A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Best Book of April from Time, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Fortune, Business Insider, Marie Claire, PopSugar, PureWow, Tor.com, Huffington Post, BookRiot, Literary Hub, Buzzfeed, Amazon’s Editors’ Pick, Apple Books, IndieNext, LibraryReadsThe masterful first novel for adults from the mega-selling author of the Divergent franchise. “A stunning … the Divergent franchise.
“A stunning thriller/fantasy/sci-fi chimera like nothing I’ve read before.” –Blake Crouch
“A hugely imagined, twisty, turning tale that leads through the labyrinths of magic and war to the center of the heart.” –Diana Gabaldon
Fifteen years ago, five ordinary teenagers were singled out by a prophecy to take down an impossibly powerful entity wreaking havoc across North America. He was known as the Dark One, and his weapon of choice—catastrophic events known as Drains—leveled cities and claimed thousands of lives. Chosen Ones, as the teens were known, gave everything they had to defeat him.
After the Dark One fell, the world went back to normal . . . for everyone but them. After all, what do you do when you’re the most famous people on Earth, your only education was in magical destruction, and your purpose in life is now fulfilled?
Of the five, Sloane has had the hardest time adjusting. Everyone else blames the PTSD—and her huge attitude problem—but really, she’s hiding secrets from them . . . secrets that keep her tied to the past and alienate her from the only four people in the world who understand her.
On the tenth anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat, something unthinkable happens: one of the Chosen Ones dies. When the others gather for the funeral, they discover the Dark One’s ultimate goal was much bigger than they, the government, or even prophecy could have foretold—bigger than the world itself.
And this time, fighting back might take more than Sloane has to give.
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A hugely-imagined, twisty, turning tale that leads through the labyrinths of magic and war to the center of the heart.
With Chosen Ones, Veronica Roth has pulled off a virtuoso performance, conjuring a stunning thriller/fantasy/sci-fi chimera like nothing I’ve read before, a story of ex-heroes struggling with the trauma of their past, what it means to have once saved the world, and the dark side of destiny.
This was actually my first time reading Veronica Roth. I tried a sample of her previous YA books and it just didn’t click with me, so I never got into them. I had higher hopes that maybe she would shine brighter as an adult writer.
Imagine if you will, someone writes a series about a group of teens that saved the world, and then came back to them ten years later to see how they’re still coping with being so severely traumatized. That’s kind of what we’re getting here, but without the series of them as teens. It sounds interesting in theory which is why I was excited to read it.
Some of my favourite books deal with mental health healing journeys. They have to be handled delicately and with great care. But I feel as though Roth missed the mark here.
I wish I could say that I loved this. Chosen Ones is being marketed as an adult series because of the age of the characters, but it reads very much like YA. The characters didn’t seem all that grown up to me. They gave off very teenagery vibes.
It’s possible this story could have benefited from a first person POV instead of third person. Roth’s writing style didn’t make me feel all that connected to Sloan’s narrative as a third person way of storytelling. I think a first person narrative may have made Sloane feel more sympathetic.
There were some pretty interesting twists a few times throughout the book, but the overall story fell flat. Sometimes it felt like a chore to read and I felt myself skipping parts.
Again, having not read Roth’s previous works, I have nothing to compare Chosen Ones to. But if you are a fan, try reading a sample of this one before purchasing. It might completely hit the mark for you and you’ll love it. Roth’s writing style just isn’t for me.
Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth is the cure for all those humdrum ‘one true savior’ narratives. This dark, complex novel rocked my heart and left me with a renewed sense that saving the world is a job that never ends. Roth’s version of magic is as flawed and fascinating as her characters, and her story keeps you guessing until the wild conclusion. You’ll never look at fantasy heroes the same way again.
What happens to the heroes after the war is won and the great evil is defeated? That is the question answered in this novel and the answer is gritty, real, and not very glorifying at all. The heroes struggle to adapt to life after training and fighting, much like soldiers do when they return from war. There’s ptsd, anxiety, anger, depression etc. There is strong focus on mental health in this book, but also a focus on being true to yourself and seeking the truth, no matter how ugly or hurtful it is. I thoroughly enjoyed this foray into more adult themes and it’s definitely a coming of age story where they go from teens fighting the dark one to adults fighting an even more sinister foe. They must face their fears and learn to stand on their own and discern the truth of who they are. Worlds collide in more ways than one and the ideas and worlds are well thought out and explained. I enjoyed her first series but this is by far my favourite of her works. I love it.
