Dickens & Rumi
Cover of THE YOUNG ELITES

book

THE YOUNG ELITES

Marie Lu

When darkness once shrouded the world, the darkness had a queen. (Ages 12 and up)

Ages 15+Source checked

Why this age? Recommended for mature teens because of parental abuse, attempted sexual exploitation, execution threats, imprisonment, graphic-sounding supernatural violence, murder, death, grief, and psychologically dark themes. This is guidance, not a safety guarantee; reading level and family context may differ.

Quick view

At a glance

Recommended age15+

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character4/5
  • Frightening scenes4/5
  • Violence4/5

Strongest positives

  • Creativity & curiosity4/5
  • Courage & resilience3/5
  • Diverse representation3/5

What’s in it?

Death of a character4/5
Why this rating?

Deaths are central: Adelina’s mother and father die, Enzo is killed, and the plot involves threatened and planned killings plus resurrection and the Underworld.

Graphic injury2/5
Why this rating?

Mentions of blood, injuries, and a character being executed; however, detail is not excessively visceral.

Strong language1/5
Why this rating?

Language is generally mild for the genre.

LGBTQIA characters1/5
Why this rating?

A mutual love between Queen Maeve and Lucent is identified, but LGBTQIA relationships do not appear central in the supplied plot summary.

Religious themes2/5
Why this rating?

Religious ideas appear through children being viewed as gods’ offspring, supernatural resurrection, the Underworld, and competing beliefs about marked people.

Romance2/5
Why this rating?

Adelina and Enzo develop feelings, while other characters have love affairs or mutual love; romance is secondary to political conflict and revenge.

Frightening scenes4/5
Why this rating?

Dark, sustained peril includes abusive confinement, imprisonment, threatened burning, torture, execution, captivity, and characters being hunted or killed.

Sexual content & nudity2/5
Why this rating?

The story includes a father selling Adelina as a paramour and references a secret love affair, but the supplied material does not indicate explicit sexual activity.

Violence4/5
Why this rating?

Repeated fantasy violence includes executions, assassination plans, supernatural attacks, torture-like pain, duels, and killing, including Adelina accidentally murdering her father.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience3/5
Why this rating?

Characters risk execution, imprisonment, torture, and death to escape abuse, protect family, resist oppression, and fight for autonomy.

Creativity & curiosity4/5
Why this rating?

Distinct supernatural abilities, political world-building, illusion magic, resurrection, and inventive conflicts strongly invite imagination and creative thinking.

Diverse representation3/5
Why this rating?

The fantasy society includes varied marked and unmarked characters, women with significant agency, and LGBTQIA representation, though this is not a realistic diversity survey.

Kindness & empathy2/5
Why this rating?

Characters protect one another, offer rescue and comfort, and oppose persecution, but kindness competes with abuse, betrayal, vengeance, and political violence.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

Major themes include resisting persecution, confronting abuse, loyalty, consequences of vengeance, moral ambiguity, and the corrupting effects of power and fear.

Good role models2/5
Why this rating?

Compassionate and protective characters show courage and loyalty, but several protagonists pursue revenge, manipulation, overthrow, or violence and are morally conflicted.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What was the most imaginative idea in the story, and what would you add to it?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in THE YOUNG ELITES would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in THE YOUNG ELITES, and what caused that change?
Discuss this title with other parents

Community reactions

What families noticed

Add your perspective

Sign in from the homepage to rate this title.

Where to get it

Find in a libraryBuy on Bookshop.orgBuy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate and Bookshop.org affiliate, Dickens & Rumi may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

If you liked this

Try something nearby

Related by age fit, format, and catalogue context.

You’re hereTHE YOUNG ELITES
Dark Lord of DerkholmDiana Wynne Jones · 1998Ages 14+THE KEEPERDavid BaldacciAges 12+A Forest DividedErin Hunter · 2015Ages 14+Drowned Ammet (Dalemark Quartet, Book 2)Diana Wynne Jones · 1977Ages 12+

These content notes are a starting point, not a guarantee. Review the evidence and use your own judgment before choosing a title.

Report an incorrect rating