Hello
happy readers! So as you may know from
last week’s review of The Selection by Kiera Cass I am moving through the
series, somewhat slowly as I am listening to them and only have about a 5-7
minute commute to and from work so not a ton of listening to be had currently
but I have another trip coming up on the 24th so cheers there. I hope to at least finish up the original
three books in the series before moving on to the novellas and the two
spin-off/after books. So today, go
figure, I’m going to share my thoughts and feels for book two, The Elite, which
will contain spoilers from the first book if you haven’t read the series yet.
Rating: 4.5
Stars
So
when we left off we had just went from a large group of girls down to the
Elite, and only six to boot as Maxon didn’t want to keep anyone around and in
danger unnecessarily. Things heat up in
the competition for Maxon’s heart as he girls are now expected to learn and do
more of what a princess would. America
has to figure out where her heart is, with her first love Aspen who broke her
heart but came back for her. Or Prince
Maxon, whom she has real feelings for but isn’t sure of everything that comes
with him, like the crown. She wants time
to try and make her decision but as things progress time may be against her and
she may lose her ability to choose.
In
book one I was not very fond of her interactions with Aspen once he came to the
palace. I was happy that he got out of
where he was and it turned out well for him and I even understand in some part
his reasons for breaking her heart. I
was even happy that it might give her closure but instead it opened up a new
can of worms. While she was developing
real feelings for Maxon she now had her first love waiting in the wings which
wasn’t fair to either to either guy even if Aspen was aware and Maxon was
technically dating many girls at once.
Morality aside it was risky and stupid to keep talking with him like
that and sneaking moments. As we move
forward though and things happen outside of the control and understanding of
America she is forced to see the not so pleasant side of ruling and she isn’t
pleased. Upset and pulling away from
Maxon and the crown leads him to waver in his certainty of her and look more
seriously at the other girls. Which adds
even more flames to the fire that is the mess of emotions.
Character
wise I still really liked Maxon though he had some moments where I was with
America in being uncertain. His reasons
make sense and paired with his inexperience they are almost sweet but he
expects her to understand his faults and missteps in that area but doesn’t
always offer the same with her in regards to the other girls and politics. Still I was firmly Team Maxon. Aspen on the other hand I enjoyed as a
character and I loved his support and loyalty to his country and America but I
didn’t approve of what he was doing in trying to win her while she was in the
selection. It is against the rules and
the risks are much too high. America was
still nervous and unsure and relatable if not a bit indecisive which got to me
a bit more on reflection than it did in the moment.
With
the girls being so few now we really got to dive more into them and who they
are, along with what they were there for.
Some suspicions were confirmed others enlightened. Also can I say how much I still love
Marley! The bond forged between her and
America was on point for me and something I think that was needed in the otherwise
cattiness that occurs in the situation.
Special note also to America's
maid, Ann, Mary, and Lucy were also so much fun. The way America interacts with them and they
are with her, true confidents who would do anything for her and she for them
seeing them as people. It kind of helps
keep her grounded in the opulence of the palace.
I
really liked the aspect of including the rebels and learning more about the
country as a whole. I always suspected
something was off but this did kind of catch me by surprise. Maybe because of how insane it was and how
honestly I think it could have played out.
How this way of life really happened. We also get to know more about other
countries as well from the dignitaries coming over to visit and interact, each
group unique with their different customs and preferences on being
handled. Also seeing the girls step up
and have more responsibility was good to see who shined and who failed.
Still
really enjoying the series and I'm excited to continue on in the series, I have
them all (accept the newest one) waiting for me on my shelf. I'm excited to have finally started this
series. While I wish I had been up on
the series before hand so I could have enjoyed all the talk of them I also like
not having to wait so there is that! I'd
love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below. Did you enjoy the picks for the elite? Were you rooting for Maxon or Aspen? Let's discuss!
Until
next time…
