Thank you so much to the publisher, the author, and netgalley for sending me an e-ARC to read. I gave this book 3 stars.

Expectations for this were really high and perhaps that was my problem. Overall it didn't live up to those expectations in terms of characterisation, pace and plot. It was enjoyable enough but I felt like giving up on it multiple times

About 3 stars.

I haven't read anything by this author before, although I know they write predominantly YA, I heard this was an adult fantasy debut.
For me, the plot, characterisation and themes all felt very much like YA fantasy - there's a snarky female protagonist who is not like other girls, a Kylo Ren inspired romantic subplot and the actual plot was fairly generic.

The initial themes this promised - mental health, PTSD, how to live a normal life after being a 'chosen one' - are disappointingly underdone. These could have been so interesting, but are not explored with depth or nuance, and instead act as device to explain why the main character is angsty. Instead of exploring these concepts, the characters are whisked to a parallel alternate universe and have to fight the big bad.
The ultimate motivations and ending where both underwhelming, confusing and a bit bizarre.

On the plus side, this was a quick read, the writing was ok and it was mildly entertaining.
Overall, I think if you enjoy YA and don't mind suspending disbelief for a few hours, you might enjoy this, but not for me.

This was a DNF unfortunately. I don't care about the characters and for now there still doesn't seem to be a plot. Or at least not an interesting one. The last Veronica Roth book I read was a big disappointment and I think her work might just not be for me.

The book is written in a compelling and engaging way that draws readers into the story and makes them care about the characters. The descriptions of the locations and the fight scenes are vivid and realistic, while the relationships between the characters feel genuine and well-developed. The character arcs are expertly executed and will have readers on the edge of their seats, desperate to know what happens next.

Veronica Roth's Chosen Ones is a gripping and engaging read. The intense story, complex characters and captivating action make it a thrilling ride. Highly recommended.

I didn't get along with this at all and DNF'd at 45%. It felt like I had been dropped into a story part way through and everything that I needed to know had already happened and I'd missed it. Didn't like any of the characters either, which was a shame, especially after loving the Divergent series.

This ended up being a really enjoyable read. I like that it reads like a standalone. It was so interesting to read a book about superheroes after they had won. The build up was interesting and I did not see the twists in this story coming at all!

Being a Divergent fan back in my youth I was excited to read some of Veronica Roths adult work, however the main characters were supposed to be in their 20s but acted more like teenagers - the way they spoke and acted, and I just couldn't get past it. I did enjoy the twist on 'the chosen one' and picking up after the big 'world saving' actions, and the magical realism of a world with super powers.
Overall it was a good book and would make a great introduction for YA readers into adult and adult readers looking to try YA.

I appologise I did not get to this one. I did however purchase a signed copy from Waterstones and will review on Goodreads as soon as I have completed.

I’m afraid this just wasn’t for me.
I couldn’t get on with the writing and the main character who I think was supposed to come across as ‘difficult’ was just plain unlikeable and I really couldn’t bring myself to care about her at all.

Unfortunately I no longer wish to review this book as the first few chapters did not reel me in. Thank you for the opportunity.

Slower than I’ve come to expect from Roth’s writing, and honestly this still felt very YA, but I loved the plot and the world building was fantastic

Three days. For three days have I tried reading this book and I'm still only at 9%. The articles and government documents are super annoying and then the actual story is so badly written it could have been written by someone on Watpad, no scratch that, people on Watpad write even better stories.

I've been procrastinating reading this book for months, because I had seen so many negative reviews and I didn't want to start a book that I knew I wouldn't like. I did it anyway and booooy it sucked. I do not recommend reading this book.

I struggled with the first half of this book, but the second half really brought me round. It's an honest, original tale questioning our culture's obsession with 'chosen one' stories and the fall out that can actually have on a character. Really enjoyed it!

My word this was slow going. I really wanted to like this one. The blurb made it sound so interesting and unlike anything I'd read before which immediately appealed to me. I've never read the Divergent series or anything else by Roth so I don't know if having read her back catalogue would have helped my enjoyment or not. My main issue was that at the start we are thrown in to a world that's rebuilding years after a huge event and constantly reminded of that yet I felt like id missed something. It almost felt like I needed a prequel to get me into this one. I did however like that we see what happens to the 5 who stopped the Dark One and how those events have shaped who they are today and how they are living their lives. Overall this was just too slow for me

2.5 stars

Ten years ago, Sloane and her friends defeated the Dark One, a man who killed thousands of innocent people with magic.
Known as the Chosen Ones, Sloane (along with four others) was picked because of a prophecy and trained using magical items.
With the Dark One gone, Sloane didn't know how to move on and became a recluse as she struggled with PTSD.
Then after commemorating ten years since they won, one of the Chosen Ones dies. At the funeral, the remaining Chosen Ones find themselves called upon to fight once more.
Did the Dark One really die that day? Or could he be alive?
Will Sloane and her friends be able to save the day again? Or will they die trying?