Rating:
Everything I hoped it would be and more!
I am a bit surprised at some of the low reviews I have seen, because I thought this was utterly fantastic. I loved so much about it and right at this moment I can’t think of one part of this book I didn’t like. I was a bit afraid when I saw there is a second book in the works that it would end on a huge cliffhanger and I would hate the ending but there was no cliffhanger.
I can’t imagine where the next book will go but without a big cliffhanger it could really go anywhere. Especially with they way that it encompasses string theory and magic. It could start with a similar occurrence somewhere else, or it could start with our same people from this book coming up against another big evil. This is my hope because I loved all the Chosen Ones in this book.
I am trying to think of how much I can put in this review without giving things away. I read the book without reading any reviews and I probably liked it more because I didn’t know what was going to happen. So I will do my best to give some background information without giving away anything that is great to learn as you read.
This story, like the blurb states is about five heroes. They were brought together as part of a prophecy when they were children and trained to fight The Dark One. The Dark One is a person that is killing thousands of people at at time using some form of magic to create these drains. The drain is similar to a tornado or hurricane surrounding him that sucks everything nearby into its path. It blows buildings apart and sucks all the people nearby into it and they are torn apart piece by piece.
The prophecy allows the government to search out and find different candidates or kids who fit a certain criteria where they might be the Chosen One. Criteria like blood type, the fact that they had a brother and father that died and have a different last name than their mother. The book is mostly told from the point of view of one of the five chosen, Sloane Andrews and takes place ten years after the Chosen Ones defeated the Dark One.
Sloane was found when she was a pre-teen by the government agency (ARIS) Agency for the Research and Investigation of the Supranormal. She was trained along with the other Chosen Ones by a guy named Bert (not his real name) and they fought the Dark One many times before finally defeating him.
The Chosen Ones are famous for saving the world and treated like celebrities, with paparazzi following them, people asking for autographs and mobbing them when they go out. It is hard for Sloane because she only wants to be left alone. Sloane lives with Matt, another of the Chosen Ones and they have been in a relationship since just after the Dark One was defeated. The other Chosen Ones include Ines, who currently lives platonically with Albie (also a Chosen One). They all live in Chicago, but the final Chosen One, Esther lives in California where she takes care of her mother with Cancer and works as a social media darling.
At the ten year anniversary of the defeat, they are gathered together to attend the unveiling of a Memorial to those lives taken by the Dark One. One of them dies not long after that and the rest of them gather again at the memorial for the funeral.
The book uses flashbacks quite a bit, showing times they fought against the Dark One and before that as well. It also uses Internal communications from ARIA that Sloane requested as part of the the freedom of information act. There are also articles that have been written in the press that are used. I like this because these things are great for giving an alternate view of the occurrences as well as additional information the reader needs to understand the background that may or may not have been known to Sloane.
I don’t want to say anything else because that would give too much away that is fun to learn as you read. But I loved this book! It has magic which is akin to superpowers, it has magical objects, it has heroes and villains, intense relationships, difficult choices and more. I was enthralled throughout. This is one of those books that just takes you away into another world and gets you. I laughed and cried and can’t wait until the next book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
With Chosen Ones, Veronica Roth keeps you guessing: playing with perception, multiverse theory, and the struggles that go along with being ‘chosen’ to save the world… she’s created a universe that you never want to leave.
Roth somehow manages to make universe-building look easy. She sets it all up — world, characters, premise — so smoothly that you hardly notice until you’re a hundred pages in and hurtling down the tracks. An insightful exploration of desire and ambition that also touches on broader societal topics, including celebrity, social media, trauma and recovery. A thought-provoking novel with ample emotion and a sense of playfulness with form. And one more thing: when the inevitable adaptation of Chosen Ones hits the screen someday, I just hope it captures Roth’s fascinating and original theory of magic.
