Harperteen The Elite

The Elite starts off right where The Selection finished with the six remaining girls still all attempting win over Prince Maxon. America is torn between the man she’s falling in love with and the her first love.The girls are focused on winning the prince’s heart, while around them from both the north and the south attacking the palace, who are both pushing to end the selection before Maxon makes his choice. As the attacks get more violent the King pushes Maxon to make his choice. As the Selection progress America and the rest of the girls are tested in more ways the can imagine some harsher than others.I love America, she’s strong and stubborn, and can act rather rashly. Yet she follows her head and her heart, even when it may not always be the best choice. I enjoy reading about her time in the Selection and she goes from wanting to be there for her family to really wanting to be the one. The one thing that annoyed me about her is that she can’t decide between Maxon and Aspen, she’s always bouncing back and forth, I don’t really like love triangles in general.With this sequel I enjoyed learning more about the Caste system, there’s a lot more information about the world they live in, than in the book than the first book. The rebels are attacking more than ever. We also learn a bit more about the characters. All I can say about King Clarkson is that he is a piece of work. And now that we are down to the final six girls we get to know them a bit better. I loved Marlee and something really bad happens to her, and America is more upset by it than Marlee was. America blames it all on Maxon, when he actually had nothing to do with it.The Elite is a great continuation of America’s journey through The Selection process. The Elite is a fast paced story just like the first book and I managed to read over two days, just didn’t want to put it down. I’m dying to get my hands on the next book so I see how it’s all going to end.

I’ve gotta say, I haven’t rated a book 5 stars in a long time. (well, it certainly feels that way.) First off, it has felt like a lifetime since The Selection came out, and I only read that a few months ago. So…yeah.I am in LOVE with Maxon. (But I will try not to be too biased…) Now, although he’s not perfect, and yes he may have done a few…things…that will not be spoiled but must still be taken into account, I feel he is still the strongest choice between him and Aspen.Aspen, to me, got very clingy. Impatient. And yet sweet in certain moments. He has America’s history, he is her past, the place she knew the most, and felt at home with, but things are changing. Maxon could be impatient too, but more toward the end, and to be fair, who could blame him? America did get on my nerves a little bit in a couple of parts, but that’s mainly because, a little like in book 1, she was going between the two guys like a yo yo and then she’d get jealous or moan when Maxon talked to another girl. I was like “Girl, you can’t be playing them both, it’s not fair!” but it turns out she couldn’t hear me. *sigh*The writing as usual in The Elite was great, just as good as The Selection, if not better, and each page sucked me in. There is so much going on, and where one moment I was aww’ing, the next moment I’d be cursing one of the characters. I love that it’s not clogged up with unneeded description and there’s plenty of dialogue – which is, what I prefer in a story. I don’t need to know what shade wall paper there is, or the pattern on the carpet. I want to know who’s walking that carpet and where they are going, or who’s talking to whom, you know what I’m saying? And Kiera Cass delivers this perfectly.The tension between the final selection of girls is palpable from start to finish and still I want to kill Celeste. I rather think that’s the point of writing her as a horrible person, but still, I’m clarifying my feelings towards her.It was nice to see more interaction between the other girls and America. Whereas in The Selection, you only really heard or saw them in passing, this time there are actual conversations, delving more into their personalities and just how they are competing. It turns out, America has more problems than she thought.Now, Marlee. Damn girl, what have you gone and done? We finally find out her secret and let me just say it’s scandalous; but the result, I felt was the epitome of how a Monarchy would react. Nothing goes unseen or unpunished, which is why I’m waiting for the ball to drop on the goings on between Aspen and America. (If they ended up getting married, they would be AA. *giggles*) Yeah bad joke. Anyway, there are many sweet moments and one in particular near the end nearly had me crying. I could feel my eyes welling up, but I willed the tears back in because no, I would not cry. Nope.There’s plenty of bitchiness, arguments, romance, tears, happiness, fear. Funny moments, too. I mean, the whole package. I didn’t ever want to stop reading, and I hoped the book wouldn’t end but sadly it did and all too soon. :( And now we wait for book 3, which apparently is titled “The One” and I am TRULY hoping it means what I think it means. But knowing Kiera it’s something different. *sigh*The problem with reading a book so soon after it’s released is you then have to wait forever for the next one.Definitely worth reading if you enjoyed The Selection, and even if you didn’t particularly like that, you’ll surely love this. I did. I really did. 😀

