The Selection (The Selection, #1)

by Kiera Cass

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

American Singer doesn't want to be the next princess, but everyone insists that she enter the Selection. When she is chosen to move forward to the next round, America is both shocked and annoyed. This is not what she wants. So in the guise of competing, she makes a deal with Prince Maxon. If he lets her stay and eat and keeps sending money home to her family, she'll be his eyes on the inside of the circle of girls.

I'm not going to say that The Selection is a grand work of art, because it's not. It's cheesy and cliche and totally predictable. But The Selection is also highly entertaining. It's the closest I've seen to a book being both a dystopia and a "light beach read". The dynamics between the girls is interesting, and if dating shows are your thing, you'll probably like the love triangle. And this is one of those books where... well yes of COURSE there's a love triangle. It's still cliche and cheesy, but it's expected and works well enough. Except I dislike both the boys, but that's taste.

The Selection remains an entertaining read and something that I can see younger generations reading. It's not a classic by any means, but seven years later this book is still very accessible and fun.
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Original review: 5/4/2014. Four Stars.

Due to the height of negative reviews I feel the need to write one myself. A lot of people are saying this book is like The Bachelor. Most to go as far as to say that the only reason you'd like this book is because you like the TV show. I will agree there's nothing particularly bright and surprising about this book. However, I think it's charming. And, I hate that TV show.

Let's start with America. Most people find Her to be and cliché. Yeah, she's a little cliché. What were you expecting from a fairytale? Because, that's how I see this book. It is a little dystopian, but mostly, it's a fairytale. I actually find it refreshing that she's not all googly eyed over the men in the book. I find myself incredibly frustrated with the novels that seem to be all about how handsome the boys are. America actually cares. I won't go into details, because I'm not one for spoilers, but it's nice to see someone with a little bit of humility, and who is a little bit less superficial than we often see in these teen romances. And, if someone thinks that her humility is merely whininess then that's their opinion. It's not mine.

Yeah, the names are a little silly and the ending was predictable, but when I pick up a YA novel I'm not expecting rocket science. I want to be charmed and entertained, and I was. Maybe the marketing campaign was a little off and drew in some of the wrong audiences, but I fully intend to read the rest of the series. This seems to be a like-it-or-hate-it book. I liked it!

Thank you, Kiera Cass, for a delightful read.