Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection

Kiera Cass

Publication Date: April 24th 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 327

Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult, Fantasy

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.

Cliffhanger? What, I don't get to find out who wins yet? Argh! This is an outrage. So The Selection is a book that snuck up on me through a fellow blog. It sounded intriguing so I clicked to read the first few chapters and I was hooked. Though it coins itself as Dystopia, for me this is a fairytale, a fantasy novel, the dystopic so different then the America of today it doesn't even register, and that is fine with me. I actually really like "Princess Test" type fairytales a lot. I used to make amateur Visual Novel games (which are basically Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books with paperdolls and painted backgrounds) and I really wanted to do a Princess Test/Princess in the Pea inspired one.

On top of that I also enjoy "mockumenteries" a whole lot, so the reality show theme was also entertaining, and I actually wish that there was more to that.

Thusly I was predisposed to enjoy the book. I liked the caste system idea and I enjoyed the plot. I will admit that the prose is slightly subpar to some of my favourite authors, but not so bad that it drew me out of the story. The character of America also tended to have slightly over-dramatic qualities, but most of the time I did like her a lot. The feminist in me dislikes Aspen a lot, but I do think the reasons why he broke up with America very realistic to the tendency for society to act. (So many times men divorce women because they have better paying jobs or are more successful and it grates on them).

I also think that the book got better as it went on, as in the prose. I found myself enjoying the prose much more as I continued on. Oh and I also enjoy the many personalities found in all the girls and the Queen's sister as well. I hope in the next book we get to get to know the Queen herself better.

Aspen! Aspen! You are a butthole! I was so mad that he just takes advantage of America in her situation. Of course she still loves him, he was the one who broke her heart, but he was risking so much just because he wants her back. I was honestly so proud of America when she told him no at the end. It kind of brought things full circle because in the beginning it was Aspen saying that he would hate if she didn't try the selection because of him and now she is saying she would hate it if she didn't give Maxon his chance.

I also want America to be Queen. I really do, I love the root for the lower caste stance she has, and I think her philosophies would be useful for the country.

There are two things I will say about this book that I wish were different:

One: That it doesn't call itself Dystopia, I think this would be beautiful as a fantasy story set in the kingdom. I feel like the use of it being a dystopic future is piggybacking off of other Dystopia success and since it isn't classic Dystopia it will end up with a lot of criticism that it would have had less of if it toted itself as fantasy.

Two: That it was not split up and was instead one huge book of doom. I understand that trilogies are also big and in right now, but this is not a book made to be split up and it is. I'd love to see it more of a book with parts.

Both of these things seem to be the fault of falling under publicity pressure, conforming an idea into something sellable, but of course that is my own opinion.

I recommend this book to fantasy lovers more than to dystopia lovers. I also recommend this to people who enjoy reading fairytale-like books and rooting for an underdog of a peasant. It's not the most perfect of prose, but I enjoyed reading it, plan on rereading it, and cannot wait for the next book to come out.

3.5 Bookmarks