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A review by theengineerisreading
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
5.0
Four years after the release of this epic Marie Lu book, I finally had the time to delve into the action-packed world of the Elites. And here’s my honest review for the first book in The Young Elites series.
I honestly had a hard time connecting with TYE in the first hundred pages since a lot of backstories and events are established in the first part of this book but starting when Adelina finally made it through the Daggers’ test and became an official member of the Daggers Society, I was hooked into the story and the fast pacing suddenly engulfed me into flipping the pages until the last one.
My actual rating for The Young Elites is 4.5 stars because it gave me the vibes of my two favorite shows— Sense8 and Avatar. The Elites’ specific gift from the gods are similar to Aang and his gang’s ability to control elements while the inclusion of possible various Elite Society across Sealands gave me a Sense8 vibe where the sensates formed different clusters based on their preference.
What I really love about this book is the fact that the Adelina character portrayed a great protagonist-antagonist role which made me love her and hate her at the same time. I love that Adelina is strong and independent but I hate how impulsive she is and always forget to balance the importance of truth instead of covering up with lies.
I also love how intricate the characters of Adelina and Enzo Valenciano, especially with all the backstories and development Marie had poured into her writing process. I also want to commend how the world of Kenettra was cleverly crafted, Marie’s words painted vivid pictures of the entire City of Kenettra in every setting depicted in the entire plot.
Overall, it was a great read for me (excluding the semi-dull beginning) for it managed to hit every element of a good read in its right spot. And considering that this is a high fantasy book (imo), I got really engaged with the entire premise of The Young Elites and now I’m all flipping to start reading The Rose Society. See you again later, Adelina Amouteru!
BEST QUOTE/S:
“Violetta, soon you’re going to realize that things don’t end well for everyone. Some of us are broken and there’s nothing you can do to fix it.”
“Something blackens your heart. Something deep and bitter. It has festered inside you for years, nurtured and encouraged. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“Be true to yourself. That’s something everyone says and no one means. No one wants you to be yourself. They want you to be the version of yourself that they like.”
“To love is to be afraid. You are frightened, deathly terrified, that something will happen to those you love. Think of the possibilities. Does your heart clench with each thought? That, my friend, is love. And love enslaves us all, for you cannot have love without fear.”
I honestly had a hard time connecting with TYE in the first hundred pages since a lot of backstories and events are established in the first part of this book but starting when Adelina finally made it through the Daggers’ test and became an official member of the Daggers Society, I was hooked into the story and the fast pacing suddenly engulfed me into flipping the pages until the last one.
My actual rating for The Young Elites is 4.5 stars because it gave me the vibes of my two favorite shows— Sense8 and Avatar. The Elites’ specific gift from the gods are similar to Aang and his gang’s ability to control elements while the inclusion of possible various Elite Society across Sealands gave me a Sense8 vibe where the sensates formed different clusters based on their preference.
What I really love about this book is the fact that the Adelina character portrayed a great protagonist-antagonist role which made me love her and hate her at the same time. I love that Adelina is strong and independent but I hate how impulsive she is and always forget to balance the importance of truth instead of covering up with lies.
I also love how intricate the characters of Adelina and Enzo Valenciano, especially with all the backstories and development Marie had poured into her writing process. I also want to commend how the world of Kenettra was cleverly crafted, Marie’s words painted vivid pictures of the entire City of Kenettra in every setting depicted in the entire plot.
Overall, it was a great read for me (excluding the semi-dull beginning) for it managed to hit every element of a good read in its right spot. And considering that this is a high fantasy book (imo), I got really engaged with the entire premise of The Young Elites and now I’m all flipping to start reading The Rose Society. See you again later, Adelina Amouteru!
BEST QUOTE/S:
“Violetta, soon you’re going to realize that things don’t end well for everyone. Some of us are broken and there’s nothing you can do to fix it.”
“Something blackens your heart. Something deep and bitter. It has festered inside you for years, nurtured and encouraged. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“Be true to yourself. That’s something everyone says and no one means. No one wants you to be yourself. They want you to be the version of yourself that they like.”
“To love is to be afraid. You are frightened, deathly terrified, that something will happen to those you love. Think of the possibilities. Does your heart clench with each thought? That, my friend, is love. And love enslaves us all, for you cannot have love without fear.”