City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - Film Talk

So I figured that considering the film for the first instalment in one of my favourite series of all time, the Mortal Instruments series, is coming out in less than a month I would read the book again whilst on holiday in the beautiful mountainous location of Mijas Pueblo, Spain. There is possibly nothing I love more than lying by the pool listening to music with a good book and oh my I forgot how much I absolutely love this series. I'm going to that place in my mind again when I life and breath a book that I love, it's all I want to talk about and so the fact that I have a FILM to look forward to makes me even more crazily obsessed.

Since I've been back from Spain I've watched all the varying trailers from every country about 20 times... This film will be epic. I realllllly do hope it gets as big as say Harry Potter unlike other book-film adaptations like Percy Jackson which for me didn't really live up to my expectations. 

More than anything, I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT ALEX PETTYFER WAS NOT CAST AS JACE. Hate me all you like but he was the last person I could imagine playing Jace, his acting would ruin everything Jace is about in the books. Jamie Campbell Bower is a strange one, I like him because I haven't seen him play a big big role in anything before and I'm intrigued to see what he can do with Jace. From the trailer he definitely captures the dark, intimidating side of the character I just hope that in the film, we see all the humour and sarcasm which makes up Jace's character.  

Lily Collins is perfect for the role of Clary if you ask me, she looks the right age and apart from the colour of her hair, when I was reading the book the first time, I was picturing someone not far off from Lily Collins when I imagined Clary.

THE CASTING OF SIMON IS JUST OMGAAAAAD SO PERFECT. His description in the book matches Robert Sheehan's personality and appearance exactly, Simon is one of my favourite characters and I'm so glad they found someone to do him justice as well as Robert most definitely will.

I've found out recently that the Shadowhunters are all supposed to be British and the rest of the cast American, in the trailer it's mainly Jamie's voice we hear out of the Shadowhunters and it did sound somewhat out of place amongst all the other accents rocking about but at the same time I'm glad us Brits have a place in the film.

SPOILERS

Okay so lets confront the elephant in the room and talk about the incest thing. When reading the book for the first time I can honestly say I have never been more shocked by a plot twist in my life. I have a feeling that people might watch the film and just think it weird and disgusting but if you read the books you'll understand that it's not like that at all. Some people may be so put off by it that they'll scare other potential viewers away or refuse to watch the next film (lets hope there definitely is a City of Ashes adaptation!). I'm intrigued to go to the cinema and hear the reaction of my friends and people around me who probably don't know its coming.

On a more positive note however, its only 27 days till the film comes out!

I recommend everyone go watch the film and I'll probably write a review of what I thought of it once I've seen it.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Here's a link to the trailer in case anyone wants to check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UHdZMEUOQ8

Shades of Earth (Third Instalment in the Across the Universe Trilogy) by Beth Revis - Book Review

Synopsis

This is the third instalment in the Across the Universe trilogy, which explores the same themes as the other two books; the narrative is similarly split between Amy and Elder and it still follows their lives aboard the space ship Godspeed which embarked on a 300 year mission to the planet Centauri Earth. In this instalment however, Elder has decided that leaving the ship Godspeed for the new planet which actually exists on Godspeed's doorstep is worth the risks that Orion has warned about. Upon arrival, Amy and Elder as well as the Earthborns which have now been unfrozen, including Amy's mother and her father who takes position as leader, find that the monsters Orion feared are very real indeed, they come across strange dinosaur like birds, strange reptilian footprints and flowers which make you pass out amongst other interesting discoveries about their new home. They soon find that they may not be the first humans to step foot on this supposedly undiscovered planet, it soon becomes a race for survival to uncover hidden secrets and fight against an enemy who the members of Earth and Godspeed were very much unprepared for. 

