Ten years on from the Dark Ones defeat, we follow the chosen ones as they come to terms with their fame, PTSD, and new lives. Then, when everyone thought they were finally safe, the chosen ones are whisked away to a parallel dimension to help another world.

Ever since I learnt that Veronica Roth was releasing her first adult novel, I was so excited. And let me tell you... this did not disappoint. From the very get go I was curious about the obvious attempt to put a new spin on the 'chosen one' trope, and I really enjoyed what Roth did with it. It was unique, plausible, and also what I think a lot of readers called for... The what happens next to our beloved heroes?! Each chosen one was dealing with their lives in their own unique and realistic way, which really made them feel like the everyday person thrown into a battle they never asked for. The enemies to lovers trope does peek its head, and it was a bit predictable, but honestly I was hoping it would happen so I'm not mad.

Everything about this novel lived up to my hopes. The world building was vibrant, the pace was gripping, and the writing style even better than Roth's infamous Divergent series.

“What, then, is a desire? We may begin by stating what it is not. A desire is not a whim. It is not an idle wish concocted on a sunny afternoon. A desire is a profundity of want, a deep and abiding craving that cannot be denied.” -Veronica Roth

Chosen Ones follows the story of 5 heroes who saved the world from an evil entity called "The Dark One". In the years following his defeat, the heroes have each gone on their separate paths, and each are struggling with their own demons. The story begins in modern-day Chicago, on the 10 year anniversary of that fateful day, and explores what happens when they realize the Dark One may not be dead after all.

First off, I found the concept of this story reminiscent of The Umbrella Academy:  a team of superhumans (kind of) reconvene after the death of one of their own (not a spoiler, given in the book synopsis) and are forced to use their powers again to defeat evil. But aside from that, the plot differs significantly.

The story begins off quite slowly. Not gonna lie, I was a little frustrated at first. I felt like I wasn’t getting any deep emotion or exciting action from the book. Probably the best way to describe the opening of the book is bleak. Imagine a gray, cloudy sky, standing alone amidst towering skyscrapers, somber violin music playing in the background.  And then put in 5 people who have basically all but lost the will to live. So reading that for a while, the book was starting to get a little depressing. 

AND although the characters kept recounting how shaken up and traumatized they were from their battles against the Dark One, for an event of that magnitude, you would think the reader would get some intense and chilling scenarios to help visualize what happened. NOPE. Well, eventually yes,  but I was so frustrated at the beginning with the disconnect between the “trauma” they kept talking about, and the info the reader was actually given (basically very vague and cryptic descriptions). Plus, Sloane is just so apathetic to everything, its ARGHHHH! I get that she’s traumatized, but I kinda hated her for how she treated everyone >:(

Most of the action happens towards the end of the book, so if you’re willing to stick it through for 60-70% of the story, IT DOES GET BETTER. Hold your horses, because, in part 2 of the book, the readers are taken for a WILD RIDE…. Literally to another dimension. Like hold-up what??? (This ain't Riverdale okay?)

But anyways. There’s magic, prophecies, betrayals, and so many twists and turns that you would NEVER know to expect. BUT PLEASE KEEP ON READING, because everything makes sense and the story builds and builds, in an OH-GOD-I-CAN’T-PUT-IT-DOWN kind of way. 

Some good things:
- Story is well written; it gives you enough intrigue for you to keep reading. However, if you thrive on excitement across every page or intense emotions, then you might not be interested long enough to stay on until the end.
- I miiiiiiight be **maybesortaslightlyDEFINITELY***  interested in reading about horrifying, disturbing things and this book delivers in those moments. :) 
- The characters grow on you as the story progresses
- Breathtaking plot twists, and the story concept is unique in that you can never predict what’s going to happen next
- The ADDITIONAL MEDIA: If you’ve read the Illuminae files, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Email correspondences, classified documents, excerpts from the books on the history of magic, you will find all kinds of supplemental types of documents and media between the chapters. It makes reading this so much more electrifying and gives you the feeling of knowing what the characters know, knowing what they don’t, and that just maybe, things aren’t always as they seem

TLDR: Slow start, unique plot/world, and good action towards the last 30-40% of the book.
Read if you enjoyed: The Umbrella Academy, The Girl With All the Gifts, Severance, Illuminae Files,

Love, love this book. I was a little hesitant because the Divergent series broke my heart, but this one was well worth reading.

Sloane and the rest of the Chosen Ones defeated the Dark One and now work to have a normal life. On the 10th anniversary of his defeat tragedy strikes again and they must bond together to face adversity.

