
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Published: October 7th, 2014
Rating: 
Summary: 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.
I loved Adelina. She’s a very dark, angry character but I think her story is really interesting and so different! She seems like a girl who is supposed to be this good person who is with this society to get help. But this is not how this goes for her. She is a very dark person and has such anger in her that makes it hard for her to control herself and her journey is so interesting in this book!
I really was shocked at what happened, and the way things unraveled in this story with her and her sister and the Society. I mean that ending was insane! And her actions afterwards were just woah!
It’s been a bit since I read this but I am still shocked! I haven’t read a novel like this before and I was just kind of shocked that Marie Lu ended this first book the way she did and I was so engrossed I didn’t want the novel to end! I think the epilogue was fantastic! And that is how you end a novel and bridge it over to the next book! This is how you do it! Marie is just a master! Dyinggg! I couldn’t listen to anything after that for the rest of the day because I was so shocked!
I think that the plot was so complex and intense! The story starts off hooking you right away and I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what is going to happen to Adelina and I was just taken on this wild ride as Adelina is taken in by the Dagger Society and you meet Enzo and Raffaele.
Raffaele is the leader of the society and Raffaele is also part of the society, and for some reason Raffaele is against Adelina joining them. I loved seeing Enzo’s power! It was really cool!
Raffaele it think is interesting because of his job working in a brothel, and he had a lot of stuff to say. I enjoyed seeing him and Adelina and their connection and how that ended up in the end. It was insane! I expected but also didn’t expect that ending with him and Adelina. Seeing how things turned out with Enzo and Teren, that didn’t surprise me with what Raffaele did; but I didn’t expect Adelina’s reaction to be that way and I liked that I was shocked and such!
I felt bad for Adelina though, because she was tortured mentally by her father for surviving this disease and being scared in a way; and then while training the different members of the society are mean to her while she’s training; and Teren bothers her for secrets. I just felt so bad and people were cruel to her and it definitely helped her anger to grow. But I love that she is supposed to be the main good character, but ends up being this antihero but you can’t help but root for her.
I think one of my favorite parts is this:
“Through the whirlwind, I hear my father’s harsh whisper.
I know who you really are. Who will ever want you, Adelina?
My fury heightens. Everyone. They will cower at my feet, and I will make them bleed.”
― Marie Lu, The Young Elites
LIKE WOW! Blows me away!!
But I do like the romance, even though it’s not very prominent in this novel, I like that there was an aspect of it in there!
I also hate her father, he’s a cruel bastard! And I feel bad that her sister, Violetta, while she loves Adelina, she is so happy and under her father’s thumb that she doesn’t do much. It’s just sad because her father really cares for Violetta, and she doesn’t seem to do much to help Adelina because she feels that her father loves her and she shouldn’t go against him. I hated that she saw how horrible her father was to her, and didn’t really do anything. I mean she did but you don’t see that until later on, which was unexpected to me at least! I was shocked!
Anyways I have gone on enough about this but definitely check it out! I really think you’ll enjoy it and it’s so good and I cannot wait to continue with the series, which I am going to be doing this week hopefully! I cannot handle my excitement! I will update you all on that once I start it!
Let me know your thoughts as I would love to know and if you’ve read this series!