The Selection #2: The Elite
by Kiera Cass
In the highly anticipated sequel to The Selection, the princess contest continues in the popular Young Adult series. It’s a more feminine, more glamorous version of The Hunger Games, but with a marriage to a prince as the reward. In this second volume, only six teen girls remain of the original thirty-five, and that makes it more cut-throat than ever. If you think it won’t have any suspense because the heroine has finally realized she has feelings for the prince, think again.
Still full of beautiful ball gowns, teas with the queen, and competition with girls who are just sweet enough to keep their enemies closer, this next leg of the journey is very exciting. The more I learn about the prince’s character, the more I respect and like him. The heroine, though, has much room for improvement. The only part of the story that didn’t sit well with me was the love triangle between the heroine, her ex-boyfriend, and the prince. Whenever she felt insecure because the prince was literally doing his duty by spending time with the other contestants, she retaliated by having a secret (and illegal) rendezvous with her ex. To me, that showed she didn’t have the maturity to handle royal life, if she was insecure and jumped to conclusions with every little doubt. But, then again, she was written to be seventeen years old, so it’s fair to expect immaturity. I just hope the young readers out there don’t take her behavior as a guide.
Although I’m nearly twice as old as the target audience, I still really enjoy this teen series. It’s fun to imagine what I would do in the girls’ places, and it’s also great fun to get immersed in the setting with parties, personal seamstresses, and lovely meals. I’m looking forward to the next one!
Still full of beautiful ball gowns, teas with the queen, and competition with girls who are just sweet enough to keep their enemies closer, this next leg of the journey is very exciting. The more I learn about the prince’s character, the more I respect and like him. The heroine, though, has much room for improvement. The only part of the story that didn’t sit well with me was the love triangle between the heroine, her ex-boyfriend, and the prince. Whenever she felt insecure because the prince was literally doing his duty by spending time with the other contestants, she retaliated by having a secret (and illegal) rendezvous with her ex. To me, that showed she didn’t have the maturity to handle royal life, if she was insecure and jumped to conclusions with every little doubt. But, then again, she was written to be seventeen years old, so it’s fair to expect immaturity. I just hope the young readers out there don’t take her behavior as a guide.
Although I’m nearly twice as old as the target audience, I still really enjoy this teen series. It’s fun to imagine what I would do in the girls’ places, and it’s also great fun to get immersed in the setting with parties, personal seamstresses, and lovely meals. I’m looking forward to the next one!