Veronica Roth’s first adult book is a solid Sci fi/fantasy novel.

I’ll admit that I went into this book with very high expectations. I absolutely adore the Divergent series, so when I saw I immediately requested an ARC of this book when I saw it was by Veronica Roth.

Things I liked about this book: I really liked the detail and explanation the author put into describing Chicago. I’ve never been there but the way it was described in the book easily helped me envision it. Secondly, I adored Mox, from the moment he was introduced. I thought he was a great character and loved his backstory. I also liked the addition of the “files”. I felt like this really helped explain and make sense of some of the events.

Things I didn’t like: I actually had to stop reading shortly after starting to check that this was indeed the beginning of a series. All the things that have happened to the characters BEFORE the events of this book could have easily taken up an entire book. One I would have gladly read and also felt like would have provided a lot of insight and understanding of how the characters got to be the way they are now. It was pretty disconcerting feeling like I had jumped into a series in the middle, despite knowing that wasn’t the case. The book spends a pretty considerate amount of time going back and explaining a lot of these things in greater detail as well, which proves it could (and should IMO) have been a book by itself. It was my biggest complaint about this book.

I also spent 90% of the book really disliking the main character, Sloane. She came off as selfish, bitter and just generally unlikeable. Another reason I think a previous book would have made a lot of sense and probably kept me from feeling that way. I did end up understanding her better and coming around to somewhat liking her in the last 10% of the book, but it’s a really odd feeling to read the majority of a book and not liking the main character.

Lastly, despite supposedly being a book meant for adults, the characters overall came off as very juvenile. I don’t necessarily mind that as I read a ton of YA, but I had different expectations due to the way it was described as.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this book. Which I think really speaks to Ms. Roth’s storytelling abilities. I stayed interested in the book throughout and I will definitely be reading the next one.

*I received an ARC courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I read the description for this book. I was not a fan of the Divergent series, but I really enjoyed Carve the Mark, so I was interested to see what Roth would do with an Adult book. The premise was captivating. As a 30-year-old, I was happy to see a book about what happens after the world was saved. I did find parts of the plot to be predictable, but that's okay. I thought the prose would have benefitted from first-person as opposed to the third person limited it is written it, but it worked well enough. Overall, I cannot wait to read the next book.

This was actually my first Veronica Roth book, but I've heard so many great things about her writing and, of course, Divergent. My mom was the one who pointed me in the direction of this novel, showing that it truly spans across generations. Reading the first part of the book, I was fully prepared for a superhero novel with a predictable villain-isn't-really-dead plot. This book so surpassed my expectations, and captured that trope in the most unexpected, mind-bending way possible. Full of mystery, suspense, a little romance, and a whole lot of moral gray area. Not to mention, fantastic world and character building. Read only if you're ready to question your reality.

This book was a bit of a disappointment. I loved the Divergent series so I had admittedly high expectations of Veronica Roth. The book wasn't terrible, I just didn't connect with the characters or the world as much as I have in the past. Chosen Ones tells the story of the chosen one after saving the world as she jumps between dimensions and tries to figure out what's good and what's evil and how to defeat evil without giving into it herself. The world Roth creates is dark and intriguing with a mix of a steampunk and sci-fi feel to it. Sloane, the main character, is a cynical ex-heroine with a very dark side.

The good:
I appreciated that for NA fantasy, it wasn't riddled with graphic content. I also thought it was a unique look at the chosen-one-trope. Plus, I love alternative timeline stuff so that was a really fun addition. I appreciated some of the unexpected twists and turns--definitely kept me guessing as I read!

The bad:
I didn't like most of the characters. I struggled to care about them or their situation. Plus, the whole story is dark and while I know that appeals to some, I found it extremely depressing.

As a lover of Roth's writing, but not typically a science fiction or fantasy fan I approached this novel with some reservation. I didn't think I was going to enjoy the storyline but I was sure I would enjoy the writing. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but then I was hooked. I read the last 2/3rds of the book without stopping! Roth has shown that she is not just a great young-adult writer (which is a feat in itself), but also a captivating adult writer as well! Great character development which allows the reader to connect with the lead characters easily.
Highly recommended for all readers who enjoy the science-fiction or fantasy genre. If not, you should give it a read anyway!
* I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in exchange for my honest review.

