Name: Chosen Ones
Rating: 3.598901098901099 (91 reviews)
ISBN: 9780358164081

Veronica Roth

"Five twenty-something heroes famous for saving the world when they were teenagers must face even greater demons--and reconsider what it means to be a hero ... by destiny or by choice"--

Chosen Ones

Victoria Justice

momo-reads

Slow to get in to and then ended too quickly. Like a setup for a trilogy. Good but not great.

kinda confusing at first but the plot twist🤌🏼🤌🏼

taci

"A decade ago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. In order to save the world, Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie and Esther were brought together by a clandestine government agency, because one of them was fated to be the 'Chosen One' - and they paid the price for their sacrifice. Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward. But Sloane remembers. It's impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step and the Dark One still haunts her dreams. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen Ones: the death of one of their own. When they gather for the funeral at the site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One's reign never really ended, and are forced to reconsider what it means to be 'chosen'."--Publisher description.

Elisa Bieg

This book. Hmmm.

This book is overwhelming and underwhelming all at once. 
Overwhelming because it blends so many elements in the world building and storyline, that it’s sometimes hard to orient oneself; underwhelming because unfortunately it doesn’t quite all add up to a new classic, despite what the premise might have hinted at. 

But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. I have a lot of thoughts, so let’s do this in bullet points:

• I liked the premise a lot, particularly the whole “dysfunctional former heroes” angle, which I think is a very interesting take. And for that standpoint, Roth didn’t let us down: the characters are realistically frustrating, complex, and imperfect, and dealing with a new life that not all of them have been able to adjust to.
There is PTSD, there is societal pressure, there are self-destructive behaviors; but there is also a beautiful, deep, lasting friendship and incredible bond, and it’s the best part of the book in my opinion.

• alas, the world building is a bit of a... hmmm what shall we call it? It’s like if you set out to make a trifle but like Rachel in that episode of Friends, two pages get stuck together and you end up with a mix of half Eton Mess and half Shepherd’s Pie. Some layers are delicious, but depending on the mix you encounter, it (to quote Ross) “tastes like feet”.
In other words, she takes a lot of awesome elements but fails to consider that sometimes it’s better to have 
  one
 awesome thing and let that stand on its own, rather that a mix where the flavors don’t quite blend.

• storyline: here too there is a lot going on. She is trying to do too much and that messes up the flow and pace, and makes the narrative seem a bit incoherent for a large chunk of the book. It sort of comes together towards the end, but it takes a bit of determination to get there.

• twists: I had predicted the big reveals that came about 2/3 in, but it didn’t bother me, because the story went in a direction I liked and the last 1/3 of the book was the most enjoyable to me.
Some stuff was a bit too convenient however, and the flashbacks towards the end, while explanatory, felt like info-dumping and a bit of a shortcut. After droning on incessantly about some other stuff, this again messed with the pace a fair bit.

Overall, this wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great. It could have been a great dystopian but she is trying too hard and it ends up being kind of clunky.

I don’t know if I recommend it, I feel like it isn’t entirely worth the work it takes, but it’s also kind of interesting at times... 3 STARS for me, so it’s your call 😅

“A hugely imagined, twisty, turning tale that leads through the labyrinths of magic and war to the center of the heart.” —Diana Gabaldon THE LAST THING SHE WANTED WAS TO GET BACK INTO THE HERO GAME THE VILLAIN: The Dark One—probably not fun at parties, definitely cool with murder—was running around North America engulfing whole cities in supernatural chaos and destruction. THE HEROES: Five Chosen Ones—ordinary strangers with nothing in common—were recruited by the government because they fit the narrow criteria of a prophecy made by [redacted]. You know the rest…heroes fought villain, heroes defeated villain, and everything went back to normal. Only…not so much. Now, it's ten years later, and Sloane Andrews, recovering Chosen One, has discovered that all the fame, gratitude, and parade floats in the world can’t erase what she endured—what she had to do—to take down the Dark One. All she wants now is to be left alone, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. As it turns out, that plan for annihilation set in motion by the Dark One? It’s not finished yet. Last time, Sloane saved the day with a magical needle and a can-do attitude. This time, she’s fresh out of both. “A stunning thriller/fantasy/sci-fi chimera like nothing I've read before.” —Blake Crouch

Vilde

For clarification sake; I have received a copy of Chosen Ones through netgalley.com, but I ended up reading a copy through the library instead.