There is no doubt that this book is a page turner, it forces you to read on to see what happens. That is one thing I thoroughly enjoyed. However, compared to the first book, my lasting opinion on this is more mixed.As I say, the pace is good, and the writing engaging. Cass knows how to make you want to keep reading. Again, I read this book in a couple of hours, in one sitting, and that is a testament to her writing abilities.However, whilst I enjoyed the dreamy story-line and engaging characters of the first book, I found myself having a few issues with the characters and plot of this one. I loved America in the first book, and although I still like her character, her inability to make decisions really began to grate on me. I love her sense of justice and her ability to stand up for the things that matter, I just wish she would do it with more conviction and not be deterred by the obstacles in her way - people, or events.The Prince also jarred me a fair bit in this book. He claims to love America yet he's 100% playing the field with the other girls. I understand he's trying to hedge his bets, but these are women, not poker chips.There was some intriguing character development in this book, which is commendable; I particularly enjoyed Marlee's storyline, and I hope she will feature more prominently in the next book. Furthermore, the King's character took an interesting turn, which I enjoyed. In terms of Celeste, I really hope her character gets more development in future novels, and that there's more going on internally there than just her classic-bitch demeanor.Continuing on with things I enjoyed slightly less in this novel - I was really not a fan of the general tendency of this book to focus more on the catty and superficial aspects of the girls. It really now feels like a competition, and with so few candidates left, it's very close. I am at a loss for how the characters focus on petty details when the palace and its inhabitants are literally attacked every other day by rebels. By this point, I wanted this element to be expanded on a little more, and although we are fed tidbits, we are relatively in the dark. I am definitely praying the rebel-forces and ~book mystery~ will be illuminated more in the following books. I'm sure that it is being saved for a big reveal, but still. It is at times frustrating to read segments about the girls vying for the Prince's affections, cemented between more deep and complex passages about war, inequality, and justice.Overall, this is definitely an engaging read, and I have high hopes that the issues that stopped me from connecting as much with this book will be resolved in future installments.

adored this series.Is it just me, or do you ever feel so overwhelmed with feelings that you just have to stop reading the book and just meditate on the words that you have read and let them sink in for a little bit. I had to do this when I finished The Elite and I had to wait a WHOLE YEAR for the next book to come out.The wait was truly agonizing but the whole series turned out positively amazingly and it is, in my opinion, the most perfect romance novel. It is my go to series when I need a pick me and a happy ending. It gives me that warm, snuggling feeling a hug gives you. I honestly fell in love with Maxon, it was love at first sentence. I shipped America and Maxon from the start. He truly cared for her and gave her everything she asked which was not very much. I felt his sincerity and genuine feelings from the beginning.However, I also understood why some people found Maxon difficult to fall in love with from the beginning. He has been put in a situation where he must pick a wife out of 35 woman and because of that he has spread his eggs between them all. It's completely understandable why America feels jealous and can't express her feelings for him straight away. It is the only way Maxon is able to pick a wife since he cannot leave the palace. Also, due to the fact that America just had her heart broken right before she went by Aspen. Someone who she had already planned her whole life with and was willing to give up everything for him. When she is first arrives, she is trying to heal her broken heart. Really makes you feel sorry for America, she views it as a way to get away from the situation and heal.Every girl who has been chosen is there for one reason: to marry Prince Maxon. (Who on earth doesn't want to marry a Prince? Come on, don't deny it. We have all had that fantasy and wondered what it would be like to be Kate Middleton. I would love for Prince Maxon to be real and get the chance to wed him.) Anyway, I am totally digressing. America is there so she can heal and give money to her family which is paid from the Palace. You find out that the girls there want different things from Maxon and will fight to get him and what they want. But also, America develops friendships with the girls there, something she didn't expect.Obviously, there were some trials along the way. Love isn't always that simple, especially when you are put in the kind of situation America was in. She is battling jealously and indecisiveness towards her feelings for Maxon and her feelings for Aspen. Her feelings for Aspen are still lingering in the background and because of that, they hold her back from what she truly wants and that is Maxon. Maxon is well aware of her previous heartbreak and is so kind, gentle and patient with America and never pushes her into anything she doesn't want to do. He is a true gentleman and loved her from the beginning.I feel this book has everything you could ask for, from unbelievable romance to making your heart pound and sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your nails desperate to know more. It has me gripped from start to finish.This series claimed my heart, my soul and my mind and it led me along with every line. it was absolutely breathtaking and I could not put it down. I could read this series over and over again and not get bored. I felt that it captured the true essence of love. That yes you might have disagreements within your relationship but never forget to show love to the closest person in your life. As long you continue to show love to one another everything will be alright.

Second in the series. Although not exactly fast paced, there are no 'lull' chapters where you're being kept waiting for something more exciting to happen. The love triangle of Maxon/ Aspen/ America is presumably being left to resolve for the third book, but the introduction of the dark side of Maxon's father and his family history is clever. Despite other reviews suggesting it, I don't think it's a message about what can happen under a royalty regime, it's more a suggestion of what can happen under totalitarian regimes (which can be royal or presidential), or what happens when someone abuses their place of power. The development of Maxon away from the rich boy with everything he wants is also clever in that it reflects that just because someone is privileged does not mean that they have the power to do as they please. America is characterised perfectly as a teenage girl in a love triangle in that she is indecisive in her choice and little things keep swaying her from one side to the other within the same chapter sometimes. As a reader that is frustrating, but realistic for the character's age and life experience. An easy read where I read it within a few hours without meaning to, so that really is the only criticism about this book and the first one, they could have been longer, but as a 'mature' reader that's my own fault for being able to read much longer and complex novels quickly.