review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass

April 24, 2012

HarperTeen

Young Adult | Dystopian

The Selection #1

Pages: 327

Source/Format: Bought/Hardcover

Rating: ★★★ 1/2

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.

REVIEW: 

Preface: From the very beginning, I stuck by Wendy's side. It isn't right to call a reviewer a "bitch" because she has a different opinion and it isn't right to game the system. And while some people are adamant on not reading this one (I don't blame you; really, I don't), someone wise once told me that she didn't let drama affect her reading. If it was a good story, it was a good story. And after all that drama, I still wanted to read The Selection. So I did.

The Selection by Kiera Cass is THISCLOSE to getting an ALL THE STARS rating from me. It made me feel ALL THE FEELINGS. Like at first, with America and what’s-his-face Aspen, it felt really cheesy. Example:

“I can’t help it. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You can’t hold it against me for saying it the only time I’m allowed to.” He reached up and cupped my face, and I looked deep into his eyes.” 

P. 13-14, hardcover

Erm, okay. You go ahead and look “deep into his eyes.” And then kiss him. After you pleaded your anti-pretty case: 

“By the way Aspen was looking at me, I could tell I wasn’t helping my “I’m not pretty case.” (p. 13, hardcover.) >___> I don’t even KNOW about that sentence. Is it better that she acknowledges that’s what she’s doing vs. those who are ignorant to their beauty? (One Direction, I blame you. For everything.) 

So, I wasn’t expecting to like this one. But I was shocked by how quickly it sucked me in and kept me close. I couldn’t put this book down, seriously, and that hasn’t happened to me in a really long time. Yet I’m conflicted. There are so many bads about this book.

There’s America. America Singer. Her name really didn’t fit with her family’s names, and it just felt random and like Kiera Cass was pushing the dystopian genre too hard with her name. I hated that she was a singer and her last name reflected that when Aspen’s a servant and his last name isn’t Servant. What the crackerjack? Why is her last name “Singer” then? HMM?

And the genre. I know that The Selection is being classified as “lite dystopian” and I hadn’t realized how LITE it actually was. It seriously could have been fantasy. That is what pisses me off. If you’re going for dystopian, then fucking go for dystopian. Don’t make your dystopian not a dystopian. Especially if it could be a fantasy and you’re just trying to cash into the dystopian craze. 

Illéa is basically a modern America; there’s nothing futuristic about it, or dystopian-ish. 

But unlike most (real) dystopians, The Selection talks about how Illéa came to be: China invaded the United States because they owed them money and they changed the name to “The American State of China.” But… apparently, the American State of China had no allies (hm, what about China? China wasn’t their ally?) and when Russia attempted to occupy ASC, it failed, and Gregory Illéa leaded the assault against Russia and led to founding the country they now live in. And guys, it just didn’t make sense to me. How the world is structured, especially how this country came to be, are very tea party-ish views. Which makes me go O___o.  

The government structure of this country is pathetic. Why do you sit around in a basement while rebels invade? Why not get out there and do something (and yes, I know Maxon talks about sending soldiers to places, but nothing really gets DONE with the rebels. I mean, they literally just sit there while the rebels invade.)

TSK TSK, people. I am disappointed in your lack of a WORLD. If you were an actual country, you would have fallen apart years ago.

But as I said above, I highly enjoyed The Selection by Kiera Cass. There is something about this book, people. Really. I could not stop reading it. I was grating cheese for my mom and had the book open because I didn’t want to stop for five minutes. I’ve reread passages. I didn’t want to leave the characters and world when I got to the end. This book could have been a thousand pages long and I wouldn’t have cared at all (although my hands probably would have.) 

Guys, this book captured my heart. It’s like falling in love with a guy so out of your league and you know nothing will happen, and if something does happen, it won’t end well, and yet you still lust after him/her/it/whatever.  BECAUSE YOU CAN’T HELP IT BECAUSE LOOK AT HIM. Or it. What are we talking about? 

Sigh. This book. I am so CONFLICTED about this book. I mean, I fell for Maxon. As America was, so was I. Then there’s Aspen… I don’t have strong feelings toward him, probably because you don’t really get to know him in The Selection. I neither like or hate him.

Then there’s the girls: the 35 girls. I really hated Celeste, but some of the things she did were just WTFuckery. Like… tearing America’s dress. Why, Celeste? That entire scene was random and seemed out of character for Celeste. Like I understand there has to be an antag, and naturally it would fall on one of the girls, but… um… Celeste?

Marlee—oh, Marlee. (The next part is rather spoilery, so highlight at your own risk.) He keeps her as one of the Elite, but Marlee doesn’t like him and Maxon doesn’t seem to like her so all I can think is why? WHY? I get that you have to keep a few girls, but it’s a fucking competition to find the love of your life, so if you don’t like one girl, send her home… that’s the entire point of the Selection, no? 

And while the ending really isn’t cruel, I’m curious what will happen in The Elite. Obviously, the competition will continue, but will something be done with the rebels? Will it be more of a dystopian? And of course, will America realize she actually is falling in love with Maxon?

SO, despite some of the problems I had with this one, I really did enjoy The Selection and am very eager to find out what happens next.  

"One can never help being born into perfection," I whispered.

He came close, wrapping an arm around my waist so that we faced each other. His nose tickled mine. He ran his fingers across my cheek so gently it seemed he was afraid I would break.

"No, I don't suppose you can," he breathed. 

p. 254, hardcover

Other Reviews:

Between the Covers 

The Diary of a Bookwurm 

LC's Adventures in Libraryland