The Elite by Kiera Cass

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.

 

 

I have mixed feelings about this one. I love the overall story, setting and characters. I think it’s well written and easy to get into. It really is a fun series and I look forward to seeing how everything wraps up in the next book. On the other hand, I absolutely hate love-triangles. I guess I don’t mind if they are a bit more subtle, and I’m sure they can work. It just doesn’t work for me in this book. I’ll get to that in a bit; I think it’s just one of those things I’m going to have to rant about. But first, I’ll stick with the positive. I like that there is still the dating competition going on, I also liked that it has been narrowed down to six girls. I like the dystopian world and how America is slowly realizing more about the world around her and the injustices that are going on with her government. I also like that she is starting to realize that she wants to do something about it and to help make a change. For the most part I love America’s character, I love how kind she is and loyal to her friends. She has a lot of good qualities.

All of that kind of takes a back seat to the love triangle though. Instead of focusing on America’s growth and her feelings about becoming a princess, we’re forced to live through a ping-pong match of America’s emotions. I thought the love triangle was really over the top, it literally felt like every chapter she was jumping from Aspen to Maxon. It got to the point where I was just sick of both of them. It made it hard to root for either and for her. I think there is a LOT of potential for an awesome love story, but it has been tainted by this silly LT. There is so much going on with the other girls, the King, and America learning what it takes to be a princess that we don’t need the LT angle thrown in our face. It was just too much for me. I really debated about giving this three stars, but I do love the rest of the story and I HOPE that the next book will not continue the LT, course I said the same thing in my review for book one.

Overall, the parts without the LT were awesome. I really enjoy the story. I think it’s a fun series and I think a lot of people will enjoy it too. I think most people probably don’t mind LT, so that aspect won’t bother them. I however, am sick of them!

Content: Mild violence. Mild kissing. Mild language.