Title: The Selection
Author: Keira Cass
Pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Utopia
Genre: Utopia
The story takes place in Illéa, a monarchy created from the United States after a 4th world war. Whenever a prince comes of age there, 35 girls from around the country are selected by lottery to compete for the prince's heart, and their place in the royal family. Like every one is saying, the Bachelor meets the Hunger Games.
Another thing particular to The Selection are castes: numbers that indicate the citizens' place among society, a One being a member royalty, an Eight Being an unemployed homeless person.
Our main character, America Singer is a Five at the beginning of the book. Her and her family are literally starving artists. Her boyfriend of 2 years, Aspen, is a Six, which mostly means being a servant. Though his family is worse off than America's, she is determined to spend her life with him, but Aspen insists that she enters the Selection. And, of course, America is chosen, and leaves the castle after a big heartbreak.
Then America meets the prince Maxon and strikes a deal with him, becoming the lonely prince's first friend.
This is the first book of Keira Cass that I have read. Her writing style flows well and is nicely paced for the most part. I really liked her character development, how America is stubborn and smart, not another airhead damsel, how Aspen is selfless and so devoted to the people he loves and Prince Maxon, who always tries his best to do the right thing. Although, sometimes it could be a bit confusion with all the other girls.
What I didn't like was how the book ended with no real conclusion. Obviously, it's another series. Although I'm getting somewhat tired of them, I'll probably get the next book anyway, since the story is quite captivating.
Lastly, I wish I got to hear more about America's family, like in Wither (Lauren Destefano) where Rhine talks a lot about her brother Rowan and what her parents were like before they died.
I'd recommend The Selection to people who like reality TV competitions and who enjoyed the love triangle from the Hunger Games and the Chemical Garden Trilogy. I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.
For more info, here's the book trailer (though I think it sucks):
If anyone has any requests, please comment.
And if you agree or disagree that the trailer sucks, please comment.
(Or if someone, somewhere, actually read my review, please comment)
