Review Wednesday: The Elite by Kiera Cass

*DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE SELECTION. THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILER. If you want to read this series, read my review about The Selection by clicking on the link: Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Elite (The Selection #2)

Author: Kiera Cass
1st Date of Publication: April 23, 2013

ISBN: 9780062059963
# of Pages: 336

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Society

Age Rating: 13

Buy it on Amazon

Book Description:
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.

Setting: Illea (United States) in the future

Point of View: 1st person- America Singer

Goodreads Rating: 4.02

My Rating: 4.00

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: Another gorgeous picture. I love the color of the dress, but the style of the weird folds in the dress turns me off a bit. I like how tough and menacing America looks as if she is ready to kill to get what she wants.
View on Title: The title again is intriguing. We find out at the end the Elite are the top 10 remaining bachelorettes in the palace, but there are only 6. The title makes you feel like these girls have power. Or don't they?

Pros:

• It feels like Maxon was not with America as much in this book as he was in The Selection, but I think that was intentional in order to show America's growing (and sometimes stunted) character development. You get a better look at America's character. As she grows to become more independent from her family, she acts on feelings of justice in very gray areas. I feel that this book is a great representation of America's continuous struggle of the reasons behind why she is still in The Selection and her feelings for the two men fighting for her. I feel that her feelings and actions are very normal and justified despite being a naive seventeen-year-old young woman who comes from a rough past.
• Maxon continues to surprise me. His flaws show even more and you realize more that he is a victim of all that's going on as much as the girls that willingly or unwillingly stayed in the castle. With Maxon's character, I actually fell deeper in love with his character because you understand his world and environment better despite how America is viewing and struggling with the Selection process. In some sense, he is also struggling in similar ways that America is, such as staying to himself and what he believes in. Plus, who doesn't like a man who knows what he wants and goes straight for it?
• You also get a better view of Maxon's other relationships, but from America's side so you're obviously not seeing the bigger picture of things, but the series is about her journey as one of the Selected. You can see how America deals with all the relationships that affect her and her relationship with Maxon.
• The side characters actually get more characterization and I have grown to appreciate certain characters more than others.
• Then you also have the rebels to consider. You get a little more of a glimpse of what the rebels want and how far they'll go when terrorizing the people in the palace. Based on the events in The Elite, I know that'll they play a huge role in The One.

Cons:

• Again, the love triangle is what I like the least. America cannot decide who she wants: Maxon or Aspen. But, she always tends to lean toward the Maxon side.
• We can't forget about him even if we try. At the beginning of The Selection, I actually liked him until he was a complete manipulative jerk to her. I personally am perturbed every time he comes into the novel. I just want to grab onto America's shoulders and shake her while telling her, "Girl, he dumped you and he is totally manipulating you. Tell him to leave!" What Aspen does throughout this book is very wrong and could easily get her killed, especially with how deep Maxon's feelings are for America. His presence and actions come off as manipulative to me since he was the one who was selfish before she became one of the Selected and continues to be selfish while living and "protecting" her in the palace. Unfortunately, America doesn't see it.
• I felt that the Marlee situation was cruel and unnecessary, but I feel like this was the way Cass was trying to kill off one of your favorite characters without the actual killing.
• I'm also not a fan of King Clarkson, Maxon's father. He is very manipulative in a different extreme from Aspen. As you find out how he deals with everything from country to rebels to even his own son, you hate him even more.

Critics' Reviews:

"The Elite seems like a mix between The Bachelor, The Hunger Games, and Downton Abbey, but it is set in the future after the United States falls to China. Part of the plot involves learning how the United States became Illéa, a monarchy. Some parts of the story lack background information, but possibly the next book will answer these questions. There is a lot going on here, but readers can pick up with this book and, for the most part, make sense of it." --School Library Journal

"The plot moves more quickly in book two as rebel attacks intensify and the girls become more competitive, ratcheting up the tension. Some secrets of Illea's past are revealed—a history hidden behind castle walls that contradicts the oral history embraced by Illea's people. It is a welcome addition to the series, as details about the dystopian kingdom come to light that were only previously sketched out. America's character is more fully developed; in simple prose readers see the complicated feelings that can evolve when one feels love for two individuals—albeit a very different kind of love for each. Aspen is America's "one constant." He represents America's link to the past, and her inability to move forward. Prince Maxon, however, clearly has a hold on her heart, but that hold brings with it America's encroaching adulthood—adulthood she is not ready to embrace. The dystopian elements take a backseat to the romance, and because of this, public and school librarians may find this work appeals more to readers of romance writers like Sarah MacLean and Anna Godberson rather than to fans of The Hunger Games." --VOYA

Kiera Cass's Website:

http://www.kieracass.com/

Other Recommendations:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Entwined by Heather Dixon