With Chosen Ones, Roth writes a story that reminded me a bit of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and China Mieville, all while crafting something completely unique. The story follows Sloane, one of five "Chosen Ones" who together defeated a dark villian a decade ago, and have never quite moved on. To say the story went in a direction I hadn't anticipated is an understatement, and I loved what Roth crafted. I did find some of the logic of her world and her antagonist to be confusing at times, so the end didn't leave me feeling satisfied. I was relieved to learn it's the first in a series - I have a lot of questions left!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for sending me an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review! #Netgalley #ChosenOnes

This is my first Veronica Roth title, and it thoroughly swept me away!

Sloane and her four friends were chosen as teenagers to battle an ominous and powerful evil, because of a prophecy. They succeed, but at a great cost to themselves. This book picks up years after the final battle, and examines things you never see in chosen one narratives: the aftermath, including PTSD, addiction, and generally not knowing how to fit in the world when you don't need to hero anymore. This unique lens was enough to keep me hooked, but then! Maybe the Dark One isn't defeated after all? Suddenly, the book takes a very sci fi twist (I won't spoil it), and the pace picks up to a breakneck speed. Sloane and her friend family of chosen ones have to hero again, and they aren't sure how to succeed, or even who the villians are.

Things I loved

-Sloane! I feel like we often don't get geniunely salty, tough, flawed, destructive heroines. They always have a secret "heart of gold" or marshmallow-y inside. Sloane does not have a gooey center (which is specifically talked about and emphasized in the best possible way early in the book). Sloane has had a really hard life, and has needed to be strong, violent, solitary to succeed as a chosen one; how is she supposed to suddenly be "normal" now that the fighting is done? She can't, so we get to enjoy her deliciously dark humor as she rejects normality.

- The romantic lead! I cannot say much about them, as their identity is part of the delicious twisty-ness of this book, but this character stole my heart, and I am SO excited that there is going to be a sequel, just so I can hang out with them more.

- The unique take on zombies! This was a version of undead I hadn't encountered before and I loved it.

- The ending! It took anything I had a complaint about earlier in the book (see below) and tied it up brilliantly, in a way that I didn't see coming. For the first two thirds of the book, I liked the story, but the last third solidified my feelings into love!

Things that were less good

-For the first 2/3 of the book, the generic, all powerful, mysterious evil really annoyed me. It felt like shorthand for every big bad in every YA novel ever. However, I now think that was on purpose, maybe? Since the author was riffing on chosen one stories? And the end of the book gave the villain specificity that I really appreciated.

- The government documents and news articles sprinkled throughout the story. I totally get that they are intended to give background and context without info-dumping in the main text, but they took me out of the flow of the plot.

Overall, the Chosen Ones is a really fun, dark, exciting read, especially for folks who wonder about the aftermath of triumphant battles against evil.

What if you became a superhero at the age of 14, way too young to understand how it would effect your life? What if becoming a superhero left you with a fame that you didn't want, but could never run away from? What if being a superhero left you with a debilitating case of PTSD, which no one understands? That is a story that hasn't been told enough. That is a story that I found fascinating. I loved this book. Now it ended in a weird place and I have no idea where Roth is going to go next, but this book was rock solid.

Thank you so much for the publisher, the author and NetGalley for gifting me a review copy - all opinion are mine and are honest.

I have no words! I was super excited to dive into a new Veronica Roth book, which is addressed to the adult audience. I did meet my expectations and I enjoyed the complex plotline. In general, the space of the novel was a bit slow for me, but it was relevant for the character growth and explaining everything in detail.
Sloan was such an interesting main character: layered and mysterious. You could never guess what she'll do next!
The trope chosen one is always a risky trope to pull but I love how Veronica mixed the post-chosen one into it!

'Nobody ever prepared me for what came after. They just assumed I would never find out.' - this totally describes the vibe of the novel.

Unexpectedly the ovel jumps into a parallel dimension, where the whole plot is about to evolve. This is a HUGE surprise because reading the synopsis of the book did not say anything about another dimension! The new dimension, which is inextricably tied back to Earth and is similar and yet different, failure to defeat the Dark One in this world could mean the destruction of Earth. Sounds pretty awesome right?

I recommend you picking it up if you like fantasy mixed with sci-fi and if you like shouting at the book: WhhHAAAt?! :)

This story was amazing!!!! I read it in one sitting! A solid plot with dynamic characters. I wanted to keep reading, needing to know what was next!!

I’m a little confused about how I feel about this book. I didn’t hate and I didn’t love it. But it could and here for me and I’d be ok with that.

