Review: The Young Elites (Audiobook)

Source: eLibrary

The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites # 1
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia
Length: 10 hours and 9 minutes
Narrator: Carla Corvo, Lannon Killea
Author's Website | Instagram |  Facebook | Twitter
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle

Description for Goodreads:

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.

My Rating:

My Review:

2013 Reading Challenges

Drum roll please...  I've chosen my 2013 Reading Challenges!  I really pushed it to the last minute this time but I finally came up with a group of challenges that I'm happy with.  I ended up very happy with my 2012 book challenges and really learned from my huge 2011 book challenge fail.

In the past two years, I've learned...
1. Challenges can put a lot o pressure on me if I let them.
2. Challenges can get me out of a reading funk.
3.  If I push myself, challenges can be exciting.
4.  Audiobooks really help with challenge completion.

So let's talk about 2013 challenges.


1.  First up I've got the Goodreads challenge.  I love this challenge because it keeps up with the books I read each year.  It also helps at the end of the year when it is time to do "Best of..." posts.  I can look back through the year to see what I read.  This year I did well with this challenge, completing 104 books.  My goal was set for 75.  This year, I'm raising my goal to 85.  I'm not quite ready to set my goal at 100 because I face another year of uncertainty when it comes to my schedule.  So 85 to play it safe.

Why I Love Wednesdays...Favorite Book Challenge

I am returning with my feature... Why I love which takes place on Wednesdays. Today's proclamation of love concerns our Favorite Book Challenges

Why I Love...The TBR Pile Book Challenge

I've been really into completing my challenges lately and it's been lots of fun.  I've been surprised that my favorite challenge thus far is the TBR Pile Book Challenge hosted by a bunch of folks.  In this challenge, you read books on your very own bookshelf.  I'm sure all of us are guilty of buying books and putting them on our bookshelf to collect dust.  So I joined this challenge determined to correct some bad habits.

I've corrected no bad habits, but I've rediscovered books that I just had to have (though I forgot about them).  There are some amazing books on my bookshelf!  It's like a guaranteed fun read but going to my very own bookshelf. This shouldn't come as a surprise but somehow it has.  While I've had some hits and misses in pursuit of my dystopia challenge, I've only had hits in my TBR Pile challenge.  This challenge probably wins the title of best challenge and best surprise.  Who knew reading the books on your very own bookshelf could be such fun?

Which book challenges do you love? Feel free to create your own post and link up.  Don't want to create an entire post?  Tell me your favorites in the comments.  Thanks for stopping by for another week of Why I Love Wednesdays!!

If you want to play along, feel free to grab the image (there is a button on the right sidebar now) and link your post in the linky. Here goes.

LINKY INSTRUCTIONS:

When naming your link, please choose the name of your post. Mine would say "Why I Love...Rhett Butler."

Please link directly to your post and not your blog.

Please participate :)

Previous Why I Love Wednesday Posts

Why I Love Wednesdays... Book Challenges

I am returning with my new feature... Why I love which takes place on Wednesdays. Today's proclamation of love concerns our Book Challenges

Why I Love...2012 Multi-Cultural Book Challenge

This topic seriously needs to be schedule for a couple more weeks.  I had a tough time narrowing them down.

First and foremost, I have to say that I love challenges.  Some people don't like challenges because they can put pressure on readers.  I think that can definitely happen.  I felt the pressure last year.  But what I really like about challenges is that it forces me to do more than accept and read review requests.  I have a tough time saying no and I have a tough time leaving time for myself in reading and in life.  Sometimes I need someone or something else to help me do what I want to do.  Now some of you are strong, and you know what you want.  I know what I want but I always give in, believing 28 hour days do exist.  For me, challenges are my excuse to read for me.

I picked up multiple challenges this year and I love each and everyone of them for different reasons.  But I truly love the Multi-Cultural Book Challenge because it forces me out of my comfort zone.  When I say forces, it drop-kicks me in the butt and says "get out there."  This challenge requires each participant to read 12 YA books written by muti-cultural/ethnic minorities OR featuring multi-cultural/ethnic minorities as main characters.  Though I am hosting and participating in the Black History Month Blog Hop, I don't find myself reading many books that are either YA or books written by or featuring multi-cultural/ethnic minorities.  So for me, this is the ultimate challenge.

If you look on the sidebar and view my progress, you might see a big fat 0% completion.  I can't wait to see that number go up.  January was a big lacking because my life was crazy and I had to save my reviews for the blog hop.  I'm glad I'm telling everyone about this particular book challenge because I'm hoping you'll hold me accountable...or not.  In my search for books, I've stumbled across amazing blogs and discovered new authors.  This challenge has already made me so excited about this year's reading.  Now I just have to read :)

Which Book Challenges do you love? I'm excited to hear about everyone's favorite challenges but I'm a tad afraid that it will convince me to join a few more. Feel free to create your own post and link up.  Don't want to create an entire post?  Tell me your favorites in the comments.  Thanks for stopping by for another week of Why I Love Wednesdays!!

If you want to play along, feel free to grab the image (there is a button on the right sidebar now) and link your post in the linky. Here goes.