This book caught my attention straight away from the premise alone. We're all to familiar with the idead of The Chosen One. The special snowflake that will save the world with luck, duct tape, and a group of friends more skilled, likeable and intelligent than they are.

Chosen Ones promised to be a breath of fresh air in an oversaturated genre, a rare look behind the curtain - but most of us have larned, at this point, that getting a look at the wizard is not all it's cracked up to be.

Sloane is one of the five teenagers who stopped the Dark One — the villain who tried to use Drains to destroy the world as they knew it. As such, it's no surprise Sloane and her Chosen gang are a hodge podge of coping mechanisms and PTSD. People love them, people hate them, people love to hate them.

At the 10 year anniversary of their "Win", things start to go horribly wrong once again - in more ways than one.

The YA fantasy reader in me appreciated all the Easter Eggs and nods to all the classics, cliches and tropes you can think of, giving it sort of a Breaking of The Fourth Wall quality to it, making it almost comical.

Unfortunately, that's where Roth lost me. Pacing was probably the biggest issue here, as well as my inability to muster any real afection for the characters past pity and basic empathy.

The outline of this novel was really what attracted me to it: what do heroes become once they've saved the world? Especially those young, idealized Chosen Ones we've repeateadly seen in teen movies and books? This is basically what's explored in the first third of this novel. I immediately found our main character, Sloane, very relatable and realistic, and I was glad for once to read from the point of view of an actual grown-up, with an adult life to deal with, someone supposed to have some maturity, but also her skeletons in the closet. However, it all started going downhill after that first part. We're thrown into a world where the more things happen, the more confusing it gets, until the very end that I barely understood. The author does try to explain everything, but there's just too much, which means it's still confusing and we don't get much action. The beginning had so much potential, and I could see it going to some dark place, but in the end the story kept pretty mild, with very predictable and way too foreshadowed "plot-twists", so I was a bit disappointed.

Chosen Ones has a lot of really interesting ideas within it. The story begins at the 10 year anniversary of when the "Chosen Ones" defeated the "Dark One," an evil magical being. The story feels taken right from Marvel in many ways. A group with various abilities assembles to defeat an enemy. The exploration of the aftermath is an interesting twist. We are introduced to characters who are still struggling, even 10 years later, to grapple with what they lost. PTSD, addiction, and interesting reactions to fame are explored. The story is told in third person yet focuses entirely on Sloane, which made the narrative voice choice an odd one. Sloane is cynical, abrasive, and doesn't know how to get over what happened and move on to a normal life.
Without giving away the plot, parallel universes are explored, what makes someone good or evil, loyalty, and Sloane has a coming of age story - at age 30. This is supposed to be an adult novel but it's very YA in feel. There's magic, interesting concepts, and a lot of great twists at the end.
However, there are also plot points that are murky, absolutely no character development for anyone except Sloane, and some very slow and slogging parts to the novel. There is a lot here that is good, but I was never excited to get back to it - I left it several times before finally finishing it. The end wrapped up quite firmly and satisfactorily so I am unsure why this is first in a series. It feels like this story is very much over, although characters can always have a new chapter in their lives! It's really between 2 and 3 stars. Be prepared for some slow parts, but also be prepared for some really interesting ideas.

This book left me with a hangover for days! Fast-paced, great world-building, everything you should expect from a great SciFi book, and more. Couldn't put it down.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I thoroughly enjoyed the Divergent series so was excited to give it a go.
I ended up really enjoying it. It took a couple of chapters for me to get into it but once it got going, it was great. Action packed with believable characters (besides the magical power thing obviously...) and unexpected twists and turns!

Moved at a decent pace, kept my interest and was entertaining till the end. I’d recommend if you’re looking for a new read.

