Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
First published April 24, 2012
336 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780062059932 (ISBN10: 0062059939)
Rating: 4.09
Overview
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is everything. It’s a chance to escape the life that has been laid out for them and enter a world of glamour, wealth, and luxury.
To live in a palace and compete for the heart of Prince Jameson, one of the most eligible bachelors in the kingdom. But for Emma, the Selection is a nightmare.
It means leaving behind her family, her friends, and her quiet life in the countryside. It means competing against girls who are more beautiful, more sophisticated, and more ambitious than she is.
And worst of all, it means giving up her secret love with her childhood friend, Ethan. But as Emma gets to know Prince Jameson, she realizes that he is not the shallow, arrogant playboy she thought he was.
He is kind, thoughtful, and genuinely cares about the girls in the Selection. And as she spends more time in the palace, Emma starts to question everything she thought she knew about herself, her future, and her place in the world.
The Selection may be a chance of a lifetime, but it’s also a choice that will change Emma’s life forever.
Editoral Review
Kiera Cass’ debut novel, The Selection, is a young adult dystopian romance published in 2012. Set in a future United States now called Illea, the story follows the life of America Singer, a seventeen-year-old girl who enters a reality television competition called the Selection to win the heart of the Prince and become the next Queen.
The novel’s author, Kiera Cass, masterfully blends the romance, dystopian, and reality television genres to create a gripping and addictive story. Cass’ prose flows smoothly, making the book an easy and enjoyable read.
The novel is set in Illea, a country divided into eight castes, each with its unique functions and social status. As society struggles to heal from the king’s death and rebellions from lower castes, a Selection is announced to choose the prince’s bride.
As fate would have it, America Singer, a struggling Five, is chosen to participate. She is reluctant at first, but her family and boyfriend’s encouragement make her join.
America then finds herself in a world of luxury, but also competition, gowns, and manipulative personalities. The Selection becomes a test of her love and survival.
Cass employs character development to drive her storytelling. America’s story is relatable, and the character’s emotions and actions are authentic.
Cass uses her limited first-person point of view to build America’s backstory gradually, pulling readers into her world as we learn who she is and how she came to be. Her love interests, Prince Maxon and Aspen, are satisfying and complement America’s journey without overshadowing it.
The novel is not without its flaws, however. While the pacing is excellent, the world-building is underdeveloped; readers might have found it helpful to learn more about the country’s structure and politics.
Despite its limitations, The Selection is a well-written novel that heightens emotions and evokes real-world empathy. Through America’s journey, Cass explores themes of love, individuality, and social class.
The book’s subtext encourages individuality over conformity and suggests love as a unifying force that knows no social status. Kiera Cass’ The Selection earns a solid recommendation for teenagers and young adults interested in dystopian romance novels.
The book’s engaging and fluid writing style, relatable characters, and thought-provoking themes make it a page-turner. The novel’s sequels and spin-offs further expand its universe and characters, proving just how much potential Cass has in telling stories.
The Selection receives four out five stars.
