Fifteen years ago, a group of teenagers were chosen via prophecy to fight a great evil, The Dark One. Now, with the prophecy fulfilled and The Dark One disappeared, the "happily ever after" they expected is nowhere to be found. They've got PTSD, they can't leave their homes without strangers snapping pictures, and they've got no marketable skills or plans for the future. So what happens to a hero once the bad guy is gone?

This concept absolutely grabbed my attention! I think any former gifted and talented student can relate to feeling like they haven't lived up to their potential. Sloane makes the perfect dark protagonist. She's cynical and hard to love, and in a world where everyone is either a hero or a villain, she's not sure things are so black and white. I love the way this book complicates the superhero narrative; I've always wondered what happens after the final battle. This is the perfect "Where are they now?" follow up, and Veronica Roth is the perfect writer to capture it. And while it's unclear if this will become a series, I'd like to put it into the universe that I would be thrilled to read a sequel!

Chosen Ones is about a group of adults, who, years ago, defeated The Dark One. They were selected from millions of people to stop The Dark One, and we find out who they are, what they've been doing the last 10 years, and what the hell is happening now.

Roth's books, to me, are unique and fun. Chosen Ones is no different. SPOILER: While it ties up nicely, I am rooting for a sequel. Never say never, right? The characters are realistic, even if the situation isn't. The story is a unique take on a "chosen" path. And you may even take a trip to an alternate universe - which, by the way, I totally believe in.

Fingers crossed for the next book, and if there isn't a sequel...then, like always, I'm ready for Roth's next adventure.

4.5/5 Stars

3.5 stars.

I very much enjoyed the first part of this book. The idea of a former teen superhero working through her trauma was very interesting. The twist definitely threw me for a loop. It took me a while to get back into the book at that point. Once I caught my breath, I continued my enjoyment. While Sloan is a great character, we never really get to explore how the other characters dealt with saving the world and the aftermath. Why does Esther feel the need to share her #blessed life on social media? Why does Matt still act as a superhero? Who is Inez? The details on the events of 10 years ago a kept vague on purpose, but I think it also takes away from what the characters have suffered.

A great start to Roth's first adult fantasy series.

My favorite part of the book was the character of Sloane, called an antihero but really, for the most part, just she's just a regular person with some magic thrown into the mix!

One thing, I did struggle with to start with was the articles and government reports included in between the chapters, this is because I had no reference point for what was happening or what they meant. They were just annoying and getting in the way of me reading about Sloane. However, after you start to understand what is happening (fr me around Chapter 5 ish) they actually are quite nice to read to get some back story and also to try and make your best guess of what is going to happen next.

I am excited to see what happens in the rest of the series, not sure how it will carry on!

I’m giving this book 3 stars. I almost DNF’d it so many times. But persevered. Part three of the book was really good, and if not for that, this would have been rated much lower.

If you like superhero/antihero kind of books I think you’ll like it. It reminded me of the fantastic four, that kind of premise. It has a whole parallel universe thing going on, which when introduced felt really strange.

I’m a fan of Veronica Roth, and loved Divergent. So had high hopes for this book. Like I said before read it if you like superhero/antihero type tropes.

This is a genre I particularly like when it is written for adults, but despite being marketed as the author's first adult fantasy this still felt like a YA novel due to the short, simple paragraphs, dialogue and fast pacing. It also had the feel of a sequel despite being the first book in a series.

I really enjoyed the premise of a group of adults who achieved hero status in their teens and ten years later are struggling with the consequences of their experiences. Between them they suffer from PTSD, addiction, anxiety and trust issues. The first part of the book deals with this aspect of their lives. Sloane in particular is complex and fascinating. I would have liked to see a lot more of Albie's character, as he and Sloane were the most affected by previous events due to a shared trauma.

The story slowed down a little for me at the start of the second part, but then picked up the pace again quickly, introducing us to two more characters: the mysterious and charismatic Mox, and Ziva who - like Albie - I would have liked to know more about. Once I hit Part Three I couldn't put the book down!

The storyline itself was interesting and I enjoyed seeing the twists that went into the character development of the main players. I'm looking forward to seeing how the development continues in the next book,

Book Review: Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth
Genre: Sci-fi/ Fantasy (adult?)
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Published: 7th April, 2020

If you've noticed the 'published' date above then you can see how LATE I am with writing this review. I was given the e-arc, and dowloaded it, on the 20th February, then actually finished reading the book on the 16th of April. This information may not seem important, but for me it's a good guide as to whether I am invested in a story or not. As the time span from getting the book, reading it, and then reviewing it is so spread out, I can say that this book just didn't resonate with me the way I hoped it would.

