This wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. But not as good as it could have been. It's just... there was no good plot in this book.

I actually liked the tone of this novel - Sloane’s PTSD-laced, depressing voice of worked for me well. In fact, I wanted to read about people getting over their trauma of carrying the burden of saving the whole world on their young shoulders. The psychology of this was interesting to me (and many other authors who had explored this before; I have a huge issue with anyone who thinks this premise is original). 10 years after defeating the Dark One, Sloane and her 4 co-heroes are trying to make peace with their past and survive. There are glimpses of their past heroic acts and fights with their magical nemesis, and, for me, that they were only hinted at, was what I liked the best. I didn't want to go into the nitty-grippy of the magic acts, because they weren't what this story was about. Or so I thought. Even though the narrative was slow, I didn't mind being in Sloane's head. I was curious where this would all go.

But... the story went to a parallel, magic-filled world, and everything that I was interested in - examination of trauma, relationships among people bound by their shared heavy past, exploitation of the Chosen Ones - dissolved into a predictable, uninteresting fight with the BIG BAD. None of the world building was inventive, the magic was slightly ridiculous (siphons and whistles and magical breaths?), the villain boring, and ... overall the whole thing was tame and uninspired.

When you choose to write such a stock plot, you gotta have vibrant characters, and there weren't any really. Sloane was fine, and the Kylo Ren-like fella kept me turning pages. (There should have been a dedication or at least some thanks to Adam Driver somewhere in this tome.) But ultimately, Chosen Ones was slow and forgettable. See, it already faded in my mind. Will I read the sequel? Nah. I don't think Roth will take here characters anywhere interesting.

People who complained that this wasn't a truly adult book, are not wrong. Ultimately, possible adult, mature topics that could have been explored here, were dropped to give way to your regular YA plot tropes.

The audio production of this novel is quite spectacular. If you liked Illuminae, you should give this a try.

I am glad Veronica Roth has written another book after Carve the Mark that is more for the adults. I really enjoyed her Divergent series but Allegiant (book 3) was a damn mess and it was the same for the movie portrayal. Both Divergent and Insurgent were strong and Allegiant was awful. but that's not the point of this review. Readers are on to their thoughts about her new book, "Chose Ones".

Overall like the story and the five main characters are in the mid to late twenties, hence being adults. They defeated a horrible entity known as "the Dark One" and become insta-celebrities for saving the world after widespread death and terror. They gather together to celebrate the 10yr anniversary of defeating "the Dark One" and some tragic events occur and they realize ,maybe the terrorize hasn't gone away after all.

The characterization was great especially Sloane. Everything she went through and her angst felt real and it didn't seem annoying AF like Tris Pryor in Divergent. I definitely agree with another review, Nenia Khaleesi. about her take on "the Dark One" being like Kylo Ren with magic powers. A fantastic villain! Thanks Nenia for that observation; I felt the same way.

This was a page turner for sure and can't wait for book 2 of this series, if it as good as this one. Please don't let it disintegrate the like Divergent series. A must read for Veronica Roth fans. This was way better than Divergent and its following books and hope this series continues just as strong.

All opinions are my own except where noted. Thanks to Netgalley, Veronica Roth and John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/7/20

Rating: 3.5/5

Thanks Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about 5 people who were considered to be "chosen ones" according to a prophecy and destined to destroy "The Dark One" and they did it: they defeated this big villain who was destroying the world and killing people. However, ten years later, one of them dies and they discover that their world is not as safe as they thought.

First of all, I was a big fan of the Divergent trilogy, but I hadn't read anything by the author - except from a short story - since then. Her other series didn't appeal to me very much, but this one had so many interesting concepts, so when I read the synopsis, I thought: this is for me.

The concept of having the chosen one living after saving the world or failing at it is not exactly the most original, but it was not at all overused, so I was curious to see what Roth would do with it, and it was... interesting. I liked to see this more realistic side to being a hero, all the traumas that come with saving the world.

I also really enjoyed how she mixed some concepts of science and magic and how they sometimes can be the same thing. She also put a very nice sci-fi plot, but I don't want to talk much about it, because it might be considered a spoiler, but if you read the genre a lot, you can probably guess what it is.

It was also nice to see some e-mails, reports, recorded interviews mixed with the traditional narrative. It expanded the worldbuilding and it made it a bit more complex.

