Review: The Heir by Kiera Cass

 

The Heir
(The Selection #4)
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: May 5, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Dystopia, Science Fiction
My Rating:

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought.

MY THOUGHTS…

“You can be brave and still be feminine. You can lead and still love flowers. Most importantly, you can be queen and still be a bride.”

Highly entertaining, unpredictable, and royally fabulous. This book nailed what a highly enjoyable sequel should be. I like this book as a whole. The only downside I found was Eadlyn’s attitude. *smirks

I have to admit I had a hard time liking Eadlyn at first because she’s bratty, spoiled, and quite obnoxious but as the story went by, I witnessed her remarkable character development and I was glad somehow. 🙂

The whole story revolves in the Selection process where Eadlyn chooses a husband out of 35 gentlemen. The best thing about the book is how you can never predict who among her suitors will win her heart, because you basically live in her POV. By the way, there are lots of guys you will be torn.

This book, as a whole, lives up to my expectations. 🙂 But to be honest, I like The Selection series far better than this book. I like America’s conquest to win Maxon’s heart. 🙂 But still, The Heir is a great read. If you’ve been a fan of The Selection series, I recommend you to read this sequel. 🙂

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen
(Red Queen Trilogy #1)
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: January 1, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance, Dystopia
My Rating:

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard’s sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king’s palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood–those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard–a growing Red rebellion–even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

MY THOUGHTS…

“I hope you become queen one day. Imagine what you could do then? The Red Queen.”

How can I convey the awesomeness of Red Queen? This book deserves more than 5 Stars! I’m utterly in awe of it! It’s very well written and it surprisingly captured my attention the whole way through.

The tale is centered on a Red-blooded, 17 year-old Mare Barrow who grew up in a deprived village and was raised being aware of the harsh reality that Red Bloods are inferior and are ruled by an elite known as Silver bloods. In a twist of fate, she was pulled out of one world and put into another– the Palace– a place she can’t seem to fit into, due to her unusual and unwanted power which is basically not valid for a Red like her. Since becoming the betrothed of one of the King’s sons, Mare’s life was fed with so much intrigue, deception, and even cruelty which opened her eyes and forced her into joining a rebellion.

The great thing about Red Queen is that it conveys a perfect dystopian theme. The story got off to a good start and it became more and more interesting which made it an absolute page-turner. With its fascinating storyline and the way Victoria Aveyard brilliantly molded her characters from the beginning to the end, I was absolutely spell-bound and I found myself longing for the next book.

This book somewhat reminded me of the Grisha series and The Selection. But Red Queen is rather unique and wonderful in its own way. I love everything, especially the heroine who is such a great character. I love her strength and the way she handled difficult situations. Her character development all throughout the book is so amazing!

I also like the love triangle romance here. Somehow it put me into so many feels! Other than that, the book also teaches life lessons in many ways than one.

Words can lie.

Anyone can betray anyone.

All in all, this book was a fantastic read. I enjoyed Mare’s journey and everything in it. It’s fast-paced, totally unpredictable, and one with a twist that will basically blow your mind. I highly recommend this to all YA Dystopian fans!

Rating: 5 Stars

Teaser Tuesday (#5): August 12, 2014

Teaser Tuesdays (TT) is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.
• Randomly open a page.
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
  (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

  • Share a link to your own Teaser Tuesday in the Comments and I’ll be checking it out! 🙂

  ——————————————————————————————————————

  My teaser for this week: 🙂

  

  “My grandma wouldn’t know anything about that. And even if she did before, when she was a pilot, she wouldn’t know now.”

  – Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

  What are you currently reading? Join the fun and share your book’s interesting teasers below! 🙂

  xo,

  

REVIEW: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder
(The Lunar Chronicles #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: January 3, 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction,
Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance
My Rating:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

MY THOUGHTS…

I have high expectations with Cinder, especially that most of my goodreads friends really love it. I found this book really promising since I’ve never encountered a cyborg character before and for me, it’s something that I won’t ever forget. But then, I guess I expected way too much. I tried. Honestly. But it didn’t really meet my expectations. *sigh*

However, there are factors that also make this book wonderful. I love Marissa Meyer’s imagination. I love how she created a lively concept of a dystopian world. Cybors. Androids. Insanely high technology. Lunars. New world after world war IV. Wow! I mean, the concept is really impressive.

