Monday, October 5, 2015

~The Young Elites by Marie Lu~


                Hi!  Hope everyone had a good weekend.  Mine was somewhat productive but not nearly as productive as I would have liked.  Okay mostly I slept.  I also did some reading which is what is most important.  I also wrote up some reviews to share with my fellow book lovers.  One of those is The Young Elites by Marie Lu.  I had previously read the Legend trilogy and really enjoyed it and was excited to start a new series by her, but after buying it as a new release it sat on the shelf until recently.  It's an ever growing problem but I like to buy books!

Rating: 5 Stars

                Adelina is a survivor of the blood fever.  A decade ago this illness swept through the nation and killed most everyone infected.  Many of the children who survived were left marked, for Adelina her black hair turned silver and she lost an eye (this part always crept me out and made my eyeballs water whenever it is mentioned) and only has a scar.  She is a malfetto, an abomination.  Her father is a cruel type and doesn't take well to her sullying the family name.  Some malfetto's are said to have developed powers/gifts, known as the Young Elites.  We follow as Adelina is thrust into a cruel world and finds herself among the Dagger Society between them and the Inquisition Axis.  Her powers are something different than they have seen.  Something darker, a vengeful heart and a desire to destroy all who cross her.  Her life collides with Enzo, a Young Elite and Dagger member, and Teren, Lead Inquisitor for the Axis, and she must find her place and a way to survive it all. 

                I have to say first that I was completely blown away.  I was also somewhat thrown.  I went into this thinking it was going to be a middle grade book.  I don't know how or why this idea was in my head, I swear I read/saw it somewhere.  It was clear from the start this is so not a middle grade book.  It deals with much darker themes, so if you also had this misconception here is your update.  Adelina was easy for me to like from the start.  She is rough around the edges and bitter but given her life, I thought she was handling herself pretty well.  Throughout the book my affection and understanding did waver here and there but I think that was well done by Lu in the development in the character starts and stops.  No one do straight upward, everyone falls back, it's a work in progress.  Plus it’s never clear if she will be the hero or the villain of the story, which is very intriguing.

                 This story is rather dark.  It deals with the darkness and hate inside of a person and how it can consume them.  I rather liked the darkness of the story, it was a huge change from what I had been expecting.  Also while the book is rather short it packs one hell of a punch.  Struggling along through the mess she finds herself in.  Life dealt her a bad hand for sure but seeing how she deals with it and rises above was enthralling. 

                The world Lu created and flushed out so nicely had me on the edge of my seat, not a place I’d like to visit myself on vacation but a great one to read about from the safety of my PJs.  Adelina might be the main character but she was not the only character by far.  There were so many different personalities among the Young Elites and then add in Teren, who always gave me the creeps.  Everyone is working towards their own end but what made it more interesting is that everyone was operating under the belief that they were doing what is right.  The strength of their convictions makes you think about their cause even if you know they are wrong.  One thing Lu can write for sure is determination and strength of conviction, they have it in spades.

                Overall I really loved this book.  It was a quick one day read that left me wanting more.  Because while I won’t spoil it for you shit hits the fan and it leaves you with your mouth hanging open needing more!  That’s it.  Well and I’m excited I don’t have much longer to wait for the sequel.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this book and the series so far. 

                Until next time…

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