I really really liked Taran Matharu’s Summoner series, so when I saw that he was coming out with a new series, I knew that I had to read it immediately! I didn’t really come into this book with any expectations since I knew it would probably be vastly than the Summoners series, what with the totally different plotlines and settings, and overall I ended up enjoying it. Although, there were a few things that confused me just a lil’ bit, more on that later.

After being wrongfully accused of stealing by his private school, Cade gets sent to a reform school for a year. While struggling to survive amidst uncaring administrators and cruel bullies Cade just wishes for the year to be over. But after being mysteriously transported to what seems to be another planet full of monstrous creatures and strange artifacts out of history, the only thing Cade wants is to go home. Joined by his classmates, Cade has to figure out who or what put them on this planet, and how are they supposed to get home?


The book started off a bit slowly, and it took me a little bit to get into it. I blame it on the fact that at first, the book alternates between when Cade first started out at the reform school and present time (when Cade wakes up on the mysterious planet).  After the alternations stop though, the book definitely picks up.

But here’s the thing. The book is pretty confusing. Nothing is really explained at the beginning, and just like Cade, you have no idea where (or when) he is, or why he’s there. It also gets immensely more confusing when artifacts start appearing all over the place as if pulled out of history. But for most of the book, it’s a good type of confusing. A missing legion of Roman soldiers, stolen swords that went missing in 1945, boats that went missing in the Bermuda triangle. It all adds to the mystery, and I really enjoyed the different historical facts scattered throughout the book.

The book was super action packed and I loved all the fight and battle scenes. Cade was a really great main character, he was logical and thought everything through, and he was the perfect leader for his enormous group of supporting characters. The confusing parts of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering when we were going to find out what exactly was going on.

One part of the book that I didn’t enjoy very much was the fact that I didn’t connect very much to any of the supporting characters. Now, there were a lot of supporting characters, and I am generally not the best at telling more than 6 characters apart. And the thing is, that later in the book it got to a point where there were 14 characters. Needless to say, I forgot about many characters several times. I often had to count on my hand to make sure that I remembered all the characters and to figure out which characters were missing from what scenes.

I also wasn’t able to distinguish some characters from others. Cade is joined by 7 of his classmates, and besides the fact that I could not keep track of them at all times, there were some that I feel didn’t have any defining features and that just led to them slipping my mind multiple times throughout the book. (It just took me 5 minutes of intense thinking and another 5 minutes of scrolling through the book to figure out how many of his classmates were there with him while writing this review, since I could not for the life of me remember.)

Overall though, I do feel like it was a great start to a series. It does answer a bunch of questions at the end of the book, but it also leaves you wanting more. If you’re a fan of The Maze Runner, I’d definitely recommend this book, and despite the several downsides, this book still gets a 3.5 out 5 stars from me, for its action-packed chapters and awesome historical tidbits.

I loved the summoner series and was hoping that this would compare and guess what, Taran Matharu didn't disappoint! This book draws you in quickly and is hard to put down. Its very fast paced and throws you right into the action from the star. Cade is an ineresting character and if you have read The summoner series I highly recommend this book to you!

This was really good, but the cover makes absolutely no sense until after you've finished the book! Beautiful cover, but I was expecting some sort of ninja warrior novel, and instead I got dinosaurs, futuristic high-tech, unsolved mysteries, ancient Romans and Mayans, mysterious possible Vikings, French inventors, Chinese junk ships, WWII US veterans that steal Japanese swords, and modern day juvenile detention. Sound like it's confusing? Yeah. But it was good!

Once the story focused solely on current events, it was completely un-put-down-able. I desperately needed to know what was happening, how, why, where, and thankfully, most questions did get answered by the end of the book, which is great if you hate cliffhangers. But it's still a cliffhanger. Just a nicer one. One that encourages you to read book two.

Much like “Maze Runner” etc., and the ending feels contrived. Won’t be recommending it. Definitely will not be reading the rest of what looks like might be a long series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC I received. I was so excited to see that Taran Matharu was writing something new and even more excited to be approved for it! I thought the plot, characters, writing, everything was great for a middle grade targeted book. I loved it and can't wait to see more from Taran in the future!

** I RECIEVED AN E ARC FROM NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW***


So I really am super upset with myself right now.
I LOVED The Summoner trilogy, like loved it. I read it before it hit booktube by storm so when I saw a new series from Taran I was super excited.

But I was so so so let down. I dnf at 50%. The characters were just so bland.. I mean I didn’t feel any connection to any of them... at all. I also didn’t know how I felt about Cade. I liked what was trying to be shown with Cade and his race and the issues he faces but at the same time something wasn’t quite right .


