"The Chosen" is a thrilling continuation of an epic fantasy series that captivates readers from start to finish. Matharu's imaginative worldbuilding and intricate magic system add depth to the story, while his well-crafted characters continue to evolve and face new challenges. The story's fast-paced narrative and clever plot twists ensure that readers are kept engaged throughout. Highly recommended

As always one of my favorite authors! I swear I had dod this review years ago but wanted to make sure I fully left it. I could not get enough of this book amd became hooked instantly. The worl building and character development alone were enough to keep me devouring every single word. I really appreciate a good plot and character you can connect with and the author did that.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not influence my review.

I enjoy Taren Matharu style of writing. The Chosen was witty and fun. It is a fast-paced read with descriptive scenery, ancient artifacts, and dinosaurs. Cade was interesting and although choices he made are not ones I would have. Very action oriented and diversity. This book is part of series and I look forward to seeing how it all fleshes out.

I tried reading this book so many times. I started it and while I was reading it, I LOVED the story. It was great. However, when I would set it down, I would have to think about what was going on and try to remember where I was when picking it back up.

While I enjoyed the story while reading it, the lack of sticking with me is where I find a problem. As I'm writing this review, I can't honestly remember some of the characters names and that makes me feel bad.

This was not what I was expecting. It was action packed from start to finish. I had heard o f the author before and never read anything by them. I was worried that it wouldn't be good enough to try their other work but I am excited to read more books by this author. There is just a lot to unpack in this book.

Amazing new series by this author! Loved his other series!! Lots of plot points to keep the book moving and I was completely engaged!

Great story and loved the romance. Loved the cast of characters and how the story came to be. Great story and I would read this author again.

Nothing happens. There is so much fighting and running and dinosaurs. Dinosaurs!! And nothing happens. I was so excited about the characters being so different. The bad ass street hockey playing British girls from the 80’s. The Japanese, Latino, mixed, and deaf boys. So much diversity. And nothing happens. In fact all the characters blend in together. I seriously cannot for the life of me describe any of the characters. Except once a name is attached. Cade is the half black half white kid. I know this because he said it NOT showed it. Said it. A lot of this book was told to me.

I didn’t care for any of it. There was so much running. Too much running. I was bored. It was a quick read though. That was good.

I will say this, if a middle school or high school student asks me for a recommendation similar to the Maze Runner or Hunger Games I’ll recommend this book.

Wow just wow.! Love this super speed ride I was on from start to finish, I went full blast reading this book from cover to cover. The characters and word building is such amazing slide into first place. I need more can’t wait read read the next book.

**I was provided an electronic copy post-publication from the publisher in exchange for honest review.**

Taran Matharu begins a new YA fantasy series with The Chosen. Readers follow a group of characters who find themselves torn from their homes to participate in a game with unknown rules, in an unknown time, in a mysterious place. Cade is determined to figure out what's going on and find a way back home.

This novel is certainly a plot-driven work. There is a large cast of characters and most of them seem to be developed at the surface level, though certain key skillsets are suggested. I didn't attach very much to any of the characters beyond finding Quintus interesting. Unfortunately, that also meant I didn't care very much when the characters were in danger, particularly since that danger is perpetual. If I had not been reading a review copy, I would have DNFed this book at 33%. I became interested in the plot at about 50%.

I was not a big fan of the flashbacks to how Cade came to be at the boarding school he disappeared from, despite understanding why that was included. It made for a slow start, despite having a pace that was pretty fast otherwise. The latter half of the novel saved it for me and made it wind up as an okay read. I am curious as a result of the revelations at the end, though I do not know whether I will continue the series.

I think this book may just not have been one for me, as I didn't actually see anything particularly wrong with it other than my disinterest and lack of investment. Even considering that, I wound up finding it decent in the end, so this book definitely has the potential to be great for someone else. I am absolutely interested in the author's other works as I found Matharu's writing to be accessible and easy to read.