But in the long run, I was a bit disappointed. I didn’t expect myself to develop annoyance with the main character Cinder. I love her character, I love how unique she is as a cyborg, but when it comes to the way she acts, I kind of dislike her. There is no consistency with her emotions. I’m upset how vulnerable she is whenever her stepmother and stepsister is around. But whenever she’s with the Prince, she’s so firm with her decisions to say ‘NO’ every time. She always declines the prince’s invitation and she’s acting so difficult like ugh! I also don’t like the way she’s acting like a brat to Dr. Erland when this man is the only person who can give her much information about her past. There are also times when she jokes around and for me it sounds like a sarcasm. No, I don’t like her personality at all.

Prince Kai, however, is a nice character. I love how tough he is when it comes to decision-making. He doesn’t even feel scared with the Lunar Queen. So, yeah, thank goodness he’s not annoying.

During the first chapters, I really hoped that something great will happen in the long run. Um, I don’t know but the twist– that wasn’t what I’ve expected. Well, maybe on the second book everything will turn out great. And hopefully Cinder’s character will improve by then. 🙂

 

 

 

REVIEW: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

MY THOUGHTS…

“Well then, it’s time to introduce the world to a little bit of extraterrestrial awesomeness.” – Luc

First, let me extend my big congratulations to Jennifer L. Armentrout for being able to bring out a series that has a constant, amazing delivery. This book is the latest installment of Lux Series. When I completed this yesterday, I have to admit that I got real crazy. I WANT THE NEXT BOOK! Like, RIGHT NOW!

This book is not making things easy for me. In Opal, I thought I was reading the best action scenes in this series, but I was wrong because in Origin, the action scenes were much even scarier, more electrifying, and absolutely breathtaking! It’s like watching a movie, only the difference is you’re doing it in your imagination. And only Jennifer Armentrout can do that effortlessly.

And let me warn you guys to prepare yourself for some difficult situations here in this book. There are a lot of unexpected things to happen, especially deaths of some characters that will shock the nuts out of you. There are also some scenes that are insanely cruel and gruesome but beautifully crafted. Amazing, Jennifer, amazing!

Now let’s get to my favorite parts of this book. I love everything here, especially when it comes to the newly introduced character like Archer. Heck, you guys shouldn’t miss this incredibly defined man. I think this character stood out the best here, next to Luc who also made an impression during the exhilarating, action-packed scenes. I didn’t expect that there are characters here that are equally as impressive as Daemon. I just love the character-building in this book. Each of them were introduced in a thoroughly spectacular way.

I also love how Daemon and Katy’s relationship grew more and more intense here. Daemon is willing to risk his life and his kind just to save her. And yes, he’s not even kidding.

“There’s only one thing I want.”
“And that is?”
“I want to see Kat.”
Nancy’s smile didn’t fade. “And what are you willing to do to accomplish that?”
“Anything,” I said without hesitation, and I meant it. “I will do anything, but I want to see Kat first and I want to see her now.”

This book also has many surprising twists. And Matthew– oh my God, I didn’t see that coming! I couldn’t even believe that my suspicion about Bethany is indeed true. I’ve guessed it right, I’ve guessed it right!

The plot is too good it will absolutely have you sitting on your heels at the same time drawing a deep, anxious breath in full anticipation on what’s to come next. It’s a grab-you-quick and hold-you-fast book with numerous climaxes. No dull moments in this book. Positive. It’s the book that I can’t really get enough. I. JUST. CAN’T.

And the ending… Yes, expect a cliffhanger ending from Ms. Jennifer. That’s her trademark. But I love her for that. 🙂 Now, I can’t wait to grab the next book called Opposition which will be released next month. It will surely be worth the wait!

The Book Is…

Pros

An excellent blending of action, fantasy, and romance. The desire to find out what happens next keeps you turning pages.

Con

None, I’m very sure of it.

What I Think About the Characters

Katy Swartz

Katy here in this book has greatly improved. We know that she’s brave in previous books, but in Origin, she’s incredibly daring and fearless. I admire her for always asserting her need to fight and be of use and not depending on Daemon at all times.

Daemon Black

I love Daemon’s determination to get Katy back. But there are times that he annoys me, especially when he makes stupid decisions. But, it doesn’t make me like him less.