This book took a while to get going. Most of part one was explanation of the world. It was kind of like the author started at the middle of the story, went back to the beginning and finished at the end. Sloane has saved the world alongside four of her friends and ten years have passed. She suffers from ptsd but more importantly, lack of direction or purpose. She tries to hide from everything and go through the motions to make everyone else happy but life has no meaning for her. Due to an orchestrated event, her life is thrown sideways and she finds purpose again. The problem with a dream, is when it comes true. I did like the mashup at the end. The middle and the end of the book were very good. Things from the beginning of the book started to make sense and made me want to reread it just to get things I might have missed previously. In that sense, this book makes you pay attention. It’s not something you can just skim through and still understand fully. I want to thank Net Galley and Veronica Roth for the opportunity to read this arc and give an unbiased review. All in all, an entertaining read and a story that makes you think about it long after you have finished it.
I went back and forth on this review. Would I recommend this book?
Yes, for die hard fans of super-powered science fiction.
Yes, for Veronica Roth fans.
But, I don’t love how the plot jumps from part 1 to part 2. Yes, it’s all tied together in Part 3, but I felt like the book lost out on a chance to delve deeper into character development when the jump was made. I felt like there were too many elements just thrown together for it to work well.
Veronica’s writing is gorgeous, but the story didn’t work for me.
Absolutely a tremendous read. Kept changing directions on me in a fantastic way. The world (s) were imaginative and the characters were interesting.
This book was mind blowing to say the least. I don’t think I would have ever been able to come up with such a original and complex plot if I had tried and I am very impressed with how all the twists and plot points were all woven so seamlessly together into such an epic story. This author is a freaking genius with her imaginative and passionate writing!
The take on the main character was very authentic when compared to the norm. Sloane was almost the opposite of what you’d expect the lead of this kind of plot would be, because instead of this charming, brave or outgoing girl one would expect, she was reserved, cold and very tired of the world (if that’s what you can call it). Her negativity almost became too much at some points, being a bit of a Debbie Downer when it felt unnecessary. Considering what she had been through though, her tragic loss of a dear friend, the world not leaving her alone like she wanted and her relationship with Matt going south her negativity fit the feel of the story well for the most part. It also built up beautifully to when the world and the past as she knew it completely changed under her feet.
Although I wasn’t a fan of the too lengthy descriptions of Genetrix I was still awed by the detail and impact said world had. Sloane developed beautifully in it from that tired person to a determined and brave one. Adding then the magic aspect and then the best of all, Mox and I was sold. Which leads me to the next point; the romance. Even that had a very unique take in the sense that the book started with a deteriorating one, which in the beginning I wasn’t that happy about. I love romance so Matt and Sloane’s relationship crippling was a sour point for me. However, the further I got into the story the better it became with the added drama, arguments and then meeting Mox and a new relationship taking of from there. I loved Mox and Sloane together, their personalities working better together than her and Matt ever did and the story did a great job of showing that. All in all, it started with me bugged and ended with me over the moon.
The same could be said of the plot. It for sure had a very original take which I appreciated, but I could be a bit slow in the beginning and to be honest I felt like I was missing something. The way it was written felt like there was a previous book I was missing since it started after the chosen ones already had saved the world. I guess the the articles or rapports at the end of every chapter was there to help me understand it better, but I wasn’t that big of a fan of those snippets since I in general don’t like to read articles like that. After having finished the book though, I can say that this choice of writing style actually was cleared up later on and brought another aspect of originality to it. So although I personally had some problems with it I can still appreciate the fresh breath of air it brought.
I am not sure what the next book in this series will be about considering most was solved and concluded in this one. I am however very curious to find out. After all, there were still some questions left unanswered, like why Ines wasn’t included, what really happened to Albert and after what Sloane did, how will it affect the new world and herself.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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.
I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. Thank you!
Chosen Ones is the first book in the series The Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth. I loved the Divergent series and I was so happy that I have received this ARC. I really liked Chosen Ones and I loved the world-building by Veronica Roth.
“Just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it’s worth doing.”
