One of the best books I’ve ever read.

We all know the story about the Chosen Ones who defeat the evil, but what happens AFTER? This book follows Sloane, 10 years after their defeat. Now they are famous but Sloane still doesn’t feel safe. And she is proved right when they are pulled into another dimension parallel to their own!

The romance and character development in this novel alone are amazing. I was hooked from the third chapter and loved all of the characters.

I did Not like how the final battle lasted maybe 5 pages and was over just like that. I felt it could’ve gone in a different less weirder direction but that romance just makes it all worth it.

5/5 stars

Do you ever wonder what happens to your favorite characters after they save the world? I think about this all the time and Veronica Roth's new adult fantasy novel explores just that—following a heroine who finds herself unsure of her purpose ten years after defeating the Dark One.

In Chosen Ones, Roth tackles the practical questions (what does a career path look like for someone who never got a degree because they spent their teens fighting evil). It's also an intimate look at what happens when the world calls you a hero but you feel like anything but. Sloane is hurt, angry, lost, and so human it hurt. I alternated between rooting for her and wanting to wrap her up in a blanket to protect her from a world hell-bent on exploiting her.

There are amazing concepts at work here, and while I didn't always love the execution, I do think readers fascinated by the chosen one trope will get a lot out of this book.

I would like to thank Veronica Roth & Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for my copy of the ARC. Due to this kind gesture, I have decided to leave an honest review.
I love Veronica Roth, Divergent is one of my favourite series but what in the good god damnation was this?? Sure, the last part of the book was good, enough to make it 3 stars but no! I am sticking with the two and a half.

When a band of 5 misfit teenagers come together to fight the chosen one, what happens long after they have defeated him? What happens after the huge ordeal that caused major trauma? Who picks up the pieces? Can you ever really get over this? Or is our chosen one's sanities dangling at the edge of a very steep cliff?

This really had the chance to get down gritty, after so many YA books wrap everything up nicely by the end of it I was hoping we were going to see shit get real. This could have been a deep, dark psychological thriller but it wasn't. It felt like Roth was still speaking to her YA audience which was extremely disappointing.

All the characters except Sloan were extremely underdeveloped, we don't really know them. We had bits here and there but you could literally take or leave them. I didn't even really have a connection with anyone, the only reason I mention Sloan as she is the only one that is really talked about.

One thing I couldn't get into was the jumping back to classified documents, this really got on my nerves and it was putting me off the book as I found most of it useless, you could have found your way through the book without them. I still don't get the point of them but hey!

The book wasn't all that bad. The last 30% probably could have made it a 3-star review, but I just could let go of the other 70%. I will certainly read on, I am looking forward to another book but I am hoping it hits a little darker.

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"Sometimes Sloan wondered if the world had been worth saving."

As is typical for a Roth novel, I was kept on my toes, unsure of what would happen next. I think young women in particular will be empowered by the protagonist’s journey in the novel. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I was excited to read this one because I used to love Veronica Roth back when I was a teen and reading Divergent (well, at least until the last book in the trilogy, you know what I mean), and the concept sounded really cool and definitely not something that I've read before.
However... it just didn't work out, and I could not get into the story. It didn't excite me and I couldn't connect to the characters.

Praise to Roth for this novel for character depth, intrigue, and her immaculate Universe building the pulls you in and make you feels as if you are apart of the plot. Such a thought provoking read that you will never want to put down once you get started. This novel is a great read from finish to end.

Not really the book for me. I wasn’t a fan of the divergent series as a book but loved the movies. Maybe the same will apply to this book.

This was marketed as being about what happens after you've saved the world – how do carry that; how do you live a normal life; what is the ‘post chosen one’ life like? But, spoiler alert, this book is just about them saving the world again. And, not even the same world. And, while that second half is more action packed and asks some interesting questions. It doesn't interrogate the premise that interested me in the book. While I've seen reviewers comment that the booked picked up for them when the twist/action began, I actually think that is where this one lost me.

If I’m honest, my largest issue with that section is probably that I mostly didn’t get it. The whole alternate universe, magical breath, quantum string theory, two versions of the same dude… stuff … just bored me every time. Telling a similar story with all that hoopla extracted would have left more room to delve into the interesting character and thematic elements that were buried in the book at odds and ends. Yes, world building is complex work and valuable, but so are character building and thematic development, and those definitely took a back seat here to a bunch of explanations of magic metal jewelry and alterna-Chicago architecture.

Supposedly Roth's first foray into adult fiction, I think excluding the characters being physically adult (mid-20s) – this is still YA... Whether it is the writing, or the fact that all are wounded, jobless, drifting celebrities... these characters do not read as adults, nor does the dialogue bear that out. Just because there is gore, sex, and drinking doesn’t make this adult.
That being said, I cared about most of them, found them interesting enough. Sloane is a fascinating character and I think her arc was explored pretty well. I believed in her growth across the narrative. And, I’ll admit I found Mox swoony.

But, let’s not even talk about the villain… don’t even get me started on what a failure of a character that was. Just so uninteresting with a side of wtfishappening? I don’t understand the motivations for him, for them, just any of that. And, while that is the largest, that is definitely not the only plot hole left there for the reader to get stuck in.

I really wanted to enjoy this one. I just couldn’t quite manage it. But, my thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Review: Decent Story … but SO VAGUE!

This book definitely had some highlights but it also had its frustrating moments, which affected my enjoyment of the novel. This novel is better classified as a New Adult book, based on how the characters behaved.

The Pros: What worked for me

So fun fact: I love mixed media in books! It is such a lovely break from conventional storytelling, and I love seeing authors use text messages, newspaper articles, and other media to show a different perspective to the story. In this novel, the author used newspaper and journal articles, as well as classified government documents. Whenever these would pop up, I would get super excited!

Sloane has got to be one of my favourite protagonists! She is such a great anti-hero, and she had such a prickly personality – but it all worked! Her trauma and PTSD served to show how even the greatest “hero” figures can suffer mentally. She was a character that did not want recognition or fame, just peace and the chance to be herself. Her suspicion and paranoia always turned out to be right. It was a nice change from the typical lead characters.

The twists in this story are clever. They were both surprising and plausible at the same time, so I approved 100%.

The Cons: What I didn’t like

The other members of the Chosen Ones squad really didn’t shine that much, which was a shame because they brought some diversity to the table.

I’m not sure if this is because of Sloane’s overthinking personality, but the story dragged on … A LOT. I only managed to push myself because I was buddy-reading. It’s not that things weren’t happening – it just felt like it wasn’t that much. Maybe it was also because there was a lot of telling and not showing going on, which is a major pet peeve of mine.

So many things weren’t properly explained. At first, I thought the author would reveal things in time, but as the story progressed, this didn’t happen. I had more questions than I did answers and I spent more than half the time wondering what was going on. The worldbuilding just wasn’t clear enough for me, and there were so many useless details/events in the story that had me scratching my head.

I was not a fan of the revelations that led to the ending – a character shows Sloane some memories to explain his behaviour, but the description of them was so jumbled up that it made no sense to me, even after I read it twice. While I liked the actual ending, the way it came about was just messy. The ending also had me questioning whether a sequel would even be needed.

I went into this book with no real expectations considering I didn’t enjoy the Divergent books but I liked the movies. (That almost never happens) so boys was a I surprised to not only enjoy this but really connect with the main character. Sloane inability to move past what they had done/gone through and how she copes was so relatable. Especially her relationship with the golden boy who seems to be totally fine and stuck with his broken girlfriend. And even though I kind of had an inkling in who would end up being the villain, I didn’t care. The ending was also oddly satisfying?

Chosen Ones, how do the get on with their lives after the heroic event has taken place? Is it possible to just lead a normal life?
Fast paced, well written, page turner I couldn't put down.

First of all, thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for approving me of an ARC! (even if it was a bit late!)

I'm a huge Veronica Roth fan, and I was really interested to read her adult debut!

10 years following the "take down" of the Dark One. There had been a prophecy of a "Chosen One" who would help save humans from the Dark One. With one so powerful on the dark side, one just as powerful on the light side would rise. Within the parameters of their search, the government came up with these 5: Matt, Sloane, Ines, Albie, and Esther.

While most people have moved on, Sloane hasn't, and on the night of the 10th anniversary, one of the Chosen Ones dies. And everything they thought was over certainly is not.

This was definitely different than Roth's pther novels. I think it was almsot refreshing to see a YA author step into the adult realm and change her language and writing style. I notice that adult authors usually have an easier times switching between the two, and YA authors usually have difficulty transitioning into adult books, but I think the style and characters really helped guide her!

The language and dialogue felt real, and overall, the story felt real. There were moments when I got a bit confused, but overall, I think the audiobook did a good job distinguishing between scenes and parts with the special effects. Which leads me to another thing! If you can, I definitely recommend the audiobook! Dakota Fanning actually narrates the better part of the story (3rd POV of Sloane), and she actually did a pretty good job! I'm also just a sucker for a good audiobook.

Overall, I think I enjoyed it. This was a different take on the Chosen One trope, as well as setting it 10 years after the whole "saving the world" plot!.