I could care less about the story honestly... there was a lot of stuff happening but nothing really explained and at 50% through I should know something about what’s going on. We are thrown into a world and at 50% we are just seeing dinosaurs and it’s a lot of explaining them but I couldn’t really picture them.. other than that there is nothing else happening. I tried. I really did. I’m super bummed about not liking this at all 😭😭😭



I also chose not to rate this on Goodreads but for the sake of Netgalley I am rating...

This is an amazing start to what looks like an amazing series. The author keeps the pace moving at a brisk pace and keeps the reader involved. At the same time, the background of the main character is conveyed and the reader learns about the other characters at the same time that the main character does. The world-building is also excellent, from what is seen. The reader only knows what the characters know, creating a sense of mystery that fits well with the action. I don't have words for just how much I enjoyed this book.

As if getting settled into a new boarding school and all that led to this move wasn’t enough, Cade somehow finds himself transported into another realm filled with remnants from his world’s past. Throughout history his people have mysteriously vanished and now Cade and a group of teens are about to discover what happened and why.

THE CHOSEN by Taran Matharu is a fantasy adventure that will have readers both young and not-so-young caught up in the action, the conflict and this author’s creative and lively style of writing! Imagine being sent to another place, left to find the answers to so many questions like “why” “how” and “how do we get home, again?”

Prepare for conflict among the teens, the mystery of a codex that only Cade possesses, see ancient artifacts and even dinosaurs, all while an ancient evil stalks their every move, just waiting to thwart their progress.

Fast-paced, scenes that are vivid and teens being teens, even in the face of the unknown. Can they work together long enough to find their way home again? Is their adventure a chance encounter or is it something more?

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Series: Contender - Book 1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (June 4, 2019)
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Print Length: 361 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

The Chosen was a really interesting story. At first I thought of it as a little Maze Runnerish but then it quickly morphed to really messed up amusement park history ride.

We have a group of boys who are dropped on, what appears to be, another planet. They don’t know why they are there and what they are supposed to do but find themselves grappling with some scary obstacles. Not only that, it appears to be a land of last in time history. I really liked that aspect about it. They find random artifacts and people that had been thought to be long lost. Even dinosaurs make their own appearance. One of the characters mentions Jumanji and I can see that vibe now too. Ha ha.

Cade is the main character. I don’t generally gravitate towards a male lead but I thought Cade’s character was definitely likeable. He’s the character we know the most and even though we get insight into the other characters a little bit through the how Cade has interacted with them. I don’t think we really do more than brush their surfaces. Cade however is smart and resourceful. He might not be the strongest guy on the block but he knows how to use what abilities he has to give him an advantage. I also thought the flashbacks in the beginning to the months leading up to when they are taken was an interesting way to set up his character. You see how some of his actions took him from point A to point B in his character.

I did like the side characters, I don’t really want to get into the ones that I liked the most because I don’t want to give too much away. Also the ending was interesting. Of course I wasn’t sure what I was expecting so it wasn’t disappointing or surprising, it was more like ohhhh that’s what’s happening here.

Since the book is shrouded in a little bit of thriller mystery I don’t want to give to much away. I did enjoy it and I have always felt Taran Matharu’s writing is paced well to keep a story moving. Something interesting is always happening.

Romans, Dinosaurs, and Force-fields, oh my!
I was able to read this book early thanks to #Netgalley
I devoured this book! I sat down to read it, and didn't go to bed until I finished it! I was a huge fan of the Summoner Series, and honestly when I read this synopsis I was a bit hesitant. Boy was my hesitance wrong! This book is .PACKED with action, and the characters are fun to learn about. It wasn't predictable in any sense, and I wasn't sure who was running the show until the last chapter! I can't wait for the next book! The cover might be a tad misleading, as it appears the protagonist is a swordsman, but that is really my only criticism.

3.5/5
Cade is a teen who was framed for a crime he didn't commit and placed in a school for troubled youths. While there he is bullied by the big meanie student, befriends an oddball student, and then wakes up in another world. Unfortunately, it's not an idyllic world where all his dreams will be fulfilled, it is a world where he immediately has to fight for his survival. And it turns out he is not there alone, other kids from his school have appeared there as well (including the aforementioned big meanie). They find their way to an abandoned fort that seems to have once been populated by a lost Roman legion and there learn they are in the qualifying round of some sort of game.
It was an interesting enough proposition, but the story didn't seem very fulfilling in the end. The characters seem pretty one-dimensional and as often happens in books like this each one just happens to have an important skill. I didn't care what happened to them and when eventually some of them die it didn't hurt at all. The main character Cade was not likable at all to me. I know he's learning to be "the hero" but he is really wimpy to start with. Through my adult eyes, this book was pretty meh, but for a middle schooler I bet it would be great so I will probably wind up ordering it for my library anyway.

