The Young Elites

Helena

giving this 5⭐️ because I like pain apparently

marie lu you deserve jail for that ending



spoilers

if they don’t bring him back istg💔

Fenix Voliton 

probably one of the worst books i have ever read. genuinely. infuriating.

Selin Igten

** spoiler alert **
           ?? 
it was interesting at first but then enzo .. he .. hij is dood wtf 
??? doesn’t make sense tbh en i don’t wanna read the second book if enzo remains dead xx


also, it was too short I felt like there wasn’t enough time to really get attached to the characters .. i

Zahra

4.5 stars

THIS BOOK IS A WHIRLWIND OF ADVENTURE. I felt like being swept off my feet and smackdabbed right into the story. Marie Lu wastes no time, it plunged right into action.

Everyone talked about how dark it is, and that is why they don't like it. But to me it is what makes the book unique, it doesn't shy away from the fact that everyone has a dark side and sometimes it could turn into a bad person. Aside of that, I've always loved Marie Lu's wriring style. Simple yet mesmerizing. And I think she did a good job in the world building, the image of Kenettra was so vivid in my mind.

The only problem I have is Adelina, the female protagonist of the story. She is tough and brave, I'll give her those. But she made dumb decisions so often that I couldn't even tollerate. And her thirst of power kinda terrified me.

Overall, The Young Elites is a fantastic fantasy book. It is also such a page-turner, kept me flipping the pages to find out what will happen next. Do I regret reading it? No. Will I read the second book in the series? Absolutely, that cliffhanger will haunt me until the day I get my hand on the next book in the series.

Ryan 

4.5 stars (I wish there was actually a 4-and-a-half star rating because I can't make this a 5-star yet not even a 4-star either.

A part of me wish I had read this a few years ago the first time I had tried to read this and now here I am actually I'm heartbreak after finishing this book. This book was a page-turner and spectacular! I literally had to stop after reading a particular scene at the end. I wish I brought the next book with me but I'm stuck here for the next three weeks until fall semester's over without picking up the next book.

Ivan

no me acuerdo un carajo de que trataba esto pero si me acuerdo que me tarde dos meses (o más) en terminarlo

Hannah Yang

After being absolutely captivated by Marie Lu's Legend trilogy, I was so excited when I first found out about The Young Elites. I was not disappointed. I'm trying to figure out which series I enjoyed more and I'm so torn.

The Young Elites is about a land that has never fully recovered from a blood fever. A blood fever that left children with strange markings, making them malfettos, and some with even stranger - terrifying, really - powers. They are the Young Elites.

  Some hate us, think us outlaws to hang at the gallows.
Some fear us, think us demons to burn at the stake.
Some worship us, think us children of the gods.
But all know us.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. For years, she's believed that she is just another malfetto bearing permanent scars, without powers that make her worth something. Until one night when the darkness within her consumes her, and she discovers how powerful she truly is. A creator of illusions. Cross her, and she will pull on your strings of energy until you die in the pain.

She is saved by the Dagger Society the day of her planned execution. The Daggers are Young Elites with powers of their own. 

Enzo is their leader, and is working to overthrow the king and rule as the rightful heir to the throne. His title of 'crown prince' was stripped long ago, when he became a malfetto. The Reaper. He is ambitious and power-hungry, determined to take back what was his.

The other Elites are pretty cool too. Gemma can steal the minds of beasts. The Star Thief. I'm actually still not sure what Dante does (Adelina mentioned sight once? And speed?) but he is the ever-aggressive Spider. Lucent is the Windwalker. "Whatever the wind can do - whistle, scream, howl, uproot you from the earth", she can do. Michel can touch anything, unwind it, and reform it in a different spot. He is the Architect.

And last but not least, the alluring Raffaele. A "consort" (although.. I think it was meant to be courtesan?), he can see and sense all the energy in the world. He can tug on them ever-so-gently. Wouldn't it be nice to be Raffaele for a day? Just go to your crush and pull on his/her/their heartstrings and bam, they're yours. Anyways, I'm starting to ramble. Raffaele is the Messenger.

