The Young Elites

by Marie Lu

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $12.98

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $29.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

The Young Elites by Marie Lu was published in 2014 by SPEAK.

Page Count: 355 pages (paperback) 368 (hardcover) 370 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 10 hrs 03 mins

Chapters: N/A (Not separated by numbered chapters) 

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, and German)

Summary of Book:

“A decade ago, a deadly blood fever swept through the nation. Most of the infected perished, but some survivors were left with strange markings, rumored to signify powerful gifts for those who possess them. And though their identities remain secret, this group of survivors has come to be called THE YOUNG ELITES.

The Inquisition Axis seeks to destroy them. The Dagger Society aims to find them before they Inquisition Axis. And Adelina Amouteru just wants to be left alone. But two truths will soon surface: ADELINA’S POWERS ARE FAR MORE ORDINARY . . . AND SHE IS NOT TO BE CROSSED” -SPEAK

Author Biography:

“Marie Lu is the author of the#1 New York Times bestselling Legend series, and Warcross. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with one husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis” -SPEAK

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

This was a very different read for me. I was warned before starting the novel by a friend who stated that it was “dark.” I was interested just how “dark” this novel was and was very surprised from the very first chapter. The opening chapters made me feel so many different emotions that it took me a while to actually attach myself to the main character, Adelina Amouteru. I could not decide if I liked her or if I should keep my distance from her. I do admit that I was not fully drawn into the story until about twenty to thirty pages in. I believe that that is the result of reading such a different story than I am used to.

I read The Young Elites after having read Lu’s Legend series and Warcross duology. Be warned that The Young Elites is indeed a “darker” novel when compared to Lu’s other novels. However, I do not say that in a negative tone. I loved the difference! I enjoyed reading something different, not only from what I had recently read but also different from the same author.

Marie Lu is an amazing author, and I love all of her novels so far. I may be biased in this review, but her writing simply fascinates me. The Young Elites was not a disappointment whatsoever, and I am eager to read the next part of the series, The Rose Society. I cannot wait to see what more Marie Lu publishes and will anxiously await her next projects.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Carla Corvo and Lannon Killea

Corvo and Killea do an amazing job in bringing this novel to life. I really enjoy the switching in narration and their voices compliment each other in a way that draws the listener in. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found  2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

Batman: Nightwalker

Legend Series

• Legend
• Prodigy
• Champion

The Young Elites Series

• The Young Elites 
• The Rose Society
• The Midnight Star

Warcross Duology

• Warcross
• Wildcard