I wanted to like this book so badly!
This is the third series from Marie Lu that I've read. The Legend and Warcross series, specifically. I went into The Young Elites expecting a similar format in pacing and narration. I was sad to see that this book did not grab my interest as quickly, nor made me want to keep listening chapter after chapter.

I will say that this book/series has a very different theme from Lu's other works. You are rarely rooting for Adelina to win in this book, which is the point of the text! Unfortunately, it didn't resonate with me as much of her other novels.

If you are looking for a young adult book that has a villain arc for the main character, and a solid amount of worldbuilding, I'd say this is the book for you! This just wasn't my cup of tea. 

This book is dark and by dark I mean like new moon-night dark with no stars in the sky an clouds all over. 
The book perfectly describes how darkness, isolation and loss can make you  a “different” person. Outsider pressure mixed into all if this only tightens the stranglehold. Even though this is a

villains

origin story it makes you deeply connect with the character and their darkness. All of this, if not this graphic, happens within ourselves when experiencing said loss, isolation and betrayal.
The book is 100 per cent worth the read and I thoroughly recommend you to pick it up if you already have it at home.

This book did not turn out like I expected. I kept thinking, “oh she’ll overcome that cause like, she’s the main character… oh wait… so no? But wait, yeah she will right?” Basically just like that throughout the whole book. 
But yeah, Marie Lu did an amazing job at expressing the fear of darkness and what you could do to people. This personally is the first book I’ve read like where you see that darkness firsthand— the actions and consequences and the sad humanness of it all. Really it reminded me of when I was a child and I didn’t know how to control my emotions or thoughts and everything was just roiling around. 
I had to close the book and weep at the turn of events and the way things ended up. 

I've only read this book one time in 7th grade, and since I'm a high school junior I forgot a lot of detail. I will be re reading this book soon and updating my review but I remember enjoying this book a lot so I recommend it!!