MAZE RUNNER meets LAND OF THE LOST in this engaging page-turner full of twists and turns in an epic tale of survival and history. Cade was accused of stealing laptops found under his bed at his wealthy private school (which he attended on scholarship). He was innocent and his roommate the likely culprit, but his public defender convinced him to take the plea deal. Thus, Cade is now in a military reform school, which is maybe a step above juvie, and his life is not easy there.

However, one day, he wakes up somewhere different- a world beyond what he could have imagined, with danger around every turn. Why he was brought there and what he must do to get out are anything but clear. As he pieces together the clues and fights to stay alive, the countdown clock adds pressure to the whole situation. Adding onto that the interpersonal relationships with the boys who were also brought from the school and the new people they find in this strange place, this book is action-packed and full of mystery/suspense.

What I loved: The book has a steady pace that allows the reader to absorb all the new information about this world and still feel the suspense. There’s a lot of interesting facts about history and great knowledge/strategy required in the journey that added to the book’s appeal. Cade is really the character we get to know best, and he’s a great leader, intelligent, brave, and considerate. The other characters are some people I would like to know better in future books, but there are a few that I found particularly engaging/intriguing (particularly the girls and Quintus). The world-building was really the focus here, and this is incredibly strong in this book- this unique setting really comes to life through the text.

Cade is also an appearing Indian American of mixed ethnicities/race, which adds some extra elements, particularly to the first part of the book (in terms of some heavy racism). This kind of representation is really important in middle grade/YA, and this is a great book that includes these elements plus a main character of color.

Final verdict: With dinosaurs, Romans, and a battle for survival, THE CHOSEN is absolutely fascinating and quite the page turner. I would highly recommend for fans of fantasy/sci-fi looking for something unique and full of suspense/mystery.

Please note that I received an ARC through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The only possible way I can think to describe this book is that it was like when someone tries to tell you about the dream they had last night and although it is relatively interesting, you don’t really care.
First off, most of the characters, especially the other convicts, were interchangeable. They were in and out of the story when necessary and didn’t inspire much feeling from the reader. Cade as our main character wasn’t very relatable either. He was portrayed as a normal kid, yet knew way too much simply because his father knew about history. Most kids know nothing about their parent’s fields or interests. I wasn’t believable. Neither were the other kid’s specific contributions.
The overall plotline of this story was an interesting one. It had mystery, suspense, sci-fi, and a smidge of romance, but the execution and details completely ruined it for me. The scenery was interesting, yet marred by the multiple Jurassic Park references and how they got the dinosaurs wrong. There were also way too many technical terms that left the reader feeling more like they were getting a lecture rather than reading for fun. Seeing as this is an unknown location, the author did play with different climates and locations that were probably the best part of the book.
The pacing also had its faults. I felt that there was a lot of lag between actions where the author tried to build upon the growing mystery of where they were and why. Unfortunately, this reminded the reader that they still knew absolutely nothing and led to growing disinterest as to finding out. The reveal at the end was, for me, completely anticlimactic. All it did was bring up the thought that this was all just a lead up into the next installment. All the information we needed was in the last chapter, making the rest all filler.
In the end, the story was way too fantastical, with not enough realism to make me want to recommend this to readers. This needed a better editor and a few more drafts before it will have appeal to the readers and keep them interested.

*** I did receive an updated version of this book when I had two chapters left to go. As it took so long to get through, I read only the first and last chapters of the new version to see the differences. Unfortunately, this did not change my opinion of the novel as the only changes I saw were convicts being changed to students, Cade’s nickname was changed, and one character was either changed or deleted. As this had no plot impact, the story ended the same and so does my reiew.

I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Having read the Summoner series, I was excited to see that Taran Matharu is working on a new series, Contender. This story is told through the eyes of Cade, a very bright teenage boy who was expelled from his boarding school for a crime he did not commit. He is now serving his sentence in juvenile detention with other teenage boys in for various crimes. Things change when a group of these boys are supposed to be transported to a new facility upstate but their plane never makes it there. Cade finds himself on a cliff battling a monster. He and the other surviving teens realize they are on an alien world and must prepare to do battle. Cade finds objects and people out of their time on this world, like Ancient Rome’s Ninth Legion that disappeared in Scotland sometime during the second century. Time is ticking down for the chosen contenders. Will they survive?
This upper middle grade book is a thrill ride from beginning to end! Cade must use his brains and skills he didn’t know he had. He must convince the others with him that this is a fight they must win and find out who brought them to this planet and why. Definitely looking forward to the next installment!
#TheChosen #NetGalley

Received via NetGalley for review. Solid middle grade novel that has excellent world building. Characters are likable, but I just wanted there to be more interaction. Has potential to be a great adventure!

Ok so first off, I did like the plot and the characters in this book, however, it took me probably half way through the book to get into it. I’m not sure if it’s me or what but I just didn’t enjoy most of this and it may be because I hyped myself up really hard for this I’m not sure. I am not a fan of back and forth storyline, and this book did it quite a bit. Overall it was interesting, and I think some people will really like this, it just wasn’t for me.

