Oh, the warm fuzzies! It's been quite a while since I read the first book of The Selection series. I'm not sure why I waited so long, as I quite enjoyed The Selection. But seeing as The Crown is about to come out, I am trying to get all of them read. My feelings for the first book were neutral; I was entertained, yet frustrated with all of the back and forth feelings. I enjoyed the characters, but the indecisiveness of the main character, America, really irritated me. The Elite proved to irritate me even more, yet it was able to captivate me at the same time! I once read somewhere that The Selection series is basically comfort food. I couldn't have said it any better! Yes, I get irritated at times, but I just get such a warm, fuzzy feeling every time I pick up one of these books. 
 The Good Stuff 
 Alright, so despite her indecisiveness, America is a really likable character! She really has a good heart and even though she makes mistakes, she stands behind what she truly believes to be right and fights against what she believes to be wrong. I can definitely appreciate that. I got know Aspen much better and I couldn't help but root for the guy. He basically sets himself up for failure, but he too fights for what he wants. He's also a really decent guy! Maxon came off as a lovable goody-goody, with his charm, good looks and awkwardness. But he developed into quite an interesting character with a deeper backstory than I expected. Kudos for that! Literally any time America is around these two, my heart flutters. I love them both! 
 Getting to know the other girls in the Selection was more than interesting. Each one is unique and brings something intriguing to the table. Kriss is lovable, Elise is proper, Celeste is the perfect kind of diva, and Natalie is probably my favorite. She is so weird and out there, it's wonderful. I also loveeeed getting to know America's maids and some of the guards. There are lots of different characters with some really compelling aspects to them. 
 The stakes are a tad bit higher in this book than the first. The rebels are closing in and the pressure is mounting throughout the nation, which the palace starts to feel by the last few pages. I enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about the country, even though the political issues don't seem to be more than a nagging element at the moment. 
 Which leads me to... 
 The Not-So-Good Stuff 
 How do I put this? Basically, I can't take the threats to the palace and the threats to everyone's safety seriously. Don't get me wrong, I know there are quite a few horrible things that go on. But this plot-line is just so far into the background at this point in the story, that every time something about the war or the attacks is brought up, I just shrug it off. I'm sure it plays a pretty big role in the next book, but I can't help but kind of chuckle at the interferences of the competition. Minor setbacks really, and the rebels seem to just pester everyone. (view spoiler)[I mean, how seriously can I take the attacks when America and Maxon are making out not even ten feet away from where people are being killed? (hide spoiler)] 
 Yes, there are some grim bits, but even those are so minor compared to what could actually be happening within an oppressed nation. Even when things start to get serious (view spoiler)[for example, when we realize the King is actually a complete monster, (hide spoiler)], it all just seems so small. There's been so much emphasis on the competition and the serene little bubble within the palace, that the two worlds collide in an extremely confusing and ineffective way. Maybe I would have taken it a bit more seriously if some of the harsher aspects of their world had been introduced earlier on in the books? I'm hoping that this plot-line builds during the next few books, because I really think that this could be a great element to the story. 
 But the competition is all that my mind cares about. The hypocrisy and wavering feelings between America, Maxon, and even Aspen are driving me insane, and not in a good way. You can't say certain things and then expect hearts to stay intact when you do something that says the complete opposite. It just doesn't make sense! And don't even get me started on the love triangle! This entire book was one long love triangle with none of the players making rational moves. I just have so much frustration for the entire premise that intrigued me so much when I first started this series. 
 My Overall Thoughts About The Elite 
 Overall, I roll my eyes every time I think about decisions that were made and things that were said throughout this book. But then I think about all of the cute, romantic stuff that goes down and I let out a content sigh. I felt like there was an equal amount of good and bad things, so my rating is kind of midway. The cynic in me sees some stuff that I shake my head at, but the secret romantic in me (shhhh don't tell anyone) can't stop smiling.