Book Review: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Year of publishing: 2012

Pages: 336

Rating: ★★✩✩✩

Related posts: Not yet availabe

Synopsis: 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 the palace and compete for the heart of the 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.

My review: The selection tells the history of a country that was created after a war, is a futuristic book but with many aspects of past. The man chose his wife, the monarchy had all the power, the women should keep her virginity until marriage, etc…

The selection is the choice of the future wife of the prince of Illea between thirty five women, a kind of reality show of monarchy. It reminds me the typical programs in which a boy have to choose among many women that fight and play dirty to ‘conquer his heart’ or rather its portfolio.

America is one of these thirty-five girls but she didn’t want participate like the others, she was convinced by her boyfriend, Aspen. He is her secret boyfriend, He belongs to a lower caste and for that thinks that he won’t be able to maintain America so believes that the best is to be submitted to the selection. America accepts but with a condition: If the prince doesn’t choose her, she wants to marry with Aspen. Something pathetic in my opinion. America didn’t hope be chosen. Prince Maxon has a progressive mentality and makes a deal with America to prevent her from feeling pressured.

As in all romantic sagas, America is torn between two guys, the love of her life or the prince, that is the typical love triangle. But I must say that I couldn’t deduce its decision until the end of the book and that surprised me.

I seem that the protagonists are very flat, very boring, and graceless. No dramatic changes throughout history. America, who claims to be so kind, turns out to be some superficial, Maxon, who seems very good person, is very insecure (strange thing in a prince) and Aspen is the only one who can speak well, I envy what Aspen was able to do at the end of the series because I wouln’t have been able. Although I didn’t like his attitude when he ask to she come into the selection.

Apart from the romantic plot, I would have liked the author would have explained why society became thereby, what happened exactly, or would wrote another book before the selection or something similar. I think that would be able to attract more readers who may not take an interest in the love story but yes in how it came to that.

My personal rating for this book is a 2/5 because the book began promising something new and different, but ended up being the typical love story with flat characters.

What’s your valuation for this book? I hope your opinion in the comments box and if you like this post, share it in your social networks. Thank you so much!

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Written by: Ana.