As Adelina, now the White Wolf, finally feels like a part of the Young Elites, she is torn away by someone else. Teren works for the king. Except, really, he's working for the queen. Teren detests all malfettos, especially the Elites, and he is determined to tear them all down, believing that is what he was meant to do.

  I will find you all. I will use everything in my power to save your souls. I was born to destroy you.
Teren strikes a bargain with Adelina. Exchange information about the Daggers, and her beloved younger sister Violetta won't get hurt. So, with no other choice, Adelina must accept.

The Daggers' plans are slowly crumbling to dust, Adelina feels like a stranger to the Daggers but feels no loyalty to Teren, and more dark secrets are being revealed at every turn. There were plot twists I didn't see coming ((view spoiler)[my favorite was that Violetta was an Elite. Teren, I could imagine. He's a jerk. But Violetta? I loved that twist. (hide spoiler)]) and I was really kept on my toes. What's going to happen next? Woah that's so cool! Wait-what?! was basically my thought process the whole time. A definite page turner.

  His subtle smile turns dangerous. "So. Tell me, little wolf. Do you want to punish those who have wronged you?"
I loved the whole story in general. The idea of The Young Elites was super intriguing to me before I even began reading, and it was such a well-developed, fantastic world. The book was well written, there weren't any weird writing gimmicks or anything. Although I felt that the multiple POVs sort of distracted from the story rather than adding to it, I do think it was interesting. Adelina's twisted flashbacks really helped me as a reader to understand her character and how she came to be the way she was. 

Out of everything, I'd say Adelina really made this book work for me. I've never read an antihero book before - although, I can't even call her an antihero, she's basically a villain. Being in the mind of a really, really messed up character, who feeds on her darkness and basically delights in invoking pain and fear into others, was a completely new experience for me and I loved it. There are so many ways that this could have gone wrong, but I think Marie Lu did an excellent job.

  I was wrong. Passion is bright and warm.. but passion has a dark side too. It links with fear. Our hearts fill with terror at the thought of harm coming to our loved ones, don't they? You cannot have love without fear. The two coexist. In you, your alignment with passion instead fed your fear and fury. It made you darker.
The Young Elites was a lot darker than the Legend trilogy, that's for sure. It was a really intense read and sometimes difficult to take in because you keep expecting Adelina to get better. To control herself and her powers, to not succumb to her darkness, etc. That would be a cheesy and lame ending, but you feel like it's going to happen and it doesn't. That threw me off but was also a perfect choice.

Contradictory much, Hannah?

Anyways, I'd definitely recommend The Young Elites (especially to fans of Marie Lu, who never seems to lose her touch) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Briar's Reviews

I adore Marie Lu's writing style. It vibes with m and I have such a great time reading her books. When I managed to get my hands on a copy of The Young Elites, I was THRILLED! I know every time I go into her books that the writing will be fast paced, fun, and keep me on my toes. I never quite know what's going to happen by the end of the book, but I do enjoy trying to guess and see if I'm right. I was ABSOLUTELY NOT with this book and Marie Lu... my writer friend...WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME?! Ugh. Knife into my heart. Or back. I don't know, one of those or both!

Long story short: Adelina Amouteru is our lead. She's a teenage girl who survived a deadly illness that passed through her home (and the entire nation). This wicked virus/illness/plague killed many, but left those who survived with special marks and select few with special abilities (yay for superpowers). Unfortunately, they aren't seen as being a bonus to society and instead an abomination. They call them... the malfettos. The Young Elites are the special people with these abilities who go around helping the malfettos survive. Why? Because everyone wants to kill malfettos. Weird people are weird and we don't like them so we kill them in this world. Obviously. Having special powers should be a blessing when used right, but instead just make you a horrible person who needs to die. Kind of awkward, I know.

