The public sees him as the kindest soul alive and it’s true. Sloane has had the hardest time in the intervening ten years. After the Dark One fell, the world went back to normal . | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Terms and Conditions, What are you reading this weekend? Hi, I'm Lili. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Veronica Roth is an author best known for her Divergent series. I write YA fantasy but I don't have preferences when it comes to reading. Second, because no matter how old and used the “Chosen One” trope is, it’s still one of my favorite tropes to read. I just got a finished Chosen Ones in the mail, and I'm pretty excited to show you what it looks like. I liked how you mentioned that it explores mental health issues, because I can totally imagine that being a huge concern for Chosen Ones. I liked the way that the novel sensitively explored how trauma unites its sufferers, bonding them in ways that those who have not endured such challenges can never understand. They seem so much like teenagers. And I really thought that would be the same for the Chosen Ones. Similarly, much of the action was lackluster. 10985055. I ended up liking the reveal about the Dark One though, so that means I love the sci-fi part of the story. Utilising a feminist perspective, the novel also reflects upon what happens if a central woman character eschews the societal expectations of female fragility in the aftermath of facing down real danger. Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater Review (Spoiler-Free), These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong Review. Ten years before our story begins, five teenagers managed to defeat a terrifying entity known as The Dark One. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This book’s on my TBR. ( Log Out /  The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. If you’re a fan of young adult dystopian novels, you’re probably very familiar with some of Veronica Roth’s work. In doing so, it confidently expands beyond the issues and themes common to that market to embrace the very different concerns of a general adult audience. Well, except Sloane, whose point of view is what used in the whole book (except for the articles and documents). And yet, when it comes to it, he’s not that grand as I expected him to be. In this book’s defence though, the suspense regarding the villain was good, it’s the last scene with him that I found so unsatisfying. Too bad about the villain, though—I think a good villain can really make a story. But. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you’re a fan of young adult dystopian novels, you’re probably very familiar with some of Veronica Roth’s work. But then, strange events keep happening again, making them doubt if they really defeated the Dark One before. And this time, fighting back might take more than Sloane has to give. Chosen Ones is like a sequel to all those books with Chosen-One trope. This would have been a sure favourite for me, it had everything I absolutely love, just not in the way I would have liked/wanted. Publisher’s Description. ( Log Out /  Settings can serve as nothing more than the backdrops of books, but in Chosen Ones, Chicago is just as front and center as the main characters. Hodder and Stoughton, pb, £7.91. Chosen Ones. I was initially a bit confused about the government’s reasons for choosing these specific teenagers, but things become clearer as the tale progresses. Sloane isn’t at all thrilled at the prospect of facing her foe again, but the fate of many worlds rests on her shoulders, and certain extremely powerful people aren’t afraid to play dirty if it means getting Sloane to do as she’s told. Mox/Micah/Consul/Resurrectionist – I find him the most intriguing character. She doesn’t trust easily and really, it’s always for valid reasons. First Published: 2020. . Esther- One of the Chosen ones and in charge of the public’s attention. Journalists and photographers follow them around, strangers feel entitled to their every thought or opinion, and meaningful relationships are all but impossible due to the trauma they are still attempting to overcome. This is Science Fiction, which in retrospect, I should have expected because the blurb definitely hinted this is set in a dystopian world. There are a number of fabulous twists and turns that kept me reading late into the night. Review. Nonetheless, it was, without a doubt, a creative take on sci-fi/fantasy and I can’t wait to see what Roth has in store for the sequel. Her latest offering, Chosen Ones, is pretty different from her previous books, most notably, because it’s aimed at an adult audience – although there’s nothing I’d consider inappropriate for younger readers. Now THAT was a villain. But the concept of this one—what happens to the Chosen Ones after their quest?—is just too intriguing to pass up. On the tenth anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat, something unthinkable happens: one of the Chosen Ones dies. Normally, I don’t mind this narrative style, but it felt awkward here, keeping the reader at a bit of a distance from Sloane rather than allowing us to engross ourselves in her thoughts. ( Log Out /  But Sloane remembers. Yet after over 150 pages, I just couldn’t keep going, which I was actually so disappointed about. I liked and admired Sloane for refusing to bow to pressure to respond in a gendered way. made her name by writing bestselling YA action/adventure novels like the Divergent series, so it makes sense that she can so expertly deconstruct those tropes for adult audiences. 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? ( Log Out /  I’m usually a pretty fast reader, and if a book is addictive, nothing can stop me from finishing it within 24 hours. And when they gather for the funeral at the enshrined site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One’s reign never really ended. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones. Chosen Ones, as the teens were known, gave everything they had to defeat him. Oooh. But one thing I can say is that when the sci-fi part happens, it’s when the story gets more interesting. Instagram, Goodreads, Tumblr and now Twitter. They’re suddenly thrust into an entirely new world where they’ll have to face demons both new and old. It’s almost a sci-fi lover’s dream, and there’s a sequel to follow, but for me, it just didn’t do enough. There was just something about the author’s writing that kept me engaged, and that usually doesn’t happen for me when I’m unable to relate to the main character. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. She is also the author of the Carve the Mark duology and the Chosen Ones series.