Archer

Alright, I have to include Archer here since I therefore conclude that he’s already one of my favorite characters. From the moment he was first introduced in this book, I knew exactly that he has a great part here. And I was right. I love his cool, fully-composed attitude. And yes, he’s stronger that expected and can really equal any character’s strength here.

Luc

I also have to include him because I just simply love him. Yes, he’s a clever guy. I love how strong, cool, and wise he is. He’s one of the characters that will simply enthrall you.

My Rating for this Book: 5 Stars (If I could give 6 stars, I will.)

Favorite Quotes from this Book

“I want a years-worth of seconds and minutes with you. I want a decade’s worth of hours, so many that I can’t add them up.”

“We all do crazy things to protect the ones we love.”

“I don’t expect a normal life, Daemon. I just expect a life with you.”

REVIEW: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well… There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different… And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger… and they know it.

MY THOUGHTS…

(There’s a bit of spoiler in this review so please be warned.)

After reading the Onyx, I immediately grabbed this. It’s because I was so excited about Dawson’s reappearance and I became curious as of how the Blacks are going to deal with some changes now that their brother is back. I was really happy about their reunion, but at the same time I felt awed when Dawson was no longer the guy he used to be. He was longing for Bethany to be freed from Daedalus knowing that she’s still alive.

In this book, I found a great deal of action. The choice between trusting Blake for the second time after betraying Katy in Onyx and pushing the idea of giving their trust aside is very crucial. I became really anxious the moment Blake returned. It’s like they were visited again by some sort of nightmare.

This book, without a doubt, is different from the previous Lux books. It had my full attention from start to finish. There were a lot of nerve-wreaking scenes and even intriguing parts that will make everything unsettling. In my part, I became really, really anxious the moment the Luxen gang, Katy, and Blake attacked Mount Weather to rescue Bethany and Chris. Seriously, and I’m not even kidding, my heartbeat ran so fast with those scenes. Oh, Jennifer– this author really has the power to bring out this kind of emotion to her readers. I love her for that!

And Daemon and Katy? Well, their chemistry continues to grow in this installment. It even in fact, deepens. I love how protective Daemon is to Katy, especially whenever Blake is around. He’s just too good to be true!

Here’s one of the funniest scenes I couldn’t forget:

Dawson shifted, dropping his head into his hand. “Do you ever stop talking?”

“When I’m sleeping,” Blake replied.

“And when you’re dead,” Daemon threw back. “You’ll stop talking when you’re dead.”

Lol. As usual, the humor Jennifer Armetrout brings in the story is always present. Another thing that also made this book interesting is the appearance of Luc. Oh. My. God. This kid is really something. He’s intriguing and I can sense that he’s a lot more powerful. I knew then that I need to keep track of him and read the next book, hoping that Luc will be highlighted more.

This book is such a roller coaster ride for me. I just love the the twist it brings. There’s so much build up to what you hope the events will be. And the ending? Oh my… I found myself hanging on a cliff. You know what I mean. But all in all, the story was excellent. It really got better and better.

The Book Is…

Pros

Undeniably a page-turner. It’s one with a compelling plot. It has witty characters and clever turn of events. You will find yourself fully entertained up to the very end.

Con

None.

My Rating for this book: 5 Freakin’ Stars! (There’s so much to expect in this book, and you will never be disappointed.)

Favorite Quotes from this Book

“He was such an asshole, and I loved him.”

“You really shouldn’t trust a soul in this game. Not when everyone has something to gain or lose.”

“I love you, Katy. Always have. Always will.”

REVIEW: Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there’s this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that’s possible. Against all common sense, I’m falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

MY THOUGHTS…

It’s official! I’m now a 100% certified fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout, and I’m so proud to say it. This author never fails to give me goosebumps, and this book– well, it had my mind seriously blown up! If you have read Obsidian, reading this book will even get you more thrilled you can’t just resist it and stop craving for more.

This book introduces more about Daemon and the Luxens — and the hybrid. It also introduces the new character named Blake– a hottie who became Katy’s new friend and well, Daemon’s rival? The earlier chapters of this book is lighter, so you can’t expect something thrilling to happen. But I tell you, as the story progresses, it becomes more and more interesting.

