Review: The Selection

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 24th 2012
Pages: 327
Genre: Dystopian, Romance
Source: Library
Goodreads

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.

Though there is some very vastly different opinions about weather this is an amazing or awful book, I personally have to side with the people who loved it. The Selection is a lovely story about a girl who lives is a dystopian county with a monarchy and a caste system in place.  As tradition in the monarchy, the recently come of age prince of the country has to find a wife by getting to know one young woman from each province and slowly choosing a wife "The Bachelor" style. America truly wants  nothing to do with the selection, but when her parents and boyfriend insist that she cannot turn down a chance to be chosen to get to know the prince, she reluctantly agrees thinking there is no chance of her winning, but weeks later her name is called on the television. And America has been selected.

I really liked the general plot and writing of the story. The entire book had a very beautiful feel to it and  book had a lot of character that I loved to pieces. I think that the way the main character is written makes the story seem very alive and elegant even though America wants nothing to do with the situation that she has been put in.

I thought the most interesting thing about this book was the setting. This book is defined as a dystopian book. What I thought was so interesting about this world was the caste system that is in place in society. The castes are numbered 1-8 (1 being the royal family and 8 being the worst off) America and her family are in the fifth caste. Depending upon the caste that you are born or married into you are given different job and life style options. The world that America grew up in completely fascinated me to no end and I absolutely loved it.

The castle and tv show settings I thought were just extremely beautiful and unique. The palace had a magnificent feel to it and the TV setting was just so unique I wanted to jump right in and experience it myself.

America is really an amazing character. Even though she is in the running to become queen and has the chance for a better life and everything, she never wanted to be where she was. Her family and her boyfriend made her try and sign up and that completely fascinated me about her. All of the other girls that are trying to win Prince Maxon's heart are there to win, in many cases the crown and not the man. Maxon was another character I really liked. Though Maxon was a prince who had never really experienced the world outside of royalty, he was very willing to listen to America as she told him about all the problems and troubles of the outer castes.