a mopey, miserable woman, and she doesn't really have a lot of redeeming qualities. She also doesn't really seem that deep. We know she is suffering and traumatized, but it doesn't really resonate that much. It doesn't feel real enough or gritty enough. She just seems like kind of a bitch. The big twist was sort of obvious. It wasn't exciting. The conclusion was anticlimactic, but maybe the next iteration will be better. I sort of had to force myself through it all, and on the whole I'm pretty disappointed.

The hero worship, the fetishization, the objectification, the PTSD, the unhealthy coping mechanisms--all the gritty aftermath for the magical teens that saved the world. And he may even be back. For people who grew up on this type of adventure story, this is the next level.

First, thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC!

I do apologize for this review getting out so late. After the quarantine happened, my reading habits turned on its head and I didn't pick this up for ages because I wasn't in a very sci fi/fantasy mood. I didn't want to DNF so I waited it out until I was ready and boy, am I glad that I did.

Obviously being a millennial, you have lived thru the dystopian YA craze and know Divergent as a result - which was how I knew Veronica Roth. So when I heard she was coming out with a new book, I was instantly curious.

So a couple things first:

1) I stayed up past midnight (I'm a working young professional!! That is past bedtime for me) to finish this
2) I will be going to my local bookstore to purchase a hardcover copy this week

Veronica Roth wrote a tale that was like catnip to me. Chosen One trope? Check. Alternate Earth? Check. Multiverse? Check. Unstable magic? Check. An evil, maniacal crackpot? Check. Sarcastic armies of undead? CHECK. (Ziva is the best character, you cannot change my mind)

I know not everyone loves the Chosen One trope (yes, arguably it's overdone, but I always tropes are tropes for a reason), but our heroine, Sloane, is such an unwilling participant in the events that play out that it was super refreshing. She is flawed. She knows she is flawed. She's got depth to her character and that's fantastic, but I did feel like the effort poured into her meant that some other characters were neglected in their development (Esther didn't feel like she was a necessary part to the plot development).

The book is slow at first - of course it is. When you're building an alternate earth and an ALTERNATE to that alternate, there's a level of world-building and magic systems that need to be established before turning to the conflict. I think Veronica Roth did a great job with introducing characters and the world in the first part of the book.

It was around the 65% mark that I was unable to tear myself away from the book. From a slow build, the story shifts to a breakneck pace and, at midnight, I definitely felt a little disoriented but like in the best way possible.

I know this book is meant to be the first in a series but I was wholly satisfied with the conclusion. It was wrapped up nicely but, in my opinion, the best stories leave room for the imagination to fill in the gaps and map out the future. I'll look forward to the next installment eagerly but don't think it's entirely necessary.

If you love traditional sci fi/fantasy tropes, I definitely recommend this. If you don't, I still recommend it - I think the MC's attitude towards her own role as a Chosen One is refreshing enough to enjoy this trope in a new way.

I want to thank NetGalley & John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

“Just because something is difficult doesn't mean it's worth doing.”

I could really see the potential of the book, but I think the execution of the book in its entirety didn't work well for me, the reading process became quite heavy and slow, on the other hand, It also seems to me there's a lot of this story that's told and a lot of information is thrown at us without really seeing much action. It lacked the "do" factor and that surprise factor that I think the author knew how to give in her YA work. Even so, I can see why other readers might enjoy this plot especially due to its originality and new perspective on an already well-known trope.

This story focuses on a group of people who 10 years ago, while they were just teenagers, had been known to be The Chosen Ones, defeat a dangerous villain, and restore peace to the world. But today, in their thirties, each one of them lives a different reality, dealing with an empty life devoid of meaning where humanity already seems to have forgotten who they were and how much they had sacrificed for the world. This is a post-Chosen One's plot, which shows the decline of a group of heroes, and issues of mental health and trauma are touched, as well as we see the characters struggling to continue with their lives.


I personally adored the idea as soon as I read the synopsis, I think this type of concept is something new that I've never seen done before, which it's great, I really appreciate the author dares to give us something this original. So the plot idea itself is wonderful, and it has a lot of potentials, but I don't think it was intelligently executed. I expected to find an intense plot from the gaze of some "once heroes" and I wanted to explore their minds and the consequences that had been left in them being the chosen ones to now be the forgotten ones. But I'm not sure what the author really wanted to do with this story, because instead of doing something intense and strongly human, she decided to go another way where I felt that the plot was all over the place, quite messy I would say. Has lots of nonsensical scenes that feel like filler in my opinion, which I hate.

The author's approach to this book and mostly the way she chose to tell this story made me feel totally disconnected from what was happening and I honestly had to struggle to finish it.


