Review Wednesday: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection (The Selection #1)

Author: Kiera Cass
1st Date of Publication: April 24, 2012

ISBN: 9780062059949
# of Pages: 327

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Society

Age Rating: 13

Buy it on Amazon

Book Description:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Setting: Illea (United States) in the future
Point of View: 1st person- America Singer

Goodreads Rating: 4.16

My Rating: 4.25

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: The cover is what truly caught my eye. My favorite color is blue and I just want to be in that dress. Plus, the girl (America) is absolutely gorgeous in front of all the mirrors.
View on Title: The title was intriguing. Who is being selected? Why are they being selected?

Pros:

• First off, this is a response to pop culture, which I think is an excellent way to gain the attention of teenagers. The concept behind the book series is The Bachelor meets royalty. This shows a response to the popularity of the show The Bachelor along with the growing popularity of the marriage between Prince William and Duchess Kate in 2012.
• I love the main female character/protagonist, America. America is a very strong female protagonist with a strong sense of duty and morals while staying true to herself and love for her family. It's clear she isn't perfect, but she doesn't necessarily try to hide it. America's combination of natural beauty, confidence, and sassiness makes this book a fun adventure and a great getaway from everyday life.
• In my eyes, the only main male character is Maxon. He is your dreamy prince that you want to love and want to get to know better.
• This isn't your typical love story. America from the start isn't very nice and is only in the Selection to help her family get money for food. Maxon, though, is compassionate and continues to forgive her for all her mistakes. But, he also has flaws that add to their friendship/relationship with each other. It feels very normal.
• I feel like this book shows the true colors of competition when it comes to females, especially when it comes to a supposedly hot and rich bachelor.
• Many teenage girls and young women can relate to America. If you're an older sister and care for your family, you'll identify with America. If you're unsure about your feelings about the male species, you'll relate to America. If you felt the strains of financial struggle as a kid and a teenager, you will relate to America and her decision to doing something that isn't your cup of tea to ensure her family is taken care of at home.

Cons:

• This has a love triangle and I absolutely hate love triangles. I feel that they are unnecessary and only for plot purposes and to spice things up. I felt that the competition was enough drama to make the book interesting since America went to the palace already heartbroken. In the end, I felt that the love triangle was a little overwhelming if not annoying.
• As I continue to reread this series, I dislike Aspen more and more. I see him as this manipulative character who toys with America and makes her decisions and life so much more difficult.
• Some of the side characters seemed to be underdeveloped, but I feel like this is a specific technique to make you feel like you were in America's place of barely knowing her rivals and how quickly they leave.

Critics' Reviews:

“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 employs multiple conventions of the dystopian romance genre—strong-willed heroine, heart-wrenching love triangle, far-future setting divided by class. That said, it’s a lot of fun. In a post WWIII U.S. divided by caste, teenage America Singer and her family are Fives, struggling musicians and artists. In love with a Six, America is headed for a life of servitude and hunger, until she is chosen for the Selection—a contest through which Prince Maxon will pick his princess. The Selection brings America instant notoriety and prestige, but also thrusts her into a ring of jealous, desperate girls all trying to win the prince’s heart. Cass (author of the self-published The Siren) deftly builds the chemistry between America and Maxon, while stoking the embers of America’s first, forbidden love. Headstrong and outspoken, America is an easy heroine to root for, and the scenes where she tries to fit in to her new royal life are charming. A TV drama based on the books is in production." --Publishers Weekly

Kiera Cass's Website:

http://www.kieracass.com/

Other Recommendations:

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze
Eve by Anna Carey
The Jewel by Amy Ewing