Veronica Roth is considered a big author in the YA world, however, having never read the 'Divergent' series I don't really have anything to compare (what is being published as) her adult book to. For me there is nothing in the book to signify a reason why is has been labelled as adult. A lot of the themes, issues and tropes appear in YA books from Sarah J. Maas, Cassandra Clare and Leigh Bardugo. I do think an adult and young adult audience can enjoy this book.

When I first read a quick synopsis of the book I was definitely intrigued; what happens AFTER the chosen ones have defeated the villain? Well it turns out the same thing...again. My expectations were to see the 'heroes' following a more mundane existence, and envisaged an old, jaded, ex-superhero feeling bitter about life. (I have no idea why.) However, essentially the story is the chosen ones doing exactly what chosen ones are suppose to do - not that this is a bad thing.

It was still an enjoyable story.

The structure of the narrative; the way it was told, was probably one of the highlights. It mixed a third person narrator (Sloane - the protagonist's perspective) with newspaper articles, diaries, history books and government agency files. Ultimately, this is how we learn about the previous battle with the 'Dark One'. I enjoyed reading these sections more than the main narrative as it slowly unravelled key details, and you felt like a detective sifting through files to piece together the information.

In terms of the characters, for me, they lacked personality. There were FIVE chosen ones in total and most of them felt superfluous. One of them literally gets left behind and is not in most of the book. The leader of the group, Matt, comes across as very dull and generic. His only purpose seems to be that of the protagonists boyfriend who doesn't understand her. Speaking of, the protagonist, Sloane is struggling with PTSD due to the previous encounter with the 'Dark One.' Yet, I felt nothing for her; no affinity with her whatsoever. She was just bland.

Lastly, the ending. It was messy. Everything just happened all at once and became very unclear; with no real description to help you visualise the events. The characters never really dealt with the aftermath, although, that may be covered in the second book.

All in all I feel like this book had a lot of potential, yet failed to hit the mark for me.

I don't think I will be reading the second.

I wished for this a while ago and received this very unexpectedly via Netgalley last week.

Veronica Roth's Divergent series was great back in the day (this was released 2011 OMG!) and I was interested in reading her new stand-alone.

The premise sounded great. What happens after 5 chosen teenagers finished saving the world? We're dealing with lots of PTSD, depression, anxiety and substance abuse and I enjoyed the very dark atmosphere.
The prologue was done very well too. There are interview, excerpts and documents spread throughout the book and it gives you extra information and a better feel to what happened.

BUT I didn't like the pacing at all, it felt slow and boring and I didn't care about any of the main characters that were supposed to be adults, but still read like teenagers. I also wasn't sure as to what exactly the book wanted to be. Fantasy with steampunk elements? Dystopian mystery?
Some of the elements were very creative and some I could only shake my head at. Don't let me get started with "The Dark One". How unimaginative is that please? I do get that they're literally making fun at his name in the beginning, but really? Every time I read "The Dark One" I rolled my eyes.

Suffice to say is that I didn't like it that much. Hardcore Veronica Roth fans might still love this though.

2 out of 5 coffee cups and I don't think I'll be continuing on with this series.

Everything I hoped it would be and more!

I am a bit surprised at some of the low reviews I have seen, because I thought this was utterly fantastic. I loved so much about it and right at this moment I can’t think of one part of this book I didn’t like. I was a bit afraid when I saw there is a second book in the works that it would end on a huge cliffhanger and I would hate the ending but there was no cliffhanger.

I can’t imagine where the next book will go but without a big cliffhanger it could really go anywhere. Especially with they way that it encompasses string theory and magic. It could start with a similar occurrence somewhere else, or it could start with our same people from this book coming up against another big evil. This is my hope because I loved all the Chosen Ones in this book.

I am trying to think of how much I can put in this review without giving things away. I read the book without reading any reviews and I probably liked it more because I didn’t know what was going to happen. So I will do my best to give some background information without giving away anything that is great to learn as you read.

This story, like the blurb states is about five heroes. They were brought together as part of a prophecy when they were children and trained to fight The Dark One. The Dark One is a person that is killing thousands of people at at time using some form of magic to create these drains. The drain is similar to a tornado or hurricane surrounding him that sucks everything nearby into its path. It blows buildings apart and sucks all the people nearby into it and they are torn apart piece by piece.

The prophecy allows the government to search out and find different candidates or kids who fit a certain criteria where they might be the Chosen One. Criteria like blood type, the fact that they had a brother and father that died and have a different last name than their mother. The book is mostly told from the point of view of one of the five chosen, Sloane Andrews and takes place ten years after the Chosen Ones defeated the Dark One.

Sloane was found when she was a pre-teen by the government agency (ARIS) Agency for the Research and Investigation of the Supranormal. She was trained along with the other Chosen Ones by a guy named Bert (not his real name) and they fought the Dark One many times before finally defeating him.

