Flash Review : The Rose Society | Marie Lu

Goodreads Synopsis

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she flees Kenettra with her sister to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good when her very existence depends on darkness?

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Review

My Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Rose Society is a wonderful improvement upon the first. This second installment is much darker as it delves further into the damaged mind of our emerging villainess. Adelina is an Elite whose power is based solely on fear and hatred, and her power becomes stronger with each passing moment that she gives in to the dark whispers in her head.

It’s so strange to take a peak into the mind of a villainess and to find yourself understanding and, at times, supporting her decisions to inflict harm. Adelina has been betrayed and abused far too many times, and so she continues to carry mistrust and fear of betrayal from those she believes are close to her.

This series isn’t particularly focused on the action, but more on the development of Adelina’s mental state and behavior.That’s why the slow pace is a bit more acceptable in this book. The pockets of action and thrilling battle sequences are satisfying among the important bouts of dialogue and inner monologues.

Marie Lu does an excellent job in depicting a young girl who constantly grapples with her own powers as she tries to do what is right. I really appreciated the slow build-up of Adelina’s oncoming madness and I loved how the author makes us question the grey area between good and evil. Is Adelina truly a villainess, or is she simply a young girl whose goodness is constantly in battle with her intrinsically dark powers? I think it’s up to the readers to decide.

The plot is gripping, the pacing is slow but balanced, and the cast of characters are diverse and intriguing in many ways. I really enjoyed this book and now I really can’t wait to see how this trilogy ends.

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Book Details

• Series: The Young Elites (Book 2)
• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
• Publication Date: October 13, 2015