Review of ‘Elite’ by Kristen Young

Background to the Book

‘Elite’ is Book 2 in Kristen Young’s ‘Collective Underground’ series. Although there is enough backstory to enable you to follow the plot without reading Book 1, it will mean a lot more to you if you read the books in sequence.

In Apprentice,  the first book, Flick Kerr is one of the lucky few to be chosen for training at the Elite Academy of the Love Collective, an organisation that roots out Haters who could threaten their ‘utopian’ society. With her extraordinary photographic memory, Flick dreams of being the best of the best, but things are not as they seem. Apprentice was a stunning debut novel. You can read a review of it here. We pick up the story for Book 2 not long after Flick has been assigned to the cadre that will define her life’s work.

Back Cover Blurb for ‘Elite’

Where do you find safety when your world is falling apart? Apprentice Flick thought the Elite Academy was the answer to all her problems. But the revelation of her past turned everything upside down. Now, she is caught between two worlds set on a collision course. Will she embrace the chaotic memories that flood her every waking moment? Or will she run to the security of her Elite training? Discovering her parents’ identities takes her to a secret underground bunker where she finds new friends, opportunities, and maybe even love. But Flick must decide where her allegiances lie soon, or the Triumph of Love festival might bring about her demise.

My Review

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, and ‘Elite’ is just as good.  I empathised with Flick as she struggled to come to grips with her memories and the new revelations that shook the foundations of what she had known.

Brilliant Writing

The writing is excellent, with great use of evocative imagery and strong verbs that help the reader to experience what Flick is going through. For example:

‘Every memory is a string of  barbed wire, lacerating my emotions.’

‘My life is a series of dropped notes. I break the melody every time I appear.’

‘Understanding is like a star exploding into existence.’

Christian Allegory

The first book was underpinned by a Christian worldview, but the Christian allegory is much stronger in ‘Elite’.  As Flick gets to know the Sirens, a secret underground community, she learns that she is not alone and that there is a Composer who cares about her.

‘The music carries something else, too. A Someone who has been waiting for me. Composer, Lyric, and Muse, the three/one who has my times held tightly in his hands. The Someone who has offered to heal my broken melody, replacing it with his own.’

However, such knowledge is dangerous in Elite Academy, and Flick faces plenty of ethical dilemmas and close calls as she tries to work out her place in the grand scheme. Can she follow unjust orders if there is a greater good to be achieved? Will her memories continue to haunt her or can she be healed and made whole? Can she risk her life to save others?

Parallels Between the Dystopian Story World and Contemporary Society

Although ‘Elite’ deals with a dystopian world, there were also some interesting parallels with contemporary society, especially regarding issues of truth, misinformation, ‘cancel culture’, fake news and outright lies.

‘Sometimes the truth gets hidden when the powerful want to tell a different story.’

The reliance of the Love Collective citizens on electronic devices, such as infotabs and VR, also made me think of our dependence on the digital world here in the 2020s, and the pros and cons of our far-reaching digital footprints. Definitely lots of food for thought.

Recommendation

This book is every bit as good, if not better, than other YA dystopian books I have read, but it is more than that. It deserves a wider readership due to the quality of the writing, the universal themes, the suspenseful elements, and its examination of faith issues in an intriguing way.  Ultimately, it has a message of hope. We are truly loved and can find forgiveness through the one who holds our life in his hands.

‘Elite’ is due for release on 14 September 2021, and is currently available for preorder.

(Thank you to Enclave Publishing for providing an advance digital copy of the book for the purposes of review. All opinions are my own.)

About the Author

Kristen Young is an Australian author, who also ministers to young people as a lecturer and pastoral worker with a Christian gap year program. Although she loves those days when she gets to dream of faraway worlds and puts them into writing, she feels blessed to be able to share the good news of Jesus in her everyday work.

You can find out more on her website: https://krisyoungwrites.com/