I can say that I did enjoy the scenes from the past pretty much, I think it was in those scenes that the book really came to life and stopped being ... sorry but ... boring. There's something of high impact and emotion in the past scenes that the present ones totally lack of and I understand that the present of the characters must be darker, but it was very difficult for me to connect with them as adults. Also, maybe this is a very personal opinion, but the voices of the characters as adults don't differ much from them as teenagers, which I don't think is a good thing since I expected some growth or a more mature voice. The characters sadly don't stand out, and they all seemed pretty one-dimensional and forgettable to me.

I didn't remember the author's writing style being so slow, I swear there are about 200 pages of pure nothing, and that's really draining when you're waiting for something incredible to happen and come to save us, but no and it stays that way until the ending where I think it gets better and the story finally comes to life. It has a good solid ending, but that's not enough to save the book and take it to another level.


I quite liked the world and there are descriptions that are very colorful, solid, and interesting, so of course, I want to highlight that. I also think the magic system, although very underdeveloped, was a good idea, quite original and interesting to explore.

It's really a shame not to have been able to enjoy this book more, my expectations were high because I adore the chosen one trope, and even more, because the synopsis promises to make us see another side of the chosen ones & what happens in the life of this group of heroes when the world moves without them and they remain only as famous figures. The whole idea is great, but the execution was a miss for me, I still hope that many people can enjoy it if they read it.


Will I read the sequel? Not really. I'm not interested enough to read another book following the same characters, who honestly left me nothing, and I also don't feel like experiencing this dense writing style again. I'm not going to recommend it because it wouldn't be honest, but if you want to read it, I do think it has a great idea with a new concept that I think you could appreciate, it has an interesting world and a quite unique magic system.

This book left me with very mixed feelings. It had a slow start and Sloane’s character was challenging for me to connect with for the first half. The focus was primarily focused on the relationships and trauma that the chosen ones are dealing with after facing the Dark One ten years ago. Unfortunately, the were times when I considered putting the book down because the pacing felt too slow for me. However, the concept of seeing how heroes deal with life after evil is defeated was so intriguing and different than other stories I’ve read that I kept picking the book up again. It was darker than I expected and the issues the characters are dealing with would be expected if anyone faced what they did. It took me quite a long time to become invested in Sloane’s journey. The second half of the book felt like a completely different story where the pacing was much better and more action filled. I loved Sloane’s drive and determination to find out the truth about the Dark One and found myself really enjoying the second part of this book. I just wish I had felt that way a bit sooner.

Putting this down at about 15% because I cannot get into it. I love the idea, I usually love Veronica Roth, but the start of this is prohibitively slow for me. I might try again later when I have more patience.

After trying to read this book for two months, I've put it aside, not as a DNF, nut as a "come back to it later." So far, for me, the characters are very one-note and there is nothing that grabbed my attention enough to keep me reading. I'll give it 2 stars for now and change that when I find time to give it another go.

Chosen Ones was an exciting and well developed world. I was swept away immediately and could hardly put the book down! The characters are engaging and very well written it was so well crafted it truly stand out as a fantastic read.

I highly recommend this book you will not be disappointed!!! I LOVED IT!!!!

I received this book from NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an honest review!

*4.5
Thanks, Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is such a unique take "chosen ones" trope. It is true that a reader only stays with their chosen one character until their battle is done, we don't see what happens after. I really loved that we got Sloane's perspective because she shows us that our heroes aren't perfect, they deal with the consequences of their actions. Sloane suffers from severe PTSD from her time with The Dark One and Veronica Roth captures her emotions so incredibly well.
I felt the book was a good pace though the ending was rushed. I like how Veronica kept it interesting by adding many surprises throughout the book. It was just such a different book and it worked! I highly recommend.

Actual rating: 2.5

My initial reaction when reading this was positive. But now that I've finished it, the more I think about it the more I agree with negative reviews.

First, let me talk about the postives. The very best thing about this book was Sloan's characterisation. She's my favourite type of heroine. Smart, emotionally reserved, doesn't try hard to get other people, or even the reader, to like her. Basically, she's unlikable heroine done right. I think I spend way too many time bitching about other books and authors not getting unlikable characters right, so I guess I should mention it when it is done right.

I think in characterisation, the 'why' is more important than the 'how'. It's not enough for me to see 'how' the character reacts in certain ways, but also 'why' they do it? Good characterisation should combine character's specific worldview, their experience growing up, and their formative years to create a coherent whole. In fantasy it's very rare to come across such a well-crafted characterisation that I feel like I need to congradulate the author for doing so.