SPOILERS

Review: Okay this book was by far the best in the trilogy, it could have had its own trilogy leading on from this book alone because there was is so much that can still be explored within the Shades of Earth main plot. The 5 stars admittedly are given mainly because the ending of the book was just OMGDFSDFLNRK<GNRELNLARNELFN AMAZINGLY FANTASTICALLY EMOTIONALLY SATISFYING. Basically we are led to believe that Elder has died saving Amy by blowing up the space station which housed the biological bomb which would have killed the rogue hybrids who were keeping Amy hostage and actually converted her into one of them! Revis does this thing with the chapters when instead of having the narrative alternating between Amy and Elder, IT'S JUST AMY AND ELDER HAS NOTHING BUT A BLANK PAGE BUT IT'S NOT BLANK NOW BECAUSE OF MY TEARS. Like seriously I was BAWLING like a baby when Elder had 'died', I was just waiting for Amy to commit because lets be honest she'd lost her home, her parents who she waited 3 months to unfreeze and now the love of her life, how she was less of an emotional wreck than me I have no idea. Then just when you think the trilogy will end and you're getting ready to throw the book across the room, AMY FINDS ELDER IN THE FOREST WITH HIS CRASHED ESCAPE SHUTTLE OMGAAAAAAD! You'd think the tears would stop at this point but no, it was such a beautiful reunion where he was all like "I don't care if you're a hybrid" and she's all like "you came back to me" and he was like "always" and GOD BETH REVIS WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME. This was possibly the best ending of any trilogy (apart from The Hunger Games) that I have ever read and it makes up all the nitty gritty bits that annoyed me about this trilogy.

Basically this book brought up SO MANY MORE QUESTIONS in every single Chapter like how has Phydus got onto the planet? What's Orion's last clue? Who are the aliens? I raced to the end of this book just to get some answers! Everything was revealed all at once in just a few chapters which I found a lot to take in and it all became very confusing at points that I think I missed some bits. Firstly, what actually happened to the first colony? So they weren't killed off they were injected with Phydus and the gen mods right? Or were they killed off by the FRX?! Also, how did Dr. Gupta and Emma etc get Phydus into their system? Is that how the rogue hybrids killed them off? I'm still a bit confused here but the rest all clicks into place nicely.

There were so many surprises in this book, I was NOT expecting Chris to be a rogue hybrid at all, I was so shocked and actually refused to believe it for a while hoping he was being blackmailed by them or something! To be honest though, I find it a bit odd that Colonel Martin just welcomed him into the colony like surely if he was from the first colony, Amy's Dad could hold him hostage and get information out of him or something?! But instead he trusted this COMPLETE STRANGER from ANOTHER PLANET who he's known for FIVE MINUTES to look after his wife and daughter, rookie mistake Colonel. 

I also think Amy was waaaaay too forgiving with the rogue hybrids, they had killed a third of her colony and both of her parents but she didn't have any real desire for revenge or justice which I thought was slightly unrealistic. 

Beth Revis deserves a round of applause for the setting development in this book though, she created a whole new world from her imagination and managed to squeeze enough detail about this new world as well as an actual substantial story all in one book which takes some trilogy's a couple of books to do. The story was so original, from the pteros to the solar energy cubes. What I really like about this whole trilogy is that it's very dystopian but still very relatable, developments such as the grav tubes and the cubes are things which our current generation may not be too far away from, I know this story is set centuries in the future but still, hopefully when I'm an old lady I'll be able to press a button and get my dinner delivered to me through a hole in my wall.

Also, the development of Amy and Elder's relationship was so perfect. I'm actually glad that Chris was in the picture to mix things up between the couple and actually make Amy realise how much she loves Elder. Whats more, their sex scene was approached so well, the way that Elder didn't want to pressure Amy into anything and they were both so honest with each other about what they wanted. They didn't actually say 'I love you' to each other which would have been nice, but it was implied that they both loved each other though so I'm still happy! Their relationship seemed so difficult, they both had different responsibilities but they still made every effort to stay in each others lives and in the end Elder puts Amy's life before any of his other responsibilities.

Ahhhhh well done Beth Revis, you have absolutely outdone yourself with this last instalment! 

A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Book Review

So I promised I'd blog my book reviews as soon as possible and I finally put this book down about 10 seconds ago so there's no denying my efficiency!

Synopsis: This is the second instalment in the Across the Universe trilogy. This book will throw plot twists and cliffhangers at you, it will make you fall in love and may even make you want to become an astronaut, I know I'm reconsidering my future job now! This book continues from the first instalment in following the narrative of the two protagonists. Whilst Elder struggles to lead in the face of a population who are seeing things for how they really are now that they're off Phydus, Amy pieces together the clues Orion has left her which will eventually lead her to make a decision which will change the fate of the whole ship. This book has everything; romance, action, rebellion, suspense and a flexing load of stars;)

SPOILERS

Review:  I must say, I gave this book the same number of stars as it's predecessor (see Across the Universe review below) but I do think this second book was better than the first though it takes a lot for me to give a book 5 stars so 4 was what it's got I'm afraid. 