Received via NetGalley for review.

An exciting middle-grade novel for those who like that particular genre of kids-fighting-kids/monsters (which I do, and which lots of people do!)

I wish there had been a little more room for character development - there are a lot of characters, and a lot of action to get through (I definitely thought Eric, Marcus and Spex were going to have a larger role, and three of the four girls are basically interchangeable).

But the action is fun and dangerous, and exactly what I was looking for. I'm always a sucker for the trope where people are chosen for a specific reason, and I was glad Finch called Cade out on that but just as glad he got to use his knowledge to succeed.

It's a little hard to believe that a small group (8?) of teenagers, many of them with vastly different perspectives, would manage to defeat hundreds of monsters where entire legions of Roman soldiers before them could not (though maybe the Roman soldiers were further along in the competition before they all failed? But then why would Cade and his group start off in the beginning?), which I hope will be addressed in the inevitable sequel but probably won't be.

EDIT: after I posted this review, I was informed that a new file was available that contained plot changes, and so skimmed the new version. As far as I can tell, here's what changed:
Cade is now half-Indian instead of half-black, and deals with more overt racism from Finch and the white power boys
The boys are now in an alternative school instead of a prison (a good change!)
Spex is Brazilian, which wasn't mentioned before
Cade's parent's play a slightly larger role, and Cade wrestles more with the fact that they don't believe his innocence. He also struggles more with his reluctance to take a side in any situation
Marcus is now Scott (I think? Or at least there's no more Marcus and there's now a Scott)
Spex, Jim, and Eric still die, but Spex dies later and Gobbler also dies now

Overall, no significant changes.

Cade was framed for a crime he did not commit. Ashamed and embarrassed, he's just trying to make is through his year sentence in juvenile detention. But one day he is told that the powers that be are moving him to another facility in northern New York State. Though he doesn't remember the plane ride and Cade wakes up in another dimension... he is stuck on a narrow ledge above a canyon being snapped at by a premodial beast. His quick wits and a distraction get him free of the prey and he meets up with the rest of the prisoners who were on the plane.

Evidence of artifacts and people lost in time. Dinosaurs and Roman legioneers. Samurai swords and lost pyramids. The young men enter a land that has been shaped by a puppet master. And they desperately want to know the rules of the game.

The Chosen is a book that has all the YA tropes of The Hunger Games and Maze Runner. Cade is an excellent character who is able to use what little knowledge he has of survival skills and parlay them into several tough escapes. He's not one for brawn, but his brains help him coax the stubborn crew forward towards what truth then can deduce.

It's a fast plot with so much action that at times the character development, especially the secondary characters get left behind. I honestly had a hard time picking out bad guy, from good guy and nerdy sidekick... Matharu uses a series of flashbacks at the beginning of the book to take the reader to Cade's first months of confinement. As a young man of mixed race, he finds himself caught in between several cliques behind the bars of the center. And when thrust into the life or death situation, these prejudices get exposed just as violently.

The worldbuilding is solid with great descriptions of all the 'lost' items and peoples. It's a great concept that comes off exciting for the most part. This is the first book in a series and the author gives you enough in this one to keep you going to the second.

Recommended for fans of the YA survival-puzzle books. It's a quick action-packed ride. Hang on!

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Chosen turned out to be a bit crazier than I thought, a good kind of crazy though!

To be honest, I'm not sure if I dreamed I read this book because it was different to me than what the summary of the book says it's about. Don't get me wrong, there is some crazy universe these kids get taken to but what I read wasn't about a boarding school, it was about prison...... Am I the one that went to an alternate universe?

Anyway.. when Cade and some of the boys were getting transferred from the prison/boarding school??... they actually woke up somewhere else. When all of the boys finally come together I was thinking this was something like Mazerunner in a way but it went totally beyond that. I don't want to give out any spoilers but they are in some other universe? Planet? I'm not sure but it's crazy and I would have freaked clean out and died the first 5 minutes!

There is this Codex thing that follows them around and can only give them so much information. They find all kinds of stuff from different times in history, etc.

It's a fast-paced little game of what? I'm not telling you and I don't know all of the answers. But I am looking forward to what the end game is going to be with this trilogy because the thing/person/whatnot that have these boys, is freaky!

*I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.*

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

I really wanted to like this one, but I found it to be problematic. It started off strong and I loved the jumps between past and present & the character development in the prison scenes. I was excited to unravel the world with Cade. I was SO thrilled to finally read fantasy with a guy main character, especially since The Novice was so popular with readers.

But I was disappointed as the story went on. Nothing was getting figured out, there wasn’t much conflict or drama between the characters, obstacles were getting solved too easily, the new girl characters seemed random and not fleshed out, the pacing was off...to me, it just felt disjointed and sloppy in its execution.