Chosen Ones is about five teenagers Sloane, Mall, Esther, Inez, and Albie who were chosen ones to save the world and for it, they had to kill the Dark One. The Dark One caused destruction and death with the help of magic.
I’m tired of being celebrated for the worst thing that ever happened to me.
Now after ten years, they were famous and they were everywhere recognized and everyone wants a photo with them but they want a normal life without the reminder of what they did. After ten years they are together again to celebrate their victory.
But, after their celebration three of them, Sloane, Matt, and Esther are transported into a parallel universe, and in this universe, they are still Chosen Ones and they again had to save the universe and to fight again for their lives. They found out that in this world still exists the Dark One and they had to kill him again for good if they want to go back to their home.
You and me and Esther and Ines … we’re bound for life.
I really liked the characters Sloane, Mox, Matt, Esther, Ines, and Albie. I liked how the past is explained through classified documentation and how the teenagers are the chosen ones. I love the bond between the five teenagers and how they worked together in the past to kill the Dark One and how they are friends after ten years. Chosen One is the perfect combination of thriller, magic, and sci-fi. I really liked the Chosen Ones and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
This book really keeps you guessing.
One of my guilty literary pleasures is reading dystopian thrillers, so I was ecstatic to be one of the first to devour an advanced readers copy of Veronica’s Roth’s dark, twisty sci-fi thriller, “The Chosen Ones.” I’ve been a Roth fan since the blockbuster “Divergent” trilogy, and honestly, I could not put the new book down.
The story begins in an alternate 2020 when magic is accepted as a part of everyday life. A prophecy had predicted that, Sloane Andrews, a sarcastic, bitter loner, along with four other regular teenagers were the “Chosen Ones.” They possessed the power to master magical objects and perform workings, and were enlisted by the government to destroy the Dark One, an evil power responsible for death and destruction on Earth.
Sloane has struggled to control her powers ever since becoming a Chosen One. She has also been traumatized by the events leading up to their final confrontation with the Dark One ten years ago. Since then, she’s been unable to sleep, maintain relationships, and navigate the media scrutiny of her celebrity as a Chosen One. Plus, she is hiding secrets that keep her tied to the past. Sloane now abhors magic, especially her magical object- the Koschei’s Needle, believing that catastrophe results when it is uncontrolled. She simply wants to be left alone.
In a futuristic Chicago, Sloane and her hero-colleagues, Matthew Weekes, Ines Mejia, Albert Summers and Esther Park are celebrating the tenth anniversary of their defeat the Dark One. His maniacal fury has leveled city blocks leaving crater-sized pits called Drains, killed their friends and family, and wreaked havoc in a world that has not recovered. Similarly, the Chosen ones have been left emotionally and physically scarred by their heroism and have dealt with the challenges of living in the aftermath of saving the world; some better than others.
After further tragedy strikes, Sloane, Matthew and Esther are transported to a parallel universe of Chicago, where a new Dark One, called the Resurrectionist, is threatening the universe called Genetrix. The attacks and Drains have returned, and in Genetrix magic is so widespread that it is used to perform the simplest of tasks like opening doors. Their assistance is requested, however, they are informed that they will not be returned home until they save the Earth once again.
The Chosen Ones reluctantly agree to help vanquish the Resurrectionist. However, Sloane struggles to master a commonplace magical device called a siphon, because she lacks the desire, wanting, to perform magic; desire being the key element required to activate the siphon. She has saved the world once before, and frankly, she does not understand the connection between the two worlds. Why should she save a society that has no impact on her own? Esther, whose mother is dying back on Earth, and Matthew, the golden boy Chosen One who’s in love with Sloane, are more practical. They want to get the job done and go home. However, they face a battle they never dreamed of.
Unlike Roth’s “Divergent,” the enemy in “The Chosen Ones” is in human rather than bureaucratic form, and the novel explores the themes of desire, betrayal, ambition, celebrity, trauma and recovery. To avoid flashbacks, Roth cleverly intersperses government documents, magazine and newspaper articles from both universes throughout the chapters to reveal the Chosen Ones’ backstories, the incidents leading up to their defeat of the Dark One as well as the Resurrectionist’s rise in Genetrix. By setting the narrative in 2020 Chicago, Roth has constructed an intriguing multi-universe– ours, the Chosen Ones’ Earth and Genetrix. Using Chicago, and its landmarks, as a backdrop adds realism to aid the reader, and Sloane, in their journey to discover the truth and justice.
