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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.
This was a three point five. When the tale begins we meet America Singer, a caste five, who is secretly in love with Aspen a caste six. America lives at home with her parents and siblings. They are all musicians and artists who barely scrape out a living by performing and selling their art to the upper caste. A letter arrives from the King and Queen announcing that a girl will be selected from among thirty-five of the kingdom's eligible girls to marry Prince Maxon. The families of the contestants will be compensated and whether the girl wins or loses her caste and future will forever be changed. America‘s Mom is overjoyed at this opportunity for America. Stubborn, America wants no part in this, as she secretly plans to marry Aspen. Aspen encourages her to do enter. When her mother offers to allow her to keep half of her earnings, she jumps at the chance. After all only thirty-five girls will be selected. She feels confident she will not be among them. So of course she is selected and the tale that unfolds is fascinating. Watching the girls be transformed and the length at which some of them were willing to go was fun to read. What started out as a means to help her family, gets a lot more complicated when America develops feelings for the prince. The characters in the Selection were interesting. The protagonist America is at times very naive but overall she is strong willed, level headed and confident. She is kind and humble. These traits prevail throughout the novel. She never loses sight of who she is, where she came from and the plight of others. While all the other participants were trying to be who they thought the prince would marry, America remained herself and I found it refreshing. Aspen is a sweet young man, who is desperately in love with America and wants only the best for her. He pushes her away and then pulls her back. He struggles to deal with his conscience and his heart. Prince Maxon was delightful. I found him to be charming, brave, and compassionate. The love triangle will play a role in this series, and if I had to choose at this moment…I would have to say, “Team Maxon”. I am anxious to see how this plays out and look forward to reading book two. I adored America’s sister Max and I am hoping to get to know the Queen more. The contestants were unique and showcased every personality from the snob to the shy. I loved some and despised others. Their actions had me laughing and shooting daggers. The world-building wasn’t unique but I enjoyed it none the less. The novel offered a light depiction of a dystopian society. It always amazes me how writers convert our society to some of the strictest, most oppressive times in history after a cataclysmic event. We are all familiar with caste systems and countries ruled by kings and queens. There is conflict by outside rebels, and the caste system causes poverty. There are very strict rules about movement within castes and relationships. I did find the whole selection process interesting, and the back history of the wars that led to this current time in history. Overall, The Selection was a delightful read. I want to thank Edelweiss and Harper Teen for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
97 out of 113 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Wed Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I was so sure that i knew what was going to happen; but sge left us with just a freaking cliff hanger! When it said , end of book one, i just about died. I was so mad i screamed silently into my pillow. It was amazing. A must read- especially if you enjoyed Wither
45 out of 49 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I am going to tell you upfront that I am not a teenager reading this book. I am a college student, reading major that has to read so many young adult” novels by the end of my semester I was hoping that this book, with its interesting title and cover would be just the "pick me up" I needed to get through my long assignments attached to each book I read and boy was I NOT disappointed. The characters our complex, witty and relatable, the story is sweet and the writing is full of emotion that you cannot help but get swept away. Meet America Singer, an average girl with so many dreams, and of course a love of her life. Until section. America’s life is turned upside down and this resilient girl is put to the test. Now, this young women is just one of 35 competing to be the next queen of her country, only she is not competing… or is she. This book is full of twists, turns, love, war and everything that makes a good book great. The only negative thing I have to say is that we are all going to be held in suspense about what happens next as the second book of the series is not yet published. Happy Reading!
36 out of 40 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Leah-books
Posted Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I Also Recommend:
I am a teen and I really enjoyed this book. it has an interesting story line and the cover is so beautiful.
34 out of 45 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.So when I heard about this book, everyone was saying it is like the Bachelor. Well I have not watched any of that show, but if this book is anything like the show I am so watching now! I doubt there is all of the fighting between the girls and what not. They should really have the show more like that because I think they would get better ratings.... LOL.
America, yes her name is America, is a musician doesn't care what people think about her and does what she wants. In her world you marry in your caste and who help support your family financially until you marry. America really loves her family and wants to make them proud, but she likes to do things for herself more often. She is in love with the boy that helps out the family Aspen. But she has to keep it a secret because he is in a lower caste then she is. She doesn't care but she knows her mom will.
Well not only are there castes in this world, there is a royal family. And how the prince gets married off is there is a selection from the girls in the kingdom. All the girls that are available apply and then after some weeks 35 are picked to come to the palace to try to win the prince's heart. This whole time in the beginning of the book all I could think of is the royal wedding that just happened. :) I took the day off work so I could watch it! I drank a cup of tea in my PJs and sat in front of my TV and watched history happen. This is kind of happening in this story. Every Friday night the girls are shown on TV and asked about what it happening during the week in the palace. America really wants nothing to do with the Selection but she is there to make her family proud.