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Damn you Beth Revis for writing a book which literally took up 99.9% of my thoughts whilst I was at work, I haven't had much of a social life in the past few days because all I want to do is come home, lay in the sunshine with a glass of Pimms (very British) and read this book! It is such a page turner, the tension was insane... every single chapter revealed a little bit more about Orion's big secret and I found myself trying to decode his clues and getting nowhere, I would suck as a detective.

I am so glad that Elder and Amy's relationship deepened in this instalment, their affection for one another was so much clearer and there were more kissing scenes, an almost sex scene (I proper sound like a creep now) but Revis made explicit that the romance between the two wasn't the whole focus of the trilogy and so much else happened in this book which the romance could just develop alongside and it didn't overshadow this. Elder and Amy did argue, what couple doesn't? But it wasn't repetitive and the repercussions of these disagreements weren't dragged out like some writers tend to do, they were resolved and the plot could move on!

I was so happy when Luthor was killed, although we didn't exactly find out who killed him, I guessed it was Doc with his med patches. He could have gone on to become a villain type character in the last book but as the plot went on I realised that there will probably be enough villains in the next book anyway especially now that Orion is becoming unfrozen and Doc is on the loose still. I'm glad that Revis didn't try to make Luthor's character seek redemption or something like that because some writers tend to turn their villains into heroes but there was no way I would ever warm to Luthor!

We got to learn a lot more about the other inhabitants of the ship seeing as everyone is now off Phydus, such as Bartie and Victria which I liked because it meant we saw outside the bubble of the main characters. 

If I had one little criticism it would be that Revis sacrificed logic in her plot development in exchange for the creation of tension and suspense... Orion was leaving Amy clues and some sort of puzzle which would eventually lead her to his secret but at the same time he kept stressing how 'time is running out'... he could have just told her all at once! Why make her find out bit by bit when the clock is ticking and food is running out? It made me race to the end of the book and I love it when I get this endorsed in a book but in retrospect it was all a bit contradictory. 

Now You See Me - Film Review

Okay so I know I promised I would review books on this blog, but I've literally 5 minutes ago come out of the cinema and I NEED to talk about this film so I thought I'd simply write about it...

Synopsis: In short, the plot follows four street magicians, Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) who have been assigned a mysterious 'mission' by a supposed fifth horseman in their clique. An impressive act sees the four horseman steal 3 million euros from a Parisian bank using an audience member as their pawn in the operation. The case is taken on by an FBI agent played by Mark Ruffalo and his French accomplice. As the film plays out, the audience is left to question who is truly that one step ahead, the horsemen, the FBI or the ex, bitter magician Morgan Freeman and his rival turned partner Michael Caine. Without giving anything away, this film will have you questioning everything you have ever thought about magic and you'll leave the cinema feeling monumentally mind blown. 

SPOILERS

The thing that drew me to this film was the originality of its premise, I've never seen anything like it myself even though I know there are similar films such as The Illusionist. I follow acts like Derren Brown and Dynamo religiously and was so intrigued by this movie I felt I had to see it on its opening night. It stayed true to my expectations and had me sitting on the edge of my feet, I felt as drawn into the act as the audience members inside the screen did. At the start when Isla Fisher was supposedly trapped inside the tank getting eaten alive by fish, I thought it was game over for her, failing to remember that she is a main character and would not be killed off in the first 5 mins. I could not predict the tricks or the mind games, throughout the film, we were manipulated to believe that Mark Ruffalo was getting closer and closer to finding out the truth behind these four horsemen. We followed his story for the majority of the film and just when we thought he was that one step ahead, after the 'death' of Dave Franco... we could not have been more wrong, the magicians had quite a bit up their sleeves.

