The Elite: The Selection, Book 2

[...]You know you have a good book in your hands when it just sticks to your fingers like glue. I started reading "The Elite", the sequel to Kiera Cass's riveting "The Selection", only a couple nights ago, and finished it last night! I read "The Selection" when it came out last year, and, much to my surprise, my sister devoured it on her own Kindle as well--and that's when you know you have an exceptionally interesting read in your hands.Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection, to win over Prince Maxon's heart. Just six remain. And only one will be chosen as the crown princess of Illea. Seventeen-year-old America still isn't sure where her heart lies. Her new and exciting romance with Maxon sweeps her off her feet, but when she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, she can't help but be overcome with memories of her childhood sweetheart and the future they planned together. But the stakes are higher than before. The rebels' attacks are growing more frequent and destructive, and a devastating loss makes America question whether this is what she really wants. And with the clock ticking, America knows that a happy ending might be harder to achieve than she thought.One of the most significant aspects in "The Elite" is the romance--that swoon-worthy, heart-stopping romance. I finished "The Selection" in a state of indecision like America. Sure, Maxon's the handsome, charming prince, but Aspen's her ever-loyal childhood sweetheart! What's even more interesting in "The Elite" is that Ms. Cass never makes it obvious who America's going to end up with, something that a lot of YA novels tend to do from the beginning. As the story progresses, however, we're most definitely left to our own judgments of the characters, since every single one of them has their individual flaws and personalities. I don't want to taint your own judgment about Maxon, Aspen and America with my own, but let me just say that I'm definitely leaning towards one of the boys now! Another thing is that there's some great potential danger in having your heroine fence-sit so much over two boys, but I think Ms. Cass did a good job in not letting me hate on America for being a bit of a player.As for America herself, I definitely grow to like her even more in "The Elite". There's some great character development going on throughout the novel, and at the end of it, I got the picture of a strong, passionate heroine who still retains her seventeen-year-old-ness. What I mean by that is that while America is determined and well-meaning, she still makes rash mistakes and has a lot to learn about the world around her, especially since Illea is in a state of war. I also love the fact that she's just an overall kind person, who's compassionate and loyal to her family and friends, no matter what caste they're in. I especially loved her relationship with her dad--they're more like friends than anything, and that kind of reminded me of my own relationship with my dad.The plot of "The Elite" was no less intense than that of "The Selection", and it had me flipping through the pages like a madman. When I wrote in the synopsis earlier that the stakes are higher than before, I wasn't kidding. The tension is really up there throughout the novel, not only with the rebellion and the war, but also emotionally with the whole Selection and the pressure it puts on you as a contender. There are so many twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat, and it just makes me all the more excited to see how everything ends in the final book of the trilogy.Overall, "The Elite" is an exciting, engaging sequel with wonderfully dreamy romances, a strong and believable heroine and a gripping storyline. I highly recommend "The Selection Trilogy" for anyone who loves exciting stories--I've seen so many statements and reviews of the book making similarities with reality TV shows. Definitely worth a read!Rating: 4.5/5

In a land with a caste system that keeps people stationary and desperate to survive, what better way to calm tensions than have a Selection: a contest for girls of all castes to compete for their chance to win the heart of the Prince. In Kiera Cass's sequel The Elite, the competition has gotten stiffer and the world has gotten more dangerous.America isn't sure what to do anymore. She was finally admitting her feelings for Maxon before Aspen arrived at the palace as one of the guards. Seeing Aspen changed everything. All those feelings she had thought she left behind came rushing forward and she struggled with the conflicting feelings building up inside her. Meanwhile, the competition was down to only a handful of girls, and with America liked some of them, there were others she downright despised, like Celeste. Celeste knew how to push American's buttons, but more importantly, she wanted America to remember her place in the world: as a Five. As the lowest caste girl left in the competition, she wasn't the country's popular choice, but she seemed to be Maxon's.Then something happened. When one of America's dearest friends among the selection is caught with a guard, punished severely, and banished to live life as an Eight, the lowest caste, America can't imagine how Maxon could stand by and allow a young girl to be treated like that. She begins to see the true nature of the monarchy and everything it entails. Where America once thought she could change the country from the top, now she has begun to realize there might not be any chance to change anything. The people with control might have such a dangerous and all-powerful grip on the country that a girl like America doesn't have a chance. Especially as rebels from their own country continue to break into the palace in an effort to destroy the Selection and wars across oceans threaten their very existence.One thing I wanted more of in The Selection was world-building. I can't say I got as much as I wanted from this sequel, but I definitely got some more background than the little amount in the first book gave me. We learned a lot about the creation of the new monarchy from generations ago and how the caste system was created, but we still don't know much about the different kinds of rebels and what they were up to. Since this books is a dystopia, it seems strange we would be able to get through two whole books without real answers about the world the story is set in. Still, I focused more on the relationships between the girls, America and Maxon, America and Aspen, and the rest of the cast. And that kept me happy throughout the book.And usually I despise love triangles, but this one doesn't bother me, mostly because I still really, really like Maxon and don't have much interest in Aspen. You see a lot more of Aspen in this story, and you are supposed to question Maxon's position and choices in a few places, but I still really liked Maxon. Only once did I want to slap him around a little bit, but if you consider all the mixed signals America sent him and her lack of real interest in the competition, I am not sure you can completely blame the guy for trying to find a back-up plan to the princess problem. I think if things were different and he just pined after American with all her indecisiveness and wavering nonsense, he would be completely unrealistic! In fact, had I been Maxon, I would have given up on her LONG before he actually started to.I started reading this story during the busiest time of our school year, the bitter end. It meant I fought to find time to read, and the book took me an unusual 7-8 days to finish. Usually this destroys a book for me, but The Elite still held my attention even with the gaps in my chances to read it. I think that is a sign of a pretty good story, and I am really looking forward to the next one. I just hope we get the full story behind the world they live in because it has the potential to be incredibly interesting!

I feel like when ever I’m reading these books, I never get bored and I just never want to stop reading. I would definitely recommend

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