I really admire Veronica Roth and have enjoyed some of her books and really liked interviews with her. I want to support her, but this book just wouldn't stick. I have tried to read it off and on for months. The use of news articles to provide outside points of view and jumping around could be useful for a more complete story, but in this case I just didn't feel like it worked. I felt no connection to the characters and couldn't even piece together very much of a story.
I won't be reviewing this in other places because I don't like to give bad reviews that would discourage others from reading this and judging it for themselves. I really appreciate the opportunity to read this but I wouldn't recommend it. I would be open to reading another Roth book in the future as I feel like she is still a good writer.

This was FANTASTIC. Despite a few pacing issues near the end, I absolutely loved this. The main character Sloan felt fully developed, with a distinct voice. She is difficult, selfish, rude, my favorite. I loved reading from her perspective. I loved the dissection of the chosen one trope, prophesies, etc. I loved the twist. The ending is interesting. I thought this was a standalone going in but its clearly not. I have no idea where its going to go, but I'm fully invested in Sloane and Mox.
I can see why this wouldn't be for everyone, but it is exactly my shit.
Recommended.

She was by the river, the cold air burning her lungs, as she stared across the bridge at the Dark One right before their last battle. Part of her always would be.

This is one of those books that are just so interesting in the beginning, with amazing premise, complex cast of characters and plot that simply has so much potential. And then it just goes to waste or, mixed with other aspects of the story, doesn't leave with overall good impression.

I loved the premise of five Chosen Ones, depressed and traumatised after saving the world from Dark One, who live their adult lives as if trapped in their teenage bodies. On the 10th anniversary of their victory, Matt proposes to his longtime girlfriend Sloane, as she realizes that this is not everything she's ever wanted. And soon they find out that the evil never truly vanished.

The first part exploring main characters' adult lives was amazing, and I loved exploration of their PTSD. However, I think that third person narration really did injustice to the story, since Sloane is such a complex character, and first person narrative would've been more suitable. The second part is where it all becomes really dull, with some predictable YA tropes.

It had some interesting bits and pieces, and I like how it explored perspective of heroes who are morally ambiguous. But so much was happening in so little pages, and I thought that the ultimate reason the Dark One wasn't defeated was just plain stupid. I loved Sloane, and I can say that Matt, Albie and Mox were really interesting characters. Villain, however, was pretty unconvincing.

For an adult fantasy, it does read like a YA novel. It had some upsides and some downsides, not what I was expecting, but I still pretty much enjoyed most of it. Yes, it dragged, but it had some loveable bits that made me really connected to the story. And it was kinda fun, but the ending left me wanting more. I hope Roth does the sequel justice.

Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A 'what happens after you've defeated the big baddie' look at old war heroes suffering from PTSD, alongside living life as famous mid-twenties millenials suffering from immense existential crises. This wasn't what I was expecting - it's a cross between literary fiction and Percy Jackson - but it was interesting and definitely did something new.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Loved it!

Interesting concept of "what do you do with the rest of your life after you have saved the world?". The characters were realistic, some were likeable and some were not. Twists and turns throughout the story. Not everything was as it seemed.

I loved the Divergent series, so obviously I had to read Chosen Ones.
Man, was I blown away?! It’s so good and so wholly unexpected. You can see through the writing how much Veronica has grown as a writer. The story building, characters, plot.. it’s all amazing.
I love the idea of “what happens after?” We read about chosen ones over and over again, but I’ve never read a story like this, where they tell how those few people cope with their new role.
I’ll definitely be recommending this book to Roth fans!

Chosen Ones follows five people who were chosen to kill the Dark One. The book starts ten years later.

There is so much to say about this book. I've read every book that Veronica Roth has published and I found this one to be the weakest out of them all. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that this was her first book, not her most recent.

The characters seemed to not be consistent. Their desires didn't really seem to be their own and after 400 pages, I still only have a shallow understanding of them as people. There were major plot points at the end where it didn't make sense that these were their desires.

The plot was nonexistent. The structuring of going back in forth to different times and places made the book drag. This felt like a massive prologue. It would have been better if this got edited down to 100 pages and added to the next book. It took so long to build up to something that the major surprising points weren't that exciting and I honestly didn't care anymore. The way this book ended didn't leave much open for another book when it comes to a plot.

The worldbuilding stayed strictly to what was relevant to the what was going on in that moment. It was tough to see where pieces of information connected off screen for me. I couldn't see this world outside of what was happening. What was Thailand like on Genetrex? I have no clue.

Overall, this book wasn't bad but it wasn't one of Roth's best works.

3/5

This was a good read, but didn't have the 'wow' factor that the Divergent series did. The premise of a group of young adults who have been credited for saving the world but now suffer from PTSD yet must face the demon again is interesting. Unfortunately, the story seemed to wander in too many directions and would've benefited from more depth, especially in character development. Still, a fun read just not as satisfying as this reader had hoped.