UPDATE 4/27
So, I spent the day thinking about this book and why I was so conflicted it about it. First, I was getting all of kinds of HP vibes throughout the book, and that's not always a bad thing. But with "The Dark Lord" and "The Chosen One(s)" throughout the ENTIRE book, it's hard not to make connections. Also, vague prophecies and magical items needed to defeat the villain. Sloane feels like Hermione with Ron's sarcasm and Harry's bad childhood. And a little (ok, alot) of Draco's "fuck-you" attitude.

That's cool though. Again, despite the parallels, I wasn't angry or disappointed. So what was it? I thought this book was supposed to be a second coming-of-age (because hell, these kid's initial coming of age was when they were like 15), and how they handled or were handling the trauma of war and defeating a Dark Lord when they were only kids.

But given that it was only Sloane's perspective, you didn't really get that. Only Sloane.

And then it hit me. This just reminded me a couple of amazing HP fanfiction pieces (not knocking FF (all hail AO3!)), covering this same thing--kids who were basically conscripted to fight a really really bad bad guy (ugg) and HEA is not as simple as "poof...bad guy is gone." They are wounds, some visible, some not, that have to be addressed (or in Sloane's case, not). But living life after many years of fighting is not easy, but for some (Sloane, Albie), harder than others.

In the end, I think I was just kinda...bored. For lack of a better word. I didn't have a vested interest in these characters, because I didn't spend YEARS feeling their pain, their emotions, living their lives right next to them. So it wasn't until late in the book that I began to feel any compassion toward Sloane. And the other characters...oh well, I never learned enough them to really care (except that Sloane was a dick to them--ALOT).

I will say, that I am stuck, still at a solid three stars. Don't love or hate. For now, I'll leave this as a stand-alone, but if another book is with a different character, I may read it

I have to start off by saying I'm not a fan of fantasy or sci-fi novels, so this review may be a bit bias because of that. I am however a big fan of Veronica Roth and the Divergent series, so I wanted to give this a try as an adult fantasy & sci-fi novel.

It was slow to start and I kept leaving it at times, which I then found made it harder to get back into. So when I committed to reading it and plowed through, I have to say it was worth the effort and I quite enjoyed it! Yes, it could've probably been a little less wordy and not as long of a novel, however I think Roth's style is quite simply her own and I wouldn't change a thing. I'm actually now looking forward to the sequel and would tell anyone that thinks they can't get through this - give it a chance and push through. It's worth it!

Thank you so much Houghton Mifflin Harcourt & NetGalley for my complimentary eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It wasn’t *bad*, I just hated reading it, and the payoff wasn't worth it in the end. Take from that what you will. The writing was good, but the interspersed news clippings and excerpts were a waste of time.

The first part of this book was great! I loved the premise of the storyline. It was new, edgy and engaging, but then it quickly changed to something I definitely wasn’t expecting. The progression of the plot was odd and not very enjoyable. I’m not sure I would want to read the next book in the series.

I found the first half of the book to be engaging and enjoyed the twist of seeing the adult versions of the YA heroes. I usually really enjoy stories with alternate universes/realities and this was no different, but at about 3/4 of the way in, I just really lost interest. I had a hard time finishing it, although I imagine many will enjoy the story,

I guess I am going to be in the minority of reviewers here because I didn't really like this book. I had a hard time making myself finish it. I loved the premise to begin with but it fell into the pitfalls (or drains, I guess) of sci-fi, especially multidimensional works. So many inconsistencies that the author tries to explain them away with, well, it's a different dimension. In order for another dimension to work the differences have to make sense. And too many times here, they do not.

One top of that, I really don't like most of the characters. Part 1 tries to introduce them to us but the vague descriptions of what must be truly important and life changing events fell flat for me. I understand that the author may not have wanted to write that book. Writing it and then coming back to beloved characters a decade later may have been hard. Veronica Roth wrote for young adults (a genre that my favorite author argues does not really exist, and I agree), so maybe she believed she would be unable to bring in the two audiences she was going for here. Other authors do this fairly regularly. I think a bit of study into how they accomplished the feat would have helped this book along a lot.

I see that this is listed as the first in a series. I don't doubt it will be a successful one and my own compulsive habits will probably lead to me reading the next book. Maybe it will start to gel for me more as it develops. That rarely happens, but it does. I wish I had enjoyed this more. I really do. There was a lot here to work with if it had just been approached in a slightly different way. Maybe in an alternate universe it was and the other me is loving it!