Book Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Hey!

Finally, my blog's Marie Lu month ends with the review of the first book of her newest series, The Young Elites! Remember when everything was oh so high-tech and civilized during the Legend Trilogy? Well, prepare to leave all that behind since The Young Elites is one dark book... *cue creepy orchestra music*

• Title: The Young Elites
• Author: Marie Lu
• Genre: young adult, fantasy, dystopia, magic
• Pages: 355 pages (paperback)
• Published: 7 October 2014
• Series:  The Young Elites #1

"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."


When I first read The Young Elites, I immediately thought that it was not going to be a breath of fresh air. With someone getting killed instantly at the start of the novel (sorry, minor spoiler!), I knew that this story was going to be so much darker than Marie Lu's Legend Trilogy. The story is set in a fictional kingdom existing in a Middle Age-like period where kings and queens rule and executions are more celebrated than they are feared, and most of these executions are those of the malfettos mentioned above. They are ostracized for being different and are thought of being bringers of bad luck to wherever they are at. 

Adelina is a malfetto, and most of the story is about her and how she finds out that she has powers of her own, and of how she gets in this society of extraordinary malfettos like her. With that being said, I noticed that most of the book was talking about what's  going on inside Adelina's head. Chapters often get lost in random flashbacks that are triggered by situations she is in, or get filled up with her own self-conflict... which for me wasn't quite "the thing". I got bored to be honest, and I found myself force-reading some pages just to get on with the story. It was a shame, really, since the story itself had a lot of potential. I only got to my excited reading stage when I got to the second half of the novel. It ultimately turned out to be a slow read (much to my disappointment after reading Marie Lu's mega-fast-paced Legend Trilogy).

But like I said, The Young Elites' story has a lot of potential. I thought it was a story where anything could happen given the circumstances. There were definitely some notable twists and turns, but as of now the series hasn't stocked up on any action. I guess we'll just have to wait for the next books for that hehehe. Speaking of potential, I also think that Adelina has a lot of it, too. I think of her character to be a very powerful one, although she is still in sheep's clothing. Her motives are very intriguing, and I can't wait to see what happens to her next. And I'm still not sure if she's the hero or the villain hahaha because sometimes her ideas are kind of disturbing at some points.

The Verdict:

I wasn't very happy with The Young Elites, but I think that the story is a well of possibilities... we'll just have to wait for Marie Lu to make use of some good ones, I guess! Therefore, I think The Young Elites is worth the shot. You just have to be patient and the story will unfold itself for you. Give it a shot!

So with all that being said, I guess this is goodbye once again! For my next review, I'm reviewing something gold. (Clue: It's Endgame: The Calling by the one and only James Frey who's having his book signing this Sunday and I just can't wait!) Anyway, if you are reading this (and God bless you for doing so) I'd like to ask for your suggestions to make reviewing books more fun. I'd like to stray away from the 'ole paragraphs and do something out of the ordinary for reviews. Comment away!

Adios!

Event Alert: James Frey Book Signing Event #JamesFreyinPH

Good day, reader! Time really does fly so fast. I can't believe January's almost coming to a close. And you know what that means? It means that James Frey's book signing event is almost here! Happening on February 1, Frey's book signing is almost just a week away! And in case you are not aware, I thought I'd share the details with y'all.

Some of you might already know but James Frey is not only the writer of the novel Endgame: The Calling (which I am currently reading right now, book review coming soon hehe), he is also the author behind my all-time favorite series, the Lorien Legacies (or I Am Number Four, as it is commonly known). And just about an hour ago, National Book Store (the host of said event) just announced that James Frey will also sign Lorien Legacies books! WOOHOO! My only problem now is: how am I supposed to bring 9 not-so-light books to Glorietta 1 at 4 AM in the morning? Hahaha! Gotta be extra early since I've learned from Marie Lu's book signing event that seats are only for the elite 70 earlybirds *sigh*. Anyway, see you there! 

Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Hey! How has your 2015 been so far? Mine has been... well, it currently involves a lot of eating, sleeping, and the internet. How productive. Anyway, while being oh so productive, I can't help but remember that I haven't shared my review of Mockingjay Part 1 yet. You might think it's a bit late but I'm going to share it anyway 'coz that's the way it is huehue. So here is my The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 experience and review! 

First thing's first. I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to Nuffnang and Cadbury for letting me and my friends be a part of this exclusive screening of Mockingjay Part 1! The exclusive screening was held on November 21, 2014 at the Shangri-La Cineplex, which was a HUGE convenience for me because I always pass by Shangri-La on the way home from school. All I had to do was freshen up and wait for my Cadbury Barkada and then we were all set.

After the movie, my Cadbury Barkada and I went home with some Cadbury! Cadbury is <3.

Heaven

THE REVIEW:

If you loved the book, you'll enjoy this movie. I was able to re-read Mockingjay literally before watching the movie and I was happy to know that some lines in the movie were super spot on with those in the book! Also, what I imagined while reading the book was what the movie delivered. Some small details are gone, though. And some big ones too. But I heard that those big details weren't to appear until Mockingjay Part 2 because the producers wanted to make some sort of central theme for each movie. Think of it this way: the big things that happened in Part 1 stays in Part 1 and the big things that are going to happen in Part 2 stays in Part 2. Also, they added stuff that weren't in the book but turned out to work well for the movie. It was like they filled up the holes that the book had. Ultimately, I think the movie did great justice for the book. 

Movie-wise though, I thought that Mockingjay Part 1 was... great! It was full of suspense that would leave you at the edge of your seats. I thought that you don't need to be an uber fanboy/fangirl of the books in order to enjoy it. The story was well constructed, and you won't be confused with the events. The actors did a great job of bringing the characters to life on the big screen. J-Law was, as always, smokin' hot a great actress, as well as the others, so kudos to them haha. The camera, which became a big issue for the first movie (hint: I could have done a better job of keeping the camera from being all wobbly), was thankfully stable. 

In this movie we get to see the aftermath of Katniss's escape from the Arena during the 75th Hunger Games/3rd Quarter Quell. What happened to District 12? What happened to the Tributes? There's a District 13?! What will become of Effie's humongous hair? All those questions are answered in this movie and if you are attentive enough, you would get to appreciate the twists and turns that are going to happen. The movie also ended with an interesting cliffhanger that I'm sure will make the people who haven't read the book go: "WHAT IN THE NAME OF BACON IS GOING ON HERE?!". All in all I can say that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 deserves 4 stars.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 was able to bring the book to life, with the price of omitting and altering some details from the book, but it was a thrilling movie, and I thought that it did great in preparing us for the finale of the Hunger Games. A huge thank you again to Nuffnang and Cadbury for hosting the event! You guys are the best! 

May the odds be ever in your favor, 

P.S. Credit for the photos goes to Tita Brenda! :))