The Chosen Ones are famous for saving the world and treated like celebrities, with paparazzi following them, people asking for autographs and mobbing them when they go out. It is hard for Sloane because she only wants to be left alone. Sloane lives with Matt, another of the Chosen Ones and they have been in a relationship since just after the Dark One was defeated. The other Chosen Ones include Ines, who currently lives platonically with Albie (also a Chosen One). They all live in Chicago, but the final Chosen One, Esther lives in California where she takes care of her mother with Cancer and works as a social media darling.

At the ten year anniversary of the defeat, they are gathered together to attend the unveiling of a Memorial to those lives taken by the Dark One. One of them dies not long after that and the rest of them gather again at the memorial for the funeral.

The book uses flashbacks quite a bit, showing times they fought against the Dark One and before that as well. It also uses Internal communications from ARIA that Sloane requested as part of the the freedom of information act. There are also articles that have been written in the press that are used. I like this because these things are great for giving an alternate view of the occurrences as well as additional information the reader needs to understand the background that may or may not have been known to Sloane.

I don’t want to say anything else because that would give too much away that is fun to learn as you read. But I loved this book! It has magic which is akin to superpowers, it has magical objects, it has heroes and villains, intense relationships, difficult choices and more. I was enthralled throughout. This is one of those books that just takes you away into another world and gets you. I laughed and cried and can’t wait until the next book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Highly anticipated and absolutely did not disappoint! I found this book to be unique and refreshing. I cannot wait for more, I’m going to die!

Divergent author Veronica Roth tries her hand at adult fiction. A decade ago, five ordinary teenagers saved the world from an immense evil called the Dark One and turned them into celebrities. Now, the death of one of them reveals that the Dark One isn't truly gone. When I picked up this book, I was hoping for a more grown-up satirical look at YA Fantasy. Setting the story ten years after the Chosen Ones saved the world, Roth does an excellent job showing how complicated adult life is for these childhood heroes. Especially for the main protagonist, Sloane, who struggles with PTSD and has let her relationship with Matt, a fellow Chosen One, coast along. 

However, when I thought she was being satirical, Roth was really just setting up a typical fantasy story. Sloane, Matt, and Esther end up getting thrown into an alternate universe full of magic where they must fight the Dark One again. From there, the story didn't feel original and many of the action scenes were hard to follow. Roth attempts to bring in more thoughtful themes - the fine line between hero and villain -  but fails to nuance them enough. In all, I was unimpressed with her latest book, and I would only suggest diehard fantasy fans pick it up.

I was a little disappointing with this book. Veronica Roth is a wonderful writer, but with this book, I was wanting to know more about previous events instead of what was really happening inside the pages. The story at hand couldn't stand up to the hint of what had happened.

"Chosen Ones" is a book that asks the question unspoken when the last page is turned--What happens to our heroes after the villain is vanquished? In this book, Sloane (named for Ferris Bueller's girlfriend) deals with PTSD and grief in the years after her moment in the sun. It's clearly coming towards a boiling point, however, as Sloane increasingly resists the social pressures to behave as expected of a world hero. Ultimately, Sloane and her four fellow chosen are thrust into a new situation which forces truths to emerge and the past to be revisited.

What's good: I devoured the first forty percent of this book. It's clearly written to speak to survivors of childhood trauma. Sloane herself is smart and some of the commentary in the book is hilarious. (Especially the start of the book, wherein we meet Sloane via the eye of a sexist reporter.)

What's ehhhh: The book takes a hard plot turn midway through (no spoilers) and you'll be able to guess what's coming. From that point on, the plot is less interesting to me than the psychological warfare going on within Sloane at the start of the book.

What's disappointing: I'm not sure the book ever really returns to answer the anxiety, anger, and depression Sloane evinces at the start of the book. I'm not entirely sure there's a moment of internal reconciliation that would allow us to think Sloane, while not being to solve all of the above (as nobody can), has sorted out a way to move forward in a healthy and managed manner.

Overall, would I buy a sequel to this book? Yes, but I would do so with reduced expectations, hoping just for a great YA ride, not a groundbreaking new book.

Note: I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This was such a great book from the author of the Divergent series!! I’m a huge fan of Divergent, and I was so excited when I heard about Chosen Ones.
Chosen Ones puts a spin on the “chosen one” trope, focusing on the lives of five chosen ones after they defeat the evil in their world. Sloane, the main character, was witty and sarcastic and damaged, and I loved her so much.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the book, but Chosen Ones deals with parallel universes, necromancy, and found family, three of my favorite plot points in a fantasy! It also discusses trauma and PTSD: after defeating the Dark One, Sloane and her friends all experience some form of PTSD, which manifests itself in different ways. I think this was so important for Roth to include, since a lot of books seem to dismiss the lasting effects of war and other trauma.
Chosen Ones is excellently written and action-packed. I loved all of the characters, especially as they grew stronger and more mature throughout the book.

