Chosen Ones is a new novel by the extremely talented Veronica Roth. This science-fiction/ action book starts off slow but ends with a bang. Although several questions are resolved I imagine there will be a sequel. Sloane the heroine of the story is a flawed individual but wouldn't anyone be if they experienced the horrors that the champions went through. I'm reminded of Tris from Divergent and Katniss from the Hunger Games. A tough female is always judged more than a hardened hero. I can already envision the movie!

Interesting premise, this one. I mean, really. What happens in the *after*. You know, after you defeat the big bad... well, in this story, it wasn't the end. Which, kind of, is the point of the story, but, it is an extreme sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast's lingering question that usually plagues long after the book wraps... what happened to so and so?

Anywho...I was really invested at first, but the middle did drag a bit. The ending pulled me back in and I was relieved that it didn't end on a cliffhanger, I would have tossed myself out the window. Well done, Ms. Roth, for writing a novel for adults that spans this type of storyline. I liked it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Roth continues to draw in readers with relatable characters. The author provides an interesting and relatable read.

When the world is on the precipice of destruction, a rag-tag group of special teenagers come together to defeat the Dark One and save the world. When they triumph and the dust settles, where exactly do the successive years of peace leave these now adult saviors? Veronica Roth’s <i>Chosen Ones</i> explores the psychological aftermath of being the chosen heroes...10 years ago.

Now famous adults, five Chosen Ones must cope with the scarring experiences of their past. Matthew Weekes is using his fame as a jumping board for social activism on hot-button issues. Esther is now an instagram influencer. Albie and Ines and Sloane, the main character, are still grappling with the violence and fear left by their battles with the Dark One, leaving them depressed or traumatized. All five have needed anxiety meds or therapy sessions to handle the PTSD-inducing situation of defeating an all-powerful, evil villain as teens.

<i>Chosen Ones</i> had so much potential for a dark and fascinating psychological exploration about the “what comes next” in the world of YA magic. I can’t count how many YA books I have read about the special one(s) destined to defeat some evil villain. It’s a time-tested and beloved story, but I was ready to discover how those teens would live their lives in a now “peaceful” world. Harry Potter and his friends got jobs and had kids (which I was satisfied with) but that’s just a present wrapped with a shiny bow. In all likelihood, the kind of severe and intense rollercoaster of action and danger in youth has much darker effects on an adult’s psyche.

Unfortunately, Roth didn’t execute this as well as I would’ve liked. The writing is nowhere near offensive, but the internal monologue of Sloane felt childish. I never really believed she was a 30-something-year-old woman, and that perception only worsened as the book progressed. Though we initially get little in the way of world-building, I actually did not mind the blurry rendering of the past, revealed only in small flashbacks or newspaper excerpts and classified documents from the government. In lieu of large scope, I wanted to dig deep into the mindscape of a grown-up Chosen One. Instead, the novel jarringly shifted to a new plot development which made for a tonally asymmetric read. While the pacing of the novel sped up as the book progressed, it was at the expense of interesting character exploration and logical semantics for magical reality.

Really, a missed opportunity here. The characters <i>could</i> have been memorable, but they ultimately stayed one-dimensional, sacrificed for a direction change in the plot that I did not welcome. I don’t think I’ll be continuing on with this series, even though there are strings untied at the conclusion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful, poignant story featuring larger-than-life characters and intricate worldbuilding. Tight pacing accentuates the stakes, and every word is a delight. Excellent read.

Not having read Veronica Roth's popular Divergent series I was not entirely sure what to expect from this 'adult fantasy'. It appears that several authors are attempting to break out from their Young Adult niche (Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo) and I'm not sure why. This latest novel from Roth doesn't feel any different than other YA Fantasy novels so I don't get it. This character subset is older than the normal so that may be it.

The novel opens up post-catastrophe so instead of watching people save the world from imminent disaster we are entering when Sloane and her friends (chosen ones) are doing publicity promos and deciding whether or not to get married and have a normal life. This was an unexpected plot point as we get to know the characters and how they are handling fame after saving the world. Turns out they soon find out that they may not have saved the world so they soon have to re-group and figure out how to really really really kill the Dark One this time.

I loved the snarky realistic character of Sloane probably because she was kinda sick of everyone as a whole and because she knew that the whole save the world thing was just a temporary band-aid. She doesn't change the characteristics of being a jerky kind of person throughout the book and I loved her for that, too. I can see where some readers would be turned off by Sloane's woe is me I hate you all tone so keep that in mind if you decide to read this.

There were a lot of scientific meanderings in this story -- and some cuss words, keeping the adult thing worthwhile maybe -- but I was able to catch most of it and grasp where we were heading. There were newspaper articles that started off chapters which were a bit long and annoying still I was pleasantly surprised with this novel after seeing some mixed reviews. I haven't read Hunger Games that this is similar to so this was a new to me style of story and really enjoyed it. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment from Roth.

Get ready to add Sloane to your list of kick-butt female protagonists who save the world without your help, thank you very much!