However, the characters are a big problem. The protagonist, Sloane, who suffers from PTSD (even after all these years, never having treated it) was insufferable. Of course it's easy to empathize with her, since saving the world is a pretty big deal, and I felt bad for everything she had been through, but it was not enough for me to really like her as a character. Her attitude was really annoying most of the time. She has a nice evolution throughout the book, but again: not enough to really like her.

The other "chosen ones" are under developed. Matt is Sloane's boyfriend and the golden boy of the group, and even though the author tries to go deeper in his personality, it feels really flat. Esther is sort of a comic relief and... that's it. That's what I know about her. Mox - a character that shows up later in the novel - is kind of cool though.

So yeah, this one was good, but I feel the concepts were better than the execution. Hopefully, the next one will be better and the characters will be more developed.

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is book one in her The Chosen Ones Series.
Sloane is a girl who was chosen to save the world. But the dark side never sleeps and has her in his house, to have and to hold.
Chosen One is the first instalment in a thriller/fantasy/sci-fi story that had me from chapter one. The story is rather a slow burn, full of twists and unexpected turns at nearlyevery turn.
A complex story that deserves a sequel and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
The writing is excellent and I read the book, cover to cover in one sitting.

Chosen Ones is an epistolary novel about 5 teens who defeated evil. However, we meet them at the 10 year anniversary of that defining battle. Using newspaper articles, classified documents, journals, and other material we piece together what happened leading up to this 10th anniversary. This can make the reader feel like they are reading the third or fourth book in a series, having completely missed the first couple of books. I assure you this is the first book and you aren't missing anything, it will all come together. There seems to be a big deal about this being Roth's first foray into adult novels. It did feel like a YA novel to me, but that isn't a bad thing. I think there is a large audience out there for this book. Thank you #Goodreads and #NetGalley for the opportunity to review #ChosenOnes.

I received a free copy of this book. I am leaving my honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I found myself drawn in by the complexity of the protagonist, Sloan. Sloan is a strong but not particularly loveable character. However, her journey is one of self realization and learning how to define herself in spite of the way others see her .

The book has magic, parallel worlds, a quest and adventure. It was a very satisfying read.

Having read most of this author's work I expected to enjoy this story a good deal and it turned out even better than I had anticipated.
It's a darker tale about how you deal with childhood neglect, PTSD, loss and depression while being very much in the public eye. It's not easy for any of us even more so when attention is on you pretty much constantly.
I can't help but feel like this book has similar vibes to Marvel superheroes which is a very good thing in my book.
I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good action packed story with the less than perfect main characters.
Cannot wait to read the next one

Having been a fan of the Divergent series (well, the first two books at least) and having enjoyed her collection of short stories I decided that I would give Chosen Ones a chance as I’m a sucker for a Chosen One trope!

This was different to most books that I have read, focusing on the post-chosen one story rather then the build up to the main battle. It was an interesting take including PTSD and true representation of grief.

One thing I really did enjoy about this book is the format it was told in. In addition to the normal story you get interviews, records, articles and emails to help build this imaginative world that Roth has created.

However I think I expected too much from this book. I found it incredibly hard to connect with Sloane and emotionally connect with her. The other Chosen ones were undeveloped and, for me, generally felt like they were written younger than they were actually meant to be. I kept having to remind myself that this was not YA.

I also felt that the ending was incredibly rushed, I seriously could have blinked and missed the whole thing. I was left feeling like there was unanswered questions with an ending that seem so wrapped up that I don’t know how Roth is going to continue with the story.

Overall it was a interesting story with a good premise. I think I’ll continue on with the series just for the sake of seeing what happens next and if my questions will get answered.

The ‘Chosen One’ is a staple trope of the fantasy genre, a well-worn path that many writers have taken before. Refreshingly in Chosen Ones, Veronica Roth veers away from this trend by having her protagonists already defeat the Dark One and focusing on their lives ten years after this momentous event. It’s something that feels completely original to me and breathes new life into this trope by looking at the aftermath long after the dust has settled whereas most books end once the final battle has concluded, leaving us with the presumption that our heroes live Happily Ever After.