When I heard about Chosen Ones my first thought was what a cool concept. Never before had I read about the life of the 'heroes' post life defining moment, especially not ten years later. I had no idea how exactly this new idea would work, how we could see this new perspective and timeline without previously knowing the characters. Despite this Roth beautifully introduced them in a way that felt like i had experienced first hand the events ten years ago, whilst not leaving the reader too much in the past.
On top of this Roth created a morally grey main character that I couldn't help but connect to. I loved the fact that she wasn't just a selfless hero who would do whatever she could to save the world. Instead she frequently questioned her role and abilities and why she should save the world once again.
Chosen Ones also didn't just brush aside the trauma that the characters experienced, making them feel three dimensional and realistic.
It has been a long while since I read anything by Veronica Roth, but I could not be more glad that I returned to her writing with this book. Vastly different from the days of Divergent, Chosen Ones really puts into perspective life past the main events we usually read and because of this I would definitely recommend it to others.

Whoa. This book. I was completely into this book from the second chapter. I didn't expect much, after Divergent I didn't think there would be another heart-pounding book quite like that. Boy, was I wrong. The characters were so relatable, I felt like they could have been in the room with me. The storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. What I loved most, is that the ending isn't quite what I had expected. And I loved that!

I don't love fantasy/scifi books generally, but this looked really interesting. Unfortunately, I found it pretty slow and boring. Maybe I'm biased as I'm not a fan of the genre generally but it wasn't very cohesive and the humor felt very corny.

If you are a fan of Roth’s from Divergent you might be a bit surprised at this style. It’s a superhero, villain, multiverse with magic sort of story. It’s told in three parts by Sloane, named after the Ferris Bueller character. The first is where we meet the five chosen ones and learn about their background and how they defeated the Dark One. Part Two, some of them are pulled into another dimension where magic is prevalent but the internet and cell phones are not used. There is a reason they are in Genetrix and it’s very important. Part Three is the grand finale and shows us who really is the Dark One and the natural Chosen One. It’s a different story from Divergent with teens and a dystopian world. It’s mature and challenging all at once. I was pleasantly captivated and intrigued by the characters and how everything would end. It shows there is a second book coming but it ends in a place that leaves a HEA. I received an early copy from Netgalley.

An interesting story with a twists and turns to the storyline.

I felt like more information of some of the supporting characters would have been but I felt that the main character was well defined and had clear motivation.

Definitely left the story open to a follow up book.

The book was really slow to capture my interest. I haven’t read the Divergent series so this was my first Roth book and man did it disappoint! For most part I felt disconnected with the story

A delayed review. I liked this book. A lot. It speaks to a more mature audience than Roth's Divergent series and focuses on navigating the world as an adult. I loved the idea of exploring what happens to these heroes after they save the world. Also, kudos for writing a female lead who isn’t likable, and does things that fall outside of the stereotypical hero mold.

Publisher’s Blurb:

Fifteen years ago, five ordinary teenagers were singled out by a prophecy to take down an impossibly powerful entity wreaking havoc across North America. He was known as the Dark One, and his weapon of choice—catastrophic events known as Drains—leveled cities and claimed thousands of lives. Chosen Ones, as the teens were known, gave everything they had to defeat him.

After the Dark One fell, the world went back to normal . . . for everyone but them. After all, what do you do when you’re the most famous people on Earth, your only education was in magical destruction, and your purpose in life is now fulfilled?

Of the five, Sloane has had the hardest time adjusting. Everyone else blames the PTSD—and her huge attitude problem—but really, she’s hiding secrets from them . . . secrets that keep her tied to the past and alienate her from the only four people in the world who understand her.

On the tenth anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat, something unthinkable happens: one of the Chosen Ones dies. When the others gather for the funeral, they discover the Dark One’s ultimate goal was much bigger than they, the government, or even prophecy could have foretold—bigger than the world itself.

And this time, fighting back might take more than Sloane has to give.

