The Elite

The second book in Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series

With even more glamour, intrigue, and swoon-worthy romance, this sparkling sequel to The Selection will captivate readers who loved Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, or Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath & the Dawn.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection, and to win Prince Maxon’s heart. Now six girls remain, and the competition is fiercer than ever—but America Singer is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—that she wants? Or is it still Aspen, her first love?

Don’t miss The Betrothed, a glittering royal romance sure to captivate Kiera Cass’s legion of loyal readers and lovers of courtly intrigue alike!

• An Angsty Love Triangle: America thought she was over her first love, Aspen. But now he’s a guard in the palace, and she finds herself torn between his forbidden affection and her growing feelings for the charming Prince Maxon.
• High-Stakes Royal Competition: The Selection has narrowed to just six girls, and the pressure is mounting. As the rivalry intensifies, America must navigate palace intrigue and prove she’s worthy of the crown.
• A Dystopian World of Castes: In the rigid society of Illéa, America is a Five in a competition dominated by higher castes. Can she overcome her station to win the heart of a prince, or will the system keep them apart?
• Political Intrigue and Rebels: The glamour of the palace hides a dark secret. Rebel attacks are becoming more frequent and deadly, forcing America to confront the harsh realities of the world outside the palace walls.

The selection began with 35 girls. Now, with the group narrowed down to the Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's love is fiercer than ever. The closer America gets to the crown, the more she struggles to figure out where her heart truly lies. Each moment she spends with Maxon is like a fairy tale, filled with breathless, glittering romance. But whenever she sees her first love, Aspen, standing guard, she's swept up in longing for the life they'd planned to share.

America is desperate for more time. But while she's torn between her two futures, the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

“An engrossing tale reminiscent of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy and Ally Condie’s Matched. Fairy-tale lovers will lose themselves in America’s alternate reality and wish that the next glamorous sequel were waiting for them.” - School Library Journal

“Cass’s immensely readable debut novel is a less drastic Hunger Games, with elaborate fashion and trappings. The fast-paced action will have readers gasping for the upcoming sequel.” - Booklist

“A cross between The Hunger Games (minus the bloodsport) and The Bachelor (minus the bloodsport), this trilogy launch is a lot of fun. Cass deftly builds the chemistry between America and Maxon, while stroking the embers of America’s first, forbidden love.” - Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR THE SELECTION: “Reality T.V. meets dystopian fairy tale in Kiera Cass’s delightful debut. Charming, captivating, and filled with just the right amount of swoon!” - Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy

“Deliciously entertaining.” - Publishers Weekly