Sloane is one of five Chosen Ones and serves as our main narrator in this story which is told in the third-person. She’s here to tell you that slaying the Big Bad does NOT guarantee a happy ending – the world may still be turning thanks to the efforts of her and her friends, but Sloane suffers from PTSD as shown through night terrors and flashbacks, requiring her to take medication and at one point seek therapy. She’s not alone in her suffering as the others face similar problems, with Albie in particular having struggled with drug addiction.

---
“I’m tired of being special,” Albie said with a shaky laugh. “I’m tired of being celebrated for the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
---

Part One of the story is spent on fleshing out Sloane’s character and her relationships with the other Chosen Ones, notably long-term boyfriend Matt and close friend Albie. The author uses this time to establish the world Sloane inhabits, her daily life being trotted out at public events as a celebrity as well as the varying responses of the general public to the astonishing events that previously took place (sadly, the bit about white extremists forming a movement to bring the Dark One back to cleanse their society of minorities rang all too true).

Some readers may find the pacing to be too slow, as there is no real action or conflict in this section, it’s simply a slice-of-life portion of the book. I really enjoyed it as I’m a big fan of character-driven stories, even if it means it’s light on plot, and this time getting to know Sloane was really interesting to me. She’s not a heroine that will appeal to all readers, being damaged, sullen and rebellious, prone to flying off the handle and interacting in an abrasive manner with people around her. But I loved her, I found her so relatable in her inability to deal with her trauma, instead floundering in everyday life, unable to find peace and sabotaging her own happiness. She peaked as a teenager and now she has no idea what to do with her life.

---
“Nobody ever prepared me for what came after. They just assumed I would never find out.”
---

There are frequent excerpts in the forms of newspaper articles and Top Secret reports which give us background information on the rise of the Dark One and what Sloane went through after being plucked from obscurity as a teenager to train to defeat him. I liked how we were given bits and pieces of information about the past and needed to assemble it like a jigsaw to get a fuller view of what happened, that not everything was spelled out for us from the start and a couple mysteries were left for us to reflect on.

From Part Two, the book swerves in a completely different direction I couldn’t have predicted as Sloane, Matt and Esther are pulled into an parallel universe whose Earth diverged from theirs in the 60s, meaning that a lot of elements remain the same or at least familiar, but a key difference is that magic is commonly practiced here with most of the population using devices known as siphons to help channel their power. The excerpts from the point on relate to the alternate Earth aka Genetrix, giving us insight into this new society and the issues they’re facing with magic being incorporated into everyday lives as well as their version of the Dark One, who is here known as the Resurrectionist.

This is where the real story begins, and again I know that the first section may seem redundant, but I feel it was important in driving home how lost and directionless Sloane was, showing her struggles with mental health issues and establishing key relationships prior to all the action and excitement. My pet peeve with books is where we never get an idea of who the characters are outside of the adventure they embark on and extreme situations they react to, and that is certainly not a problem here! It also allowed the author to delve into themes of sexism, racism and PTSD which felt naturally incorporated into the character exploration at the start.

The stakes ramp up considerably now that our three Chosen Ones are stranded in an alternate universe with no means of returning home unless they fulfill their host’s directive to kill the Resurrectionist. Obviously this isn’t ideal given the hardship they’ve already faced in defeating the Dark One back home, but they’re not left with much choice. It’s so intriguing watching these characters adapt to their new surroundings and begin training to use magic so they have some hope of facing the Resurrectionist in battle despite knowing he already killed this universe’s Chosen One, who was much more accomplished in magic than they could hope to be in the time frame they have.

---
It was impossible to “stop thinking so much”, as Cyrielle had instructed her to do, when you were thinking about not ripping your friends to shreds with magic while simultaneously worrying that the Resurrectionist would suffocate you if you didn’t learn faster.
---

Sloane, of course, chafes against the secrets and restrictions maintained by the leader of the organization in charge of Flickering, the military force dedicated to stopping the Resurrectionist. Her stubborn nature leads her to act recklessly and risk alienating her friends and allies by snooping out of bounds and straying from their plan, which leads to exciting confrontations, mindblowing plot twists and tons of character drama. While this is the first book in the series, it thankfully avoids an agonizing cliffhanger ending by resolving the conflict with the main villain, but leaving loose threads dangling with a lot of questions about what comes next for this world.

I absolutely loved Chosen Ones and am so impressed by the author’s world-building, her confident handling of a prickly and abrasive heroine, development of complicated relationship dynamics and clever twists on tired old tropes that will surprise and delight readers.

