Book Review: The Elite; Kiera Cass.

October seemed like a great month to read this book because of the red-orange cover. So autumnal! Sadly the book didn't really grab me in any way, shape, or form and I came out of it feeling very disappointed.

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: The Elite
AUTHOR: Kiera Cass
SERIES: The Selection (#2)
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
PAGES: 337
GENRE: Young Adult, Romance, Dystopian

RATING: 2.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
America Singer will leave her pre-destined life for a world of glamour and luxury, if she wins…

But surviving The Selection is tough. Rivals are battling to become Prince Maxon’s bride as the threat of rebel violence just beyond the palace walls escalates into war.

Only six girls are left and sworn friendships are tested to breaking point. America’s feelings for Maxon grow stronger, but she suspects darker mysteries in his royal past. With ex-lover Aspen waiting for her in the shadows, where do her loyalties truly lie?

What I Liked:

• Filling in this section is going to be tough. I guess the fact that I do still want to read book three must count for something, right? There was a glimmer of plot during the scene with the rebels and reading the diary and I really wish Cass had explored that story more thoroughly rather than America's book-long inability to choose between two men. Ugh.

What I Disliked:

• Where to begin? Let's start with the whining shall we? Everyone knows that love triangles are something that more often than not, I can't get on board with. That's because they often consume the whole plot and this is a prime example of that. This whole book was about America Singer, torn between Prince Maxon and her ex-turned-guard Aspen, and unable to choose. She complains about how difficult it all is, begs them both for more decision making time (which they are pathetically willing to provide) and talks about virtually nothing else for the entire book. She doesn't even feel that guilty about it, nor does she worry about being caught. It's awful.
• Thanks to the reason above, there is no plot or character development in this book. Just some minor sub-plots to make it look like something is happening, but this is just filler material. I wanted to read more about the world-building but sadly, no. I wanted to see America become a kick-ass contender, but again, no. Does anything really happen? No. Could you skip this book and go straight to the finale? I'm 99% sure that yes, you could.

Overall Conclusion:

Sigh. I wanted to like this, but I've been putting it off because I had a premonition that this was the reading experience I would have. I was right. The love triangle took over, and even that wasn't resolved by the end of this book. So I'm going into book three in the same position as book two, minus like one contestant. I liked that the tension between the girls was taken up a notch, but that was about it. Tell me about the rebels! Or about how Ilea came to be! Also, I like Maxon but I would really like it if he stopped calling everyone 'dear' and 'darling' like a middle-aged pervert, and the way that he described his relationship with Celeste as 'relieving tension' and America was all 'I get that' literally made me sick.

Book Review: The Selection; Kiera Cass.

It's amazing how long it took me to read this book after it came out. It received so much hype but I was a bit wary due to the fact that it received so many mixed reviews. I'm entering it into the Monthly Motif challenge too for being a New York Times bestseller!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: The Selection
AUTHOR: Kiera Cass
SERIES: The Selection (#1)
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
PAGES: 339
GENRE: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance

RATING: 3/5 Stars

Blurb:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

What I Liked:

• The plot-line, despite not being my usual thing, really hooked me. It was quite a comfortable read in that there wasn't a huge amount of danger involved (save for the odd Rebel attack which didn't seem to mention much in the way of death) and I think I needed a book like that right now. I could get into the competition politics, watching the girls try to outdo each other and most importantly: watching America and Maxon's relationship. I know they're probably going to end up together but I liked that they were friends throughout most of this book. It was a nice build-up!
• Once I adjusted to the characters, I ended up quite liking them. Maxon's gentlemanly cluelessness was pretty adorable, I like how feisty America was (and how clear-headed she could be too) and I even began to feel a little sorry for Aspen whose only fault was his pride. I felt like I didn't get to know the girls all that well, but the ones that I did have some interesting developments lined up I'm sure. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them now that the competition has been narrowed down so much.

What I Disliked:

• There were a few plot incidents that felt a little forced (America's sudden, overwhelming panic attack for example) and some things didn't quite make sense (America's good behaviour if she really didn't want to be chosen, the caste system based on occupation felt a little iffy, the Southern Rebels being classed as the most dangerous and deadly when in fact they seem to favour tying people up and knocking them out, etc.) and I think this came down to a lack of detail in the world-building. There was a little bit of information posted sporadically throughout the book but it didn't really give me a clear look at what was happening, just made me ask more questions.
• Some of the conversations felt very natural in this book, and some of them really did not. By the end of the book I was a huge Maxon fan, but when I first met him? His consistent use of the words 'my dear' actually made me cringe. Anyone who has read 'Oliver Twist' (or seen the movie, as in my case) will know exactly which character came to mind and I can tell you it was not a pretty picture to begin with. I just couldn't imagine a young Maxon using that sort of phrase when referring to a lady his age. There were other examples of weird speech but that was the most notable.

Overall Conclusion:

My 'good but not amazing' rating comes from the fact that despite liking it, I was not bowled over by this story. It's going to take quite a bit more detail and an improvement in the writing in order for this to happen. The plot idea was strong and I like the characters, but I want to feel more love for this book and world-building has to be a big part of that. There is a very 'safe' feeling that comes with reading this book: possibly because the supposed threats don't feel all that threatening? Cass hasn't introduced a real villain as of yet so the biggest dangers America has to face are a jealous, dress-ripping Celia or Robin Hood style Rebels. There maybe more of this to come in Book Two and I'm really intrigued to see where Cass goes with this series, so I'll definitely be continuing!