But sadly, Sloan's character was the only praise-worthy thing about this novel. About everything else was kinda meh. Because I was invested in Sloan's character, and because of the mystery about the dark one and you-know-who I kept reading till the end. So this book wasn't really boring for me like some other people. But I have to say, plot and world building were very very average.

I honeslty find it strange that some people are praising magic/world-building. To me, good fantasy is something that makes me go 'wow I could never come up with something like that'. That sort of awe-inspiring, fascinating magical elements that I always crave in fantasy was just missing here. Also, the whole playing with the roles of chosen one and the villain reminded me of Mistborn, and I hate to say it, but Sanderson did it infinitly better.

My review might seem negative, but I actually have fun reading it. It's only after I finished it and wanted to write this review that I realised that much of it was derivative.

Can I start a book review by saying that I adored this book!? Well I did. I have been recommending it to anyone since reading it.

Amazing story, world building, characters And development! We get it all with this book! I have been reading a lot more new adult books like this and loving it!

Read this book if you havent!

Chosen Ones is an adult fiction novel by Veronica Roth - a change from her usual writing in the YA genre. Readers of YA should still enjoy this one.

"What happens to your life after you defeat the enemy of the world as a teenager? People move on - except the paparazzi and the gossip mags. How do you create new relationships - make friends - be a regular person? Five teenagers - Sloane, Matt, Albie, Ines, and Esther - defeated the Dark One a decade ago. Life has been hard. Especially for Sloane. She can't shake the funk of what her life has become. She misses the magic they used against the Dark One. And after Albie's death, three of them are pulled to a different place where magic is common and the Dark One might still be alive."

Wow - what a story from Roth. Sloane asks questions that many of us do - What is my purpose? Should the highlight of my life be something I did as a teenager? Roth gives us a look behind the scenes of a group that once had great power. and then puts them in a different environment. I loved the world building of Genetrix. And I loved the messy ending. It was mostly unexpected but works here.

Not sure why there wasn't more buzz for this book. It's a great story from Roth.

This book was brilliantly challenging, and being the first adult book the author has written, I thought it was fantastic I can’t wait to see where the sequel takes us! If you’re a Veronica Roth fan, this is one you won’t want to miss!

I received this ARC for review.
This one was a very enjoyable read. Veronica Roth's writing keeps getting better and better, and I found the story and characters to be very enjoyable!

There was action and mystery. I did enjoy the author's exploration of the complexities of PTSD and trauma though it could be a trigger for some readers. Sometimes the pacing was amazing and other times it was so slow and drawn out, but the premise and characters made up for it. Overall, I liked the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for letting me read this ARC.

3 for neutral, unfortunately I wasn’t able to finish this book, as it was just too slow paced for me, and also very confusing! I did try a couple times, but will update later if able to finish. I was really looking forward to it, but being fantasy isn’t my main genre and my pickiness, it was likely my mood making it impossible to get into enough to finish.

Great new book by Veronica Roth. An insightful book that makes you evaluate every situation within the book to try to figure who the characters are, what is going on, etc. A book you can really loose yourself in.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. These opinions are my own

I have to say, I don't recall requesting The Chosen Ones. It appeared on my Netgalley after publication and sat glaring at me from my arrears shelf until recently.

I'm familiar with the Divergent series and have the same popular opinion that the first two were great and the third an absolute disaster.

The Chosen Ones is described as Roth's first adult novel so I thought I'd approach it with fresh eyes and separate it entirely from what I know of Roth's previous work.
The problem with this was there doesn't seem to be any difference in tone.

Though the main characters are in their 30s they still behave and speak as teenagers would. In fact I continuously forgot that they weren't teenagers. There seemed to have been absolutely no character development between their current selves and the flashbacks to 10+ years earlier. I don't know about you but I can honestly say 30 year old me is EXTREMELY different to 15 year old me... and I didn't have to save the world.

I liked the idea of a book set after the heroes had accomplished their task but actually, most of the novel is flashbacks and government reports explaining what happened in the past- and those were more interesting than the current timeline

All of the characters were either empty or unlikeable with the exception of the one who dies early on. The 'Dark One' really isn't that menacing for a man who's supposed to be a magical mass murderer and the ARIS agents behave like parents to the 30 year olds.

I'm halfway in and I don't care where this is going. I'm putting it down and stepping away from any future Roth titles.

I need someone to do a special edition box for this book!

Being my first book by Roth, I didn't know what to expect of her writing style but was supremely surprised.


A book I will continue to recommend.

Loved this book. How super heroes deal with the aftermath and resurgence of challenges, how the world needs it's icons, a mysterious villain. This is read worthy, film worthy, and definitely need a book 2 worthy!