3.5 stars
Welcome to my long, but I like to think a thorough review of the Chosen Ones.

I wasn’t really a fan of Veronica Roth’s famous series, Divergent. But when I saw Chosen Ones on Netgalley, I requested for it right away. I didn’t get approved but I bought it once it was out. I really want to read it. First, because the main characters are adults, 20-somethings, and not young adults like in Divergent. Second, because no matter how old and used the “Chosen One” trope is, it’s still one of my favorite tropes to read.

In Chosen Ones, there are five heroes, a.k.a. the Chosen Ones, who as teenagers were chosen, trained and ultimately have defeated the Dark One – yes, that’s what they call their villain. Aside from a couple of articles, the book opens with the Chosen Ones are still famous after ten years and the general populace are still celebrating the defeat of the Dark One. But then, strange events keep happening again, making them doubt if they really defeated the Dark One before. And it’s not helping that one of them suddenly died (not a spoiler because it’s in the blurb). Now, they’re forced to face the same horror they already defeated.

Intriguing concept that made me keep going…

It’s a little hard to get into the story right away. The present and the past colliding in my mind and it takes time before the plot really find the path it’s taking. The past is being told through a series of letters, documents and articles and it took a number of them before I fully understand the present. The present being the main characters dealing with the aftermath of their success at saving the world. That’s why, this book intrigued me right after reading the blurb. Chosen Ones is like a sequel to all those books with Chosen-One trope. Mental Health is a big issue in this book, what with the characters obviously suffering PTSD and other issues. It shows what happens to the Chosen Ones, heroes to the world, after they defeated the villain and the author made it look so realistic.

It took me to an unexpected route…

Out of all the twists I thought will be revealed, I wasn’t expecting the one Chosen Ones has taken. I jump into this book thinking of magic and yes, there is magic and it’s a big part of the reveals, but aside from magic, Chosen Ones leaned strongly to Science. This is Science Fiction, which in retrospect, I should have expected because the blurb definitely hinted this is set in a dystopian world. But when I thought of the Dark One, I thought about all the past fantasy books I’ve read. I ended up liking the reveal about the Dark One though, so that means I love the sci-fi part of the story. The sci-fi part happens very early in the story but it hints the reveals at the end so I’m sorry I can’t say what it is to avoid spoiling the twists. But one thing I can say is that when the sci-fi part happens, it’s when the story gets more interesting.

As for the magic aspect, it’s a new concept but it’s also not. The magic of the Chosen Ones are from some fictional historical objects. The objects kind of become a part of them and they harness their magic. It’s not new because there are also thousands of books that use this concept but I’m so used of characters possessing their magic within then. And I really thought that would be the same for the Chosen Ones.

The characters could be better…

I love the Chosen Ones and I enjoyed reading about them but I can’t say that individually, they rock. No they don’t. I really wished I get to see more from each of them, maybe their own point of views. Well, except Sloane, whose point of view is what used in the whole book (except for the articles and documents). Each of the Chosen Ones deals with their PTSD differently and that affects their roles in the story.

Sloane – one of the Chosen Ones. The public sees her as the unfriendly one. She doesn’t smile and not really good at socializing. She grew up fending for herself and doesn’t really have anyone. She’s defiant and doesn’t care what others thinks about her. She doesn’t trust easily and really, it’s always for valid reasons. She will also do the right thing like knowing the truth even if she ends up hurting someone. She’s been having nightmares of her encounter with the Dark One, which makes her character even more interesting because not everyone who faced the Dark One lives. Anyway, her character growth is astounding. I love her to the end.

Matt – Leader of the Chosen Ones. He is Sloane’s partner for so long. Unlike Sloane, he’s rocking the hero thing. The public sees him as the kindest soul alive and it’s true. It actually infuriates me a bit, but he’s not the kind who will betray anyone, especially Sloane, so I like him. And he’s a good leader who really cares for the Chosen Ones. Though hopefully, in the next book, he shows more depth. Also, I kind of think Sloanne’s a bit harsh to him about their relationship.

Esther- One of the Chosen ones and in charge of the public’s attention. She’s famous in instagram and I really enjoy her antics. And no matter what, she never turns her back on her friends even if they annoy her.