The casting was perfect, the four magicians worked so well together. Eisenberg portrayed perfect characterisation for his character, he had that typical egotistic persona that I would imagine that character would certainly possess. Harrelson had me laughing and amazed by his character and Fisher was certainly not sidelined in the way women usually are when it comes to 'magic' shows. I do wish we saw more of Dave Franco, I feel he drew the short straw and didn't have an overly important role but this isn't new, (WARM BODIES SPOILERS) his character in Warm Bodies was killed off pretty swiftly, hopefully we'll see him in a leading role some time soon.

THE PLOT TWISTED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS I COULDN'T PREDICT THE ENDING! I'm usually quite good at predicting who the suspect is but at no point did I consider that Mark Ruffalo was the one behind the whole thing, I'm still questionable as to why the hell he went to such lengths and what he actually gained from it all. There were a few bits and bobs that weren't really explained, or maybe I just missed an important line or something. I still don't know who died in the crash if it wasn't Dave Franco and I would love to understand more about the Eye and what it actually is, was it an organisation? Another universe? A new set of magical powers? I JUST DON'T KNOW!

I haven't heard overly good things about this film, even just walking out of the cinema I heard people commenting about its complexity and difficulty to comprehend but one thing is for sure, no matter how much I was bursting, I would not dare leave my seat for a toilet break I was so drawn in... I would recommend everyone watches this film but it may take a couple more viewings for me to fill in some bits I'm still confused about.

I would have given this film 5 stars if not for the fact that I believe some bits were unecessary. There was a small, undeveloped romance between the duo of Mark Ruffalo and French actress Mélanie Laurent, I saw this union happening right from the very start and thought it was slightly predictable and detached from the originality of the plot as a whole. There were also, as I explained previously, some bits which I don't really understand and some bits should have been explained in more depth and not just bypassed by the odd comment which could have easily been missed. 

Book Review - Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Synopsis: The narrative is split between the two protagonists; Amy who decided to follow the path of her parents and freeze her body which would then be placed on the spaceship, Godspeed, which is to then travel for 300 years to another planet similar to that of Earth. The second narrator is Elder who will succeed his superior, Eldest, in the running and control of Godspeed. Basically one day Amy's body is mysteriously unfrozen, she turns out to be the first of many and the hunt soon begins for the perpetrator. Not only is the ship and its residents under absolute control, the whole ship itself is a lie. Amy and Elder's relationship slowly blossoms amongst mindless, horny rabbits, a corrupt leader and a Doctor who believes throwing drugs at a problem will eliminate it.  

SPOILERS

This was possibly the strangest book I have ever read. It is based on the most abstract concept, read the synopsis above to find out exactly what it is about but basically it does take a few chapters to get into it. Overall I thought it was a really good read, the structure is really interesting and adds to the suspense really well because often one chapter will end on a cliff-hanger and you have to read through the next chapter before things are revealed by which point another cliff-hanger has emerged!

I love the kind of detective-story aspect of this novel; I was pulling my hair out at points trying desperately not to look to the back page to just find out who was pulling out the ice tray things or whatever they're called! All this suspense made me turn the pages so quickly I finished the book in a matter of days (which is rare for me because normally I drag out books I enjoy because I don't want them to end!). I won't give away who the murderer is because if you're reading this and haven't read the books then please go read it now and guess for yourself who you think it is. All I'll say is the answer isn't as straightforward as you may think and I was so surprised by all the twists at the end of this book.

The book took a really dark turn at one point, the bit where Luthe and the feeders tried to rape Amy left me gaping in shock, this is definitely a more mature Young Adult novel. The description of the period called 'the Season' basically consisted of loads of couples having sex on any surface they could find. It actually made me feel really uncomfortable reading it which is obviously the effect but I;m not sure it was worth it! The Season could have been described in another way if you ask me but that's just my opinion. Amy's feelings after the rape were sort of glazed over, she didn't seem too upset about it but at the same time I suppose I'm glad this event didn't pervade the narrative. Generally though I don't think the rape added much to the storyline, Luthe's characterisation wasn't developed, he wasn't mentioned again and Elder never found out... was it really necessary?

My favourite character was probably Harley, at first I thought it might turn into a love triangle between him, Amy and Elder but I was relieved when the plot didn't head in this direction!

