The Young Elites: Volume 1

Marie Lu

Oct 2014 · A Young Elites Novel Book 1 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Legend series 

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.

Ratings and reviews

I think that I am actually in shock right now. My chest feels funny. Okay, hear me out. My review is going to sound like I didn't enjoy this book, but let's put this out there right now...I did! One of the hardest things about being a serial series reader is that when I start a completed series the hype has been going on about the series for some time. It leaches into my bones and I sometimes can't escape from it or separate myself from it. And that is the bottom line with me, my feelings, and this book. I just had higher expectations going into it than I would have liked. Especially since Marie Lu is one of my favorite authors. I thought that the world building in this was presented very well. I loved all of the little details about the world that sprang up as the story progressed. I didn't feel overwhelmed with backstory or world-specific details. They were all introduced at perfect times. The world-specific details were very realistic and vibrant. I could feel myself in the characters' shoes and feel the world around me as I was reading. I did think that some of the world-specific details could have been elaborated on though. There were some things that weren't perfectly clear while reading. I thought that the powers could have been explained more. I actually had to go back and read the section of the book that detailed how they work because it was so short and underdeveloped that I missed it the first time. And even then, it was still not super clear. The story's plot was not lacking at all. I rather enjoyed the storyline. There were unexpected plot twists and plenty of suspense. I loved the darkness of the story. The story itself is not overly original - a sickness that sweeps the land and leaves those left behind with powers - but combined with the world building it became something special. What I liked best about the characters was the diversity and the fact that they were not flawless like most characters tend to be. A lot of the characters had physical marks, which is not so common a thing since no one wants their pretty character babies to be anything but perfect. More than that though, the characters had internal flaws which I think makes them stand out as more realistic characters. Apart from those things, I was a little disappointed in the characters. Or perhaps it was my reception of the characters. I can't really put my finger on what exactly made me feel so distant from them, but I didn't connect with the characters at all in this book. None of them. Which is sad because they had so much potential to me. Potential to be something great and overpowering. Instead, I did not like their voices at all. The romance did not do it for me in this. It was not very convincing. I liked that it did not dominate the story, but other than that I did not care for it. I felt the characters were very one-dimensional so I was bound to dislike the romance between them. Overall, this book didn't have the pop that I am used to from Marie Lu. I wasn't really feeling it. I admit that this story has plenty of potential, but as is feels mediocre. I enjoyed the world, but I could not feel the characters at all. I enjoyed parts of this book, and others I felt were lacking. I will probably continue the series at some point, but I'm in no rush. The rest of the books will probably be sitting on my shelf until I am in a TBR clearing mood.

Oh my, what a world Lu has created! In TYE universe, a mysterious blood fever ravaged and destroyed a third of the population, and the surviving children came out marked in different ways. While it may seem like science fiction or dystopia, the world is more aligned with fantasy. The magic in the world is contained in everything, and the Young Elites can draw on it to create as they are aligned. Adelina, who from her childhood had been mistreated by her father and looked down upon for being scarred, has never known kindness except the one from her younger sister. Her love for her sister is still tainted by the fact that their father sees the younger one as more valuable to him, since she is beautiful and can be profitable for him. As for Adelina, he torments her in an effort to bring out her powers, and that kind of violence has nurtured the darkness in her. As the author says in the acknowledgements of the book, this is the story of a villain, not a hero, and it shows in how unpredictable and unconventional the plot is. Adelina only sees people using her for their benefit, and kindness without strings attached is not a concept she has experienced. She, however, on meeting the Dagger Society, starts hoping for it, but there is also the fact that she is being hunted and cannot let her guard down. She is drawn to the leader of the Dagger Society, but is also afraid of his wrath if he finds the truth about her. Adelina’s path, wherever it may lead, is sure going to be an interesting one. She shies away but also embraces her darkness; she is ashamed but also revels in causing pain – and this alone would have made her a complex character. But it is also the way in which she forms relationships with others, and the way the others treat her that add an extra layer of depth to her character. As for the world, I loved how it incorporates an entirely new culture, and draws on it to create the elements of their magic. The alignment stuff was pretty interesting, and opens up a whole mythology around it. I, however, felt the repetition of it a bit annoying – we get it, she aligns with fear and rage, and power, the latter because she was devoid of it her entire life. The ending was shocking, to say the least, but the epilogue really made me interested in the possibilities this world could contain. Very excited to read the sequel!

Great story, no fillers it just goes very quick and never slows down. Not really a love story so much as a person trying to understand why bad things have happened to her and who she wants to become in this world. Great story telling with even better Acton. There's supernatural powers, no sex, barely any romance, lead female character is not annoying or dumb. Left not so much on a cliff hanger as just the end of a chapter in her life and time to move on to another kind of thing. Only 197 pages not 386.

About the author

Marie Lu (www.marielu.org) is the author of the New York Times bestselling Legend series. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry, working for Disney Interactive Studios as a Flash artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing Assassin’s Creed, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California (see above: traffic), with one husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis.