Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass (The Selection #2)
by The Book Pup on August 27 2025
Blurb for the book (on Goodreads):
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.
My Summary:
The Selection is down to the Elite, the final six girls competing for Prince Maxon's hand in marriage and the crown. America Singer is still caught between two worlds and two boys: Maxon, the prince who could give her everything, and Aspen, her first love now working as palace guard.
The competition is more intense than ever. Now that the other girls are becoming more desperate, America has to figure out who she really wants. But just when she thinks she knows her heart, an unexpected betrayal makes her stop in her tracks.
Meanwhile, the rebels are getting bolder, their attacks stronger. This puts everyone in the palace and related to the Selection in danger. With time running out, she needs to decide not just who she loves, but what kind of future she wants to have, and if she's brave enough to fight for it.
My Review (Non-Spoiler)
After falling in love with book 1 of the series, The Selection, I was so excited to dive into The Elite. And while I still enjoyed spending time in this world, I need to admit this one left me feeling a bit more frustrated than the first book.
There are things I really loved about this book, like the storyline and dystopian vibes, and Cass does a great job of raising the stakes and making everything feel more urgent.
But the love triangle... this one nearly drove me up the wall. America's indecision felt less fun and more exhausting, especially because it took her so long to figure out who she wants. And don't even get me started on Maxon and his hot-and-cold behavior towards America.
With that said, there were some genuinely emotional moments that hit hard, and the ending is more or less satisfying (for a cliffhanger). I hope the final book gives us an amazing ending.
3/5 pawprints 🐾🐾🐾
You can find the book on Goodreads here!
Spoiler Review
(⚠️ Warning: this includes spoilers to those who haven't read The Elite ⚠️)
Warning: If you liked this book and don't want to see any negative comments about it, this is your signal.
Ok, let's talk about what really frustrated me in this book because I have THOUGHTS.
The negatives: Marlee's caning was too extreme and violent. The scene was well-written, and I loved how America wanted to help her, but I feel like caning a lady that way in public went too far.
Some might argue that Marlee had her happy ending, and that made the situation a LOT better, but I still don't see it appropriate given the vibes the book gives off.
Another thing that was annoying was how Maxon kept putting America off, even when she told him that she wanted him. This miscommunication felt forced at times, like it was just there to create drama rather than natural relationship development.
That brings me to the love triangle chaos. America kissing Aspen while still in the Selection? Correction, America kissing Aspen while being in love with Maxon? That didn't make sense to me, especially when America got upset that Maxon kissed Celeste. It was wrong of Maxon, yes, but isn't she doing the same thing?
Now for the positives: Even though this book had a lot of negatives, I still liked many things Cass included in this book. I loved seeing more or the rebel groups and kind of getting closer to their motives and goals. Another thing is how Maxon took hits from his father for America. That was sweet of him and proves his protectiveness towards her.
I'm still invested in reading The One, but I really hope the love triangle mess is sorted out because right now, I'm team "America should run away and live her best life alone."
3/5 pawprints 🐾🐾🐾
You can find the book on Goodreads here!
Cheers,
The Book Pup