The world building was interesting, and the parallel dimension was fascinating, I am curious how the sequel will pan out. But overall, I am bit indifferent as the characters and the plot were interesting. I was not gripped by the Chosen Ones.

Fraser Simons

The blurb and concept are totally things I would be interested in, but right off the bat I found this tropey in a bad way and I just did not like being in the head of one of the main characters, who, for the 10% of the book I made it through, just wanted to nail a chick. Somehow buddy’s inner voice was more cringe than the guy in You. I’m not joking. The dynamics of the main cast are archetypal, the bad guy feels that way so far too. 

The blurb makes it sound like it’ll be subversive of the genre, and in some ways it is, just not in anyways I find compelling enough to continue with it, which sucks, because I actually think there’s a huge stake to be claimed on more HP as college students/adults in a way that isn’t The Magicians. It’s actually slightly baffling there isn’t more fiction like it, considering.

Elizabeth Neill

What I enjoyed about this book is that you get to see what happens to the chosen ones after the big bad is defeated. Veronica Roth did a wonderful job portraying PTSD and other mental illness that comes with trauma. She didn't dramatized the mental illnesses nor romanticize them. I felt a real kinship with Sloane more than any of the other characters. I can't wait to read more from this series.

Mahogany Skillings

An interesting look at how the children who are the "chosen one" cope with life after having been used as a weapon. How do you hold yourself together when you have literally seen the worst that humanity has to offer? What happens when you aren't a likeable person after all that trauma? What happens when you have to do it all over again?

Well written, quickly paced, and enjoyable.

Camila Eduarda Vilela Lobianco

3 e 1/2. Esse livro não foi nada do que eu esperava. Para começar, eu achava que iria ser meio que um mistério ou algo do tipo, mas de repente existia essa realidade alternativa e tudo mais. De longe, eu tive muitas surpresas nesse livro, que me fizeram pensar que eu iria dar uma nota baixa pra ele (uns dois, acredito eu).

Mas aí o livro chegou na metade e o que antes estava um tédio realmente começou a ficar legal. No começo foi meio confuso, principalmente porque eu não via muita maturidade nos personagens pra idade que eles têm no livro, mas depois isso foi se ajeitando aos poucos. Outra coisa que melhorou muito minha nota foi que eu gostei muito do protagonista masculino e da feminina, que me pareceu ser bem forte em relação à Tris de Divergente.

Dá para ver que a autora melhorou muito, esse livro foi muito mais envolvente e inteligente que as outras obras dela. Pena que teve um começo tão lento. Já estou esperando pela continuação.

Chosen Ones follows 5 adults after they were plucked as children to defeat the Dark One and save the world. The book begins 10 years after the Dark Ones defeat and with the death of one of the 5. But the remaining 4 are not free, and are thrust into saving another version of Earth from their Dark One, known as the Resurrectionist. Questions and answers don't connect and things take a surprising turn.

Chosen Ones follows the POV of Sloane, who is dealing with a lot of emotional trauma from their battle with the Dark One and the choices she made. I really liked how these choices were hinted at through the book, but only came to light toward the end. There was a constant level of mystery to this book, but you could easily guess if you paid enough attention.

The characters were written well. As you were following Sloane's POV, you related to her thoughts on the other characters and got her feelings, but this didn't alter prejudice towards the other characters feelings, as she always hinted towards them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it came to a solid conclusion which leaves me wondering "is there really going to be a sequel?"

