“'You have goodness in your heart,' he says. 'But your darkness overwhelms it all; your desire to hurt, destroy, and avenge is more powerful than your desire to love, help, and light.”
Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Published On: October 7th 2014
Published By: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 355
First Line: "Four hundred have died here."
Rating: 4.5
Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Published On: October 7th 2014
Published By: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 355
First Line: "Four hundred have died here."
First Line: "Four hundred have died here."
Rating: 4.5
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.
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.
The Young Elites is a dark and gritty fantasy tale set in a world that is complex, well-developed, and engaging. There are dangerous cities full of golden-lanterned gondolas, piazzas dedicated to the Twelve Deities, and white-robed Inquisitors ever eager to burn people at the stake. There are Pleasure Courts filled with beautiful consorts swathed in sensuous silks and stingrays that swim through both sky and air. And of course, we have our wonderful main character, Adelina.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever that ran rampant through her country and killed thousands. But surviving came with a price – Adelina lost her eye, her mother, and her father's love. Now, she is a malfetto, a marked sub-class citizen, with a dangerous power that has made her a target of both the Inquisition and a rebel group called The Dagger Society.
In the YA genre there is an overabundance of "Mary-Sues" – MCs that are about as exciting as a cup of soy milk. Each is incorruptible in her morals, and ultimately, predictable. Adelina is not that girl. In the "Acknowledgements" section of this book, Lu describes how she, "didn't want to tell a hero's journey; [she] wanted to tell a villain's." And if a story is only as good as its villain, as the saying goes, then this is a pretty amazing one. Adelina, though a dark girl with a dark heart, somehow manages to keep you rooting for her the entire time. She is driven by passion, fear, anger, and darkness. Oh, so much darkness.
And yet.
And yet she isn't completely past redemption. She still wants what we all want – acceptance, love, friendship. As her journey towards these things takes one nasty turn after another, I was left banging my head against a wall in frustration, but in the best sort of way. I wanted to reach into the very pages and take Adelina roughly by the shoulders. I wanted to shake some sense into her, yell at her, lecture her, show her how to make things right. It got me so emotionally involved that I stayed up late into the night, needing to know what would become of our dear villain (which is sort of a big deal for a mother of an overactive toddler who values her sleep about as much as her college degree). It's a gripping story, and that's exactly what a good book is supposed to be.
The Young Elites is a fast-paced, darkly sensuous story fueled by a great cast of characters and a world that is both notable for its topography and its mythology. I might be a bit late jumping on this bandwagon seeing as this was released back in 2014, but no matter. If you still haven't read it, grab your library card this instant and go check it out.
Is it Clean?
It's about a PG-13 rating. There is some graphic violence which includes murder, dueling, and burning people at the stake. No language as far as I remember, but the content is a bit dark overall. If you are looking for a book full of sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns, this isn't the one for you. Thematic elements such as prejudice and child abuse are present. There is some passionate kissing, but nothing that is described in great detail. One of the main backdrops for the story's action is a "Pleasure Court," or in other words, a brothel. A main character is a consort for both men and women. Giving someone pleasure, sexual desire, and taking a client to bed are all mentioned, though not described in any detail.
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