But you know every fairy tale has to have something bad happen to break up the good right? Well Aspen comes to work at the palace as a guard and makes America second guess why she is really here. Is she here just to be a friend to the prince or is she really falling for him?
This book was not what I expected at all! The way it ended is not how it ended in my head. IT WAS BETTER! I loved this book so much that I literally read the book in 10 hours or so. It was amazing! Everyone should read it! Kiera Cass did an amazing job making this world real and come to life. Thank you Kiera Cass for making this book a book that made me smile the whole time I was reading it!
24 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Wow! So worth it! Best preorder I ever made! Read it in less then24 hours! Can't wait for the next book!
17 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012
From the pretty cover to the end of book one, I seriously loved this book, and could not put it down. Even though aspen makes me want to jump into my nook and assault him, I feel every character is well described and composed. I am hoping to see America win, and see Aspen hopefully explode in jealousy, or get eaten by a pack of wolves, or maybe he may be killed by the rebels! I am smiling at the thought!
16 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu May 24 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I read it in one day. The end came and i was sooo mad! Haha.
14 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.mrsinserra
Posted Sat May 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I was torn about whether to read this book or not based on the whole reality TV aspect. I am not a huge fan of Bachelor/Bachelorette TV shows, actually I have never watched one episode in my life. There is all the drama and backstabbing that you see in any reality TV show, and the majority of the contestants are shallow, mean, and just using the contest to become famous. Very few actually have any real feelings for the Prince. But, I do like princess books and cute young adult romance novels and this one fit that bill perfectly.
Now this is a bit of a dystopian novel, since it takes place in a time after a terrible event that caused the whole world to reorganize itself. There are no longer in states like in today’s world, but rather provinces that are set up different than society today. People also are put into a caste system based on what job their grandparent had at the time of the reorganization. This caste system is a mix of the caste system that was found in India and the caste system that existed in France before the revolution. Just as with the caste system in India, this creates haves and have not’s, but unlike the caste system in India where they were stuck at whatever level they were born into, one can become rich and/or famous, and move up in the caste system, usually by purchasing a higher rank, or joining the military, which boosts them up automatically.
As with caste systems in general, if a man marries a girl of a lower caste, the girl is elevated to that caste, but if a woman marries a guy from a lower caste, she becomes a part of that lower caste. Another one of the problems with this is that only certain jobs or pastimes are allowed based on caste and if you switch castes, you also must switch careers. This is a problem for the main character, America, because she loves to sing, but if she leaves the caste she is in, she will no longer be able to do that.
The caste system is just a part of the plot, the other part of the plot surrounds America and the two boys she likes; Aspen, her secret love from home who is in a lower caste and Prince Maxon, whom she begins to fall for despite her best intentions. Now I am not going to explain why or how she can fall for two guys, that is a big part of the story, but I am going to say that she is not a flake. America, despite her cheesy name, is genuinely torn and she is not just some girl toying with two boys, not at all. America is not necessarily the best role model for girls, but she is by far better than some. Her character represents the wholesome, down-to-earth, country, girl next-door.
There is no sex, swearing or violence; making this the perfect book for a teacher or parent to recommend to their kids. I would recommend this book to 7th grade and up. It isn’t at all bad, but has some topics that could be confusing for a younger kid.
I received this book as an ARC. I do not get paid to review books; I do so in order to assist parents and teachers in recommending appropriate books for your kids to read.
Please read more of my reviews on my blog: sarahereads(dot)wordpress(dot)com
11 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu May 31 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I'll admit I bought this book because I loved the cover. When I poked around the internet looking for extra info, what I found didn't feel proming. Then I started reading. At dawn when I finished, I was converted. Of the few dystopian series I've read (some I'm just waiting to finish) this one was by far the easiest, breeziest, most relatable of them so far. With todays obsession with reality tv dating (which I just don't get...anyways) this felt like an almost natural progression society could make after a devistating disaster happens which forces the country to regroup, restore, and move on. I LOVED this book and ABSOLUTELY cannot wait for more...hopefully the author will be kind with shorts, deleted scenes, just more of this great series...
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This book was so amazing and I didnt want to put it down. I have chills just thinking of it!!! I wish i could give it more stars.
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat May 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012
The end was more like writers cramp
The end is another story, i am not kidding. I love reading books in a series. With continual stories about the other charecters. Not this one no.......