Overall, lukewarm feelings for me, but would still recommend this novel.

These books are wildly popular with elementary and middle school readers, and for good reason--it's interesting and exciting, and the audience is similar to that of John Flanagan's books.

This was a middle-of-the-road read for me. While I liked a lot of aspects, there were some things I disliked, and overall, I just didn't feel strongly enough about the book to really warrant adding an in-depth review to the blog.

This book reminded me of hunger games and kite runner. It was unique but similar. Overall it was written well.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.   

It did not take me long to drop this book and it comes down to one thing: sloppy writing.

Anyone who uses the same word three times in a short, two sentence paragraph needs a thesaurus and a more proficient editor.

While a familiar enough story line (displaced juvenile delinquents fighting to survive a game not understood), I really enjoyed The Chosen and Cade's character. The son of a history professor, Cade finds himself and a group of troubled teens transported to a world (or time) containing dinosaurs, Roman and Mayan ruins, and the Codex -- an AI with a timer counting down to...something unknown, and focused on Cade as The Chosen. He needs to figure out exactly where/when he is, how to navigate within his own familiar group, survive monsters he's only read about all to hopefully, get back to his own time and place. However, as he and the group discover more and more oddities trying to survive, there is Something that has a plan for them all. It was a fun and interesting historical/sci-fi read (right?) that reminded me of Scott Siegler novels #generationstrilogy, and SJ Sherwood novels #thedenounced and captivated me enough to read through in almost one sitting. I'm eager to read the sequel, The Contender.

The audience for this book will be eager to see what comes next for sure. There is a page turning quality to this story. However there is a lot of unexplained elements to the story that seem rather disjointed. The main characters motivation and personality are left really muddied by the choices he makes. He has in his mind that he is very much a victim of his circumstances and can't seem to shake that sense thru out the story. There is no character growth, which is something I like to see in a good YA novel. The author is definitely a history buff which I can appreciate, but even those elements feel rushed and not properly explored. Maybe as the series continues there will be a further explanation of things. This first book felt like a mix of genres, sci fi, history, and adventure. There is some good ideas, but I felt it needed further development.

This was a fast paced, unique, and interesting read. I thought the characters were really developed and really enjoyed some of them. There was a lot of adventure and plenty of things I don’t see often in fantasy books. I never felt bored while reading it and kept finding myself wanting to know what was going to happen. After this ending, I Really want to know what happens next!

I am not the intended target audience for this book, but I thought it might be something my son would like. It was a slow start for me. Once the pace picked up, I didn’t want to put it down. There was quite a bit of action. While some questions were answered, some were not. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. I am intrigued enough to read the second book.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for this copy of The Chosen in exchange for an honest review.

If you're familiar with Matharu's other fantasy series, The Summoner series, than you know you are in for a ride in his latest new series. The Chosen starts off with introducing you to the main character and jumps right into the action of what is to set up the rest of the novel. Each chapter gives you a view of how Cade's life was before and how it is presently in the strange new world he and his classmates were dropped into. There are a few interesting history lessons scattered throughout that had me looking up the events on my own. Even though it's towards the end when you really get to kind of know what's going on, it's still a fun ride getting to that part. The second book in the series, The Challenger, is set to be released in Summer 2020.

Cade is sent to a reform school, where he is trying to find his way as the new kid in a tough school. Then all of a sudden he appears on a ledge with a strange creature trying to attack him. As he gets away from the creature he is figuring out he isn't on earth anymore and has no idea how he has arrived on this planet. Soon he discovers that some of his schoolmates have also been brought to this strange place. In this new world they discover all kinds of strange things, some which pose danger. But they also find things they recognize, such as Roman artifacts and other earthly items. They soon realize that they are being watched and manipulated, but they don't know why.

Taran Matharu must be a devotee of the classics as #TheChosen is a cross between The Barsoom (John Carter) novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. There is the new world with it's amazing discoveries as well as the human nature at play. I look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to review this fun book.