Albie – One of the Chosen Ones and Sloane’s best friend. He’s with Slo when the Dark one kidnapped them.

Inez – Another Chosen One but for some spoilery reason, she only has few appearances throughout the book. And no, she’s not the one who died.

Mox/Micah/Consul/Resurrectionist – I find him the most intriguing character. The Chosen Ones met him halfway through the story. He’s supposed to be strong, really strong. His back story is also the best.

A supposedly fearful villain…

It’s easy to assume that the Dark One is this fearful entity that is capable of total destruction. The documents and articles make sure to plant the fear in the reader’s mind. There are accounts of the Drain, of him shredding flesh from people’s bones while they’re still alive. And yet, when it comes to it, he’s not that grand as I expected him to be. Sure, his evil plan is great and everything but for me, he’s not entirely unforgettable. And that great last battle with him is a bit anti-climactic. It also didn’t take a long time. If not for the flashbacks, that climax will be a short chapter. I just wanted more from him comes the ending.

Speaking of the ending...

I don’t know what to think of the ending because it’s kind of a mess. The world’s a mess and the Chosen Ones lose their control over everything and I get that. But it feels like, what’s happening in the world is separated from what the main characters are up to. Like, ‘OK, we’re not in control of anything here now so let’s just do things for ourselves.’ So it felt like there’s no big stake for the characters in the next book even though there is.

Chosen Ones has an intriguing concept, likable main characters, interesting set up and strong build up but it’s still lacking at some aspect. So I can only give it 3.5 stars. Still, I’ll surely read the next book because I want to know what will happen to Sloane.

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to review "Chosen Ones" by Veronica Roth. I actually already read it on Scribd before they granted me my "wish" on here, but that just means I can review it faster, I suppose. "Chosen Ones" started out really, really strong for me. I loved the different, snarky take on what happens to chosen ones after they've defeated their Dark One, and I really loved all the articles and files in between chapters that explained back story and established world. I was hooked.
But then this book had to have its own story, not just the aftermath of a previous one. I think because of this, somewhere toward the middle, weird world jumping happened (sorry if that's sort of a spoiler), and everything slowed down for me a lot. I wasn't sure what was going on or what it had to do with anything. It kind of felt like being shoved into a new book and having to start all over again and it took a while for the pacing to catch up.
The story improved for me toward the end, though. The romance got going, the villain and the true obstacle of the story became clear (that really did take a while), and it had a pretty sweet, truly sci-fi kind of ending.
It did seem to wrap up pretty neatly, so I'm interested to see what Roth will come up with for the sequel. The prose was really lovely throughout, and it's easy to see how much her writing has matured since "Divergent." All around, I thought it was an enjoyable read.

Here comes unpopular, booed review which will earn me a special throne at the minority kingdom. A promising YV fantasy/sci-fi, super heroes against the dark one and victory and its aftermath story from the brilliant author of Divergent franchise! So nothing can be wrong!

I cannot say I hate this book but I pushed so hard to finish it. I puffed, I sighed, I screamed and close the book, I napped, I had so many happy hour times (actually when you’re in quarantine, every hour or half an hour could make you happy! You know what I mean! Cheers!) and I fidgeted, squirmed, walked back and forth a lot. At some point finishing it turned into a mission, a task , a mandatory thing like producing hand sanitizer at your home or working on your dancing moves to burn the calories you got at your 15 times happy hours drinking.
Positive things: I liked the first part: We’re introduced to our five main characters: chosen ones who has defeated the Dark one when they were only kids and gathering together for tenth anniversary!

Sloane is the tough, badass, cool, smart, hiding behind emotional barriers, traumatized because she was one of the two kids who has been captivated by Dark One! I wish the story may have been told by her narration. It will help us to connect with the protagonist more and it could give more intimate perspective to her fight with her inner demons, her struggles to adapt in daily lives.

Sloane, Inez and Albie were my favorite characters from five chosen ones but unfortunately we say goodbye to one of them who was suffering from PTSD and drug addiction and other one got stuck in her universe.
I find Esther and Matt a little pretentious, artificial and unoriginal. Matt was the leader of the group but more than leading, he acted like popular celebrity who has great thirst for fame and spotlight and Esther was not different from her with her social media and over sharing obsession. And third person narration didn’t help us to connect with them, too.