The Chosen Ones is Veronica Roth's newest novel poised to be a series. Like Divergent, its leading voice is a unique young woman and its setting is Chicago, but it also did something that Divergent did not -- really wowed me. 

Going into too much detail will spoil a wild ride, so I'll say this: the story starts off about a group of misfit "retired" superheroes who saved the world from the now presumed-dead "Dark One" when they were teenagers and now feel numb, adrift, jaded, famous, and conflicted about their place in the world. They are required at speaking engagements and have huge instagram followings. They are dealing with PTSD and addiction struggles. They are broken and healing.

Told through the viewpoint of Sloane, with a dynamic and lovable supporting cast, and interspersed with newspaper clippings, redacted interviews, poetry, and other artifacts of a different -- but recognizable -- world, this book is something special.

I was very excited to read this book when I first heard about it. I was a big fan of the Divergent series and Roth's style of writing, so I couldn't wait to see what she had in store for her first Adult Fiction book.

The idea behind Chosen Ones was something that I had not come across before. A group of adults who had saved the world as teenagers. There was a lot of potential to how this could play out and a number of different ways the story could take you. Unfortunately, I am not sure that Veronica Roth hit the mark with this book.

The early portion of the book seemed to drag on. It didn't give me a reason to care about the characters, what they had been through, and what was yet to come. Everything seemed a bit shallow to me. I am not sure if it was the fact that the book picks up 10 years after their defeat of the "Dark One", but I just didn't feel invested in any of the characters or what happened to them. The details on their fight against the "Dark One" were sparse in the beginning. I also didn't feel like there was enough character building with the main group for me to know them prior to everything that happens. Later in the book, you start to get a better image of the characters, but it was too late for me to really care at that point.

I also felt that there was either a lack of detail or too much detail that usually played out with the wrong parts of the story. Too much detail was given on areas that didn't really impact the book, like the repetitive training sessions or the repeated mentioning of how siphons work. In other areas, it felt like there was a lack of detail that would have gone a long way to character and story building, but they were just glossed over. It really felt like there was supposed to be a prequel to Chosen Ones that would have already explained a lot of the details and introduced the characters.

Other areas of the book felt rushed or awkward. The Sloane and Mox relationship was just strange. One second she is supposed to think he is the "Dark One" and the next she decides he is OK and wants to be with him. There really wasn't any in-between and it seemed sudden and unrealistic. There was minimal build-up and next to no explanation for why she changed her mind.

By the end of the book, things started getting better. The pace picked up and the plot became more interesting and engaging. When I started reading this book, I did not realize that it was the first in a series. It doesn't change much for me, but the ending was odd until I realized it was a set up for the next book. The second book has potential, and I will likely read it to see where Veronica Roth takes it, but overall the first book was a disappointment for me.

This was my first experience reading one of Veronica's books. I watched the Divergent movies and enjoyed them quite a bit but I can't speak to her writing. 

That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of this particular book. It may have been a mix of not being a fan of third person narative and not being in the mood for this specific read at the time it was read. Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. It was a struggle.

It sounded like an interesting book when I first read the premise but I just couldn't get into the "after they saved the world" being the start of the book. It felt more like I was reading the second book in the series and had completely skipped the first book. I guess I should have known that may happen based on the synopsis. But I wanted to give it a go.

I may check out other books by Roth in the future but for now, I'll stick to the Divergent movies.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for allowing me this title in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this book because I was a huge fan of the Divergent series. I also thought I would enjoy it because it takes place in my hometown, Chicago. This was supposed to be an adult novel from a young adult author, but it missed the mark. It was unnecessarily drawn out to the point that it dragged. On several occasions I noticed my mind wandering while my eyes kept moving through the lines of the book. It was a disappointment. There was not a lot of character development. I didn’t even care for any of the characters who all acted very juvenile. He plot was slow moving and lacked substance. If I didn’t not receive this book as a free ARC from NetGalley, I would have given up on reading it. Giving this book two stars is generous. I will not be reading any other books in this series.

I didn't finish the Divergent series, but wanted to see what Roth's first adult title was like and was looking forward to it. It was fine, not something I ever felt invested in.

No one does dystopian novels like Veronica Roth. Full of nods to her beloved Chicago and its rich history, this book reads like a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but much more dark. Although I found the ending to be a bit strange, I really enjoyed this book.

What I Liked:
Setting:
The novel begins ten years after an epic battle between good and evil. A group of teens, all "Chosen Ones" have defeated an evil mastermind known as "The Dark One". Although the names are not exactly original, they represent the typical tropes of this genre. This is rather cool. You have the leader of the group, Matt (who everyone assumes is the true Chosen One) and his group of Scoobies. Sloane, Albie, Esther, and Inez. What makes this novel different is that now that the group has matured, they are all at a crossroads. How will they live out the rest of their lives? How do you move on when you know the most important thing you will ever do is behind you?

I also loved that in the aftermath of defeating The Dark One, they are dealing with a level of celebrity unparalleled in history. Each deals with it differently. Matt becomes a philanthropist, Esther is an Instagram influencer, which allows her the independence to return to her family to take care of her dying mother. Albie and Inez are working through depression and cases of PTSD. Sloane, who is the focus of this novel, is trying to find a way to live with the difficult choices she made during the defeat of The Dark One. She also hates her celebrity status. If she could figure out a way to live alone in a cabin in the woods, she would do it.

Characters:
I really liked that Sloane was not a character one would instantly like. She is not lovable, at all! That is mostly because she feels such overwhelming guilt for the things she did in the group's defeat of The Dark One. Although Matt is presented to the public as the group's actual Chosen One, it is Sloane who has the most affinity for magic. Her relationship with magic is complex. She is most powerful when she gives in to her darkest longings for violence. She knows this is NOT a good thing, so she is in a constant battle to tamper down her impulses. When she lets go, very bad things happen.

Story:
I think the story really is an exploration of discovering who you are, and accepting it. Sloane, in particular, has difficulty accepting who she is. This compels her to do what everyone expects (settle down with Matt), but she isn't truly happy. Can Sloane make peace with her mistakes and find a way to live for herself? Is that selfish? Probably. But it's also vital for her, and anyone else. You are doing yourself a real disservice by doing only what everyone else thinks you should do, rather than being your authentic self.

I can't get into the actual storyline without giving away massive spoilers. But I will say that there are lots of characters who are different than how they appear at first. There are reversals of who is good and bad, which makes this book unpredictable and fun.

What I Was Mixed About:
Although the story centers around Sloane (and to some extent, Matt), I didn't feel like the other Chosen Ones were completely fleshed out. I wish the author would have delved more deeply into what each one did during their earlier battles with The Dark One. What was it about each one that made them special? We never find out. One of the characters, Inez barely makes an appearance in the book at all. One would hope that she would be more prominent in future installments of the series.

3.5 / 5

This was a really interesting read. The premise intrigued me because I love a good chosen one story and I liked that this one implied that it dealt with the aftermath of the heroes themselves and how they are really not ok (because of course they are not!). Chosen Ones went in so many directions that I honestly did not see coming (I was thinking straight up urban fantasy not...science fiction?!) and while I ended up really enjoying this, there were definitely a lot of ups and downs for me in terms of pacing and plot. I find that I'm still asking questions about what went down in the story days after I finished reading it and that ending makes me very interested in seeing where the story is going to go in the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a weird review for me to write. Honestly, the book was really hard for me to get into for the first half...I'm not sure if that was me or the book, though. Every now and then, I go through phases of not being as into reading as other times and this may be a case like that. I did like all of he characters and I loved the story line but I could not stay engaged with the book for the life of me at times. There are five chosen ones and they were brought together to defeat the Dark One...which they do. Ten years later, they are all still friends and getting ready to celebrate the ten year reunion when all Hell seems to break loose. One of the Chosen Ones dies and while the rest are at the funeral, they are suddenly transported to another Universe and a different Villon. It was at this point that I was suddenly engaged and into the story line. This new Universe is full of magic and mystery...Sloane falls for the guy that everyone assumes is the bad guy but things aren't always as they seem. See, this is the part that is really weird. I LOVED this part of the book so part of me wants to give a better review...anyway, give it a shot. Maybe you will love it the whole way through. I am glad it will be a new series and I am already hoping it becomes a movie series as well. I would love to see what all of these people look like. :)

This was absolutely something that I found myself enjoying, which is really surprising I wanted to get a chance to get out of my little bubble I always feel comfortable reading and I was pleasantly surprised. While it’s not my favorite read it was very enjoyable.

Absolutely love this story! I love how the past unfolds through a series of formal letters/incident reports/etc and we don’t really know the whole of what happened before right as the story starts. It’s like there are multiple stories unfolding throughout and I loved how unique that was to tell the story.

I didn't have any expectations going into this book, it's a long time since I read her books!I find this one smart and I was intrigued!It started well but then the last half was not as good as the first.I really enjoyed the premise, the mix of sci-fi and fantasy was great!

As a huge fan of Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book. The Chosen Ones takes place in a dark, dystopian world just like Divergent; but they are completely different. It honestly took me a while to settle into this one. Once I did, it was definitely a solid story that made me wish that I didn’t know her writing previously. I think that it gave me expectations that I should’ve been able to disconnect in my mind. I knew that this book was completely different, but it was very hard to get that straight in my mind. That said, this was a solid effort from Roth. The story was engaging, even if a little slow to build. I loved that there was a twist that made the whole story change perspective at the end. This was great. Definitely recommend. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am sorry to say - I DNFed at 45%. Additional star for making me get that far. I was actually very into it (I listened to an audiobook) until they twist with the parallel universe. I kind of saw where this was coming and all my previous thoughts of originality went away.

I wanted to read this book because I always wondered why nobody was telling the stories of the heroes after the heroic acts have taken place. Surely those would be interesting too, right? They could have been, but I found this one to be too slow. So much so, that I almost gave up on it.

I enjoyed the world building and the characters as well as the clever plot twist. I did not see that coming! I have never been to Chicago, and I understand love for a city, but after a while all the descriptions can become tedious, especially if you don't know the city.

Even though it was a bit too slow paced for my taste, I am curious to see how things progress.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book