The Young Elites (English)

Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Series/Trilogy: Yes
Pages: 355

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.

Personal Opinion 

So much time has passed, but finally I read this book!. I loved Legend´s trilogy but I didn´t know what to expect about this book, in fact, I didn´t remember what this book was about, but once I remember I decided to give it an opportunity and.. Marie Lu has done it again! 

This book was completely different to Legend, and I don´t even know if I loved this book more than Legend, but definetly I loved it. This is not the typical story about the good girl and all of that, no, this main character is different; contempt, teasing and mistreatment has made her a person full of hate and bitterness and now she only wants power and vengeance. When I was reading I was astonished and sometimes I was scared about the evilness that poisons Adelina´s heart, I don´t remember reading a main character like Adelina before, and that gave an interesting feature to the story. Marie Lu said that in the beginning she was writing a story about a heroine, but it didn´t work, after that she thought about a villain and that is how Adelina was created.

I think it´s not a secret (especially if you have read the synopsis) that Adelina has powers, and incredible ones on my opinion and I liked to see the evolution of her powers; since she discovers them till she realizes that she can do things she would never imagined be capable to do; and I didn´t feel slow and boring this evolution, I really liked it.

It was impossible for me not to feel sorry for Adelina, she has been very harmed in her past and in some way that has made her the person she is and it justifies the things she does but sometimes it exceeds the limits. In  some parts I could notice some traces of kindness in Adelina, and I still hope that it could evolve in the following books but even if it doesn´t happen I´m really intrigued about this story.

Speaking about the characters, my favorites were: Enzo, although throughout the book I felt like there were some things we didn´t know about him and I couldn´t trust entirely on him. Violetta, Adelina´s sister, (she has some surprises to us) we don´t know much about her, just the things Adelina tell us about her; but she is certainly a person who cares about her sister, I got angry because Adelina can´t see that. Raffaele in the beginning but at the end even tough I didn´t hate him I couldn´t emphatize with him again. 

I think it´s a book you can read really fast, because along the evolution of Adelina´s power many things happen on the book. and that make you want to keep reading.

About the ending, what can I say?, it was the moment when I really felt sorry about Adelina, and I wasn´t expecting that ending, at all, - Marie Lu knows how to destroy you xD - but I liked it and now I understand the reason of the title of the second book and I really want to read it soon.

It is a book worth reading, it is fast paced and the evil main character give to the story an  interesting feature.

Score