So, Adelina was going to be sold off into a marriage (her Dad is a horrible man and treats her bad, and her Mother has sadly passed). She decides to run away and finds out she has special powers! Not so good, because she does some wickedly bad things and now everyone wants her dead. Lucky for her, The Young Elites come in and sweep her off her feet and decide to help her/use her abilities. And from there, chaos ensues!

This book is fun! It takes a bit to get into the real plot, but once you do... you're golden. There's lots of action and drama, a pinch of romance, and even more suspense. It's a great read that lets you disappear into a magical world that has a lot of similarities to our own. 

Notes: The ending has a fantastic lead up but expect to want to throw the book across the room (depending on your opinions about certain people). Because.... MAN. I was not expecting the ending and I raged for a moment. But, that's a good thing! Marie Lu's ending is KILLER. It's fantastic! It shows how chaotic this universe is.

Now, I just need to get my hands on the sequel...

Five out of five stars! I love me a Marie Lu book.

menna

Jamieson

“Some hate us, think us outlaws to hang at the gallows.
 Some fear us, think us demons to burn at the stake.
 Some worship us, think us children of the gods. 
But all know us. 



HOLY SHIT this book was that fucking good y'all

iM SHOOK
im so damn SHOOK

This is the first book I've read in AGES where I've been genuinely thrilled about the plot ? where I've been so excited to know what happens next. I couldn't put this down ?? I'm so happy ??

everything about it is just .... amazing. the story, the complex characters, the world, the plot, the action, THE FACT IT'S A VILLAINS JOURNEY !!! the anti-hero's and general greyness of the characters, PLOT TWISTS, oh and it's super diverse and aaaaaaaaaaahhh



IM SO SHOOK I AM REELING FROM THAT ENDING I NEED THE NEXT BOOK .. IMMEDIATELY !!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~

DAYS have passed since I wrote this mess of a post-reading review on this book and my thoughts have not changed !!. I'm still so shook

Since 2017 began I haven't loved anything I read. I mean it was okay, but there were no books which made my heart rush, which had me DYING to know the end. This book did. I was doing that thing where you peek at the end of the chapter because you must know (anD THEN SPOIL YOURSELF), and I stayed up sooo late to finish it. It was so damn exciting, I was completely hooked on this book, seriously, un-put-down-able. 

I mean ? How could it not be. 

Kids with superpowers ? Check. 
Unstable government that must be overthrown by the rebellion ? Check. 
A squad of friends ? Check. 
A cast of anti-hero's who do bad things for the ''greater good'' ? Check. 

I WAS BOUND TO LOVE IT. 



  “I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside. It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.”


NOTE ABOUT THIS BOOK: absolutely none of these characters are good people. Even the ones I thought were decent turned out to be shit. there some serious villainous mfs over here. 

The characters were the absolute highlight !! Each was incredible complex and nuanced, each was built up on those murky grey lines, every single character had aspects of their personality that made them the anti-hero, but every single one thought themselves the hero. I adored this characterisation, on a character level but also as a depiction of humanity. We aren't all good or all bad, we're all somewhere in the middle. 

The beautiful thing about this villainy though is that it isn't in your face - it's perfectly, gorgeously subtle. It's just a lie here and there, it's people pretending and hiding their true thoughts, it's gently befriending someone just to use them. The thing that had me so SHOOK was even I was convinced, even me, who got to see from multiple points of view thought some things that turned out to be fake were real. I was also caught up in the lies and the manipulation. 

I LOVED that the main character is a girl who just got pushed a little too far. A girl who's been abused and manipulated and shunned and who is now getting back, who's rising above it, who's been turned hard and cruel by the world. Adelina is an incredible interesting character with many nuances and complexities AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR HER TO RISE IN THE ROSE SOCIETY. 


  “I hereby pledge to serve the Dagger Society, to strike fear into the hearts of those who rule Kenettra, to take by death what belong to us, and to make the power of our Elites known to every man, woman, and child. Should I break my vow, let the dagger take from me what I took from the dagger.” 
 


