A few weeks ago I decided it was time to read The Selection by Kiera Cass. Little did I know that when I started it I would devour the entire series in just a few days! I couldn’t stop reading it. I was hooked and now I want to share it with you 😉
The Selection by Kiera Cass Series: The Selection,
Published by HarperTEEN on 2012-04-24
Length: 336 pages
Reviewing eBook from My Book Shelf
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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.
The Selection by is the first book in a cross between a young adult dystopian and the TV show The Bachelor. Personally I hate that TV show. It’s full of drama over a guy who is basically dating like 20 girls at one time. Why would I want to watch that?! However in book form, it’s a prince and a competition between 35 girls from all over the country (one from each district) and yes it’s full of drama and angsty-teens but I loved every word!!!
America Singer is seventeen, in love, and happy with her life until the Selection letter comes. Every girl in the kingdom can sign-up and she is forced to….or maybe a better word is coerced to do so by her boyfriend and her family. I like America. She’s honest with herself and the prince from the get go. At least she’s as honest as she can be. She’s spunky, her background colors her choices and she’s not afraid to speak her mind.
Prince Maxon is a boy I feel sorry for. He looks at the Selection as his only way of finding true love, a relationship like his parents. It’s a bit heart-breaking. He’s also so naive when it comes to girls. And his preference for America is obvious from their first encounter. He likes that she speaks her mind and doesn’t try to cater to him. She challenges him and he’s fascinated.
The beauty of this book is watching the growing relationship between America and Maxon. It’s not insta-love which is why I think the book/series is perfect! It’s slow, starting as friendship and building to something more. In addition to that there is the dreaded love triangle with Aspen (her boyfriend from home) but it adds tension to the story that needs to be there.
Personally I feel that this book is more of a romance than a dystopian. Yes there are rebels trying to overthrow the kingdom and yes there’s a caste-like system in place, but it focuses more on Prince Maxon and the 35 girls set to win his heart than on the things going on outside of the castle. Overall after a lot of hesitation on my part, I LOVED this book! If you enjoy young adult romance with a little dystopia thrown in, this is it!
Final Conclusion:
The Elite by Kiera Cass Series: The Selection,
Published by HarperTEEN on 2013-04-23
Length: 336 pages
Reviewing Paperback from My Book Shelf
Rating:
The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.
After reading The Selection, I was so excited to delve into The Elite. Even more exciting was that I didn’t have to wait for it AND I won a copy in the winter COYER scavenger hunt! In The Elite, the girls have been narrowed down from 35 to 6, narrowing the competition field. America realizes that she does in fact love Maxon and she may have realized it too late!
America is a bit difficult for me to like in this book (hence the 4 stars instead of 5). She’s the epitome of angsty-teen, creating more drama than necessary and her mood swings are so drastic and often that it’s hard to keep up! It’s no wonder that Maxon begins spending more time with the other girls.
Maxon is more than a little confused in this book. He loves America, he put it all out there on the line for her. Even though neither of them have said it in words yet, it’s obvious their feelings for one another. His confusion comes from her mood swings and her inability to trust him. But that swings both ways!
The rebels are a little more present in this book, there’s more fighting, and then there’s the king. Oh my!!! I didn’t see him coming. He’s sadistic and twisted and I want to strangle him! But that’s besides the point. And Marlee…..oh! my heart breaks for her and America in this book.
Really the book continues to revolve around the Selection and the ever evolving/devolving relationship between Maxon and America. I disliked America in this book. She just couldn’t make up her mind between Maxon and Aspen. Aspen is her ex, her past, and he broke her before she was shipped off to the capital. Now that he’s back as a guard, it just causes all kinds of confusion for her which in turn leads Maxon to believe he should look else where. The plot is really angst/drama driven and for me that leads to a big dislike. But there is enough backstory about the country, the reason they are in the situation they are currently in that it kept me interested! Honestly though this book is more filler and a bridge to the conclusion than it is anything else.
Final Conclusion:
The One by Kiera Cass Series: The Selection,
Published by HarperTEEN on 2014-05-06
Length: 323 pages
Reviewing Paperback from My Book Shelf
The time has come for one winner to be crowned.
When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.
Now this is the way to end your series!!!! The One by Kiera Cass is the exciting conclusion to the Selection series. America has made it to the top, she knows her feelings for the Prince and now it’s just a matter of winning his trust and his love. But does she have the courage it takes to be what he needs….a queen.
After a very disappointing America in The Elite, I was happy to see the girl I fell in love with back in the last installment of the series. America is back to herself. She’s confident, she knows what she wants, and she will do whatever it takes to get it. She’s a girl in love. No more wishy-washy feelings, no more hiding. She wants to be Maxon’s bride and she will do whatever it takes to earn his trust, love and respect back.
Prince Maxon however was more than a little disappointing during this book. He went from being the naive prince to this guy that I hardly recognized. He can be a bit rude to America, he’s actually fallen for another girl in the Elite and he almost comes off as a player. This is all what America sees. Maybe I read to much into him, but I expected better from him. I know he’s heartbroken, he’s scared of committing to America, and this is his one shot at true love, but really?! You have to date the other girls…..frustrating! It’s why I don’t watch The Bachelor.
The rebels are getting bolder after America’s stunt in the last book which infuriates the king. He’s a scary dude, calculating and cunning, not to mention he hates America. Between him and the rebel attacks, along with new information about the founder of their country, things escalate in this book. It becomes more about what is happening outside the castle instead of on the relationship. This book is why the series can truly be called a dystopian!
Overall I loved this book and I love the series. I love America and I love Maxon! The only thing I took issue with was it was all very anticlimactic. Everything takes place in one chapter, at the end. It was just a little too neat. But otherwise I loved it! Will I ever reread this series? Absolutely!!! Should you read it? YES!!!
Final Conclusion:
Lovely reviews!! Gahh I SO wish I had read these when they were all out, hah. Then I could just binge read them all at once. Instead I had a year for each book. 😉 Have you read The Heir yet? Don’t think I enjoyed that quite as much as the original series– but still enjoyable.
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I haven’t! I have my name on hold for it at the library though. Hoping it comes in soon. I couldn’t imagine waiting a year between each. I would’ve died! I did that with Under the Never Sky but at least there were plenty of novellas between.
I really enjoyed the first book, but haven’t gotten the chance to pick up the next two books. I am glad to hear you enjoyed this series so much and I can’t wait to continue this series! That’s a bit disapointing there’s so much focus on the lvoe triangle and drama in the seocnd book though, but it sounds like the thrid book amde up for it again. I never watched The Bachelor and not sure if I would enjoy it, but indeed in book form the story definitely works. I think America is a great main character and I really appreciated her honesty. The first book certainly is more of a romance than a dystopia, but I did enjoy it and I knew going in that the focus would be more on the romance and that definitely helped. Great reviews!
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I loved this series! Especially the fact that you get to see the other side of the Dystopia rather than the Rebellion! I was annoyingly Team Maxon right the way through!
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I did too! And I love Maxon! I rooted for him from the first moment they talked. 🙂
I have heard a lot of good things about this series, but I have also heard a few bad and it didn’t really seem like my thing, BUT thanks to a few friends and now your post I think it might be time just to give it a whirl.
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