Book Review: The Young Elites

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu
Release Date ~ October 7, 2014
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers ~ Penguin Random House Canada
ISBN13: 9780399167836
ARC received from Penguin Canada for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 
Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Marie Lu quickly impressed me with her debut, Legend, and as a result, I approached The Young Elites with high expectations. And even with that in mind, The Young Elites easily exceeded the high expectations I had for it!

The Young Elites is an intoxicating story set in a stunning world which shocked me and left me begging for more! If this series never ended, I think I'd be a happy reader.

1. A very introspective, yet exciting read:
   
   I loved how Marie Lu used this new book to explore Adelina's mind and her character. Adelina is truly fascinating, as she suffers through a multitude of evils, and is determined to rise above it. This is enough to make her an intriguing character, but what makes it even better is that there is a bit of darkness swirling within her which causes her to react in ways that likely aren't her best option and certainly cause some issues. And she seems to experience an inner struggle as she desperately tries to figure out how to navigate her world on her own. So much of her wants to lash out because of her pain, and much of the story centers on her dealing with this
2. A special group of characters:
   
   There's something unique about The Young Elites (and Adelina), and that has to do with their mysterious abilities. And because the characters are so different from one another, you can really see their personalities come out in how they manage and use these abilities. This means that the main characters are well-crafted, and the secondary characters are further developed than they are in most books.
3. Deeply intimate relationships:
   
   The very nature of the lives The Young Elites are living draws them closer together in a strange way. They're forced to keep secrets and many of them have experienced rejection and abandonment. As a result, particularly in Adelina's case, her connections with other characters are strangely strong yet still retain the messy, confusing parts. The world is against them and so they're forced to band together. I especially enjoyed Adelina's relationship with her sister and how that plays out in The Young Elites. 

The romance is intoxicating and thrilling, but without being overpowering. This is so important to me, and I loved the tension Marie Lu evokes with her writing. This is a delicate balance to achieve, and it's nearly flawless.

There is so much that is implied and hinted at, which creates a thick atmosphere of mystery within the story and marks Marie as one very talented writer. A perfect example of this is the Epilogue, which gives us just a small taste of what's to come in the next book, and yet it doesn't quite address anything directly. But it certainly has left me eagerly anticipating more details on the next Young Elites book and solidifies The Young Elites as one of my favourite reads of 2014.

Waiting on Wednesday {45}

Jill @ Breaking the Spine hosts this weekly meme where we can share a book that we are so excited for and are anxiously awaiting their upcoming release!

This week my WoW pick is...

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu
Release Date ~ October 7, 2014

Goodreads Synopsis:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

First of all, I love Marie Lu's Legend trilogy. She showed how great of a writer she is, with an ability to create strong stories and exciting characters. The Young Elites really grabs me with its description because it sounds so fantastically creative! It sounds like a story that is all her own. Plus, I've been stalking Marie's Pinterest board and I'm just in love with it.

Have you read Marie Lu's Legend books? Did you love them as much as I did? Are you looking forward to The Young Elites?

Review: Prodigy

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu
Release Date ~ January 29, 2013
Putnam Juvenile ~ Penguin
ISBN13: 9780399256769
ARC received from Penguin Canada for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

Legend captured my attention with its action-oriented story line, and likable characters that I couldn't get of; Prodigy delivered all of that and more in this exceptional sequel.

1. Flawless plot continuity: 
   
   Prodigy perfectly builds on the story first introduced in Legend; there's no lull, and importantly Marie really expands on the plot lines and twists revealed in the first book of the series.
   
2. Strong world-building:
   
   Legend stands out among other futuristic YA books for its impeccable world-building, and this only improves in Legend. We get to see a bit more of the world that June and Day live in, and experience new places at the same time as the characters do.
   
3. An action-oriented book:
   
   I love books that are bursting with action and thrills, and Prodigy is exactly that. June and Day are both tough characters, in their own way, but their courage puts them in trying situations (which means that the reader gets plenty of excitement and action)!
   
4. A romance you can root for:
   
   One of my favourite things about June and Day's relationship is that they're working for it. This rarely comes up in YA books, and I'm so pleased to see characters that try to communicate with one another, and while they aren't perfect you can easily see that their relationship doesn't just magically work out. It's a refreshing take on a love story, and one that is realistic too.

I also love all the details and attention Marie pays to the secondary characters and their stories, and it comes across so well in Prodigy (Metias will forever and ever be my favourite). That being said, at times it almost feels like there's a little too much going on for me to really understand and appreciate all the side stories that are happening. It can take away from the overall story, although I understand that this is hard when you have such a large fictional world and only three books. You just can't fit everything in.

Legend

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Penguin: Putnam Juvenile
ISBN13: 9780399256752

3.5/5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

For fans of The Hunger Games and Delirium, we now have Legend as well.

It isn't hard to see why this dystopian/post apocolyptic/futuristic YA genre has taken off so well; it's full of rebellion, might against right, and bleek, improbable optimism for a better future.

This is one of my favourite genres to read about because of the various question it raises regarding one of my favourite topics and my chosen field of science: politics. What does it mean for us? How much government is too much? Where does power come from? What do you do when it's out of control?

Legend is a perfect book for all of these questions. It's like, Robin Hood in the future.

The stories of Day and June are completely different, yet I was grateful that it was never confusing and how well these two POVs mingled and eventually merged into one. I will say that it will never stop breaking my heart to see these children, these teens having to grow up so fast in books because of difficult life circumstances. Day and June don't act like kids, they act like adults with adult choices, making adult decisions. But at the same time... they aren't adults.

I don't know if it's just me, or if others feel this way too, but books like these make me dream of accomplishing things that maybe aren't quite as big, but are still vitally important for our time. Because these characters are positively INSPIRING.

However, these jaded characters often come across as being so cold and distant that they can be hard to relate to at times. And for example, I could not fathom how Day's mother and younger brother believed he was dead all this time when they kept receiving these mysterious gifts which were always just what they needed at the time.

I also would have appreciated more insight to the motivation of the Republic; exactly what is going on there? No one seems to know, not even June who's a fairly inside character to the Republic. And exactly what's going on with the war against the Colonies? I'm hopeful that future books will contain more information regarding the background and politics of Marie Lu's world.

ARC received from Penguin Canada in exchange for my honest review; no other compensation was received.

Smile - it's Wednesday!

see this lovely picture? It was made by Lindsay at The Violet Hour. Thank you for sharing it!)

Jill @  Breaking the Spine hosts weekly "Waiting on Wednesday" for books that haven't been released yet but we are anxious for!

This week, I'm anxiously awaiting the release of Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton. I really, really love reading Greek myths retold, or antying with mytholigical elements and this cover is just SO beautiful! One of my favourites that I've seen this year.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

MizB @ Should Be Reading hosts WWW Wednesdays... it's super easy to play along and join in!
Just answer these three questions:

What are you currently reading?

Right now, I'm in the middle of the Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I LOVE it, and yes, it has taken me this long to get into the series!

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished reading Ripple by Mandy Hubbard (review will be up today, promise!!) and before that I finally got around to reading Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (which was sent to me as a gift). So glad I read that one!

What do you think I'll read next?

Well... right now the plan is to read my ARC of Legend by Marie Lu next, and then continue with the Iron Fey series. But my plans always seem to change, haha!

That's it for me this week, but please comment and send me the link to your Wednesday post! I promise to read it (I love seeing what others are sharing!) and try to comment on something :)