In a surprising climax, our heroes discover that a fine line exists between the Dark One and the Chosen Ones, lies and truth, and Genetrix and Earth. And ultimately, Sloane learns that by facing her fears, her true power not only lies in magic, but in her heart.
“The Chosen Ones” will enchant readers, and it is truly a novel that, like magic, unravels time, space and dimension.
2.5-3 stars
As a friend recently pointed out, I swore I would never read another Veronica Roth book after Allegiant. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?
I was intrigued by the plot of this book…what happens to the heroes when the threat is neutralized? When the big baddie is defeated, where do we go from here? For the Chosen Ones, 10 years later some have moved on but many are still fighting their demons in the form of PTSD. Sloane is our heroine and she’s kind of sullen and moody and unsettled. I never connected with her, the whole book. In fact, I didn’t connect with ANY of the characters. The story was slow, the writing was too descriptive with not enough dialogue for my tastes and the storyline took a turn that was just frankly hard to follow for me. This book was marketed as an “adult” book and other than a few “f” bombs it still read like YA to me, even though the characters were 30-ish. I’m not intrigued enough to read the sequel and am not sure that a sequel is necessary as I think the book ended with a conclusion. This was a miss for me.
I found the idea of this book to be really interesting and was excited for it… then I started reading it and was pretty disappointed and bored with it after several chapters in. I ended up not finishing it because it just seemed to drag on and not have any development to the story. I get that there is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for those who may not know what that is), but nothing was happening. I may end up trying to read it again at some point, but this didn’t make me think it would be a book for adults necessarily.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions in this review are mine and mine alone.
Veronica Roth has joined the ranks of YA authors moving into the adult market. Her latest novel Chosen Ones is described as follows: 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.
I begged for this book based on that description, what an exciting premise! I was happy to get a review copy and days later I won a print copy from the publisher (so double thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).
To start, I was immediately drawn into the storyline. Sloane, one of the chosen ones, is angry and empty ten years after helping defeat the Dark One, even as an angry character though, I found her intriguing and relatable. She lived through experiences that left her with significant trauma and—along with the other Chosen Ones—is now facing a public resurgence in interest about her. With the ten-year anniversary of the battle against the Dark One coming up, those who fought him have come together again, but one is going to die and the rest are about to be thrust into a situation they could never have imagined.
Part one was so full of emotion and was easily lost in my empathy for these characters and what their lives have become since being forced to defend the world. Part two for me, was a bit of a letdown. There was a drastic change in the story line, and it turned into a very different book. I’m not a huge sci-fi fan (if that’s a spoiler—sorry) and this had a definite sci-fi feel for me starting in part two. The overall story was still unique and there were several intense moments, but it didn’t progress at a pace that’s as fast as I would have liked. The one thing I found completely unique and frightening were the Drains, used by the Dark One.
Overall, Chosen Ones was engaging and unique, but didn’t give me the impact I’d hoped for.
*I received a copy of Chosen Ones from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
The premise of Chosen Ones was interesting: five heroes who had destroyed the Dark One reunited ten years later. They are all a mess and need serious counseling. None of them were that likable – possibly Albie, but he didn’t get much screen time. Sloane, the lead, was actually quite a terrible person, and she never gets better. Strangely, both of her love interests both see her as better than she actually is, which is the biggest problem with them – they are wrong.
Having such high expectations of Veronica Roth after reading Divergent, I was disappointed. Billed as an adult novel, the characters still acted like juveniles. There are unexpected twists in the story and everything our heroes thought they knew was ripped apart several times. The problem was that I struggled to care. It took so long for the story to go anywhere and it wasn’t until about the last quarter of the book that something finally started to happen, but even then, I can’t say it was worth it. There’s nothing wrong with Veronica’s writing. And if you don’t mind a slow build and anti-heroes, you will like this book. As for me, I’m more than ready to go back to fairy tales with all of their unrealistic happily-ever-afters.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and have reviewed it.