Review: The Elite – Kiera Cass

Happy Release Day for The Elite! If you haven’t read it or The Selection and are fans of The Bachelor/Bachelorette, get on that. I hate that show and loved these two books. Book Crack I tell you! BOOK CRACK!

The Elite Series: The Selection,
Published: April 23rd 2013
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Kiera Cass’s The Elite is a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction, fairy tales, and reality TV. This sequel to The Selection will enchant teens who love Divergent and The Bachelor.

In America Singer’s world, a bride is chosen for the prince through an elaborate televised competition. In the second book of the Selection series, America is one of only six girls left in the running. But is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—she wants? Or is it Aspen, her first love?

The Elite delivers the adventure, glamour, political intrigue, and romance readers of The Selection expect, and continues the love triangle that captivated them.

GAH!!!!!!!!!!! That was basically my thought the whole time I was reading The Elite. I mean I was an emotional wreck for two days every time I picked it up and it still hasn’t passed. It had been a long time, Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver and Insurgent by Veronica Roth long, since I felt the kind of stress I did reading this book. Every turn of the page I knew I was getting further and further into the story that was going to rip my heart out and that I was getting closer and closer to the end which meant I would have to wait for book 3. And when I did reach that end I think my heart was ripped out of my chest and stepped on. Because The Elite, The Elite was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The story takes place directly after The Selection has ended. America is now in the final 6 and knows exactly how our dear Prince Maxon feels about her.  And America is well on her way to feeling the exact same thing. Maxon is giving her what she asks for, time, but when something happens America has no idea what she really wants and in the process pushes Maxon away. Soon America is watching as Maxon begins to get close to the other girls while she begins to once again get close to Aspen. As a war wages closer and closer to the castle America must figure out which boy her heart belongs to and if she has the guts to live the life of a queen.

America frustrated me to on end in this book. She just would not make up her mind and it was making me crazy. One second she was all team Maxon and the next she was team Aspen. I just wanted to smack her upside the head and tell her what to do. And that right there is why I loved this book. I was dragged in to the story emotionally and mentally and that shows the power of what Cass was trying to convey. Because really, teenagers don’t know what they want. They are frustrating and uncertain and scared, much like I am at 33, haha. But really America’s uncertainty was honest and realistic. I saw what she was feeling at times because Maxon was acting a fool and I wanted to choke him. He would say one thing to America and do another. But again, he was just as uncertain as she was because he had no answers. She was leading him on and asking for time, but keeping her first love on the side without his knowledge. He was between a rock and a hard place and acted out which although annoying, I understood.

What I really didn’t like was Aspen. In the first book he definitely wasn’t my favorite person once the prince was introduced. But in The Elite I hated him. Everything he did I thought was very manipulative and played on America’s feelings for him. He was/is using her to play out his agenda, whatever that may be. I don’t feel he is genuine at all when it comes to her and I have no use for him. Even with Maxon being an idiot, I’m still Team Maxon all the way. He made mistakes, America has made mistakes, but really who of use hasn’t?! And learning a little more of his background made me love him even more.

Basically Cass made me an emotional mess with this book and proved I was right when I called this series book crack. It isn’t good for you, it will rip out your soul, but you need to get your fix. You get so wrapped up in the lives of America, Maxon and Aspen that you forget they aren’t real people and you don’t need to be as emotional about it. Bravo Ms. Cass for sucking me and in keeping me there. Now give me book 3!

 

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