Monae Reads

3.5 rating. 

This book was an…experience. The beginning was very intriguing and I immediately settled into the world and the characters. I did find myself at times being frustrated with Sloane. But as the story went on I resigned to just accept who Sloane was as a character and I think that’s a testament to the writing because that’s also the experience of the other characters in the book. Everyone gets overwhelmed and frustrated with Sloane until they also just accept that she is who she is. 
I was very invested in this book until the instant romance kind of killed it for me. The book was so strong without it especially with the opening breakup we see in the beginning. While I was annoyed with Sloane at times I loved that she was a strong willed independent female and I didn’t appreciate the fact that her character arc was weighed down by love interests. Especially so soon after a breakup and so quickly after meeting someone. 

The book’s ending was literally THE BEST. Like, that is a top tier way to end a book and I will definitely be continuing with the series. We knew Sloane was an anti-hero from the beginning which was interesting because she’s a “chosen one”. A hero by literal definition. But to see such a dark grim twist of fate occur and pose her as a potential villian??? LOVE THAT. 

Favorite line: “The line between a chosen one and his opponent is hair-fine. So don’t get too cozy on one side of it”

Micol Scalabrino

This is not a book for everyone, but it definitely is a good book. 

The thing that really bumps this book up is that is not set during the main event described in the book, but ten years later: we are able to see the consequences of the defeat of the Dark One by the chosen ones. And I think this was a really good choice, given the amount of clichés that could come writing about a big battle in which only a few can actually keep up. 

I was confused in the beginning, I could not really understand everything that was going on but the author was great in explaining everything, without rendering the book annoying. It is not a book for everyone and characters are definitely not for everyone: I hated Sloane for half the book, and I was really considering stopping just because of her. However, I kept reading and I was rewarded with an amazing development in terms of personalities: Sloane became my favorite character. The writing style is really good, so is the world building and the places the book is set in.
 
You have to give it a go, but keep in mind that is not an easy read; you have to concentrate and try to understand breadcrumbs and little given information.

And easter eggs, guys! One in particular just made me smile. 

Final vote: 3.75/5

Ebook provided by Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review. The copy provided is not the ultimate version, something could change before publication.

Emily Glover

A nice overall plot, and the first twist was done really well! However, after they got to other Earth, it started to fall apart for me. First, please show me a person who can hear 120 MHz, and any other of the ridiculously high frequency sounds that were used throughout the story. Secondly, the second twist was a bit more obvious, so I was thinking ‘finally’ when it was revealed rather than shocked.
However, it was a fun read and I couldn’t put it down, so it was enjoyable while I was waiting for the big reveal.

Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), nightmares, physical injuries, kidnapping, captivity, flashbacks, drug abuse, death of a friend (hide spoiler)]

This wasn't a fantastic book, in my eyes. But I also did not dislike it as much as I thought I was going to. 

I picked this book up solely based on the author. I was curious about how I would like Roth's writing now that I am out of the whirlwind of dystopian trilogies. I also wanted to know how Roth would shape up in an adult publication.

My biggest takeaway from this book? It was fine. 

Roth's writing style is clear and recognisable, even in this book aimed at an adult audience. For this reason, alongside the obviously trope-heavy story plot, I think this could be a great gateway adult book for many young adult readers.

But that is honestly my only complement. While the writing style made this (way too long) book easy to fall into, the premise overall felt mildly juvenile. This is a book clearly relying heavily on the chosen-one trope and it seemed to struggle to do much beyond that. And as a reader that it incredibly familiar with the trope, I found the less than unique concept pretty dull. 

Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy some of the more adult elements that were thrown into the story. Things like the celebrity status after being publically 'chosen ones', discussions on marriage and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were nice inclusions. But it wasn't enough to make the story an interesting one. 

I appreciate what Roth was trying to do with this book. But it wasn't something that worked for me.


  Note: Review copy received via NetGalley. This does not impact opinions within this review.


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Chosen Ones

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