Book Review: The Elite and The One

The Elite
by Kiera Cass
Harper Teen, 2013
Genre: YA, Romance
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 2 out of 5

The One
by Kiera Cass
Harper Teen, 2014
Genre: YA, Romance
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 3 out of 5

In the second and third installments of The Selection series, America Singer is still in the race for Prince Maxon's heart.  While he's giving her time to come to terms with her feelings for him and whether or not she wants to be queen, America is just trying to manage her way through the competition.  Aspen's appointment as her guard doesn't help her figure out her feelings because every time he is near her, she remembers him and how he loved her.  Plus, Maxon is spending a lot of time with the other girls, now that there's only six of them, and America doesn't like it.  It isn't until she takes a risk and Maxon's father wants her gone, does she realize just how much she truly does love the prince and how she will fight to be the one he chooses.  Now she has the King out to sabotage her even more than the three remaining girls.  America finds herself in the middle of political upheaval, trying to win a competition, help her country, and stay true to herself.

I decided to include review for both of these books together because I raced through them within a few days in order to find out what happened in the end.  I will say that The Elite was even more of the same, with America beginning to get a little more interesting.  With six girls in the competition, it became more aggravating that Maxon continued to date all these girls and America (as well as the others) was expected to sit around and wait for him.  What helped move the story along was the addition of some political and moral dilemmas America finds herself in and how she reacts towards them.  Each reaction causes more problems for her and those she loves.  But it wasn't until the last book that I really felt that this took shape and America's role in her country became solidified--even if she doesn't become queen.  Also there some surprising parts that I wasn't expecting to happen.

The most annoying parts of the book were the love triangle-ness, which somewhat diminishes within the third book, but not really.  It would be more accurate to say it just got too complicated and muddled to be a triangle anymore.  What made me enjoy the third book was how America came into her own and stuck by her beliefs in all ways that she was given a chance to do so.

I will not go on and read the other books that deal with future children of Illea.  For me, the door is closed on the Selection since I now know how this selection ended.  That's all I needed and now I can move on to another book.

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