  Other good points
 

SUCH. GOOD. REPRESENTATION !!!!!

Many, many people of colour !!!!! lgbt rep !!!!! characters with physical flaws which they use to their advantage !!!!! 

Soo twisty turny, !! never guessed where it was going next and reveals and plot points which genuinely shocked me. 

good romance !! not too much of it but an interesting romance and one which, like the characters, is complex, built upon ambition and lust for power (perhaps) more then love. 

AWESOME super powers !! I'm always like, super powers are boring sometimes because there's no diversity in the powers but nooo I really liked these ones ! 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Honestly, this book was just super intense and fun !! Gave me lots of six of crows vibes and overrall was just really good. I was so, so engaged and immersed with this world and these characters I've literally been dreaming about how good it's gonna be when I can start Rose Society I LOVE THIS

Ivy X

I'm actually kind of scared of Adelina. Her personality is so warped in a way that she won't view anyone in a positive way. She always points out how people give her kindness with strings attached or that they don't trust her or accept her right off the bat. However, what has she done to make them trust her? Everyone thinks they're the good person. That's Adelina's mindset right now. She's always pointing out that she didn't tell Teren everything, she didn't mean to do that, and so forth. 
It doesn't matter. 
The Daggers society accepted you because you have a power and because you can help them with a cause. She may have felt used and everything. But they were thinking for the greater good as well. A plan like their's could so easily be shattered by someone out to ruin them and share their secrets to the likes of Teren. 
No one has to offer you kindness right off the bat and not have strings attached. You have to build on trust, you have to offer your kindness, and you have to be true to those around you in order for people to offer their kindness and trust. All of which Adelina was not. She was wary about everyone and took a lot of things said personally when the things the Dagger society said was in regard to the big picture. 

I can understand Adelina's feeling of abandonment by all those around her--especially with her history of abuse with her father and so forth. I noticed that she was always quick to notice when people turn on her or if their feelings shift to suspicion and fear. But she's victimizing herself in a way saying that no one ever tried to accept her and so forth. I don't think that is right because the Dagger Society has been including her in their plans. As awful as Dante's character may be to Adelina, he did put all of his faith into Enzo's plan and was often talking for the benefit of their grand scheme of things. Also, when Adelina decided just to keep playing with the illusion of pain, she was happy about it. If she committed to a society like the Daggers, she shouldn't have been turning on one of her own for her personal reasons and for pleasure. She was never considering how to help for the greater good in this society and new group of friends. 
Everything she did was for personal reasons and I can understand it is because she is wary of the people accepting her and expecting people to turn on her. But it is very hypocritical for her not to trust anyone and expect them to wholeheartedly accept her. It was wrong for her expect kindness without any strings attached and for her to think that they wouldn't do anything for her had she not been an Elite. The whole point of them getting a group of Elites is to help malfettos like her and they hoped her powers would help them with their cause. 
Adelina also tries to use these hypocritical ideas to justify her actions and to judge the Daggers Society. For example, she called out on the Daggers society for killing people as well to which Raffaele countered with the fact that they kill to end things while she plays with the illusion of pain and fear to end lives because it pleases her and makes her happy.

Also, all of Adelina's memories are tainted with darkness. She's always happy when other people get hurt or pleased by it. Even toward Violetta, one who offered her kindness with no strings attached, she was happy when Violetta was hurt and felt betrayed at the moments Violetta did things to save/help herself. This is why I feel like Adelina's character is not only very dark but also very selfish in which she believes people should offer her all of themselves but that she doesn't have to do the same. 

Adelina is very scary and I wouldn't trust her either if I were one of the Young Elites in the Dagger society. She has yet to prove herself to be a good person and yet to act like someone trustworthy before she cries about how everything is an accident and no one accepts her. At the same time, I wonder what the true intention of the Dagger Society is now that the whole usurping the throne for the prince idea is kind of gone. I wonder why Teren antagonizes it so and what he has going with the Queen to get him into that mentality. I feel like all of the characters have a dark side to their stories but they're not as prevalent shown as Adelina's. I want to look into those things in the next book. 

