Author: Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #1
Genres: YA, Science Fiction, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Physical copy
Pages: 336
Add to GoodReads // Buy on BookDepository
Series: The Selection #1
Genres: YA, Science Fiction, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Physical copy
Pages: 336
Add to GoodReads // Buy on BookDepository
PLOT SUMMARY: 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.
LAURA'S REVIEW
I believe I found this book via a tweet by a famous teen author but I quite not pinpoint who. I did not know what to think at first but it had good reviews on Goodreads and people compared it with other books such as The Hunger Games or Divergent (books I love by the way) so why not? But whenever I see two male names when the principal character is a female, or viceversa, I always think "Love triangle. PLEASE NOT AGAIN. Facepalm." I just hoped to not be one of those series where the character is thinking over and over and over again about who he/she loves most.
THE WORLD: After World War IV the US is now called Illéa and is ruled under an Absolute Monarchy therefore the Royal Family, which are the Schreaves, hold the power and the rest of the people is divided in castes which as you can imagine Caste One are the royal family and religious figures, Caste Two are military and famous celebrities, Caste Three are the scholarly, Caste Four are businessmen, Caste Five are artists and performers, Caste Six are plain workers, Caste Seven manual laborers, and finally Caste Eight are the "untouchables" including drug abusers, mentally/physically ill, runaways, homeless, etc. Oh! And Illéa is currently at war with Asia and also fighting the rebels.
THE CHARACTERS: America Singer is a 17 year old girl living with her family as a Five (the artists) and her only choice for the future is to become a singer/musician like it corresponds to her Caste. Apart from that she is also planning on marrying her lifelong best friend, Aspen Leger, who is a Six and thus below her... it's not very honorable to marry someone below your Caste but America doesn't care. Everything changes when she decides to participate in The Selection, a traditional competition where 35 girls are invited to palace in order to conquer the prince's heart. She arrives at The Selection being the naive girl who knows nothing about the rich people's world, but how would she know when she is at the bottom of the pyramid? It's understandable. However, she quickly becomes a fabulously enjoyable character if you know what I mean. She does things every normal teenage girl does or would do in certain situations, thinks, and even wears on a daily basis, at least normal for the majority of us but since the book is set in a future with a society structured slightly different than ours (slightly, think about it if you read the book) the other selected girls do not come as normal because they are used to that high standard world. Oh well, they spice up the book a bit.
The other main character is prince Maxon Schreave who is a sweety. He has his moments but he's mostly very enjoyable and we learn that he holds some dark secrets...
LOVE: Hmm. My triangle senses tingle.
PLUS: I don't know. Almost everything was good: the plot is easy and straightforward, some dialogues were hilarious, I liked the characters... yes, everything fine.
MINUS: Despite liking America I have to say I was annoyed by her at times, specially romantic parts. It wasn't too bad, if you get annoyed just think it won't last for too long, not in this book at least.
OVERALL: 4.5 stars. I enjoyed this book very much. I devoured it in one evening and couldn't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books, The Elite and The One, which I will be reviewing soon. Now there is another books coming! The Heir will be released on May 5th and I cannot wait either. IMPORTANT! If you do not to spoil the first three books please do not read the synopsis of The Heir!
THE CHARACTERS: America Singer is a 17 year old girl living with her family as a Five (the artists) and her only choice for the future is to become a singer/musician like it corresponds to her Caste. Apart from that she is also planning on marrying her lifelong best friend, Aspen Leger, who is a Six and thus below her... it's not very honorable to marry someone below your Caste but America doesn't care. Everything changes when she decides to participate in The Selection, a traditional competition where 35 girls are invited to palace in order to conquer the prince's heart. She arrives at The Selection being the naive girl who knows nothing about the rich people's world, but how would she know when she is at the bottom of the pyramid? It's understandable. However, she quickly becomes a fabulously enjoyable character if you know what I mean. She does things every normal teenage girl does or would do in certain situations, thinks, and even wears on a daily basis, at least normal for the majority of us but since the book is set in a future with a society structured slightly different than ours (slightly, think about it if you read the book) the other selected girls do not come as normal because they are used to that high standard world. Oh well, they spice up the book a bit.
The other main character is prince Maxon Schreave who is a sweety. He has his moments but he's mostly very enjoyable and we learn that he holds some dark secrets...
LOVE: Hmm. My triangle senses tingle.
PLUS: I don't know. Almost everything was good: the plot is easy and straightforward, some dialogues were hilarious, I liked the characters... yes, everything fine.
MINUS: Despite liking America I have to say I was annoyed by her at times, specially romantic parts. It wasn't too bad, if you get annoyed just think it won't last for too long, not in this book at least.
OVERALL: 4.5 stars. I enjoyed this book very much. I devoured it in one evening and couldn't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books, The Elite and The One, which I will be reviewing soon. Now there is another books coming! The Heir will be released on May 5th and I cannot wait either. IMPORTANT! If you do not to spoil the first three books please do not read the synopsis of The Heir!
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HANNAHCASSIE'S REVIEW
Yes, finally I read this book too! I cannot believe it took me this long, especially when it is really a short book! But I did it, oh yes I did it!
THE WORLD: It is one of these world after World Wars, the USA was actually bankrupt so China invaded it. But then Russia wanted to take over and the war against them started. In the end this new country Illea instead of USA was created. The society remind me in many ways of many other dytopian books. The castes basically determine who you are with One being royalty and eight homeless. Really, the world is very simple when you think about it.
CHARACTERS: So the main character is America (I know the name like whaaaat? :D). I have heard many people saying she is annoying but so far I do not agree. America comes from the fives who are normally entertainers. Her talent is singing and playing instruments. Frankly, she is a little bit stubborn but other than that very likable! Sadly she is in love with six who is a servant names Aspen. He is the main minus in this book to be honest, I hate Aspen. Another I love you because you love me but then I think nah I don't want you but when prince itself wants you then again omg I love you. Makes me want to puke. I hope the bloody bastard is going to die. You know Adam from Shatter Me series? Well yeah, Aspen is Adam 2.0. Then we also have Prince Maxon of course, I have seen many people pulling for team Maxon and even tho I am not in love with him I can see why. I hope in next books Maxon is going to grow as a character, I hope I will get on his ship very soon! Then there are many girls from the Selection but really nothing special. Tho, I do love May, she is so fluffy!
LOVE: So America loves Aspen but then she is not good enough for him and then Maxon falls in love with America and poor girl does not know what to do. But I love the fact that she said she wants to do it slowly and figure out what she really wants. I think she is rather like a queen. Go America!
PLUS: It was extremely easy read, I did not love it all that much and thought the world is a little bit silly but I think it took me more or less two sitdowns to read it and simply because I had other things to do. It is easily a one sitdown book.
MINUS: I sorta can see how it will go, surely America is going to be a princess and then we will get rebels involved and so the things with castes will change. But oh well, maybe I am wrong, I hope I am!