The book just ends in the middle of the the original story line, who knows if there will be another book. I feel like this book could of been great if the author would have finished. I could have been hooked but in the end she lost a reader.
Please finish the story in your next book, if there is one
7 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I would like to start off this review by saying that The Selection was one of the most anticipated books of 2012 for me. I mean how could it not with that cover and it being dystopian? However I have heard some negative reviews for it so I started it with very low expectations. This, unfortunately, did nothing to keep the disappointment from happening.
This review will be slightly different and long since I have a lot of pent up frustration to let out. First of all, can we discuss the names of the characters? America Singer? To make it even more cliché, she IS actually a singer. We’ve also got Tiny and Tuesday and me trying to figure out that WHY, when you have the chance to name your characters, you would use these names? I might understand how the author was looking for uniqueness, but unfortunately that was not what happened.
As for the plot, oh boy, I don’t understand why the book is classified as dystopian? And why it is written that this is “The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games”? How in the world is this ANYTHING like The Hunger Games? You just have a world where people are classified into social classes (from one to nine) and their work and financial life depends on that. How is this any different from how life is in our own world? Other than adding actual classification. That is the only thing that is remotely dystopian like. I felt that the writer did not know what to make of this book. First with the dystopian label, and then with the contemporary and realistic TV show theme, and then adding in rebel attacks to a kingdom. I just didn’t know what direction the writer wanted, it felt like she wanted to include all those themes but with a 300-page book, it’s not possible. With so many themes in the book, the themes can’t be explored deeply, which is why we get small snippets from each theme.
As for the characters, I did like America however her feelings were all over the place. First she’s in love with her boyfriend, then when she’s in The Selection, she point blank tells the prince she has no intention of loving or marrying him, then only several chapters later, she likes him and tells him he has a chance! I mean really? Didn’t you just 5 minutes ago say you would never love him? Also, her and the prince strike a deal and I’m like “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” and WHY does the Prince speak in old English? I felt like Mr. Darcy was transported into this book, where everyone speaks normal English except him. I didn’t like how naïve he is, how he didn’t know that people in classes six and lower are suffering. Why wouldn’t you know that? Isn’t this the most important system in your country? His surprise that people went days without eating just dumbfounded me. HE’S going to end up as the king? Wow, this country is definitely screwed. The romance felt a bit too superficial and I really didn’t like it.
The ending, wow that ending was the most anti-climatic ending I’ve read recently. It just suddenly ends. I even flipped to the next page thinking there’s more, because I got nothing from this book. No revelations, no significant complications and I just really wanted to get something but I really got nothing. I kept on reading hoping it would get better because I actually did like the author’s writing style, but unfortunately, everything in between was a disappointment. I am giving it two stars because I did enjoy it on some level however I had too many issues with it to go above a two star rating.
7 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was actually a pretty good book. This book is way different from the books I usually read (The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Morganville Vampire Series, The Mortal Instruments Series, The Host, Shifters Series, etc..) I actually found it quite refreshing to read a book like this... one with romance, elegance, and page turning suspense. Kiera Cass creates a world that catches my attention and interest. I found I was attracted to this book like I was with the book called The Pledge by Kimberly Derting. I was, however, very disappointed with The Pledge. It has SO much potential, but the ending was predictable, and quite frankly boring and dumb in my opinion. I really hope The Selection will turn out to be a great series. The first book was successful, so will the next ones be?
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is one you will read more than once! Awsome book.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2012
It was really well written! The dialogue was humorous and I absolutely loved it.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed May 23 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Wonderfully written novel! I can't wait until the sequel comes out!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed May 23 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I loved this book i was All for aspen in the start but then i started to get to no maxon apsolutly loved this book great story and cant wit wfor the next book
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun May 13 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Such a good story. A light enteraining read! I was engrossed by the end and then Bam... no more pages? What? Honestly... the story should be contained in one book. It was an abupt ending.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2012
This had more potential. The main character--america singer? Who is also a singer? Seriously?-- annoyed me a lot. She was so conflicted by "should i be with this boy or this boy" it made me hate both of them. The "class" thing confused me, and i got very little feel for her world. A lot of the book is spent on telling what she wears, what she eats, what she does, instead of telling an intereating story. It was very "i did this, i felt this, i saw this" kind of story that keeps you from getting drawn into the world. America is selfish, annoying, whiny, and boring. That being said, i did like the problems between the north and south and the palace, and wished they had gotten more into that storyline.
Overall,it was a fun, quick read, but it will not getme to buy the sequel.
If you like bachelor-like romance set in a dystopian kind of world, then this is for you.
4 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
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 ...