The book has a very interesting concept. The protagonist knows the darkness in herself and she recognizes her warped way of viewing pain as pleasure. It's very new to have a protagonist that isn't rooted in good and in helping others but rather in fear, pain, fury, and so forth. Looking forward to what goes on in the Rose Society because I'm not done with learning more about Adelina, the members of the Dagger society, Violetta, Enzo (I feel like he just might come back since they mentioned an Elite that could bring back the dead), Teren, and so forth. Very dark book but it is playing out in a very interesting way.

tina

First Read: October 2014 

Reread: January 2016

Although I was never really into Legend (yes, I know) I really wanted to give The Young Elites a chance, and I'm glad I did! The story was beautifully written, the world building is one of the best I've seen out there, the details of the setting and the characters are so intricately written, vivid and overall it was perfect! I have so much respect for Marie Lu.

The were only a few downfalls, one of them being the romance, which was in my opinion meh at best. It was well written but it wasn't convincing enough for me, otherwise I would be fangirling to the ends of the earth right now. Another one was that the whole villain thing wasn't really sold on me. Again, this is my own opinion, but I feel like no matter how bad Adelina is, or how much the other other Elites whine about her affinity for greed, fear and ambition, I think at her core she is truly good. No matter how much her actions say otherwise, when you're in her head its an obvious fact that she wants what best for everyone around her. If she was a villain, I'd say she was a very reluctant one. 


Otherwise, I really liked this book. I am SO looking forward to the next book especially since the reviews I've read so far are singing praises for The Rose Society. 


  "Think X-Men meets Assassin's Creed 2."
 A THOUSAND TIMES YES TO THIS STATEMENT.

Kelsey Joëlle

God what a fantastic book. I love the characters and goddamn that action and the plot 😦😱

Sara Gómez 

Tenía muchísimas ganas de leer este libro ya que Marie Lu me encantó con su trilogía de Legend, me encantaron los personajes que creó y me emocionó con muchas de sus páginas. Estaba decidida a leer también esta saga y tenía la esperanza de que fuese igual de bueno, y así ha sido.

Marie Lu crea un mundo donde los personajes pueden ver las hebras de energía que unen unos cuerpos con otros, pueden moverlas y entretejerlas para modificar la realidad. Me ha encantado porque me parece una forma original de tratar la magia que no había visto en otros libros.

Adelina no es una ''chica buena'' que busque el bien de todos los habitantes de Kenettra y que se alce como una heroína. Al contrario, es un personaje con una gran oscuridad en su interior pues, desde que se convirtió en ''malfetto'', no se ha sentido querida por nadie y ha crecido envidiando a su perfecta hermana pequeña, a la que su padre colmaba de atenciones. Me ha gustado mucho como protagonista, pues se asemeja más al que sería el ''villano'' de la historia y tiene más sombras que luces en su interior.

Enzo, es un chico de sangre real que es capaz de controlar el fuego y que, juntos a los demás Dagas, dedica todos sus esfuerzos a conseguir una nación donde las habilidades de los ''malfettos'' sean consideradas un don y no una maldición. Es muy serio y a veces puede llegar a ser intimidante, pero en sus momentos de vulnerabilidad resulta super entrañable y es muy fácil cogerle cariño. 

El romance queda en un segundísimo plano y se le da mucha más importancia al desarrollo de los personajes, y esto, a pesar de lo que me gustan las novelas de amor, me parece una opción muy acertada ya que de este modo la historia de amor está muy bien llevada y resulta creíble sin necesidad de demasiadas escenas romanticonas.

