This was a very enjoyable look at what it means to be a 'chosen one' and how you cope with life when the battle against the dark one is over.

The Positives: There was some very interesting discussion here about the aftermath of trauma and the way in which society handles our heroes, which I thought was well done. I liked our protagonist very much, primarily because she was written to be unlikeable by all traditional markers. She is emotionally closed off, rude, moody and unapologetic about these personality traits, which I thought was very refreshing. I thought the plot was compelling and Veronica Roth took this story in places I really wasn't expecting, which is always welcome.

The Negatives: Although the plot itself had some great twists, there were a few things that I found incredibly predictable, which did detract from my enjoyment somewhat. I also thought that the pacing was a little bit slow at times, particularly in the beginning.

Overall I found this to be an intelligent and enjoyable read and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good superhero tale.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’m just not a fantasy reader despite how much I sometimes wish I was. I finished it but it wasn’t my genre and wouldn’t be fair to rate on that basis. From my fantasy loving friends, if you love fantasy, you’ll love it.

This was actually my first time reading Veronica Roth. I tried a sample of her previous YA books and it just didn’t click with me, so I never got into them. I had higher hopes that maybe she would shine brighter as an adult writer.

Imagine if you will, someone writes a series about a group of teens that saved the world, and then came back to them ten years later to see how they’re still coping with being so severely traumatized. That’s kind of what we’re getting here, but without the series of them as teens. It sounds interesting in theory which is why I was excited to read it.

Some of my favourite books deal with mental health healing journeys. They have to be handled delicately and with great care. But I feel as though Roth missed the mark here.

I wish I could say that I loved this. Chosen Ones is being marketed as an adult series because of the age of the characters, but it reads very much like YA. The characters didn’t seem all that grown up to me. They gave off very teenagery vibes.

It’s possible this story could have benefited from a first person POV instead of third person. Roth’s writing style didn’t make me feel all that connected to Sloan’s narrative as a third person way of storytelling. I think a first person narrative may have made Sloane feel more sympathetic.

There were some pretty interesting twists a few times throughout the book, but the overall story fell flat. Sometimes it felt like a chore to read and I felt myself skipping parts.

Again, having not read Roth’s previous works, I have nothing to compare Chosen Ones to. But if you are a fan, try reading a sample of this one before purchasing. It might completely hit the mark for you and you’ll love it. Roth’s writing style just isn’t for me.

Chosen Ones follows Sloane, one of five “chosen ones” who saved the Earth from “the dark one” in their teens. Now facing 30 and struggling to cope with the trauma she was forced into by the government at such a young age, Sloane wants answers and closure. After another traumatic event, Sloane and two other chosen ones are pulled into a parallel dimension to fight their dark one. As Sloane starts to piece things together, she discovers that their “victory” may not have been so final and that there are still many horrors left to face.

In the first third of this novel, Roth deftly handles the psychological impact of what being a “chosen one” would do to someone for the rest of their life. Sloane is directionless - she peaked as a teenager, has unstoppable panic attacks and PTSD, & can’t go out without being recognized. However, the cockamamie parallel universe plot and poorly defined magic system and world building left a lot to be desired from this as a fantasy novel. This might have been more successful as a quieter, more introspective novel where Sloane digs into the government secrets and corruption that destroyed her life. The characters are great and watching Sloane grapple with her mental health in a very realistic way was awesome. I think Roth has a lot of potential to write fantasy that appeals to the millennial audience - she certainly understands the psychology of her characters in a way I deeply appreciated - but this first book leaves a lot of room for growth.

10 years ago, 5 average teenagers fought and defeated The Dark One. This story begins where most stories ends. They are left with physical & emotional scars: PTSD, night terrors, drug issues, etc. For some of them, moving on is hard enough, let alone the celebrity status that has followed them ever since. But, after the 10th Anniversary Celebration, when the world wants to celebrate, they end up having to say goodbye to one of there own. It's at this gathering they find out that things might not be over and they have to come to terms with whether they can handle what is asked of them.

