The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

I finally got to read the first book in this series, The Selection, back in May, around the time I got to meet the author.  And as I expected, I fell in love with it.  I'd heard some bad things about the sequel, and while one of them I can see why people said it, I don't care what anyone else said, because I loved this one too!  This was actually the 3rd book I've read for my 2nd Annual September is for Sequels Challenge.
America was still left at the end of the first book, part of the final contestants, or The Elite.  There are less girls to compete against now, but while she seems to have Prince Maxon's interest, and even love, there are things about being a princess that she is not sure she wants or is the right person for.  Having her ex-boyfriend Aspen as a guard at the castle is not helpful in her trying to decide if she truly loves Maxon and could one day be the princess, and even the queen.  And I know one of the complaints with this sequel was that she kept going back and forth between Aspen and Maxon, and while I agree that got annoying, in some cases, I could totally see it.  I know that in college, since I hadn't dated much before then, I often was not sure about letting an old guy/friend go even when I was dating someone new.  And there are some things that happen that I totally can understand why America gets upset with Maxon.  Things that happen with the other girls that she feels are her friends.  Even just the bit about her lower caste and how she doesn't quite know how things work, or why they should still continue to work that way.  The rebels continue to attack, and during and after these attacks we even learn more about them and what they may possibly want.  Maxon shares a private library with America, and he allows her to take one book, to help plan for the Halloween party they are having.  The great thing about this party is that it will be the event when the girls will get to bring their families to the palace, and Maxon will get to meet them. The great thing that happens is that America's father seems to like Maxon, and then he tells her that he is proud of her whatever she decides.  Then something unthinkable happens the day after, and America does something that now jeopardizes her standing as one of the finalists.  Something that makes her look unworthy to be a princess in the King's eyes.  It also seems that Maxon may be getting to know some of the other girls better as well.  And America isn't sure if he no longer wants her, or what is going on.  These are the things that upset her and make her do more things that cause her to get to the point where she may be the next to leave.
Again this really did remind me of The Bachelor, in the fact that Maxon seemed to be favoring certain girls, and not others.  I don't know how many times I've watched that show, thinking one girl was the one he favors, then at the end to be surprised in which one he picked.  We do learn more about the rebels, not much, but a little.  We also learn a lot about how the caste system came about, through the diary of the founder.  And we learn that really, it wasn't a great start, and from what America reads, she's not sure any of this was done to help the country as they were all taught.  From what she reads, it seems done by a selfish man who wanted the power and riches for himself and his family.
I still rooted for America, even in the parts when I thought she was going too far and being too untrusting.  The way it ended makes me so eager to read on.  I can't believe I now have to wait so long for the next book!  But I will be eagerly awaiting it!

The Selection by Kiera Cass

I've been interested in reading this book for a long time.  Of course it has such a pretty cover, so that pulled me in at first.  Then I heard lots of great reviews of it.  I guess there are negative ones out there, but I didn't see them.  And I don't plan to go look for them either!  I have to say that I loved this book!  As I've seen it posted before, this is basically The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor.  In a good way though.
This is definitely dystopian.  This society has castes, that are numbered, and if you are in a caste, it is almost impossible to get out of it.  The main character is America Singer, and she is in the level 5 caste, which is for musicians and artists.  This society has also condensed all holidays into two or three a year, which makes it harder for this caste to make money because about the only time they are hired is to perform at holiday events or make gifts for holidays.  Whenever the current prince gets to a certain age, the way that they find a wife for him is through the selection.  35 girls are chosen from around the country, in all levels of the castes, to compete to win his heart.  In fact they go live at the palace and get to know him, in a very Bachelor tv show  style.
America doesn't want to go though, she is in love with a boy from her home, he is a level below her, but she loves him just the same, and he seems to love her.  But her mother wants her to apply when she gets the invitation.  Her mother of course hopes to see her daughter become the next princess.  Not to mention that while she is there her family will be compensated.  And it turns out that she will automatically be higher level in the castes even if she isn't chosen.  When America talks to her boyfriend, Aspen, he wants her to go as well.  She's shocked at first, but he says he doesn't want her to not try something because of him.  And then, one night, he breaks up with her  when he feels she's kind of taken his manliness in a way, because he wants to provide for her, not have her give him things because she is a higher caste.  America is upset because based on something Aspen's mother had said, she had been sure he wanted to propose to her.  So they end it, and America ends up getting selected to go.  When she gets to the palace, she gets a makeover, so this reminded me of The Hunger Games, because like Katniss she doesn't want to be made to look different.  And this seems to work for her.  There are all kinds of rules about how they must act and how they can interact with the Prince.  The first night there, America gets claustrophobic, but they're not allowed outside without guards because of rebels attacking.  So she runs out, and finally while the guards don't want to let her out, Prince Maxon shows up and allows her to go.  She yells at him, and basically does nothing to endear herself to him.  To me, I think Maxon is kind of wimpy seeming at first.  He gets better, and you like him more as you go on.  But there is always that little doubt in your head, like I'm sure for the girls on The Bachelor, that you don't know what is really going on with him and the other girls.  But he seems to like America, even when she can't seem to like him back, or at least not that way.
We don't know a lot about the rebels, and that makes this more of a dystopian book to me in a way, because we don't exactly know what they want, and what is going on is supposed to be what people thought was best.  So I'm hoping to learn more in the 2nd book about what all happened to get the society to where it is now, and how that will relate to America and Aspen, and even Prince Maxon.
I've had a great time the last 2 days at the Romantic Times Convention taking place here in my hometown, and last night I was able to get an autographed copy of the book, which will replace the copy I purchased with the gift card I won from The Reader's Den.  Now I loaned my autographed copy to my sister, so I can't show you the autograph, and unfortunately I didn't get my picture taken with her today at the book fair, I forgot to go back and get it I think.  Darn it!