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REVIEW: The Elites by Natasha Ngan

The Elites is definitely one of my most anticipated reads of the year and so I was extremely nervous to start it. My Twitter profile picture was of the cover, I had told whoever would listen about it and the finished copy was pre-ordered months ago. It’s safe to say that a lot was riding on my enjoyment of this novel.

The Elites are a race of people with superior DNA that means they can’t bleed. When an Elite, Silver, is witness to, and fails to stop, the assassination of the president of Neo-Babel, a chain of events causes her to flee the city with her best friend, Butterfly, and find out what’s on the outside. Secrets will come to the surface and Silver and Butterfly will discover things they never knew about themselves.

I know that people will love The Elites. It has interesting characters, a gripping plot line and some terribly sweet moments. One of the things that set this apart from other novels is its culturally diverse characters. Neo-Babel is supposedly the last place left in the world and so you see people flock there from all parts of the world. The thing that surprised me most was that the people still encountered racial abuse and discrimination, even though they lived in such close proximity to each other and were stuck that way. There was still a, although slightly deformed, class system and it made me think about how people don’t really change. You can take the person out of a place but it’s not going to change anything about them.

The Elites is written in third person which means we got to know a range of different characters throughout the novel. I liked how everything came together cleanly and the conclusion was wrapped up nicely.

I really liked our two main characters, Silver and Butterfly. The latter had a lot of background and very strong characterisation. It’s not often that you see a male lead with a personality that shines brighter than the rest because there’s a lot of focus on female YA characters, but Butterfly stood out and I loved that he had a vulnerable side that felt natural and not forced.

I really enjoyed The Elites and cannot wait to see more from Ngan. It was a refreshing dystopian read and one I will definitely be recommending.

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10 Comments

  • Reply
    Eileen @ Singing and Reading in the Rain
    9 September, 2013 at 4:39 am

    ahh it seems like there’s a lot of awesomeness with the characters. And I remember your Twitter profile picture when it was the cover, so I’m glad that you ended up seriously loving this one. I love when a book I’m expecting to love totally lives up to my expectations! Third person is always a hard thing to pull off, but it seems like it was done well here, and the whole “The Elites can’t bleed” premise is definitely something new and has a ton of potential 🙂

    Fantastic review, Lucy! <33
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  • Reply
    Melanie (YA Midnight Reads)
    9 September, 2013 at 11:07 am

    OOH this book sounds BADASS! I’m so glad that you weren’t disappointed, I really hate it when I get so excited for a book but it turns out to be a dud.

    Awesome review, Lucy! <33
    Melanie (YA Midnight Reads) recently posted…Review: Cracked Up To Be by Courtney SummersMy Profile

  • Reply
    Francoise
    9 September, 2013 at 11:55 am

    I really want to read this book. It has been one of my highly anticipated books as well but I have so many books to read! I don’t want to request it becauseI have Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight to read and I don’t want to have to much on my plate. Great review, I must read it soon.
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  • Reply
    Hazel @ Stay Bookish
    9 September, 2013 at 7:33 pm

    I’m sorry but…. the male lead’s name is BUTTERFLY??? *rolls on the floor and laughs* Anyway, I’m happy that you enjoyed this! It sounds like a really cool read with a pretty awesome plot. I like that the book has culturally diverse characters. I’m not so sure about the third person POV though- that’s always a hit or miss for me. Fantastic review, Lucy!
    Hazel @ Stay Bookish recently posted…Behind The Blog Monday #3: E-Book or PaperbackMy Profile

  • Reply
    Rebekah @ Reflections of a Bookworm
    9 September, 2013 at 9:38 pm

    Soooo everybody seems to love The Elites which means I’ll have to get a copy haha! Fab review, Lucy 🙂 So happy that you enjoyed it as well as this Butterfly fella sounds very interesting indeed 😉
    Rebekah @ Reflections of a Bookworm recently posted…RB Reviews: Keeping HerMy Profile

  • Reply
    Sunny A
    Twitter:
    10 September, 2013 at 6:43 am

    Everybody has raved about this book, particularly the characterisation and the character names. So I’m so excited to be receiving a review copy, I had a massive spaz. I remember when it was your twitter icon so I have an idea of how excited you were and I’m glad it didn’t disappoint. Butterfly sounds really great and I love how unique and diverse this book sounds. Great Review 🙂
    Sunny A recently posted…REVIEW: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J MaasMy Profile

  • Reply
    Anya
    Twitter:
    10 September, 2013 at 4:16 pm

    I wasn’t all that fussed about this, maybe just because it didn’t really appeal to me. But great review, will definitely check it out!

  • Reply
    Jess Hearts Books
    Twitter:
    10 September, 2013 at 5:31 pm

    I know that you were really looking forward to this one so I’m glad it lived up to expectations for you! I have this on my TBR and can’t wait to get stuck in soon!
    Jess Hearts Books recently posted…Review for Hurt by Tabitha SuzumaMy Profile

  • Reply
    Kate
    11 September, 2013 at 7:46 pm

    Yay! My copy just arrived. Great review!
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  • Reply
    Danielle
    13 September, 2013 at 4:39 pm

    I remember you being excited about this one! If definitely sounds like an interesting and thought provoking book! Will definitely have to check this book out! Lovely review Lucy, glad it lived up to your expectations.
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