Chosen Ones

Ten years ago, a group of seemingly ordinary teens were selected as Chosen Ones to battle an otherworldly foe wreaking havoc on the natural world. They succeed in defeating their enemy — “The Dark One” — and return to normal life. But one of the Chosen, Sloane, cannot escape the memory of the Dark One, and the strange connection he seemed to have with her. And on the ten-year anniversary of their defeat, a catastrophic event shows Sloane that their battle may not actually be over.

As a huge fan of Divergent, I was excited to try out Veronica Roth’s new spin on adult fiction. I would classify Chosen Ones as more adult fiction with YA undercurrents, sort of like the sequel to a YA novel where now we focus on the aftermath of trauma and mental health issues the protagonists endure in the wake of their hero’s journey. Because of that, there was a pretty slow build to the action, which doesn’t pick up until the last third or so of the novel. Overall, not the most gripping read, but I still appreciated the depth of the novel and its innovative take on the traditional hero adventure.