What I enjoyed about this book is that you get to see what happens to the chosen ones after the big bad is defeated. Veronica Roth did a wonderful job portraying PTSD and other mental illness that comes with trauma. She didn't dramatized the mental illnesses nor romanticize them. I felt a real kinship with Sloane more than any of the other characters. I can't wait to read more from this series

It supposed to be an adult novel, but I felt I am too old for it. It starts as a cheap horror movie, where something bad happened in the past and now, ten years later, the monster comes back.

Maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea, but I hadn't found anything special in this book.

Chosen Ones was an enjoyable page-turner and I found difficult to put it down. However, it was a bit confusing, with many details only not developed enough and too rushed, especially towards the end.

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth is a story about what happens to heroes when they have defeated the big bad, how does life go on when the thing that you have been chosen for and trained to do lies behind you?
Ten years ago a group of young heroes known as the Chosen Ones defeated a mysterious magical villain known only as the Dark One, at a great personal cost, especially to our narrator , Sloane who was captured by him before he was defeated., As the anniversary of the fateful day draws close and the five are reunited, Sloane is struggling with many things, including her relationship with Matt , the self declared leader of the Chosen Ones., When the government reaches out to them again, hoping to test a new magical device she fears that nothing good will come of it, and those fears are proven right when the test goes tragically wrong. A shocking event in the aftermath of that tragedy will cause the Chosen Ones to question everything they know and believe , while taking the reader on a journey that they never expected. It would be difficult to say any more without spoiling the plot of the book , but I can say that despite the slow burning start ,once the key event takes place the pace certainly does pick up.
This is the adult debut of Veronica Roth but if the ages of the characters were not explicitly stated I would have assumed them to be much younger than they apparently are, their behaviour comes across as very juvenile and would not be out of place in a young or new adult book. I liked the use of magic in the book, especially how it was integrated into daily life , almost regarded as something normal. While the characters , including Sloane , our narrator, are not particularly likeable, they are still easy to relate to, and I think they feel like real people who are always more than just good or bad, I also thought it was interesting to set the book after what would normally be the big climax of a piece of fiction, the encounter with the villain, and not just in the immediate aftermath , but a decade later so that we see how the characters are dealing with it and moving on with their lives, or not as the case may be.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is not a book for everyone, but it definitely is a good book.

The thing that really bumps this book up is that is not set during the main event described in the book, but ten years later: we are able to see the consequences of the defeat of the Dark One by the chosen ones. And I think this was a really good choice, given the amount of clichés that could come writing about a big battle in which only a few can actually keep up.

I was confused in the beginning, I could not really understand everything that was going on but the author was great in explaining everything, without rendering the book annoying. It is not a book for everyone and characters are definitely not for everyone: I hated Sloane for half the book, and I was really considering stopping just because of her. However, I kept reading and I was rewarded with an amazing development in terms of personalities: Sloane became my favorite character. The writing style is really good, so is the world building and the places the book is set in.

You have to give it a go, but keep in mind that is not an easy read; you have to concentrate and try to understand breadcrumbs and little given information.
And easter eggs, guys! One in particular just made me smile.

Final vote: 3.75/5

Ebook provided by Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review. The copy provided is not the ultimate version, something could change before publication.

This book was all over the place and didn’t know what it wanted to be or what it wanted to become.

It started off with the very interesting tale of what happens after the heroes defeat the big bad guy, a trope I personally enjoy reading about. We are left to piece together the events of 10 years ago through government documents (amazing!) and the memories of those that were there. I loved the portrayal of how these characters have coped with trauma and how the events of that day 10 years ago all left them a bit less. It was an amazing piece and I was rooting for our main character Sloane who had it worse off than the others since she had been taken prisoner by the Dark One.

At about the 30% mark the book took a turn and I was just not feeling it. It felt like we went through all of that trauma in the beginning of the book for no apparent reason. After the change in the story, the book hits a dead spot, a lull. It gets extremely boring and I had to force my way through the middle section since we are completely bombarded with new world building and characters I could not connect to. The only reason I kept reading was because the main character, Sloane, shared my sentiments and I could relate to her thoughts.

By the 70% mark, another new storyline and trope is introduced which fell a bit flat for me because it was introduced so late in the book. I felt it was enjoyable to read at times but it was utterly predictable by that point.

All in all, this book was all over the place and although I enjoyed parts of this book, the majority was either boring and unnecessary or fun but predictable. Sloane saves the book for me and I loved reading from her perspective the most. She is an interesting and complex character. I do feel that the characters act too young for their age though. I kept imagining them to be 20 years old and not 30. If their age wasn’t mentioned in the book, I would have assumed this book was a Young Adult novel.

I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing with this series but I am intrigued to see how the relationship between two characters develops. This book left me confused and bored and unsure. If you do enjoy superhero tales with a slight tinge of enemies to lovers, I would say give this book a go.