El final me ha sorprendido muchísimo ya que suceden un par de cosas que no me esperaba para nada y que hacen que tenga mil ganas de poder continuar con la saga y así saber que le sucederá a mi querida Adelinetta en el próximo libro.

Resulta un libro que a pesar de no tener un ritmo precipitado resulta muy ameno y se lee super rápido (solo os digo que yo me lo terminé en dos días) ya que te engancha y en todo momento te deja con las ganas de saber como continuará.

Si eres amante de la magia y la fantasía y quieres un libro un poco diferente que te sorprenda con sus giros y con sus personajes tan especiales, te recomiendo 
Los Jóvenes de la Élite.

http://librosqueenganchan.blogspot.co...

So amazing! As a big Marie Lu Fan I had to read the book and I'm so glad that I read it. Even though it's from the same author as the legend trilogy, the book is much much different.
I liked the plot and the shocking plot twist at the end was like .... Whaaat? 
Sadly, the characters are too pale for my taste but I hope it will be better in the next book.

Gisela Ayala 

I need the next book, NOW! 

This is the type of book I have been wanting to read for the longest time. In the world of Kenettra, a deadly plague passed through the land and the survivors were left scared and with unique abilities, one of these being our main girl, Adelina. There are many throughout the book with strange and wonderful powers: fire, wind, self-healing, but Adelina's is the scariest power yet. 

From the beginning, Adelina is emotionally and physically abused by her father for being different, while her beautiful and sweet sister received all the love and good attention. This sets the story up and I can immediately see and empathize with her! No wonder the girl is bitter and angry. I would be too. All this pent up anger and frustration, fuels Adelina and is the makings of a great person. But don't get me wrong... this isn't a hero story. This is the untold story: the villain. And I like it. Adelina is complex and deals with many emotions that people are too scared to admit that they have. She struggles with these emotions and the feeling of not being wanted throughout the whole. It doesn't help that everyone has their own agenda. No one, not even the most good-hearted person, has truly pure intentions, and I think this is what makes the book so great. Take away the fantasy, and these characters are real people in real life. 

Enzo, the crown prince, I didn't know how to feel about him at all throughout the book. One moment I hated him and the next moment he was okay. Same goes for many of the characters. No one is good and no one is bad, and Adelina addresses this many times in the book, which is probably why she gets so confused and does not know who to turn to. Ultimately, I think she made the right decision. Not to spoil anything, but she choose herself and I cannot wait to see how her character develops in the next book and see how truly dark she can get.

Annwyn Jensen

Nicole Dykeman

Absolutely incredible. Loved this book so much - surprisingly dark, but that's what made it so interesting. A must-read.

Sandra Tammaru

The book was literally everything that I usually love - a disease that has given youth powers and who are now trying to overthrow the leaders - and yet this time I wasnt able to enjoy it. I cant say why but I had to pressure myself into reading and didnt feel attached to it. I really liked the ending tho and the interactioms between the characters were imteresting, also Adelina was a good main character, different from the usual protagonist. I did feel like I should love the book but this time I couldnt fully. I think the problem was me not the book tho. Maybe its time to try to read something different for a change.

Livia

** spoiler alert **
           Sooo, i have some mixed feelings for our girl, Adelina. At some point, i adore her as a character and understand where she's coming from, but at times her decisions and actions are just so brash and stupid, i want to pull my hair out in annoyance.

I also appreciate Marie Lu for making some bold move, but listen here. Enzo. Deserved. Better. I screamed when Teren stabbed him after Adelina accidentally lashes out to him, and now I am NOT OKAY.

And Teren? He can choked. Honestly. At some point, I get what he wants, but his devotion toward the queen is just too much, goddammit.

And most of all, Queen Giulietta. I hope she died in the most gruesome and painful way, cause she's the most insufferable character ever.

But honestly? Applause to you, Marie Lu, a very solid book to a series

Sophia Lazari

Very well written with strong characters! My heart is broken but at the same time put together to see what hell Adelina is going to bring to this Earth (stan her btw).