Other irritating thing was at most part of the books characters acted, talked and behaved like teenagers but this was normal because their teenage years have been stolen and they carried a huge burden and responsibility on their shoulders which prevented them growing up like their peers have done.
I think Mox and Ziva were the other likable, badass, complex characters of the book but because of the progression of story, we couldn’t be introduced to them till the half part of the book.

Negative things: I already told about my feelings about some of the characters. I think my main problem was too slow pacing. At some parts I wanted to scream at the author to omit some parts and cut to the chase.
First part of the story: the characters’ adapting in real live after ten years later they defeated the Dark One! But did they really defeat him because his corpse has never been found?

Sloane suffers from nightmares and panic attacks, using tranquilizers. Albie mostly spends his time in Rehab because he was the other one who has been captivated and tortured by Dark One. He already lost sense of touch in his fingers! Inez turned into some kind of agoraphobic. But Matt and Esther adapts in their new lives by pretending and living a perfectly fake social media lives.

The night of tenth anniversary, Matt proposes Sloane in front of a huge audience and Sloane reluctantly says yes because she doesn’t want to humiliate her long-time boyfriend in front of his fans! Then one of them couldn’t take anymore, getting exhausted to fight against the suffering and pain, killing himself.
At the funeral ceremony, something happened and Matt, Esther and Sloane find themselves kidnapped by powerful people at the parallel universe which is the beginning of second part of the book: They have been summoned because there is another Dark One at this universe and they’re chosen to fight against him and if they don’t kill him, they will never go back to their own universes. And… that’s where I stopped telling what’s gonna happen!

But I have to admit, I liked the parallel universe’s characters more. Including Dark One and his soldiers, oh, let’s not forget the Prophet!

The ending was great and but I wish there might be more tempting cliffhanger make me wanna read the second installment. But I really liked Mox and Sloane and I’m so sure, this book was the just the introduction and I hope the author left the juiciest action packed and faster paced story-line for the second book. I still want to read it!

Overall: Ultra slow paced and boring third narration story-telling made me give 3.25 stars but I still think this was interestingly promising start and I still want to read the second installment because I’m still die-hard fan of this author’s works and as I witnessed before her second installments are always getting better than the first ones.

Special thanks to NetGalley and John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for sharing this one of the most anticipated ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

This was an intriguing adventure/sci-fi novel that explored the trauma that might come along with being a "chosen one" -- in this case, a group of young people who helped defeat a magical villain several years ago. The main character is Sloane, who was chosen for a secret mission as a young woman, along with four others, to destroy "the Dark One." Years later, they are all still struggling when they are pulled into an alternate universe to help with a similar problem. The story is interspersed with articles, diary entries, and classified government documents to tell Sloane's story. The pacing was on the slower side, but I enjoyed the world that Veronica Roth created and I liked Sloane a lot as a complicated protagonist. The portrayal of trauma and the lingering anxiety and fear were well done. I think the novel could have been shorter and I couldn't always follow what was happening during some of the action scenes. This is Roth's first book for adults, but for the most part, this read as more YA to me, which wasn't a bad thing.

This is Veronica Roth's first adult book. I loved her young adult Divergent series but this book left me wanting more. There are lots of twists and turns and I am hoping as the series continues that I am more invested in this new world. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Thanks, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for granting me this wish!
I received this book in exchange of an honest review!

Chosen ones is adult debut of Veronica Roth, bestselling author of the trilogy of Divergent and this book is great!

Sloane, Matt, Ines, Esther and Albie are the Chosen Ones, the heroes who have to beat the Dark One. Their victory was prophesied and they managed to defeat him, but a what cost?
Now, ten years later all of them are battling against inner demons, regrets, PTDS and trying to have a normal life. Above all, Sloane, the main character, is the one who is suffering the most, having the hardest time adjusting and she's burdened by bad memories, nightmares and secrets she's struggling to hide to herself and to her friends.
When one of them dies, everything is turned upside down and the remaining friends are forced to deal with a plot much bigger than expected, revealing new identities and secrets they thought, and hoped, gone forever.

