The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite (The Selection #2)
Author: Kiera Cass
Pages: 323
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen



 

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

The main reason why I requested this book (I was #51 on the waiting list) was because my best friend raved about this book. She finished the first two books in just a few days. And let's just say, my best friend doesn't have the time to read. Though I wasn't very fond of the first book, I decided to give this book a chance. 

I thought this book was good. Nothing special. It wasn't great; just a fairly good book.  Prince Maxon is one of the main reasons why I don't enjoy the book series. He's just a completely flat character. I couldn't connect with him at all. I tried, you guys, I really did. But quite frankly, I don't think he's a swoon-worthy character. Don't hate me, but I much rather prefer America choosing Aspen. 

 I really wished the selection ended in the first book. I hated how they dragged on the competition. They are so many possibilities and  twists and turns Kiera could have done if she ended the competition. Or maybe if Maxon kicked out America out of the competition. There's so much she could have done to make this series much more entertaining and fast-paced. After elminating twenty-nine girls, only six girls remain. Of course, America is one of them. One of the benefits of being an Elite was that she was moved up to a Three in the caste system, no longer being a Five.

Another thing that bothered me was the rebels. I was like, "Yeah! Finally some action!". You think that the rebels would be so dangerous, so evil, but nope, we got ourselves some properly-mannered rebels who steal books. I don't see why they need to steal books because if I was a rebel, the first thing on my mind would be the jackpot($). Maybe I need to read the third book to understand why they stole the books. 

Overall, this book was just the same as the first one in my rating system.

3/5 STARS