The Elite (The Selection #2) by: Kiera Cass

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopia, Romance
Published: April 23, 2013 by: Harper Teen
Pages: 336
Rating: 4.5/5
*contains spoilers*

The Elite is the second installment in Kiera Cass' Selection series. Here, we follow America Singer's continuing adventures in the Selection competition to win Prince Maxon's heart. The competition has been narrowed down to six girls, and with a growing revolution, time is running out. America must deal with Maxon, her past love Aspen and the threat of war on the horizon. No one is safe anymore.

Like the first book in the series, I enjoyed this very much! As soon as I finished The Selection, I needed to find out what happens next. So I picked this book up the first chance I got. I have to say that I extremely enjoyed the plot, characterization as well as the theme.

The first positive was the fact that this book was not at all boring. I literally finished this book in a day because I could not put it down. The action was perfectly spanned out, but it also wasn't too fast-paced. I loved that the energy in the book wasn't thrown at you as soon as it started, but instead lead into it. It was a very organized book.

Secondly, the characters came back better than ever! What I love about America, is that she is a relatable girl. She isn't ditzy, overly confident or rude. She is hilariously sarcastic, and she stands her own ground. This is the way a heroine should be. America was one of those strong female characters who you just couldn't help but love. She wasn't cookie-cutter.

Then there's Maxon. Oh, adorable Prince Maxon. He's so cute, and I wish he was a real person! Again, not a cookie-cutter hot male character that you could see in other books. He was a gentleman, yet he had a humorous side as well. I loved reading about him. Aspen was a good character too, however my personal opinion, is that Maxon deserves America. Aspen just doesn't seem right for her!

Lastly, the theme of the book was incredibly versatile. I love this series because it is both a romance and dystopia. It has themes of uprising and war, but also of love and family. The love isn't cheesy, because you have this perfect dystopia plot to go along with it. Both fans of action and romance, would enjoy this book.

Overall, this book got a 4.5/5 star rating because it was very easy to get through, and was very interesting. The only complaint I have is that Aspen really annoys me, but hey, there's always going to be that one character, who you just don't like. I can't wait to read The One!

Have you read the Selection? Are you a team Maxon or team Aspen?

Emily @ Paperback Princess