The Elite by Kiera Cass

Think of a feather blowing in a hurricane, and you have America in this book.  She was tossed about by her emotions so violently, I thought she was going to get whiplash. Now I know that part of being a teenager is emotional angst. And certainly America has some harder than normal choices for a teenager. I felt for her I really did, but I just couldn't get over the fact that she was making out with more than one guy. It is one thing to be confused, but another entirely to act on those feelings. I don't watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette so maybe this book just wasn't my cup of tea although I did enjoy the first one. 

The world building was a little more thorough in this one. Although I am still confused as to where they are in the United States and where the boundaries are for their kingdom. I like that we get a bit more of the history of how the castes came about.

This book was all about making a difference. Are some people situated to be able to make a difference, and if so, then do they have an obligation to do so. America struggles with this wondering if she could make a good princess. My husband and I talk about how certain people who made significant changes in the fabric of society were at the right place at the right time.  Imagine if Lincoln had been a term earlier or later than he was as President.  What if Anne Boleyn had not been born to tempt Henry VIII into marriage?  Perhaps England would still be Catholic.  Or what if some of the inventors of the atomic bomb had stayed in Hitler Germany?  America thinks she can make changes as big as these folks if she stays in the competition.  And maybe she will.  First though she needs to understand who she is. I feel that a certain part of her uncertainty is her total ignorance of who she is and what she is passionate about (other than boys).  I hope that the next book will find America discovering herself before she makes a commitment to either Maxon or Aspen.

This book was well written and entertaining, but I just couldn't get past the wishy washiness of America. I will be looking for the third book to see which lifestyle America will choose. I don't think the guys matter at this point. For America, the guys seem interchangeable. She could be happy with either one. Her decision really is about which lifestyle she wants more.

There was some kissing and reference to a couple who were caught in the act.  There was no language, and the violence is mild and usually off-screen.