The Selection (a review)

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Synopsis: 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. 

Review: When I first saw this book, I told myself that I would never pick it up. Neither the cover nor the synopsis caught my attention. I then saw some great reviews about this book on both Goodreads and YouTube and decided to give this book another shot. I am definitely happy I did. The best way to describe this book is that it is The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, although there seems to be more elements of the latter present. I compare it to The Hunger Games for a few reasons. The main character, America, reminds me a lot of Katniss. Her younger sister also reminds me of the relationship Katniss and her younger sister had. Like in The Hunger Games, where people live in districts, in this book people live according to caste. Their jobs and homes are all based on which caste they fall into (1 being royalty and 8 being poorest). America is also thrown into a competition where only one will be winner at the end. This is where the similarities to The Hunger Games ends. 

The story is centered around the competition between thirty-five girls to win the heart of Prince Maxon. Unlike The Bachelor, America goes into this competition knowing that she does not want to win the Prince's heart. She agrees to compete because it will mean helping her family out back home. America is fiesty, speaks her own mind and is the most original out of all the contestants. She enters the competition with a broken heart, having just been dumped by her boyfriend back home and wants nothing to do with romance. But she does begin to develop a friendship with the prince. You find yourself rooting for her to fall in love with the prince as their friendship begins to grow. And then the book ends abruptly. I did not expect it to end so suddenly with so many unanswered questions. I loved this story and hate the fact that I have to wait until next year to find out what happens.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars