The Selection, by Kiera Cass (BOOK REVIEW)

 

“True love is usually the most inconvenient kind.”

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape a rigid caste system, 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, and competing for a crown she doesn’t want. Then America meets Prince Maxon—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

“If you don’t want me to be in love with you, you’re going to have to stop looking so lovely. First thing tomorrow I’m having your maids sew some potato sacks together for you.

This book was like watching a trashy reality TV show. Now, don't get me wrong; I love fluff. When I read this it was merely because I was craving absolute cheesiness. Lemme' tell you, I got what I was craving, for sure.

Obviously, my first reaction was that this cover is absolutely hideous. I'm sorry, but there's no way I can't cringe whenever I look at it. 

The overall plot for this book was not my favorite. I did like the dystopian side of it; but even that part was barely relevant throughout the book. The whole "selection" thing made sense. It kind of had Cinderella vibes with the Prince choosing a bride. But instead of it being one ball, it was a few weeks. A lot of people also describes it as, Bachelor meets The Hunger Games. I can vouch for that. 

I honestly don't remember any huge dislikes or likes with the writing style. It was super easy to read and fast-paced. Obviously, because of that it was pretty dry and straight to the point, which goes along with the entire style of this book. Every page of this book was super entertaining. There wasn't much dilly- dallying around, and it got straight to the plot. 

The romance......

The love-triangle actually annoyed me so much. If a book has a love-triangle, it needs to be good. I hate the back and forth of the girl wondering which boy is "the one" or "trying" both of them out *screams on the inside*. For me, it was very obvious which boy America, the main character, should pick. One thing I did like about it was the more grumpy-and-sunshine-trope. I loved the banter and tension. But another thing is that it was also pretty touchy. I can't remember all of the scenes but it was for sure very detailed and longer scenes. Honestly, I don't remember it bothering me but I can see how it could give the "ick" to certain people and it's certainly not for younger readers to read. 

The other thing about this book, though, is that it's a series and I didn't get to find out which guy America chooses, though I think it's pretty predictable. But I still wanted to know! *despair*. 

It's hard to fully wrap my head around my likes and dislikes from this book. I had a good time with it, but it's just overall not a good quality book. It's a lot like watching a Hallmark Movie. Bad quality, cringy plot, but super entertaining and fun. 

I give this book a 5.5/6 (I can't decide) out of 10 and recommend it to ages 14+

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Happy Reading!

-Ariana :)