I absolutely loved this book. Just when I thought I knew where this was going, I was totally surprised. I really was moved by the character development. You understood what the characters have been through and why they were reacting the way they were. And the complex relationships were just spectacular. I think the relationships might have easily been my favorite aspect of the book. I am seriously thinking about re-reading this very soon! I highly recommend this book. Check this out! Out April 7, 2020.

My mind is blown. I finished reading this book and all I could think was "What could possibly come next?". Everything about this book is different, the way it is told, the worldbuilding, the characters are not at all what you would expect. I LOVED IT! It had me excited from the get go because the story does not start at the beginning, it starts in the aftermath when things are settling down and returning to normal. It makes the reader think about things like PTSD and trauma, and how we cope with events we weren't sure we would survive. I've read many books with so-called chosen ones, I've never felt for one as much as I have Sloane. This is a new book that takes a second look at the experience of a chosen one, and it is WONDERFULLY captivating.

Hey, it’s a stand alone book and not a series!!!
It’s a good read by a good author. There’s bits of news reports and redacted military documents between the chapters that help flesh the world out. The characters are believably traumatized by their experiences and react in logical fashion for who they are. My only real complaint is it was a bit of a slow start before things take off, If I could give half stars this would be a 4.5. I reserve 5 stars for the books that really wow me.

Veronica Roth proves to be much more than a dystopian young adult author with a short string of successes. I loved Roth’s follow-up work to the Divergent series, including her collection of short fiction.

Now, we have Chosen Ones, the author’s first title for an adult audience. I loved the detail, thoughtfulness, and creativity that Roth brought to a new fictional universe.

Chosen Ones is enjoyable and is hopefully a taste of more to come.

Ten years ago the Dark One stalked the Earth, tearing holes in reality and casually slaughtering thousands. Five teenagers wielding legendary objects defeated him and saved the world. Some have adapted well to post-conflict life: Esther is an influencer and Matt champions numerous worthy causes. Prickly Sloane, though, never got her PTSD under control. Her struggles to find a direction are interrupted by an inescapable call to arms. To survive a whole new set of dangers, Sloane must reawaken old skills and memories she'd hoped never to revisit. Starts slow, but each Part introduces a wild plot twist. Thanks, Netgalley.

I really liked the idea of a book that follows Chosen Ones after their work is finally over. How do you adjust to a normal life after something like that? Is there such thing as "normal" anymore? This book doesn't exactly delve into it in the way I thought it would, but I found that I didn't mind. It was interesting to see the psychological struggles of the characters when they were forced to relive familiar challenges. I really liked watching Sloane figure out what she wanted out of life and what she valued. I thought the twists/reveals were well executed and appropriately timed. The book was solid and kept me interested throughout.

It took a while for me to get into this one but once I did I really enjoyed it. The magic system is unique and a little confusing at first but it was nice to read something different than other books. The characters were dynamic and interesting. Just when I thought I had made up my mind about them they would surprise me. I definitely liked this better than Carve the Mark and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC to review.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! It has been a while since I've read a book by this author, but this felt similar as well as brand new. One of the things I really enjoyed was the concept of a Chosen One after the big battle. There are so many books about Chosen Ones on a journey or going through the big fight, but rarely is there one about the struggles after. The pacing in the book is one of the only problems I really have with it. The first two parts feel slow and draggy. However, it picks up very easily in the last half of the second part. The twists in the book were wonderfully done and planned. I really enjoyed Sloane and her struggles with who she is without the Dark One and her struggle with the darkness inside of her. She felt like an antihero who was seen as a hero. I loved her character development. I would definitely recommend this book for those who like magic, fantasy, and characters you really want to root for.

Thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

My first book by this author, although I've been well aware of her other books for years. I give this book a big yes! Although it started a bit hum-drum for me, I continued to connect more and more with it as I moved through the book. The little excerpts from old news stories, journals, transcripts, and books make for an interesting way to fill in pieces of the backstory of the characters and the plot line.

