Review: The Elite

Title:  The Elite
Series:  The Selection #2
Author:  Kiera Cass
Publisher:  Harper Teen
Pages:  323
Format:  eBook
Source:  Bought

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.

My Review:  Oh the frustration.  This book drove me absolutely crazy while reading it.  I was ranting and raving and wishing I could jump into the world and fix everything that was going on!  There was so much back and forth between all of the characters that by the end, I just wanted to sit them all down and force them to talk it out!  

Despite that, I was completely glued to this book from start to finish.  I bought it on my nook at about four in the afternoon and finished around eight that same night because I seriously just refused to put it down.  I was so caught up in all the drama and angst and conflict; I needed to find out what was going to happen next.  The plot, while not necessarily fast paced or adventurous like most of the other books I read, hooked me from the very beginning and did not let up until I read the last sentence.  I enjoyed it so much!  While the "major" plot moved rather slowly, so many other, smaller sub-plots kept the story moving forward at a comfortable pace that was easy to follow.

The characters, as I said before, were extremely frustrating but likable for the most part.  I was very wishy washy with them in this book.  One moment I would absolutely adore them and then the next I would want to slap them!  America was flighty in this book.  She led on both Maxon and Aspen and that was the main reason I got so angry with her.  It was so obvious to me who she should be with that I was getting tired of her second guessing herself constantly.  And she was very selfish!  I couldn't believe how self centered she was in this book!  She didn't take into account how her actions would affect the people around her.  I wish she would have been less impulsive and thought things through more before making huge decisions.  Maxon did make a few mistakes in this book but I felt it was completely unfair and extremely hypocritical of America to be so angry with him.  He had been so forgiving and patient with her and she basically threw that back in his face.  I still love Maxon and I hope that he and America (after she fixes herself up a bit and puts her head on straight) come together.  I can't stand Aspen but I hope he finds someone to be happy with.  

The world building was great.  In the first book, we hadn't gotten much of a sense of how the world worked but that changed in this one.  We were provided some much needed history on how this system came to be and I was happy we were.  I really hope we see more of the world in the next installment because there is so many more details I would love to learn about.  

Though it was a source of great frustration, I ultimately enjoyed The Elite quite a bit.  I'm eager to read the third book, especially with the way this one ended.  There's a lot of things that need to be tied up and resolved so I'm excited to see how all of that turns out.  I would definitely recommend this book if you were a fan of the first and if you're having doubts about picking up this series, don't.  It's worth the read, even if the characters do drive you a little crazy.

Four Cards