Shaykitteh's World of Books

Disappointing, especially after a brilliant first novel.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS BELOW. ALSO, THERE IS A SPOILER FOR THE THIRD BOOK IN THE COMMENTS.

Kiera Cass's "Selection" series started out with a fun and sweet romance in a constrained world, but emphasizing the positives of the Selection process. Girls from castes Two - Five were selected to be part of the thirty-five hopefuls, one of which would become Princess. America Singer, a Five, survived through the first few eliminations, won the heart of the Prince, and went on to become one of the six Elite.

So ended the first book... and started the second.

What can I say about Elite, second book of The Selection Series? Compared to the first, it's a disappointment. The loving understanding that was growing between American and Maxon is essentially thrown away into a useful love triangle. You have the Prince, who loves America, and how is putting his future on the line waiting for her to make a decision. He can't get rid of the rest of the girls without picking her, but she keeps telling him to wait. And why does she tell him to wait? Because her ex-boyfriend, who dumped her out of a fit of mediocrity, is back in her life as a palace guard and manipulates her into feeling guilt, constantly trying to make Maxon into the bad guy. Aspen KNOWS that if anyone catches him with America that they will both be put to death, or at the least beaten and exiled, and he doesn't seem to care. In fact, when America tells him at one point that they can't do that, it doesn't seem to faze him!

Add in the fact that America gets crazy-jealous at Maxon when he spends time with any of the other Selected girls, while she's meeting her ex-boyfriend in the middle of the night... can you see why I'm upset?

The bulk of the book is taken up with America leading on both guys, not being able to decide who's life she's going to ruin further, and very little time is spent on the rest of the world. There are some interesting snippets about the rebels, including guesses on what they might be looking for, and a VERY interesting took into the diary of the man who created the caste system... but again, everything is overshadowed by America's immature behavior and the stupid love triangle.

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After reading the third book, I wanted to come back and make an addendum to this review. See, I believe that this second book didn't need to exist. There is enough drama with Maxon & America's love story, the Selection and the King and the rebels for two books. Not three. There are minor plot points that the author could have incorporated into either the first or third book, making them slightly longer, and just removed the second book with the wishy-washy America and the unneeded love triangle, but I think the author found herself in the trap of wanting the love story spread out over a trilogy. (Yes, I know that there is a fourth book out now and a fifth to come, but those are set in the future and not about Maxon & America's love story. Their love story is the first three books of The Selection Series.)

*library copy*