I was intrigued to read Chosen Ones because of the premise - what does a hero do after they defeat the villain? However, this ended up being a mixed read for me.
Sloane was an intriguing character, and while I didn't always like her, I did feel sorry for her because of the things that she'd been through. It was interesting how Sloane and her friends could be so different at times and I liked her interactions with Albie.
When I first started reading this I was enjoying it, but after a while I started to lose interest. The plot didn't grab me, but there were a few twists that I didn't see coming. I didn't feel overly invested in what happened and thought that an event at the end of the book was over faster and far more easily than I expected.
The writing style was easy to follow, but I wasn't gripped.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more as the concept sounded promising. I think this was a case where the execution didn't work for me.

Overall, this was an OK read.

Unfortunately I could not read this book as the format of the ebook was terrible. Lines jumped and mixed with other sentences and I would not have got any of the story from this. So this rating is based purely on formatting and not a reflection of the story itself as I was unable to read it.

Cover: I really like the cover of this book! I am a lover of more simplistic and stylistic covers so this fits the bill perfectly!

Main Character: Sloane was a very interesting character! I found her to be very real and three dimensional as a character. Though I wish we’d be able to see things from her POV more.

Side Characters: I found that I really enjoyed how individual each character was. I liked their dynamic with each other and how their past experience has effected their relationships with each other. I did find some characters less interesting than others, especially Matthew who was portrayed as this ‘golden boy’ and I find that a thoroughly uninteresting trope.

Plot: What was that plot? It started off so well! I loved how the book seemed to focus on the after effects of being the chosen ones. I had an idea in my head that I hoped the story would follow but it went so far away from that! It was as is Veronica Roth thought all Adult books need to be completely convoluted and flip you on your head. It didn’t work.

Genre: Um, I think it would be classified as Adult Sci-fi. Though it definitely has some influences from other genres.

Strength:

Weakness: I don’t know if I’m too British but the term ‘awesome-sauce’ was used way too much. And ‘Brown Pop’. WHAT IS BROWN POP?!
It just felt like a book written for a wrong time. Apparently we’re heading towards a vampire resurgence but this was almost like I was still in 2008.
The plot was also an issue for me for all the reasons above.

My Opinion: Overall it was a fun book. It touched on deeper moments, kind of the after effects of defeating a ‘great evil’ but it didn’t want to be that book. I almost wish it was. But then it started with the actual plot and it felt like it was trying so hard not to be that book it lost everything I was enjoying and felt made it more than just a vampire book.
It’s just almost too ‘2000 vampy book’ for its own good. Lovers of that era of books will surely enjoy this, but those of us who look back in horror at the sheer load of bloodsuckers people were obsessing over will feel like we’ve entered a time machine. And not in a good way.

Star Rating: 3🌟

This wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either.

I think my issue with this is, I do enjoy "slow burn" books, but this was just PAINFULLY slow. I think I expected something a little more different maybe?

I won't be continuing on with this book, maybe my expectations were maybe slightly too high going in?

This is the first book by Veronica Roth I’ve read, despite her other books being on my radar as potential reads for years. I was intrigued by the premise of ‘Chosen Ones’, the looking in on the heroes of the story ten years later and seeing how their lives are now. It’s not a take on the chosen one trope I’d seen before.

For me it felt very much like a book of three parts. I was immediately grabbed by the story which has a heavy focus on Sloane – one of the five chosen ones who brought down the Dark One ten years previously. However as the lives of the five are still intertwined we get to see how all five of our heroes are managing to varying degrees.

Sloane was a brilliant character, heavily changed by her time as a teenage ‘Chosen One’ she suffers PTSD and has never really been comfortable with herself. I loved the first third of the book as we learnt more about her and how she manages to live her life now.

I struggled a bit when the book changed pace in the middle, I’m sure for other readers that change will have really worked and it did to some degree echo what our characters were going through, but I felt it removed me from the story a little. I’m pleased I persevered with it though as the last third grabbed me again and I enjoyed it a lot more.

The mix of present day and flashbacks to ten years previously worked well to tell the whole story. A few of the revelations took me by surprise and instantly made Sloane’s behaviour a lot more understandable. The slow drip of information throughout the book worked well for rounding Sloane out as a character by showing us her past experiences rather than just telling. I did work out of few of the ‘hidden’ plot points ahead of the big reveal although this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.

This is a dark story that definitely needs some trigger warnings – suicide, torture, PTSD, being held against will are them main ones but feature heavily throughout. If you like your ‘Chosen One’ stories in the softer variety this definitely isn’t the book for you.

Overall I enjoyed ‘Chosen Ones’ even if I did get a bit bogged down in the middle.