There are flirtations (as usual) between Daemon and Katy that will make you smile all the way.

“Cookie?” he offered, holding a cookie full of chocolate chips.

Upset tummy or not, there was no way I could refuse that. “Sure.”

His lips tipped up on one side and he leaned toward me, his mouth inches from mine. “Come and get it.”

Come and get…? Daemon placed half of the cookie between those full, totally kissable lips.

Oh, holy alien babies everywhere…

I know. I just love this scene. Lol. (I hope it’s not spoilery, though). But c’mon, these two undeniably have a thing or two for each other. You can feel it!

Honesty, this book didn’t bore me. In fact, it just kept my adrenaline going. It promises a lot of things. There are also parts that will make you feel antsy, especially every time the DOD enters the scene. You can also expect to experience strange twist of events that will absolutely make your spine tingle. As a whole, I found this book really fascinating I ended up craving for moooore!

The book Is…

Pros

Clean and well-written. It has engaging storyline and it’s an adrenaline-boosting book with plenty of humor that will make the reading experience very entertaining.

Con

None.

What I Think About the Characters

Katy Swartz

In this book, I was surprised to find out that she’s tough. I didn’t expect it. She easily adapted to her newly discovered “self” and she didn’t even whine about it. The only thing I hate about her is the bad decisions she has made in this book.

Daemon Black

He’s flirty in Obsidian, and now he becomes even more. And as usual, he’s an alien hotness who’s brave and strong enough to protect Katy.

My Rating for this book: 5 Stars (If you loved Obsidian, you will love Onyx more!)

Favorite Quotes from this Book

“Some things are best left…unknown, you know? People search for answers and they don’t always like what they get. Sometimes the truth is worse than the lie.”

“Strange how something good can come from something horrible.”

REVIEW: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Holy crap on a cracker! Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout is freaking too amazing I can’t even think of the words to describe it in this review. Anyway, my mind is seriously blown. I didn’t expect myself to have such a joyous ride with this super alienated book that had me gasp for generous amount of air!

This book talks about seventeen year-old Katy Swartz who moved to a very discreet and rustic place in West Virginia with her mom. Being in that new place kind of sucked for Katy since she was used to the cheerful ambiance of her old home in Florida. But since she’s a book freak, she didn’t exactly care about adapting to the new place because she considered her books as her effective diversions. Now when she met her holy freakin’ hot neighbor Daemon Black, everything changed. Never had she met a guy who’s extremely blessed with ripped physique and undeniably gorgeous face. However, no matter how hot this neighbor was, she found him quite an ass. He always regarded her with pure disgust, to her astonishment. And as they developed an unexpected friendship, she eventually learned some peculiar things about him and his sister, Dee. In the long run, she learned that he was in fact, not a human. He’s an alien. A hot damn alien with insane supernatural powers.

I must say that this book is incredibly great! No words can ever describe how talented Jennifer Armentrout is. This book is clean, well-written, and with fascinating characters that are nicely drawn. I admire how the author gradually introduced her audience to the strange and amazing alien family of Daemon. Each character has exceptional personality that will quickly capture one’s interest.

I also love the romantic involvement of the story. As well as the witty humor that beats nearly every scene of other books I’ve read. Another thing is the exchange of banter between Katy and Daemon and their unawareness of the sexual tension that’s always there. Ah, they are so amusing I could literally smile and laugh. Usually I really feel sick about “I Hate You” schemes of a love story but this one? I don’t mind at all. I’m fully entertained by these two characters.

Let’s get to the action part. Whoa! What can I say? Bravo, Ms. Jennifer Armentrout! You had my heart beating fast with the way you describe the fighting scenes between the Luxen and the Arum! Superb! I guess this is just the perfect blend of action and romance in a science fiction book.

The Book Is…

Pros

Quick and entertaining, with reasonable plot and interesting world building.

Con

Nothing. At all.

What I Think about the Characters

Katy Swartz

She’s clever and smart. One thing I also admire about her is her love for books. And hey, she’s my ultimate inspiration with this blogging thing. She’s a book blogger– that’s how crazy she is about it and I can totally relate!

Daemon Black

Well, he’s too perfect to be true. Need I say more? And although he’s kind of brute here in this book, I didn’t find it hard to like him. What I also love about him is his protectiveness to his sister and his alien close friends. He’s just too swooning! Okay, I have to stop this. I’m fan-girling enough.