If I did have one more little criticism (little I swear!) it would be that some things weren't explained. For example, we never really find out what happened to Earth to make this mission even necessary or if anything happened at all. At first I thought there was some kind of apocalypse but then as the story went on I realised that might not have been the case. Also, we never really find out why the ship left a year later than planned, something that was revealed in Chapter 1. Hopefully these little details will be explained in the next book but it was just something I was waiting to be revealed throughout this first one.

All the numbers and terminology do get slightly icky sometimes and I'm not a big fan of Maths myself so calculating the number of years left or the number of years travelled made my brain hurt so I just sort of went with the flow which I recommend for a more relaxing read! The concept of the novel is abstract to say the least but after a while you find yourself so absorbed in the storyline you forget that the characters are actually floating in the middle of space with no escape.

The Elite by Kiera Cass - Fan Fiction

This is the first Fan Fiction I've ever published so please be easy on it! It's linked to my previous post which was a review of the same book but even if you haven't read the book, I hope you can still follow where I'm going with this. 

Kriss and I have been bickering all day over plans for the visits from the Italian royal family. We're finally getting somewhere but we disagree over everything, mainly because both of us are so inexperienced at this, talk about being thrown into the deep end. It reassured me that Kriss knew as little as I did about how to be a good Princess; this stuff came as naturally to her as walking came to a fish. I forced my body up the two staircases towards my room and almost as soon as I found the door I had collapsed on my bed, my heavy eyelids willing themselves open no longer. My maids were gone; this I thought was strange but no stranger than what had just that moment captured my attention. The jar. In the jar I had kept Aspens coins rested a folded up note, I suddenly found a sharp burst of energy and unscrewed the lid as quickly as possible. I recognised the scruffy handwriting straight away and as I read I became too excited to sit still, you wouldn't know the same girl was physically dragging one foot in front of the other 2 minutes ago through the palace. Aspen wants to meet tonight at exactly 9:48, this must be the time the guards are changing stations. I glanced at the clock; I have one and a half hours to kill.

I lay on my bed piecing together Aspen's vague instructions in my head, drawing maps in my mind making quiet sounds of frustration when I looked at the clock and only 10 minutes had passed. Almost as if on cue, two of my maids came bustling in, Lucy made a small shriek of surprise when she saw me and looked to Anne pleadingly as if for help, her eyes were puffy but I didn't mention anything.

"We're ever so sorry we weren't here when you returned from dinner Miss America" Anne quickly retorted, she looked almost ashamed.

"Oh don't worry about it I only just got back" I lied, I was grateful they were gone or else Aspen wouldn't have been able to deliver me my note. I briefly wondered where Mary was, but there was little space for thinking with these maids around.

"Are you ready for bed then Miss?" Lucy asked, her fingertips were already fumbling with the clips in my hair.

"No its fine" I said more sternly than I meant to, "I mean no honestly I'm not that tired and I have to um..." I was stumped, I had no responsibility here apart from on the rare occasions Silvia gave us homework, I was free to be pampered and laze around all I wanted. "I think I'll just practise my piano playing maybe, I would hate to go home not having learnt any of the new beautiful sheet music you have here".

Anne and Lucy gave each other a sideways glance, obviously thinking the same thing but not quite sure whether to pursue their thoughts. Anne caved, "Do you really think you're going to be eliminated Miss?" she looked disappointed, defeated even; I was so proud I had these girls on my team. They had a point though; I just admitted the possibility of me going home out loud without even realising, had I truly lost hope now that Kriss was in the picture? Had my heart finally decided that Aspen was the one?

The maids kept me busy enough, I didn't really need to practise the new sheet music, I knew if I asked they'd let me take it home with me if it came down to that. I found myself actually quite enjoying myself though; occasionally I'd ask Lucy to help me out by pressing a key or pushing the pedal for me. Most of the time she got it wrong but I didn't mind, it had us all in hysterics of laughter whenever she tried to recite what I'd just played for her. I was so preoccupied I forgot what time it was, I glanced at the clock and saw I had a mere 6 minutes to decode Aspen's instructions and meet him, if I was too late he'd surely think I'd not gotten his note or didn't want to see him. The thought of him thinking I'd abandoned him made me sick to my stomach.

"I think I'm going to go and get some air" I said moving towards the door.

"But Miss, I don't think Maxon will approve of you going outside what with all the recent rebel attacks" Anne pleaded. Her face looked genuinely concerned, I remembered what Kriss said about wanting my maids if she was to win, I wondered how long it would take them to warm to Kriss the way them seemed to care for me.

"You're right" I admitted, "Perhaps I'll go find him and see if he would like to accompany me".

They visibly relaxed and smiled, I was excused. I shut the door calmly and could hear them chuckling just before I began jogging down the hall. I took the instructions out of my pocket and moved into a corner to make out where he wanted me to go next.

I was 15 minutes late by the time I finally got my bearings and knew which door I was supposed to open. The door was already ajar and I pushed it open slowly and quietly, the room was dark, made even more so once I'd closed the door again behind me cutting off the light supply coming from the hallway.

"Aspen?" I whispered.

I felt him before I could see him, his fingers laced in between mine and he pulled me towards the back of the room. He took me under an archway which apparently led into another smaller room.

"I was beginning to give up hope" he chuckled, we were standing so close I could feel his breath tickle behind my ear, smell that familiar scent which had provided me comfort for two years, the smell which guaranteed hope and passion. Aspen was stronger now, his muscles were firmer and his face was clean of any stubble, his job at the palace had changed him but we were still the same somehow, he still made me feel important and excited when he touched me.

"I would never abandon you Aspen", I looked up at him, he looked sad.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You would never abandon me Mer, but that's exactly what I did to you... I don't deserve you".

I looked away, feeling hurt at the reminder but I gave his hand a squeeze to let him know I was recovering, my wounds were slowly healing. We stood like this for a while, hand in hand pressed up against each other, kissing each other lightly; his lips were soft against my neck, his kiss felt familiar, his touch reassuring.

"We haven't got much time" he said, breaking the silence.

"There's never enough time" I thought aloud, I remembered the promise I made to Maxon that I simply needed more time, I just had no idea how much time exactly.

My reverie was broken by the faint sound of a doorknob clicking open, I looked up at Aspen alarmed, his face reflected the panic going on in my head and he rushed me to the corner of the small room to conceal me from the moonlight streaming in through the windows. If anyone caught us here, Aspen would lose his job, my family would lose their income and we'd both be demoted to the lowest caste possible. I slowed my breath and listened out for any sounds of the visitor. I could just make out the sound of a woman's voice, it was shrill and familiar. There was a man in here with her, their voices were getting louder as I assumed they moved towards the back of the first room we entered, then it hit me, the woman's voice, it was Mary. I could make out their conversation now,

"What's wrong? You looked so worried earlier on" the man asked.

"I'm worried that Anne knows about us, she took me aside today and told me I should remember my place... Gavril what if she tells someone!" Mary cried.

"If she does then so what? I'm tired of hiding, I love you and maybe if you get kicked out of this place we can finally be together?" Gavril said, Mary was crying I could hear her sniffles, "Calm down honey, things will sort themselves out soon enough. Look I have to go and speak to the Prince about this week's Report, go straight to your quarters and don't tell Anne anything just yet, I'm going to think of a plan I promise."

I heard him kiss her and then the door opened again, after a short few moments I was sure both of them had left. I glanced up at Aspen and saw him smiling down at me, I had a sudden urge to burst out laughing, this was not how I thought this evening would pan out. I admired them both; they were risking so much, the comfort of the palace and their reputations just for a few lingering moments in a dark room. It reminded me of how Aspen and I used to take risks to see each other in the tree house; love is never easy I've learnt, it's most satisfying when you have to fight for it.

The Elite by Kiera Cass - Book Review

Synopsis: This novel is a Bachelor-style dystopian set in the future in a society known as Illea. Citizens of Illea are separated into castes which determine their overall quality of life, with the upper castes, such as the royal family known as 'Ones' enjoying the most privileges.

 This novel was preceded with 'The Selection' which enlightened us to the ultimate contest for Prince Maxon's heart. In the first instalment, 35 girls were chosen at 'random' from all of the castes to take part in the national competition which is held at the palace in a bid to win a marriage with Prince Maxon and in turn become a Princess.

