Kingdom of Readers

The Elite is the second book in the Selection series, and while I really enjoyed the first book—finding it very entertaining—I’m starting to have doubts about how the series will continue after this second installment.

I had to take a little hiatus from reading (well, listening to) the book while I waited for my Spotify audiobook hours to renew (lol, oops).

I was so close to finishing—only two chapters left—which was pretty disappointing. But when I came back, I was immediately struck by the immaturity of the characters…

I get it, they’re teenagers. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for that kind of drama this time around, but the ending also felt super lackluster.

There was no cliffhanger or anything that made me go, “OMG, what happens next?” Honestly, it didn’t do much to pull me into the next book, other than the curiosity about who the prince will choose in the end.

At this point, I feel like this story could become more drawn-out as the series continues, but only time will tell. Gosh, I just really wish there had been something to keep me hooked—maybe a bit more suspense, something about the rebel cause… or, I don’t know, just anything to make me want to dive straight into the next book.

Regardless, before my hiatus, I was genuinely enjoying this tale, so I’m going to chalk it up to jumping back into a YA book after reading adult fiction. I’ll stick with the series for now. But hey, if the third book disappoints… IM OUT. ✌🏻

Into the details…

There were definitely moments—especially as the romance between Maxon and America continued to grow—that made me giddy. But there were also plenty of moments that made me angry or nervous, like the potential of the rebels finding the secret journal in America’s rooms.

And Jeeez, the REBELS! I’m really starting to wonder about America’s dad. Is he part of the rebel cause? It’s starting to feel pretty obvious, and honestly, I’d be more surprised at this point if he isn’t involved. He’s giving off some seriously sus vibes.

Speaking of sus… Aspen!

I was convinced he was going to mess things up for America, but guess what? While he definitely complicated things, America did a pretty good job of making it more confusing and dangerous for herself. I mean, seriously—talk about immaturity. What did she think was going to happen after giving that controversial presentation, knowing the king would be totally against it?

All she did was doom herself and leave Maxon to take the brunt of the king’s wrath in her place.

And speaking of the king, I knew I’d hate him… but after finding out he abuses his son? Game over.

Of course, Maxon messed up too. He’s completely immature and clueless about the world outside the castle, but I’m hopeful he’ll eventually stand up to the king and stop letting him run the show and make decisions for him.

Final thoughts:

Despite everything, I still enjoyed the book. It just wasn’t a wow read for me. I’m giving it a 3/5 stars for now, and we’ll see how the next one fares!

Happy Reading!