Review | The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #2
Published On: April 23, 2013
Published By: Harper Teen
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 323
Format: Paperback
Source: Gift
Rating: ★★★★★

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The Selection began with thirty-five girls. Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen? 
America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

The Elite, the second book in The Selection series, follows America as she continues her adventures as part of the Selected. Being the second book in a series, I can’t give much by way of a synopsis without spoiling the first book. However, I do have a full review of The Selection if you wish to know more about the series.

After reading, and loving, The Selection, I had high hopes for this book. I already knew I liked the characters and the writing style, so had no doubt I would love it. However, having heard some negative reviews, I was worried this sequel may have followed in the footsteps of many other second books in a series and I would not enjoy it as much as I had the first book.

This was not the case, however, as I loved the second book just as much as the first. Despite many of the negative reviews coming from those who loved the first book but found fault in the second, I found I had nothing to be worried about. I loved all of the characters, and enjoyed getting to read more about them, as well as the beautiful palace setting and the fun plot.

America is such a relatable character. As much as I really hate to admit being able to relate to certain aspects of her character and things that she does, I was definitely a lot like her in my teenage years. In fact, I probably still am a lot like her now. She is the kind of character you love in spite of her flaws, rather than a character whose flaws you find issue with.

While I also love both Maxon and Aspen, the love triangle was a little frustrating at times. Though I enjoyed the frustration of the love triangle, America was extremely indecisive between the two boys throughout the book. Though I say that, I understand why this was the case and it actually made America more relatable to me as that indecisiveness is something my younger self can relate to, which is one instance in which I do not like to admit the similarity. As well as making America a more realistic character, the love triangle and the frustration caused by it, I feel, added to the story. It really emphasised the pressure both America and Maxon are under in this situation.

I enjoyed getting more of an insight into the world in this book. I enjoyed finding out about the society in which they are living in the first book, however the second book gives a great deal more information. This new insight made their world seem much more interesting, and messed up, as you realise from the information given in the first book. This book is simply a great, fast-paced, exciting read. I absolutely flew through this as the story is just so exciting. It reads as though you are watching a reality TV show, which is why I managed to read it over two sitting (it would have been one if I hadn’t started it so late).

Overall, this is a great second book to the series. It continues to develop the world and the characters, while still keeping the plot exciting enough to keep the reader interested. I have fallen in love with this series and would highly recommend it. To anyone who has put off reading this series due to negative reviews, I would urge you to give it a chance. It will not be everyone’s taste but it is a lot of fun to read.