After following Roth through her Divergent series, I requested Chosen Ones because it’s her first foray into adult books. Here’s a list of impressions…

One thing is the amount of swearing (get over it)… I glanced at some reviews and y’know, GoodReads…
I’ve read/ watched a number of books/ flicks that deal with Superheroes outside of the battlefield. To humanize the heroes. To create a place for them to deal with their emotions. The PTSD. The regrets. The pain you can’t see. The twist to this one is that it jumps so far forward (10 yrs) and these supers are relatively young, not a mid-life crisis like Mr. Incredible.
I found the beginning of the book to be a slow burn… Roth sets up the premise and lets the reader see the characters reveal themselves and their comedown from glory. Questions: What happens after you win the big game? Will you be ready for the next one or will you lose that edge?
The length was a hinderance for me. At just under 450 pages, there were a couple side plots that could have been taken out to make the plot more streamlined and help focus on the key themes.
I can tell you without reservations that I enjoyed this villain. The last quarter of the book is quite the roller coaster of action, emotions, and reveals.
Pick this one up for a different look at the Chosen One trope… While it can be uneven, the core plot, characters, and themes are worth a read.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

I'm not sure what it is with this book, but I experienced some contradicting feelings towards it while reading haha.
It's catching enough, interesting enough but at the same time I felt like it was still lacking a bit.

What stood out to me was the premise of it all, the settings and the concept of the story. But at the same time I felt like the plot and its development didn't really come to fruitition well enough.

I did really like that it was more NA/adult written instead of Ya and feel like that really suited the story. The characters were fun to get aquainted with and I loved how well developed their characters were written and how their characters developed over time.

Overall I'd say this was a fun first book in an intruiging new series and even though it wasn't as Strong as I hoped it'd be beforehand, the premise of it all was really good and I'm definitely curious and excited enough to continue the series when the next book arrives.

Veronica Roth's first novel written for adults - 'The Chosen Ones' explores the common fantasy trope of 'the chosen one' and what happens after they defeat 'the dark lord' and save mankind. It's a very interesting idea and it's well written, although there isn't much separating it from a YA series in my opinion - only one or two references to sex that could've easily not been there. Other than that the plot could easily be YA, the characters were a little one-dimensional, and also given the nature of the story they haven't really developed much since their teenage years. The beginning of the story is very engaging but the middle section was a bit boring so I skimmed over it because I was interested to see where it was going.

To summarise I'd say that it would be a great YA, but is as an adult fantasy is under-developed.

~ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title ~

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: The beginning of a tale dealing with fate, discovering the power in oneself, and the realization that the fight is not over.


CHOSEN ONES gives us the building blocks for what has the potential to be a very dynamic series filled with diversely engaging characters. Roth shines as she introduces her readers to five teenagers who were chosen to defeat The Dark One. As a reader, I loved Sloane and the dynamics of the entire group. This is what made me keep reading as the author meticulously unraveled the story while expanding on the history of what it means to be chosen.


In truth, this book was good, though I hoped it would be better. All the components were there, but I could often tell the author was setting things up for books to come. There was careful attention to building the environment and characters within these pages. Something, I have no doubt, will make the next book in the series all the better.


At the end of the day, Roth pulled me in slowly to the world of the chosen ones, and I do want to find out what happens next.

Chosen Ones was an intriguing exploration of what happens after the hero defeats the evil. Is it a happily ever after? Does the hero know how to be normal? What is next? I found the premise of this book to be fascinating, and I will say that it did not disappoint. There were definitely some twists. I enjoyed that this book did not end up where I thought it was going to go starting out. I loved Sloane's character. Some of the other characters were a little flat, but I was mostly invested in Sloane, so it didn't really bother me. I can't wait to see what happens next! There is definitely a lot of room to explore this more!

Sadly, this book is hard to get into. It's rather slow and the plot's forgettable and, quite frankly, boring.

For me this was a 3.5 stars read.. I love The Divergent trilogy and liked Carve The Mark.but I feel this one is my least favourite book of the author. I did not care much about the characters and the plot felt messy sometimes. I was expecting something a bit different to be honest.