The Elite - Kiera Cass

*Warning; spoilers may occur as this is the second book of the series. For a review of the first book, see this post*

There are only six girls left in the competition to become Prince Maxon's bride, but America Singer already knows that she has his heart. Or has she? As she struggles to get over Aspen, who is now closer than ever, Maxon seems to grow away from her. With the rebel attacks getting more frequent and tasks getting more difficult, America's emotions are in turmoil. Expect more tears, more tension and more danger as the competition gets even more serious.

There is something truly remarkable about the way that this book draws you straight back into the midst of the Selection; it's as if you never left the palace. The competition has grown more intimate, and only the six finalists, the Elite, remain. They are tested and set tasks, and slowly but surely Prince Maxon needs to eliminate the girls based on how they do.

America is still totally undecided on whether she wants Maxon or Aspen, and sometimes this can be a bit of a chore to read. Different situation occur and changes happen so fast, she changes her mind from what seems like one day to the next. Just as you think she has finally chosen Maxon (come on, we're all willing her to), something happens to shake her belief in him. Sometimes her distrust in Maxon seems entirely unfounded though, and you do wonder how much she really cares for him, or for Aspen, for that matter. As a character, America seems to get stronger and more sure of herself in this book, and it is really good to see that change in her. You are willing her character arc to make her into a princess, and though sometimes she disappoints you, it builds you up for the climax beautifully.

There are one or two shockers, but the biggest one had me in floods of tears. You can see it coming a little bit beforehand, but it is fairly unexpected even then. It was truly horrific to read, but at the same time you are so relieved; it could have been much worse.

As suspected the book ends on an insanely high note, coming off of a hugely low point which leaves you both thrilled and excited for the next book. I read this book in a day and it was such a whirlwind of emotion I was left breathless. It's a 9 out of 10.

Image: readbreatherelax.com

This book is the second book of the series. The first is The Selection, by Kiera Cass. The Prince is a novella accompanying the first book. For a review on this, please click here.

The Prince: A Selection Novella - Kiera Cass

'Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection...
Before Aspen broke America's heart...
There was another girl in Prince Maxon's life...'

For those of you who have read and loved The Selection, this short story will give you all the extra details you wanted to know. This time we have Prince Maxons viewpoint as he goes through the Selection process.

Judging from the above description of the Novella, I assumed that this would be set much before any of the events that happened in the first book. You would be forgiven for thinking the same. However, that isn't true. Instead, the book is set a couple of weeks before the names are called out and ends just after the Prince has met the girls. More of a midquel than a prequel. Therefore the description, for me, was not a very good one. However, the actual story was genius. It not only delves into the Princes mind, but also that of his parents. It tells you exactly what happened when it came to the selection process and all about this other girl.

That's enough spoilers for you. As it's only a short story, this will only be a short review. An enjoyable, quick, light read that gets you thinking about the first book all over again. It even has a excerpt from the next book, The Elite, for you to dive into. As if you weren't excited enough already about its release. The book is only out on Kindle I'm afraid, but if you have a Kindle, go ahead and pick it up for 99p (or the equivalent of that in whichever country you're in). It's certainly worth it.

Four out of five. And look out for The Elite, out on the 23rd of April.

Image from http://d.gr-assets.com

Haven't read The Selection? Check out my review here.

The Selection - Kiera Cass

The thing about teen reads is that once you pick them up, it's so fun and quick to read them. This one was finished in 6 hours. Not 6 hours flat, there was an overnight break in the middle. It got put down very reluctantly at 2 in the morning. Anyway...

The Selection is a countrywide competition full of beautiful girls vying for the love/crown of Prince Maxon, the heir to the throne. America Singer is one of those girls. The problem? She's already in love with someone else. And it's about to get even more complicated.

The story is great, if a little obvious for an adult reader. But that's what makes it a great. It's light-hearted, funny and lovely. You don't have to think too much about it, you just read and it whizzes by.

This book is very reminiscent of Wither, by Lauren DeStefano, in the way that both main characters feel trapped in a 'gilded cage' and have extremely mixed feelings. The closeness of other women vying for the same young man and the sense of sisterhood the reader gets is also very like it.

It also picks up on the recent dystopian idea of reality television - a world where you are chosen for something, and people watch your every move. However, this is nothing like The Hunger Games.
This book is a delight to read. The characters are lively and likeable. Their conversations are hilarious; you find yourself laughing out loud. And America, the protagonist, is relateable. We've all been through what she's going through, only on a less grand stage.

This is a pretty short review, because saying much more will ruin the plot for those of you who are interested in reading it. So without further ado it gets 5 out of 5 stars and applause. I can't wait to get started on the next in the series, The Elite, which comes out in April. But in the meantime I'll settle with the kindle short story that's coming out in February (The Prince).