Chosen Ones (The Chosen Ones #1)
Summary:
A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. 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. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones.
Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step just as the Dark One still haunts her dreams. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t moved on; she’s adrift—no direction, no goals, no purpose. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen: the death of one of their own. 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. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
When I saw Veronica Roth was coming out with a new book I definitely wanted to give it a try because while I wasn’t happy with how the Divergent series ended, I was very impressed by her when I saw her in an author talk with Garth Nix. While addressing some heavy topics around post-traumatic stress disorder, Roth explores how the different characters cope and they’re development as they were thrust into a new situation.
The main thing that struck me was the age at which the characters were supposed to portray. They did not strike me as late twenties / thirty, but I can overlook that in the context of the overall book. Sloane definitely felt real and her self-awareness (and conscious blocking of certain topics) definitely created a character that I loved following even if she wasn’t always the most likeable. I have seen some reviews that said they found the book slow-paced, but I did not find that at all. Roth definitely took the time to explore the implications of actions that made the story stronger for me.
I was a little disappointed in the ending because it was slightly abrupt and a clear setup for the sequel, but will definitely continue the series when the next book comes out. Unfortunately it seems more and more rare that a standalone book is released by a popular author.
Warning: Contains repeated explicit violence, topics of mental health and sexual references.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Veronica Roth.
Want to read the whole series?
Untitled (The Chosen Ones #2)