The plot felt a bit mainstream-ish for the first third of the book, then BAM! it all gets turned around. Then again, near the end of the book BAM! another great twist.

While this book is marketed as aimed at an adult audience (Roth's earlier books have been YA), any of her YA fans should not have any trouble getting in to this book as well. And we'll all look forward to where she goes with the next book in this series.

Such a unique and exciting story. It captivated me from the first page. This unique tale has quickly become one of my new favorites.. Veronica Roth has created something that stands outside of all genres. It is a well-written, masterfully thought-out combination of sci-fi, fantasy, and many others. You can see the influence of many great authors on Roth as a fellow book reader. However, she has proven without a doubt that her creative abilities are all her own as she produces works that establish her as an excellent storyteller among the greats.

There was so much to love about this book. The premise, the world building, Albie. But it just fell flat for me as a whole. There was chapters where I couldn’t put it down and more chapters where I had to slog through.

I didn't get addicted like I had hoped, though interesting enough story. I didn't enjoy all the supplementary articles and letters but they were necessary to get an understanding of what was happening. The main character was great: she had a mind of her own and didn't apologize for it. Nice to see.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

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

I loved this book! Fans of the "chosen one" trope in YA and MG novels will love this adult version! What happens when Chosen Ones grow up? They are trained as children to fight but not told how to live as normal post-war adults. Loved the premise. Loved the story. Loved the writing. You can really see and feel how Veronica Roth has grown up as a writer since the Divergent series.

Definitely will recommend all my adult-aged YA readers to add to their TBR list.

Veronica Roth is a must-buy author, clearly. Chosen Ones was fantastic, dramatic, riveting, and more. This book is Veronica at her very best.

This was an interesting take on the whole ‘chosen one’ plot. It takes place ten years after the defeat of the Dark One, and for at least the start of the book, explored with how the five Chosen Ones dealt with the aftermath of the war. Some of them handled it well, sort of, but others did not. The focus though is all told from Sloane’s point of view. It might have been interesting to hear from the others as well.

Sloane is not exactly a likable character, she is acerbic and edgy and at times down right mean to those around her. She has a really tough time and does not deal with her PTSD very well. At the start of the book she is in a relationship with Matt, the leader of the group. I never did like the two of them together, Matt was just too nice and didn’t seem to get who Sloane really was. But somehow Sloane does start to grow on you. Her outside persona is quite different from what is going on inside. She is quite tough and willing to do what it takes to make things right. We see some of this once she meets Mox and things start to make more sense to her. I really loved Mox and the relationship he developed with Sloane was wonderful, they really got each other.

Because the story is told solely from Sloane’s perspective, we don’t get to know the other characters that well. I especially would have liked to get to know Albie better. What little we get to know him, made him very interesting. Plus he was an awesome friend to Sloane, even when she maybe didn’t deserve it. Esther and Ines would also have been good people to know, although Ester might be a little self-centered, but I think that was how she coped with her life as a Chosen One.

The plot is going to be hard to talk about without spoiling. I will say that it is very fast paced once you get past the first 100 or so pages. There is a twist in the setting that I certainly didn’t see coming and it took a bit to get over the surprise. The twist of who the Dark One really was well done, although I kind of had it figured out way before it was revealed. The ending also had quite the twist, that I didn’t see coming at all. The world building was masterfully done. The magical system in the second half of the book was very different and fascinating.

While I enjoyed this book, it bothered me that it is being touted as a book for adults. There didn’t seem to be anything in this book that I haven’t seen in YA, even the violence was fairly tame compared to some I have read. The only reason I can think of is that the characters are all in their twenties, but so what? I think teens will enjoy this book just as much as her other ones, and I think the message of things not being perfect after you defeat evil is a good one for them to hear. I’m not sure where this series is going, I thought the ending was solid. But I will follow it where ever it goes. I enjoyed the characters and the world and look forward to seeing what will happen next to them.