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.
I’ve had quite a few friends recommend this to me when I said I wanted a guilty pleasure and a train wreck. You know the kind. They are the books without a solid back. They are like reading a soap opera. There are plot twists that don’t need to be there but are there purely to keep the word count going.
For me, The Selection does indeed fit the guilty pleasure, but for a train wreck? I don’t see it. There isn’t nearly enough drama or catty. If anything, it’s a lot about a girl wondering who to choose and deciding to be a part of a competition for . . . well, I’m honestly unsure about America’s motivations for the most part.
As a first book, it isn’t bad. It sets up the story and brings in the characters. It isn’t to a point of “Ugh no more” but it’s also not in the area of “OMG yes, gimme more”. And yet . . . when I finished reading this, I did want to listen to the second book. I did want to continue the series. Even though I could definitely put this down and not think about it again.
There isn’t much in world building in this book. It feels the book only hinges on the Selection, a competition where a group of girls vies for the attention of a crowned prince. There is no explanation of how America has become a complete monarchy and there is no differentiation between the two rebel groups. Quite literally, they are both called Rebels.
I do have hopes that in later books we learn more about the world, but I feel that might not be the case.
Final Rating: 3/5
Casia's Corner 