Review: Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

Life is bleak but uncomplicated for sixteen-year-old Tess, living in a not-too-distant future where the government, faced with humanity's extinction, created the Chosen Ones, artificial beings who are extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

When Tess begins work at Templeton, a Chosen Ones training facility, she meets James, and the attraction is immediate in its intensity, overwhelming in its danger. But there is more to Templeton than Tess ever knew. Can she stand against her oppressors, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

My thoughts: After finishing a book like “Chosen Ones”, it’s extremely hard to gather my thoughts and place them in order. This is the kind of book that makes you forget your words when you try to write about it, or describe it to your friends, because the action and the descriptive scenes you’ll find in its pages are absolutely shocking! 

At the end of the first two chapters I wanted to put the book down and completely stop reading it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s neither bad nor boring, but I couldn’t understand at all what was happening, and some of the scenes were so vividly depicted, that they left me breathless and actually shaking.

Didn’t they know this thing was pointless?  I couldn’t understand why anyone got married anymore.  It wasn't a commitment.  It was murder.

Yes, “Chosen Ones” is a dark story, and if you wonder what I eventually did after reading the first two chapters, well… NO, I haven’t been able to put it down. I continued because it managed to captivate me entirely and to raise a lot of questions that I could only answer by reading further.

Tess is marked with an iron and sent to work at Templeton, as a punishment for what her sister, Emma, had done. Initially I didn’t understand why Tess wasn’t at all affected by this, why she was so cold and calculated, as if nothing could affect her, not even Emma's death. But as I discovered more of the story, I managed to understand her actions, and even sympathize with her.

 “Maybe it's better to live in a world you don't understand, because if you understand it, it becomes unbearable.”

When she arrives at Templeton, Tess becomes a slave of the Chosen Ones – a new, perfect race of humans, physically stronger and faster than humans, created by the Council to protect the naturals – the normal people, those who survived World War IV. But slavery and humiliation of the human race is not, in my opinion, the appropriate form of protection, so I had to question the actions of The Council from the start.

-“What does allegiance mean? Should allegiance be to your family first? To God? To your homeland? What about yourself? I am choosing myself Tess. Please forgive me.” 

“Chosen Ones” is a story about love. Even if Tess is born in a society where emotions are seen as a sign of weakness, women can no longer have children, and nobody wants to fall in love – when she meets James, a not so perfect Chosen One, everything changes for her. 

I liked this book and I’d recommend it to those who like a dark, dystopian tale. You won’t be disappointed!

I had allowed myself to feel and hope. And this was my punishment.

Happy reading!

 

Romanian: Dupa o lectura ca „Chosen Ones” mi se pare foarte greu sa imi asez ideile in ordine. Este genul de carte care te face sa-ti uiti cuvintele atunci cand incerci sa o povestesti si altor persoane, pentru ca actiunea si descrierile prezente in aceste pagini socheaza.

La finalul primelor doua capitole am vrut sa inchid cartea si sa spun pas. Nu ma intelegeti gresit, cartea nu este nici urata si nici plictisitoare, numai ca nu puteam sa inteleg ce se intampla cu exactitate, iar unele pasaje sunt atat de realist descrise, incat m-au lasat fara suflare si m-au facut sa ma cutremur. 

Didn’t they know this thing was pointless?  I couldn’t understand why anyone got married anymore.  It wasn't a commitment.  It was murder.

Da, „Chosen Ones” este o poveste intunecata, sau cel putin asta este impresia pe care mi-am facut-o eu. Iar daca va intrebati ce-am facut dupa cele 2 capitole, ei bine NU, nu am putut sa inchid cartea. Mi-am continuat lectura, pentru ca a reusit sa ma captiveze cu totul si sa-mi ridice o multime de semne de intrebare pe care le-am putut lamuri numai citind in continuare.

Actiunea incepe cand Tess este marcata cu fier incis si trimisa sa munceasca la Templeton, ca un fel de pedeapsa pentru neglijenta surorii ei, Emma. Initial nu am inteles de ce Tess nu este deloc afectata de acest lucru, de ce este atat de rece si calculata, de parca nimic din jur nu o afecteaza, nici macar moartea Emmei. Dar pe parcurs am reusit sa ii inteleg actiunile si intr-un fel sa ii dau dreptate. 

 “Maybe it's better to live in a world you don't understand, because if you understand it, it becomes unbearable.”

Ajunsa la Templeton, Tess devine sclava pentru Chosen Ones, o specie perfecta de oameni, mult mai puternici si mai rapizi decat oamenii normali, creati de Consiliu pentru a-i proteja pe naturali – oamenii normali, cei care supravietuisera celui de-al Patrulea Razboi Mondial. Dar sclavia si injosirea rasei umane nu reprezinta, in opinia mea, o forma adecvata de protectie, de aceea am pus sub semnul intrebarii inca de la inceput toate actiuniile acestor conducatori.

-“What does allegiance mean? Should allegiance be to your family first? To God? To your homeland? What about yourself? I am choosing myself Tess. Please forgive me.” 

Chosen Ones este o poveste de dragoste. Desi Tess s-a nascut intr-o societate in care sentimentele sunt vazute ca un semn de slabiciune, femeile nu mai pot avea copii si nimeni nu vrea sa se indragosteasca, atunci cand il intalneste pe James – un Chosen One nu tocmai perfect – totul se schimba pentru ea. 

Mi-a placut acest roman si il recomand tuturor celor care iubesc distopiile. Nu veti fi dezamagiti! 

I had allowed myself to feel and hope. And this was my punishment.

 Lectura placuta!