Veronica Roth has written another novel that will be a hit with her fans. She leans on her usual subjects of reality with a bit of weirdness thrown in, and the story picks up big time after the first 1/3 of the book. You might spend that time wondering if you missed a prequel. Would recommend for fans of Roth, fans of realistic scifi, and anyone who likes to follow influencers--Roth's fictional crew of "chosen ones" are the influencers of their world.

Thrilling, exciting new world from the author that gave us Divergent. I absolutely was hooked from the first page. The world building had me feeling as though I was there living in the pages. My only complaint was I found the novel more YA rather than New Adult. Otherwise great start to a new series that I am thrilled to read. Thank you to the publisher for granting my wish and allowing me to read this novel on NetGalley

I had loved Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth, and I don't know if any other book will outpace it in my Sci-fi fav, But nevertheless, Chosen Ones was also an enjoyable read, To be honest, I didn't feel like it to be any better than Divergent but it was an okay-okay.

Thank you for granting me access to this book. I enjoyed it but it wasn't what I was looking for to include in my subscription box.

This book - was more than a nice surprise.
It was everything I didn't know I needed at that moment. And to my relief, it was nothing like the Divergent series (which I loved, but destroyed me for some time.) I fell into the story right away, and even though it's a dark tale with a lot of bloody details, I loved every single second in it.

Chosen Ones is a Chimaera between Fantasy and Science Fiction, two of my favorite Genres, and therefore was utterly perfect for me. Speaking about perfect: Thank for a character like Sloane. A female Anti Hero. A dark Godess. A human being that wronged others and still carries the burden. I loved her for her sassy and bold behavior from page one on.

Coming to Mox, who I also loved from his first page on, even when we didn't know if he was good or bad. He was such a complex and great character, that I completely lost myself in him and his raw magic. He reminded me a bit of Leigh Bardugos Darkling.

Coming to the worldbuilding. Which was excellent and really - one in a million. the iodeas that hovered in the air here were absolutely stunning, unique, and super exciting to read about. I've never read a book like this one and would like to read it all over again now. I felt the humming of magic in my bones while reading and devoured the book in one session, that left me breathless and full of dark feelings and love for the Story of the Chosen Ones. I know I just said a lot, while not saying anything, but I just don't want to spoil the experience to you. Just let me tell you, that the writing style here is unique, gritty, and dark and you'll love it!

This was a really incredible adult fantasy book that I truly enjoyed from the very start and never wanted to put down. I also really love the cover of this book and the overall idea of the story and the characters.

Several years ago, I read the Divergent series with my teenage son and found myself really drawn into the series. I'm not typically a reader of sci-fi or futuristic novels, but Chosen Ones caught my attention from the very first chapter. I'm not sure how the author manages to create these characters that I come to care about so quickly. They are flawed and maybe not even people you would want to spend time with in real life, but I find myself rapidly turning pages to see what their future holds.

The Chosen Ones is about five heroes that saved the world from the Dark One ten years ago when they were mere teenagers. Their whole lives have been defined by that journey and now we meet them 10 years later as they are still trying to figure out who they are. The Chosen Ones - Sloan, Matt, Ines, Albie and Esther - have gathered again to celebrate the anniversary of the Dark One's defeat, when tragedy befalls one of their own. This is the catalyst for an event that changes their lives forever. The descriptions of the scenes and settings in this book are so well written that I could easily envision a movie adaptation. I also really liked how the letters and memos were included. I felt that added another layer to the story. I hope that the author revisits these characters and develops the series further because I wasn't quite ready to let them go.

I received this book courtesy of John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having not read any of Veronica Roth's previous titles, I was cautiously optimistic going into Chosen Ones. I have seen her on author's panels and she is hilarious, witty, and extremely intelligent when it comes to the craft of writing.

Thank goodness I took a chance on this book.

Roth's Chosen Ones has everything that one would wish in a fantasy fiction book. Not only is it exciting and impulsively page-turning, it turns tropes on its head while delivering many hard-hitting truths about morality and good and evil.

I highly recommend this book for all ages.

This was a slow burn for me. I loved the concept right from the start. Let's find out what happens to the superheros AFTER the superheroing is over. How do you go back to a normal life? Answer: you don't. I put the book down a few times, it took a bit for me to get caught up in the story. The action didn't really start to ramp up until about a quarter through the book, but wow did it deliver!

The twist was very twisty! I ended up liking this book so much more than I thought I would when I started. Give it a chance, stick with it for a bit and you won't be disappointed. The story goes in a completely different direction than I thought it would, and it's pretty hard to surprise me! Definitely would recommend!

Another amazing book by Veronica Roth. Chosen Ones did feel more like a YA book, but that is ok by me. Can't wait for the sequel.

As much as I wanted to love this one, I just couldn't get into it. I think it's because it was a contemporary fantasy, whereas I'm more partial to more historical settings. I also did not care for the main character, and found her to be a bit of a whiner. However, I did love the interview/article style and Veronica Roth is no doubt a talented author. This will definitely go over well with those who are contemporary fantasy lovers or those who are interested in getting into contemporary fantasy.

Thank you to Veronica Roth, NetGalley, and John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.