Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Elite

So, I just finished reading The Elite by Kiera Cass about 4 hours ago. Yup I just finished one whole book in less than one day. Not my ultimate high which was three but it was pretty fast anyways; however the way I see it is that the faster I finish the book the faster I can start on my summer homework (yeah right). At least that's what I told my mom. Anyhoo, for the moment you've all been waiting for, the review on The Elite by Kiera Cass.



Description Provided by Goodreads: 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.

I have a secret to tell. I read the ending of this book before I had even started reading the book, I just couldn't help myself but am I ever glad I did it. By now it's no secret that America is trying to chose between Aspen and Maxon, so I just had to know who she chose. 

Story Line: I loved the story line because I thought that I might get bored with it just being about America trying to choose between Aspen and Maxon, while Maxon tries desperately hard to get her to be with him and girls would get eliminate while America just cruises along. However, I was shockingly and gladly surprised. I was surprised by America's decisions, boldness, and outspokenness. I was surprised by Maxon's courageousness, boldness, and backup options. I was surprised by the ending and I know that there are  unresolved issued that have to be dealt with in the third but but I can live with that because if there weren't any there wouldn't be a third book.

Characters:  I really enjoyed this book because it showed a different side to the characters that I thought I already knew The Selection. In the Elite we see a different side of Maxon; we see that not only is Prince Maxon a romantic and a charmer but he is also a protector and a progressive, he wants change and he knows how to get it done. We also see that America isn't just going to stand on the side lines when injustice is happening. One thing that I liked about this book is that Kiera Cass makes America, an inanimate book character, seem like a real person through her indecisiveness between Aspen, the familiar, and Prince Maxon, the new and breathless romance; although I think she should just choose Maxon but that's just me. Cass also makes America seem more human with her insecurity towards being fit for being a princess and a leader, although not all of us have to worry about being fit to be the next princess we do experience insecurities in our lives that deal with the ability to live up to something or being good enough for a certain role.

Overall: I loved this book and the surprising turn of event. I loved the characters because they become more human and life like in this book and I got to see different parts of their personalities. I can't wait for the next book, The One, that comes out in May 6th 2014.

Ranking: I would rank this book 9.



About the Author:
I was born and raised in South Carolina, a proud child of the 80's. Also, my dad is Puerto Rican, and my mom is super white. I have neither a Hispanic or Southern accent. No clue why. Growing up, I was awkward. I didn't understand fashion at all (not that I do now) and was never into what was cool while it was actually popular.  But I didn't mind it so much because I had a few really great friends and wonderful outlets. By high school, I was a seasoned dancer, diehard theater buff, and in a chamber choir that at one point was tied for third in the nation competitively...In 2007, my world was shaken by a local tragedy, and I took it pretty hard. Over the course of the following year, I tried a lot of things to get myself together resulting in me sitting down to write a story where my character had to deal with my problems so I wouldn't have to. The distance from my head to the page helped me step back a bit and cope with all the things I was feeling. I ended up not finishing that story because I woke up from a nap with the idea that would become The Siren and HAD to get that written. After I got into the habit of writing, lots of ideas came, including The Selection and handful of others that are waiting their turn.

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