Another review where I'm not sure where to begin. Much like Illuminae, I was led to this book by raving Goodreads reviews. I think Goodreads is a fan of YA. I think, I am not. Don't get me wrong, I've read some really great YA lately. But this book was sort of a reminder as to why I don't read it often. 
 I read in the blurb about the author that she previously worked in the video game industry and is a fan of Assassin's Creed. Anyone who has seen a movie inspired by a video game knows that we should probably stop trying to turn games into movies. Anyone who's read The Last Wish and played The Witcher knows that games based on books are pretty fucking awesome. The Young Elites is a book inspired by video games. Did it work? Maybe. If you had to pick a game to inspire a book, Assassin's Creed is a great pick. But Enzo is no Ezio. And neither, is Adelina. 
 My first issue with it, stems from the fact that The Young Elites is about as subtle as Godzilla on a New York City rampage. What's the main character's personality like, you ask? Well, I have these convenient stones here that glow and show you exactly what she is. And she is exactly that. Nothing more. Nothing less. Want to guess at what The Dagger Society is thinking behind those masks? Read between the lines? Too bad. There are conveniently written-in meaningless third person blurbs (in a book told from first person) that tell you exactly what's going on behind the scenes. It's annoying. I'm not the best critical/analytical reader. I'd never have figured out Animal Farm was about Cold War Russia. But I'm not a fucking idiot. I don't enjoy being treated like one. Let me wonder. Let me infer. The book would have been so much more compelling if something were left to the imagination. It's not. 
 On to Adelina, she annoyed me. She's impossible to like. She's not an anti-hero. She's just a jerk. Throughout the novel, its glaringly obvious that Violetta cares most about Adelina. How does Adelina treat her? Mean. Making sure she skins her knees. Plucks the wings off helpless butterflies. It was just ugly. She's an ugly person. Aside from that she's too big for her britches. She talks a lot of game and spends most of the novel failing. Only to be shown up by her sister at the 75% mark. Which was great. I'm not really sure if Adelina is supposed to be liked. If we are supposed to feel sympathy for her. I didn't. 
 Teren on the other hand was awesome. I loved him. I wish the whole book had been written from his perspective. Not only is he a better villain, but he was infinitely more interesting. He wasn't constantly whining about poor me this and poor me that. And why doesn't daddy love me enough? 
 Lastly, Enzo was pretty drab as far as heroes go. But I was still not happy with his ending. It sort of had to end that way. I kind of kept hoping he'd turn into a super villain. But he didn't. Yawn. 
 The plot was thinly contrived dribble. And a tale as old as time. Villain meets hero. Hero has something villain wants. Villain kidnaps person close to hero and uses them for "ransom." The entire time I was mentally shouting at Adelina "GO GET ENZO! GO GET ENZO! THIS IS STUPID! GO GET FUCKING ENZO!" The problem here is, the Young Elites were essentially built up to seem like gods. So when the time came for Adelina to get help: I didn't believe they were incapable of rescuing her sister (and I was right- if you think about how she was actually saved it's pretty obvious a whole team of Young Elites could have done it no sweat). I also didn't believe that Enzo would turn on Adelina. In order for this plot to work the reader has to believe that The Daggers are just as dangerous to Adelina as Teren. It was like reading a romance novel where the entirety of the couple's problems stem from their idiotic inability to just come out and say "hey dummy, I like you." It's nonsense. I don't want to read nonsense. I don't want to waste my time reading a plot like that when the answer is so blatantly obvious. I just didn't buy it. I think we were supposed to infer from those conveniently added third person sections where Adelina is not involved that The Daggers would in fact kill her sooner then help her. Except I didn't. It goes back to the problem of not leaving enough to the imagination. I felt like I knew the characters too well to believe that was the choice they'd make. I'd have been more ready to believe they didn't want to risk helping Adelina then they would kill her. 
 Anyway the last fifty pages, pretty much everything from the Tournament of Storms on is awesome. It was awesome enough that I just might pick up The Rose Society. I'm a little annoyed that Adelina can't get any more creative then doing exactly what Enzo did, but if she fully embraces her inner darkness, becomes the villain she was born to be, I think she might be worth a second chance. I want to see Adelina go out Vader style. I want to see her live up to all that trash she talks. I want her to be the bad girl she thinks she is. Also- I want her to stop talking to her father's ghost because it's annoying and redundant. I get it. You had a sucky childhood. Somebody call me a fucking wahmbulance.