REVIEW : THE ELITE BY KIERA CASS (#003)

Book - The Elite 

 

Genre - Young Adult

Rating - 4 out of 5 Stars

Publisher - HarperTeen 

“Love is beautiful fear” 

                              -The Elite by Kiera Cass

The First book- The Selection sees protagonist America Singer trying to figure out what she wants to be - a One or a Five. And The Second Book - The Elite, describes her journey, her joy and her pain, her achievements and her failures, during her stay at the Palace, fighting for the position of the Princess of Illea in the contest called Selection.

America Singer, a Five, who is elevated to being a Three ever since she got selected in the contest, starts feeling something for Prince Maxon, which she cannot think of as love. She gets awfully jealous when he is with other girls, yet she doesn't confess why she is jealous. Prince Maxon, a One, has always been clear about his feelings for her and is ready to give her all the time she needs to decide what she wants. On the other hand, Aspen, a Six, who is now a Two, after getting the job of a guard at the Royal Palace, is still deeply in love with America , which makes the whole situation nothing but stressful . She is tied up with her love for two years and a prince who cares for her.

This Book has moved ahead and deals with all the girls in the Selection, now Elites and their pursuit in winning the heart of the Prince as well as proving to be a capable Princess. There are attacks that they need to survive, tasks they need to perform and challenges they need to face. 

The Fairytale idea of  "A Princess is not required to do anything" is not applicable here. These Elites have to work hard and with their own intelligence and smartness, will one be crowned the Princess of Illea.

America Singer, a beautiful , smart girl , who has what it takes to be a princess , but doubts her own capabilities. Prince Maxon lets out secrets of the Royal family to her, which no one else knows and yet she doubts his love for her! She thinks he has secrets which he isn't disclosing to her, however she is ignoring the fact that all the while she is keeping a secret, which, if disclosed, could destroy many relationships.

America finds her first real friend in Marlee, who is also in the running to be the Princess, but she too has secrets, which after being exposed left nothing but a hole in America's heart. Kriss, another Elite, extends a hand of friendship towards America, but Kriss's closeness with the Prince disturbs her.

Filled with twists and turns, from secrets being kept to secrets being revealed, with hearts getting drowned in sorrow to hearts filling with the deepest love - this book has it all!
The previous book left me with no choice but to jump right into this book, and I am happy to confess, this book has surpassed my expectations. This being the second book in the Trilogy, I can't wait to lay my hands on the final book - The One, which is expected to release on 6th May, 2014.

I would recommend you to read this book, if you have already ready the first book. And those of you who haven’t do give this a try. 

With love 

V_RinkiD_V

REVIEW : THE SELECTION BY KIERA CASS (#002)

Book - The Selection


Genre - Young Adult

Rating - 4 out of 5 Stars

Publisher - HarperTeen

The Selection is the first book in the Selection Trilogy, written by  NY Times Bestselling author, Kiera Cass. Hailing from South Carolina, the author has made a promising debut in the writing world with this book. Creating a world which is far ahead of our time and having rules that are almost unimaginable, this book promises to keep you hooked till the very end.

Here in this world, there are new rules, new ways in which people lead their lives. They are segregated into classes and they are required to work as per their class. America Singer, the protagonist, is a Five, which allows her to take up a career either in art or music, but nothing else. She takes up music just like her mother, while her father is an artist. But the pay isn't enough to feed the family of five including her younger sister May and younger brother Gerad.

In Illea the country in which she resides, it is customary for the crown Prince to choose his wife, his soul-mate from among the citizen. A contest called the Selection is held, where any girl eligible could contest, irrespective of her class. Troubled by the limited income of her family, America unwillingly enters the contest.

On being Selected, she is confident that she will never get too far in the contest and will still be able to marry her Secret lover , Aspen, a Six. 

However, after meeting the Crown Prince, Maxon and becoming his friend, his confidant, America is left to wonder whether she has feeling for the prince, whether she can ever forget her first love and whether she can ever adopt to the lifestyle of a One.

America, a simple girl who doesn't feel confident when in front of a large crowd, a girl who is more comfortable in her pants than in a highly gorgeous dress, is left torn between her first love and her new found friend for whom she might have feelings.

Kiera Cass portrays the journey that America Singer goes through and leaves us craving for more. My excitement for wanting to read this book for so long, didn't prove to be wrong and thus I'm eagerly waiting to read the next book in the trilogy - The Elite, to know what happens next, in America's life.

If you are interested in a novel that deals with realistic issues of poverty and at the same time strikes a spark of romance, then this is the book for you.

With Love
V_RinkiD_V

REVIEW : PANIC BY LAUREN OLIVER (#001)

Book - Panic By  Lauren Oliver
                                                                           

Genre - Young adult , Contemporary

Rating - 4 out of 5 Stars

Publisher - HarperCollins Publishers

"     THE WATER WAS SO COLD IT TOOK HEATHER'S BREATH away as she fought past the kids crowding the beach and standing in the shallows, waving towels and homemade signs, cheering and calling up to the remaining jumpers.
She took a deep breath and went under. The sound of voices, of shouting and laughter, was immediately muted.
Only one voice stayed with her.
I didn't mean for it to happen.   "

                                     - Chapter 1 from Panic by Lauren Oliver


The opening lines of Panic-the latest book by bestselling author Lauren Oliver , is enough to arouse a sense of thrill in the minds of readers. The author, who is well known for her dystopian trilogy which includes Delirium , Pandemonium and Requiem has ventured out in the contemporary genre with a very interesting and gripping plot, which captures the attention of the readers from the very beginning.

The book deals with a bunch of recent graduated kids who live in a small town called Carp and play a dangerous game called Panic. It is a game which demands the players to attempt the most dangerous and daring tasks. The game goes on all summer, at the end of which the winner gets to take away the pot which usually amounts to a little over $50,000.
The story is narrated by two of the main characters - Heather and Dodge. It also has Bishop and Nat as the main characters. Its a plot that revolves around these 4 kids and how each of them have their own share of secrets , which is revealed as the story unfolds. The challenges faced in the game are not just difficult and intense, but life threatening for the most part. With the excitement of the games, the events that take place in their personal lives is also something to look out for.
The book deals with love and heartbreaks, joy and sadness, curiosity and eagerness, courage and fear, anxiety and hopefulness . Lauren Oliver's writing is easy to grasp and thus makes the book a fast pace read .The thrill element is kept intact till the very end of the book and leaves the reader with wanting more of the story.

This being my first read of any  Lauren Oliver book, I am more than happy to say, I am looking forward to reading more of her books. I recommend this book to you, if you are in for some fun and wish to spend the summer with the kids of Carp as they unveil their secrets.

With love
V_RinkiD_V