My Rating for this book: 5 Daemon Stars! (It’s a must-read, entertaining story. If you’re looking for a book that will knock your socks off, this one will never, ever fail you.)

Favorite Quotes from this Book

“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.”

“I hate you and your freaky alien powers.”

“I was always able to lose myself in reading. Books were a necessary escape I always gladly jumped into headfirst.”

Rating:

Buy this book at:

READ ALL MY REVIEWS HERE

REVIEW: The One by Kiera Cass

 

THE SELECTION changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. Now, only one will claim Prince Maxon’s heart…

It’s swoon meets the Hunger Games in the final installment of THE SELECTION trilogy!

For the four girls who remain at the palace, the friendships they’ve formed, rivalries they’ve struggled with and dangers they’ve faced have bound them to each other for the rest of their lives.

Now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown – or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realises just how much she stands to lose – and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.

The breathtaking finale to THE SELECTION trilogy will make you swoon!

MY THOUGHTS

First off, I’m so proud that I’ve completed this series! 🙂 I thoroughly enjoyed this third and final book of The Selection. Finally the competition for the crown and the Prince’s heart came to a conclusion. But just like how I expected, the ending was really predictable. In this book, I found some answers to my questions, but ugh, was never enough! Is it just me or the story seems a bit rushed? I have to admit that I wasn’t really satisfied with its flow. The only consolation I got was its fairy tale happy ending which was (as expected), predictable.

On the lighter side, I appreciated how Maxon exerted effort just to prove his feelings for America. Many times in this book, the hero was always the one who was chasing the heroine. Honesty, it took me forever to get those scenes into. Meanwhile, I was also looking for a bit of thrill during the final chapters. Yes, there were quivering moments, but not the ones I was really expecting. This book has flaws, but of course, it was actually a rather satisfying finale. So, I gave this four stars out of five. Congrats, Kiera Cass for such a wonderful series! More to come! 🙂

The Book is…

Pros

Entirely dramatic. There were cute and sweet moments that you can’t easily get over. (*Spoiler’s Alert) Maxon’s love letter to America is seriously heart-tugging!

Cons

Slow-paced at the beginning, how the characters act was a bit exasperating at times, and the story was apparently rushed. (I don’t know why Kiera has to do that.) 😦

What I Think About the Characters

America

In this book, America proved to be worthy of my admiration. She was learning from her mistakes. It’s just that, it was almost too late for her to realize what she wants or rather, who she wants. But all in all, I thought she really deserved the great things that happened to her in the ending.

Maxon

This book continued to remind me that Maxon really had the thing for America since the very beginning. Gah! I will never get enough of him!

Favorite Quotes

“Break my heart. Break it a thousand times if you like. It was only ever yours to break anyway.” – Maxon

“The best people all have some kind of scar.”

“This isn’t happily ever after. It’s so much more than that.”  

REVIEW: The Elite by Kiera Cass

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

MY THOUGHTS…

Firstly, The Elite book has a lot of potentials, especially since I immediately grabbed it right after reading its first sequel, The Selection. I rated it 4 stars out of five because it did give me excitement in a lot of reasons, somehow. But, in my opinion, this story did not live up to its predecessor. I found myself more smitten with the first one. However, I surprisingly finished it because, who can just let this series go without finding out how the story goes and ends?

From 35 girls competing for the crown and for the Prince’s hand, they eventually narrowed down to six. Imagine how far our heroine America Singer has gotten all throughout the first book! This time around, she no longer denies her feelings to the Prince, yet there’s still Aspen– the guy who broke her heart in the first book but is now chasing her heart once again (Are you kidding me?). She’s trapped and confused all throughout the book. I don’t know if I’d be happy with this but in a way, the love triangle thing kind of adds flavor to the story. But I don’t know, I feel being tortured on some parts of this book. It sucks.

The Book Is…

Pros

Romantic, addictive, action-packed, and interesting with so many dramas and dark secrets that will intrigue you up to the very end. You won’t be able to put it down, I tell you.

Cons

Slow-paced, and there are repetitive scenes that are kind of annoying sometimes. But they’re tolerable, though.

