The Elite by Kiera Cass Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Conference
Second book in The Selection series
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.

Review
This didn't wow me but it was a very well done sequel. I liked how different it was from the first book. Even though I wasn't wowed, I really enjoyed it. 

This continues America's story. The Elite have been chosen and the competition is fierce. America doesn't know what she wants. She has 2 amazing options. While America battles her head, the rebels wreck havoc over the palace. 

America has my heart in this first book. I thought she was amazing! She lacked for me in this one. She was having a tough time. Her head was all over the place. All of a sudden it would seem like she figured things out. Then, she would second guess things and become stuck again. It was hard to connect with her when she was so on and off. I am Team Maxon for life. I could talk about him forever. I loved that we got to see so much of him. He played a huge role to the story. I was so glad we finally got to know him. Now Apsen I don't really have much to say about. He's kinda just there. He's a pretty good character and I can't wait to see who America eventually picks. 

One thing I really liked about this story was nothing was like the first book. It was incredibly dark and exciting. Lots of suspense and action. We really got to learn about the world America has found herself. We got to learn more about some of the characters and some history too. It was very difficult to put this down. I don't think the story lacked at all. Overall this was a pretty great sequel. It left me with very high hopes for the next book. I highly recommend!