Book Review :: The Elite, by Kiera Cass

The Selection began with thirty-five girls.

Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

Last updated on 22 February 2022

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The Elite continues America Singer’s story, as she is part of the few girls left in the running to become America’s Next Top Model. No, just kidding (kinda…). She’s one of the Elite; a very small group of girls who are left near the end of the Selection, and are there to win the Prince’s heart and become Princess.

Sounds very girly, I know, and it is. But it’s not so girly that I didn’t want to read it. While she is there to be chosen to be Princess, America is battling the strong feelings she still has for her ex-boyfriend (who has become a guard at the Palace), she stands up and speaks out against injustice, she has a best friend, she gets along with her maids, and she hides when rebels get into the Palace and torment everyone. So it’s not all ball gowns and tiaras. The story follows America as she gets closer to being crowned Princess, and the ups and downs that are there along the way.

I think I enjoyed The Elite more than The Selection, possibly on account of the fact that because there are only a few girls left in the competition, you get to know the characters a bit better, and perhaps because more seems to happen in this book than the first one.

With secret passages, public humiliation, your typical love triangle, and a few twists and turns, The Elite is a nice easy read that 323 pages long. It’s well written and has some great characters in it. I note that in my review of The Selection, I said that I wouldn’t rush out to read the next one, and while I think that’s still true of the book following The Elite (The One), I would like to read it to see where the story ends. The One comes out around May, I believe.

Have you read The Elite? What did you think?