What I Think About the Characters

America

This girl, as we first encounter on the 1st book, is stubborn and headstrong. She’s independent and she makes serious decisions that are intended for the good of her family. But sometimes she’s annoying, too. In matters of the heart, I don’t understand why she continues to confuse herself between the two guys, when obviously, Maxon has the edge. (Understand that? Duh!) But on the positive side, she’s a unique type of girl. She can be intimidating at times, but you will love her at the same time.

Maxon

Well, what can I say? This guy is everyone’s dream guy! *hands down. The perfect, handsome, gentleman, passionate Prince charming name-it-all type of guy that we can only encounter in a book. Period. But in this book, I was sort of upset with this hero. Especially when (*spoiler’s alert) he flirted with one of America’s competitors. Disappointed here. 😦 Perhaps it’s the main reason why this book only earned 4 stars from me. Lol.

Aspen

All right, I don’t like him. At all. I’m a Team Maxon from the very beginning, so I’m sorry, Aspen. You’re just not the right guy for America.

Favorite Quotes

“It turns out I’m absolutely terrible at staying away from you. It’s a very serious problem.” – Maxon

“Sometimes I feel like we’re a knot, too tangled to be taken apart.”

“America, there’s no question that you’ve had my heart from the beginning. By now you have to know that.”

 

REVIEW: The Selection by Kiera Cass

 

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

MY THOUGHTS…

So I disovered this book on an Instagram account of a celebrity that I’ve been following and I admit that I was really curious about it because of its attractive cover. And yeah, thank you Kim Chiu for introducing this book! 😀

Anyway, from the moment I first had a glimpse of its teaser, I already thought, ‘Wow, this is absolutely my kind of book!’. I always have a thing for fairy tales. You know– those sort of prince and princesses and happy endings and blah blah stories… Cheesy as it may sound but I really do like those things.

And this book– well, it provided me the story that I was really expecting. Kiera Cass has given me the fantasy that oh my God, there’s a perfect guy in the name of Maxon Shreave!

The Selection is the first installment of THE SELECTION series. The events happen in a Dystopian era and it simply highlights the main character, America Singer — an ordinary girl who belongs to the family under the “five” (a caste of lower level) and is apparently (as her family name implies) a singer. Enter the name Aspen Leger. He’s the guy (from a “six” caste) whom America gives her heart and dreams to. But when a notice came to her family, stating that the Prince of Ilea (Maxon Shreave) will be following his father’s steps and will hold a Selection (a reality TV-ish kind of thing) competition among suitable girls for the prince’s hand in marriage, America’s world turns upside down. She has no intention of joining the competition since she’s already in love with Aspen. Of course, in the end, she was forced to become one of the competitors and eventually met the (oh so irresistible) Prince Maxon and found that she’s completely torn between two guys who both seem to have a place in her heart. The conflicting part of this story, are of course, her confusion and decisions in the matters of the heart along with friendship issues with her fellow competitors.

As the story went on, I found myself fully entertained by its twist. I found America a clever character. Although the author stated that she’s not the girl who has a jaw-dropping, head-turner beauty like her fellow competitors, there’s something about this girl that really catches the heart of the country of Ilea– and the Prince’s attention, as well. She’s basically smart and funny and that makes the Prince become interested with her in the first place.

And Prince Maxon? Well, he is swoon-worthy! He’s a modest type of a person. Not like those typical, bastard-ish, sarcastic guys we sometimes meet on books. He’s gentle and caring and sweet and– ah, name all those good things. And he’s very patient when it comes to America. He knew from the start that she already has boyfriend somewhere in her town and that she has no desire to really be a part of the competition, and yet he was still longing that somehow, there’s a chance that she will consider to be really joining the Selection.

The series of events in this book is amazing. There’s action and there’s a lot of entertaining parts as well. As a whole, I became addicted. I wasn’t able to put it down and heck, I wanted someone like Prince Maxon! Where can I find someone like him? Lol. :’D All in all, it’s a great installment. I did read the second book immediately. Swear!

My Rating for this book: Whooping 5 stars! *clap clap!

Favorite Quotes

“True love is usually the most inconvenient kind.”

“America Singer, one day you will fall asleep in my arms every night. And you’ll wake up to my kisses every morning.”- Maxon

“If this were a simpler matter, I’d have eliminated everyone else by now.” – Maxon