 'The Elite' is the second instalment during which only 6 girls remain, and the protagonist of the series, America Singer, is amongst these elite. Her heart is torn between her first love, Aspen, who has followed her to the palace to win her back, and Prince Maxon whose kindness and personality has made America feel completely different about the Selection process. Amongst the love triangles and expensive parties, the society is in turmoil, with rebels attacking the palace on a regular basis, some threatening to kill if necessary to end the contest. America wants things to change but doesn't feel strong enough yet to bring about those changes herself, will we see her gain a new perspective in this novel, will she be Illea's new princess?

SPOILERS

Review: Two stars are harsh I admit. If someone asked me to rate the novel say 100 pages in, I probably would have given it a 3 or maybe even 4 star rating because when reading the novel, I couldn't put it down; it was definitely a page turner. I finished the book last night and had to sleep on it to help me gather my thoughts and on reflection, 2 stars is probably more accurate.

I am a sucker for a good romance novel which is what attracted me to this trilogy (I think it's a trilogy) but the love triangle in this however was verging on ridiculous at some points. In one Chapter, the protagonist Lady America would be promising her life away to Aspen and then she'd run off to Maxon and tell him basically the same thing. All America wanted is time and I felt she spent a lot of this novel stringing both boys along waiting for someone to make the decision for her. I was relieved when Maxon finally grew a backbone and gave her an ultimatum because I couldn't have dealt with the constant back and forth between these two for much longer. In the end, it looked like America's bold presentation was her way of showing she'd chosen a life of comfort with Aspen over her whirlwind romance with Maxon however she then declared she needed space from Aspen to mend her broken heart. Apparently after the constant monologues and meetings with Aspen, it had only just hit her that she had changed and was no longer right for him, personally I think she forgave him way too quickly to begin with anyway. America then said goodbye to her maids in a parting which admittedly made me cry and then on her way out, after a 5 minute conversation with Maxon decided that, actually maybe she did want to be a Princess. Fair enough it took losing Maxon to realise how much she wanted him but ultimately, the end of 'The Elite' was pretty much the same as the end of the first instalment, Maxon still hadn't chosen a winner and readers were once again left tearing their hair out as we have to wait until MAY 2014 to find out who becomes Princess ARGHHHH.

I don't mean to slate the book as much as this but the Marlee plot twist was slightly predicatble. I was fully aware that she was having an affair with a guard before it was revealed however what did suprise me was the spontaneous caning expedition. In my opinion, this was the first time we truely saw how corrupt the whole Selection process was and how corrupt the royal family are for allowing such treatment to take place. Any faith I lost in Maxon as a character however was restored when he invited America to the Princess' suite and Marlee was waiting for her. The characterisation of Maxon was done considerably better than some of the other characters; Kiera Cass took us on a journey with him, through his first kiss and through his heartbreak at having to wait for his one true love. I was actually surprisingly glad when Cass spiced up the competition with Kriss' character, up to this point; I thought America would undoubtedly win so there was little in terms of suspense for the final decision. Kriss could very well steal Maxon's heart away from America and this will certainly be an interesting addition to the love triangle in the next instalment.

There was little action in this book, the rebel attacks were generally in occurrence in the backdrop whilst America was hiding out in the safe rooms. The only time I felt truly hopeful for an alternative setting and possible action was when America ran into the forest away from the Northern rebels, this however came to nothing and she was tucked up in bed back at the palace in a matter of pages.

It might seem like I didn't enjoy this book but I wouldn't have given it any stars at all if that were the case. I think the concept of this trilogy is an interesting twist on traditional romance novels and a clever spin on the Bachelor TV series. Most girls including myself have dreamt of becoming a Princess someday and this novel brings back all those feelings, the glamorous lifestyle and handsome Prince is certainly appealing and is a great escape from the stresses of exams and work. In the next book I just hope we see some of the story unfold in a setting other than the Palace, as much as I long to live in such quarters, it would be nice to get a taste for perhaps where the rebels live or even where the lowest castes such as Eights are forced to stay. I also hope that Kriss doesn't replace Aspen in terms of the love triangle; I am praying Maxon makes his decision early on so that I don't feel tempted to take a quick peek at the last page just to find out who becomes Princess.

So there you go, I'd definitely recommend this trilogy and I promise not all reviews will be so negative, but I do promise to be honest.

P.S. I know they say don't judge a book by its cover but isn't this just the most beautiful cover you have ever seen?!