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My Review:Title: The Selection (The Selection, #1)
Author: Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #1
Published by: HarperTeen
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 336
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Romance
Reading Challenges: CC's Goodreads Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:
Blurb: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.
So a little background, I love this cover and it was what drew me in to read it in the first place. But the blurb wasn’t great, sounded to hunger games-y for me. Now I loved Hunger Games but I don’t like to read books that are like other books, I just like to read books that are good. So moving forward, if you recommend a book to me, don’t ever say, “if you liked so and so, then you’ll like this.” Best way to get me to NOT read that book. Anyway, moving on, I had this book sitting in my queue for a long time, it kept popping up in my rec’s for KU, for like months. Finally, I bit the bullet and started it.
And wooweeee was I blown away. I don’t know why I waited so long to start this book. It was fantastic!
America was a prideful, stubborn girl who wanted to please her family. She also wanted what she felt was right for her. Unfortunately, those things weren’t the same. I felt her hopelessness and her heartbreak after being picked, especially when she hadn’t even tried to get noticed. She tried so hard to work through her heartbreak and porcess everything with a level head while at the castle. It was pretty mature of her, not that I didn’t expect her to be mature in her world. It was just nice to see it in action. I loved her growth; from hating the selection, to understanding it, to even having some fun while being a part of it. It progressed at a good pace and I’m very sad the second book is not on KU. I will have to request it from my library.
I loved Aspen, his love for her seemed genuine if a bit unrealistic considering his station. But he knew that and wanted what was best for America, even if it wasn’t with him. He did the noble thing and it made him seem more mature than I think he really is. I’m not sure he is right for her going forward in this series though. I do however, see his place in it beyond the romance.
The prince is nice and all. That’s really all I can say. At times he seems responsible but unsure of himself and entirely too dependant on this selection for his future. He’s a bit in love with the process of falling in love it seems, something I wasn’t sure really fit with his personality. I’m not sure he is right for American either if I’m being honest. I do think he is genuine in his feelings and isn’t one of those bad guys in diguise.
Definitely gonna read the rest.
I read this one a couple of years ago and was surprised how much I liked it. I didn’t make it past page 43 of The Elite, though. I’ll be interested to hear if you love the rest of the series just as much as this book. Great review!