The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass| Review

The Selection    by Kiera Cass
Published by      HarperTeen on April 24, 2012
Pages                 336

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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.

What I think:
Now while I tend to shy away from young adult fiction, I have to say that this book was a great read. I had bought it on a whim because I liked the cover and the pretty dress... a little juvenile I know but what can I say? At first I was a little skeptical about it because after reading the first few pages I realized it was set in a future world or post war era and I am more of a medieval times kinda girl; I tend to prefer the past (I was born a few centuries too late). I however decided to read it and see where it took me. By chapter two I was completely sucked in to America Singer's life and all her surroundings. Kiera Cass did a great job in painting a world that was both magical and frightening at times. Though the struggles that were faced in the novel are quite similar to the struggles being faced today, the rich's oppression of the less fortunate and the wide contrast between rich and poor, high class and lower class societies, she described it in a way that was so different you could not help but wonder what it would be like if you were in that position. 


“True love is usually the most inconvenient kind.”

At the beginning I got to see how painful it can be when true love between people is just not enough, I saw where sometimes one has to be selfless for the one he/she loves even when it's not what he/she wants to do. I are then swept up into the whole "selection" process and I got to experience it all along with America. I liked that while Kiera Cass clearly had the theme of beautiful prince and shy poor girl, she did not create a knight in shining armor out of Prince Maxon; I mean I love the whole white knight situation as much as the next girl but not all of us want to be cinderella. 

Throughout the novel, I found myself getting very angry at some of America's decisions. There were other times when I laughed out loud and even broke down in some instances, imaging me sitting by myself in a restaurant making snickering sounds and grumbling at things that happened in the book... I must have looked like a crazy person! 
While it is written in first person narrative, we only get to see the world from America's point of view. I didn't mind this though it would have been great to see what how Prince Maxon saw the world (we luckily get to see a little of this in the novella "The Prince"). 

Though this book is not as fast paced as others, I really had a good read. After reading I found myself seeking out young adult fiction at the book store or on amazon. Overall I would definitely recommend it. 

SincerelyYoursTheReader.


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