I really liked the premise of this book, but found the pacing to be all over the place. At times it moved well and was engaging, and at other times it seemed to not move at all. I liked the characters and found them to be well-rounded. However, the absolute slow pace of the book kept me from loving this book (even though the cliffhanger makes me wonder if I will continue or not).

4.5 stars
Thank you Netgalley for the wish list ARC!

This book was such a FUN ride. I enjoyed every aspect of the story and the main character was very easy to like. I wasn't sure going into this book that I would like it much since I mostly like to read fantasy books not set in real life world. I didn't have any issue getting into this story. AT. ALL.

The reason I gave it 4.5 stars is because of the weird magic system in the alternate earth. I had a hard time picturing the siphones sticking out of everyone's body parts. Although it was original, it made it hard to get used to it.

I would definitely recommend this book to friends and anyone wanting a good story to read.

I absolutely loved reading the new adult book by Veronica Roth! She wrote an intense story, dealing with important themes like PTSD, death, depression, torture, physical and physicological and the characters were Amazing!

3 STARS


Getting my hands on this book was nothing short of a surprise.


I didn't really care for Divergent back when Veronica Roth was the be all, end all of YA, and I was initially hesitant to even consider this book. When NetGalley granted my skeptical wish for it, though, I figured it was worth giving it a shot. After all, this is adult rather than YA, and it follows five Chosen Ones after their fight is over. The concept is incredibly intriguing to me, as I love asking "okay, but what happens after that?" when I encounter prophecies and such, and sometimes, authors have very different voices depending on which genre and age range they're working within.

In the end, why not give it a try, and see how the saviors of the world are faring ten years after they've fulfilled their prophecy?


"Sometimes Sloane wondered if the world had been worth saving."


Easily my favorite part of Chosen Ones is the fact that the main character, Sloane, is traditionally "unlikable" in many senses. She's abrasive and distant and to the point, some of which comes from her early history, and some of which stems from the trauma she experienced during her years fighting against the Dark One. More than that, though, she doesn't know what she wants. In some ways, she's aimless, and she's frustrated because she recognizes that she's adrift. It makes for a really compelling character, at least in my eyes, because her flaws are front and center. And not only that, but her flaws are sometimes her greatest strengths as well, the steel in her spine that no one else comes even close to having.

In short, I love a good unlikable character, especially one who's on the side of good, but still feels a little lost at the end of the day.

The other major part of Chosen Ones that I appreciated, though, was the inclusion of reports and articles and such, especially in the first half of the book. It's a clever way to give further insight to the events that led up to the fight against the Dark One ten years ago without forcing the characters to info-dump. This is especially crucial since the main characters went through (mostly) the same things, and feel little need to discuss that period of their lives and the trauma that comes along with it.


Yet Chosen Ones was destined to let me down.


Here I thought I'd get to read a story about shared trauma and healing from it, whether together or apart. Here I thought we'd see a group cast utilized to their fullest, whether or not they cooperated at the end of the day.

Instead, I got one character abandoning all the rest to run off with a new character, and one of the original Chosen Ones' suicide was a plot point to put everyone else in place for the rest of the book. There's so little examination of healing, whether from the trauma of fighting the Dark One or the suicide of a dear friend, and while I suppose some of the righteous anger in the book could be considered healing, it still irritates me to no end to see a suicide brushed off so lightly.

It's difficult to capture the full depths of my disappointment. I was so much looking forward to seeing the group cast evolve. Working together again after ten years drifting apart is bound to see both triumphs and a boatload of friction. But one character is dead, another is essentially written out of the book for no reason I can fathom, two boil down to props by the end, and the last is a reasonably solid protagonist who would have been a thousand times better interfacing with her friends more often.


This book could go either way for most people, and I think it depends on your expectations going in.


Since I had a very particular concept in mind, as the summary suggested, I was let down hard. Chosen Ones was nothing like the book I thought I was going to read, especially after the first third passed. I could love Sloane with my whole heart (which I don't quite, not really), and this would still not be a book for me at the end of the day.

But if you're into backstabbing, ill-advised romantic entanglements, musical magic, and parallel worlds, you might get some mileage out of this one.

Still, I have to admit that I can't wholly recommend this at the end of the day. It's the pinnacle of cool concept, terrible execution, and that stings.

On the bright side, though, it's the only book I read during my hiatus that didn't live up to expectations, so I guess I'm in good shape still!


CW: loss of a loved one, gore, racism, alcoholism, parental neglect, drug use, addiction, overdose, suicide, graphic injury, sex scene, torture

[This review will go live on Hail & Well Read on 8/5/20 at 10 am EST.]

I’m struggling with this review because I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. The pacing was too slooooooow and I didn’t care about the characters at all. The magic in the book seemed interesting at first but...I don’t know...I didn’t find it interesting enough. I realize this will not be a popular review but this is what it is.
I’m giving 3 stars because I finished the book and Mox’s story was exciting and I felt connected with him.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy,

“Just because something is difficult,” Edda said, “doesn’t mean it’s worth doing.”
•
The premise of this book was really awesome! We always focus on what happens during the the battle against an evil villain and we never stop thinking about what happens after.. when there’s no adrenaline keeping us going on and when we need to rebuild, not only buildings, but the broken pieces inside ourselves. Sloane was a chosen one, as a girl she has been chosen to fight the Dark One and after that she has been with an awesome guy (another Chosen one) and she has been famous. That sounds great right?! After all, after winning the battle there can be only an happy ending, instead she is broken forever. She doesn’t know how to live a normal life, anyone has never taught her that because no one has ever believed she would have survived. I found her character very fragile but also very strong, because you really must be strong to be able to live with the ghosts and the tragedies of your past. Of course, when she finds out that her mission is not over there’s refusal and shock, but can you really turn away from what you are destined for? Honestly the second part of the book wasn’t as gripping, I found myself not very Interested in the battle against the evil and the end was absolutely dull. There are some interesting turning points though that has been quite unexpected. I honestly would have loved to see more the complicity between Sloane and the other chosen ones, even if they are all quite broken so I guess it’s not easy nor realistic to be friendly and cheerful.

Wow! just wow... I found a new favorite book. At first, I thought this was a YA Fantasy and after not finding a favorite book in that genre for so long, I was surprised. Turns out, this is Adult and Sci-fi/Fantasy so that makes more sense now. In any case, this was the perfect book for me. I found it amazing and I loved every second of it. Unfortunately, it seems not everyone feels the same way. For my part, I'm going to have to order a physical copy. That's how much I loved it (I only keep my favorite books that I'll want to re-read someday) Going into it, I had low expectations and perhaps that's why I was so surprised and blown away.

The audiobook was the perfect way to consume this story in my opinion. It had a full cast and I enjoyed listening to it. The secret files, interviews and things like that between chapters were a really nice addition. I was never lost and from the beginning, I was hooked and intrigued. I never saw the twists and turns coming. I went into this book almost blind and I don't regret it. I hope you'll be as surprised as I was.

I've seen people mention that this book was boring but... excuse me? Have we read the same book? I was never bored. Perhaps because I was so attached to the characters (Sloane, Albie and Moks), they could have been eating soup and I would have found it interesting lol. Sloane is one of those characters that you either hate or love and I was in the later category, of course. Chosen Ones didn't end on a cliffhanger. The end was very satisfying to me but I still can't wait to read the sequel! I don't want to say goodbye to my favorite couple. Anyway, I have no idea when it'll be published and I'm kind of sad about it. Hopefully next year? One thing for sure, I'm going to read it.

(Thank you so much for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Chosen Ones was Veronica Roth’s first attempt at an adult series. The premise sounded amazing when I first set my eyes on it: the aftermath of the battle against a dark force, with the reversion of the Chosen One trope – how can they live after all the lost and trauma that a villain inflicted on them? I know this trope is out there; I’ve just never read it before.
Let me just say, though, that the book didn’t go the direction I was expecting. I thought the trauma was handled very well for the first 10 chapters, not only Sloane’s (the main character, who the narrator accompanies), but also the other Chosen’s. The major points of their past with the Dark One – the villain they defeated 10 years before – were shown gradually, as Sloane revisited her memories, triggered by some situation in her present. I really liked that aspect of the book: it shows that bad memories stay buried until something pops up and makes them resurface unexpectedly.
When we reach part II, though, the book takes a different direction. Instead of continuing to deal with trauma, or maybe with the fame and government (which keeps the Chosen Ones in a tight leash), the readers suddenly find themselves thrown back into the Chosen One trope of defeating a personified villain. That threw me off a bit, for maybe 10 chapters. Then my interest picked up again, when a new character was introduced and I was more familiar with what was happening. I really enjoyed part III of the book, and also the ending. For me, a sequel wasn’t even needed. I like how chaos and mess were handled in Sloane’s character, and in the repercussion of her acts.
I also really loved Sloane. She is complex, strong even in her fragility. This book was about her self-acceptance as a flawed person, and I’m here for it.
Aside from the dragged middle (part II), something I struggled with in this book was the worldbuilding. There are a lot of references of Chicago that I just don’t know anything about, and since there are many paragraphs of ambiance, I was a bit lost. The last few chapters also were a bit rushed, and sometimes the magic system wasn’t very believable. But overall, it was a very solid story, which intrigued and surprised me. I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the sequel, because I like how this one ended. But who knows?? Maybe I’ll miss ma gurl Sloane.