Chosen Ones is dark, intense, heartbreaking and full of plot twists, thrilling and captivating secrets and revelations, PTDS and nightmares.
It was interesting reading what would happen to the Chosen Ones AFTER the prophecy about them is accomplished. The main character is Sloane and her being grouchy, upset, angry, with attitude is absolutely realistic and raw to read. Her character is complex, burned by her past and having problems adjusting to a normal life, without bad guys and magic and powers. While Matt, Ines and Esther seem to be able to move on and create a normal life, Sloane and Albie are connected by a traumatized past, bad memories and they share their difficulties.

The introduction of a new world, a parallel universe is interesting and well written. It was incredible reading how Genetrix is both different and similar to the Earth and the whole concept of magic and intent was captivating.

I absolutely loved Chosen Ones. The plot is captivating, the characterization is well done and I love the relationships between characters, how deeply they are connected and bonded, how they found in one other a found family. The book is full of twists, a rollercoaster of emotions and it's impossible not to be involved.
I can't wait to read the next book.

3.5 stars


Unconventional.

Roth's books for me is quite a catch even though I didn't like the Divergent Trilogy and her other duology, her stories have this urged for me to read them.

I want to like this book but there moments that it lost its momentum and thrill.

What I liked with this story was the point of view of the trauma and haunted visions of the aftermath battle with the Dark One. Roth explores this theme perfectly.

Half-way through the story, it gets better and mysterious but as it goes to the revealing part, it was good but not that thrilling than it should be.

I adore Veronica Roth's brain! Her dystopian stories are so creative and provide a unique perspective on humanity. Chosen Ones is just as masterful as the Divergent series, it has characters you love, characters you love to hate and they don't always end up in the category they started in. The idea of approaching the story following the life of the heroes after their hey day has passed is an approach that might seem strange at first. The first section of the book is entirely character driven and you only really get little snippets of the former battle and the magical world. But it's a beautiful slow ride through the woods on a Saturday. You learn the characters strengths and weakness and you suffer with them as they suffer. Defeating the Dark One wasn't the end for these five, it may have been the pinnacle of their young lives but the aftermath it left for them personally is rather devastating. By the time you get to the real action you are so invested in the characters and their healing.

The second part has so much action that it will have you reeling trying to find your footing. The real world building is in this part and it's so complex and interesting that I actually had to put it down a few times so I could really savor it! The magic was very complex and took a while for me to grasp who had what power and why.

I really flip flopped on who I was rooting for from minute to minute. That really made the characters and story feel real for me. It was easily readable like a YA novel but had more complex emotions and relationships.

Step aside DIVERGENT, you have competition! Veronica Roth is a master of storytelling. The way she weaves words and sentences and paragraphs and chapters are incredibly done. I was so excited when I got the email that I was approved for this because I was hooked the second I read the synopsis right when the book was announced back in 2018. I loved the way this book was structured. Not to give too many spoilers, but I am a sucker for books that have parallel universe tropes, and this book had them and I was feeling myself throughout that. The first two parts of this story (the books is separated into three sections) were definitely my favourite compared to the third and final part. Overall though, I really loved this story and the message it was trying to send. I will discuss it more in my January wrap up on my channel (when I get around to filming it) but I had very few complaints about this book, and it is for sure going to be a recommendation for SFF fans. I loved the Chicago setting as well, and also all of the world-builing was going right for my heart the entire time I read. It was so so so good and I cannot wait for more in the worlds (yes, plural) of the CHOSEN ONES series. I'm desperately awaiting the sequel!

Sadly this wasn't a book I really connected with. It is supposed to be an adult novel but I felt that it just didn't feel adult, it felt very YA. The writing style wasn't for me and i was bored the whole time.

Part one of this novel starts out promising. It is about a group who defeats the Dark One and saves the world. Ten years later, they are battling PTSD each in their own way. Although part one was slow at times, it was better for me to read this part. It was an interesting plot as you never see what happens after a battle. It lacked character development. I found myself not connected to any of them. It started to drag on and on. With a plot that is character driven like this, you really need well-developed characters. Additionally, I felt that the 3rd person narrative was a little strange. I wish we would have had the MC be in 1st person to see her pain and thinking process.
The second half of the novel, was just boring. The chosen ones are sent to a parallel world where the Dark One is not defeated yet. The villain was boring and the battle was nothing to really to "write home about."
It was borderline YA novel. The character's dialogue and some of the themes felt YA to me.
Overall, I enjoyed the original plot but that was about it. It took me a while to warm up to the MC and you really did not get to know the other characters as much.