The Elite, Kiera Cass

I read this so long ago . . . 

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. (Full description here.)

I honestly don't know how I missed this review. These books are awesome, how could I forget?

So if you haven't read the first book, read it or read the review! Click here for the review of The Selection by Kiera Cass.

Any-hoo, here's the setting (quoted from the review of the Selection):

The setting? Uh, I'm pretty sure it's in the future. Three-hundred years in the future, actually. So yeah it's a bit in the future. In-I guess-2313, there are different castes. One through seven. One being the richest of the rich; seven being even less than poor. Every time a new Prince of Ilea (I think it's Ilea, I read it awhile ago and there's no Wiki page on it! What!) needs a wife, every girl through the ages of 16 and 18 (again, I think) are put into a lottery-sort-of-thing. Then, after everyone's name is put into the lottery, thirty-five girls are picked out to be sent to the castle. From there they meet the charming Prince and it's kind of like the Bachelor. If you've ever seen that show. I hope you haven't, save yourself and never watch it.

So yeah that's that. Here's the main characters too.

First person has already been mentioned. America Singer. She's pretty chill. She's got a boyfriend, he's in a caste below her, but they still make it work. America's a five, so life is okay, but it could definitely be better. Like we already all know, she gets drawn in the lottery and is sent to the castle to meet Prince Maxon. I guess America could come off as an ungrateful little toad to some people, but I like her. She makes things work. And she's totally real. The other girls at the castle are fakers, they either want to be royalty or be rich. They don't actually want to get to know Maxon at all. Well, neither does America, but at least she's honest about not wanting to be there.

Next character is kind of obvious. Prince Maxon. He's the prince, if you didn't catch that the first billion times I said it. At first he seems like a tool, but between you and me, he gets a heck of a lot better. I'm sure you all know what will happen with him and America. Kind of obvious from page one, if you ask me. But that's okay. There's still a story between page one and page three-hundred-some, even if you think you know how it'll end. Which it doesn't end that way, anyways. There's a whole lot I didn't tell you but you'll thank me for that later. Maybe not. I don't know.

The third man character is America Singer's boy toy. Aspen. Her caste-below-her boyfriend. Okay, bear with me here (I still haven't figured out if it's bare or bear). First he's all romantic and blaaah. But then, I don't know, something happens. Well we all know. Maxon happens, and then Aspen just gets in the way and it's like: GET OUT, ASPEN. No one even wants him anymore. Maybe America for some unknown, messed up reason, but not me! She's supposed to be with Maxon. Not Aspen; he messed it all up for himself. The end. Get out.

I still feel the same about Aspen. I really do not like him. And talking to most of my friends, they don't like him either. Seriously, he is just so annoying! I can't handle him. And in this book, he just appears out of nowhere and becomes one of the guards at the castle. It's ridiculous. C'mon man.

So really I hope he just leaves but, I can't make that happen, obviously. I'm not the author! If I was, I'd be totally famous and I'd give all of you signed copies! . . .

Any-hoo. I'm amazed that there's a third book coming out, but I guess I do understand. The way the book ended was just . . . incomplete. There needed to be a third book.