First thought upon reading the synopsis: So America and Maxon were unsuccessful in changing the caste system of their society. And now we're going to do it all over again. It pays to recycle, people! 
 *I'm still going to read this. And I'll probably like it. 
 WARNING: Spoilers from first three books. It is impossible not to spoil them while discussing The Heir. 
 I did not expect to like The Heir by Kiera Cass. Maybe it's because when I read the synopsis, I was disappointed in America and Maxon, who had not righted the Illea culture and biases. 
 But that is actually the charm and meat of the entire story, or - at least part of it. Now, instead of tackling an outdated caste system, the Schreaves are dealing with the fallout of having successfully removed these castes from society. Should we expect people to fall in line immediately after having lived entire generations under one way of life? Just because we put doors in walls doesn't mean people will willingly walk through them. 
 The Heir reminds me of the current turmoil surrounding racism in the United States. We desegregated nearly 50 years ago, and yet there are cops on trial for the mistreatment of our Black community in this country. Even though we dissolved the means with which we may express prejudice legally, we have not removed all of the hate and prejudices. The Heir showed that prejudice is a learned thing that is passed down through each generation from the one before. We just have to hope that farther removed the generations, the better with which the newest will be able to embrace humanity. 
 Despite feeling that I should probably detest Eadlyn for being spoiled and abrasive, I actually really liked her. She was flawed from the beginning, and she wasn't ashamed of that, even though it wasn't something she was exactly proud of. Eadlyn kept her walls up and wouldn't let anyone in, because that is what she thought was expected of her. In fact, while it's obvious that she doesn't exactly love the idea of one day being the ruler of her country, she has begrudingly accepted it as a fact she cannot change. Her struggle to open up the parts of herself that she keeps closed off was nice to see, because it, too, was imperfect. 
 Her relationship with her twin brother, Ahren, was typical. They are close, since they shared a womb, but she resents him a little bit. While she's mired in the responsibility of being the heir, he's able to make his own decisions about his life, including who he will one day marry. Jealousy abounds. 
 It's interesting to see how Cass has flipped the Selection on its head, Bachelorette-style. How differently do men act in this competition between each other from women? As much as society is beginning to embrace shifts from gender norms, biology will still dictate some of our baser thoughts, feelings and actions. The group of men in the Selection was much different than the group of women in the prior books. 
 Each man brings something different to the table for Eadlyn. Some are confident and sexy, and not afraid to show it; others are quieter, happy and eager to please the princess. Her relationship with each of them was a pretty fascinating thing, especially given her desire to be in control of her own destiny. 
 Where Maxon was an only child growing up in the palace, he and America have had a whole basketball team of children. Eadlyn is the only girl and I found it very compelling how having all brothers transcends to how she interacts with the men of the Selection. Also of note: she only had one female "friend" in the palace to play with growing up, and wasn't her biggest fan. She's a tomboy at heart. 
 I was not a huge fan of the ending, but it didn't exactly break it for me, either. I just felt like Cass wanted to wrap it up to get us to the next book. But will I read the next one? You betcha!This book may have been provided in exchange for an honest review, and therefore will be noted on the original post.