*Possible Spoilers*
The Selection
by Kiera Cass
Read: November 8, 2014
Published: April 24, 2012
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Series: The Selection Series
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. (From Amazon)
_______________________________________________________________________________
I read this book because my sister read it and she has been begging me to read it so we can talk about it. Well, mostly because it's on one of my book lists and I wanted to be able to cross it off. But also because my sister wouldn't stop bothering me about it. Anyway, I finally picked the book up on Saturday and finished it the same day.
Was the book really that good?
No. I don't think it was. I finished it in a day because I am a fast reader and the book isn't very large. Also, I had nothing else to do that day. Don't get me wrong, it's a decent book. Maybe I'm just sick of dystopian novels. Or maybe I've been reading too many classics. Whatever it is, this book fell flat for me. It seemed very shallow without any real purpose.
What didn't you like about the book?
The characters, particularly America. It's hard to read a book when you dislike the main character. There is little to no character development in any of the characters, except perhaps Maxon. The whole book (the second one as well) is centered on whether America will choose Maxon or Aspen. I'm afraid this series will be one big, mess of a love triangle. Even when the rebels attack, America is so preoccupied with which suitor she will choose. She is thinking this through DURING the attack. Which brings me to the next question:
What do you like about the book?
The Rebels. We know very little about them because two books were wasted focusing on America's inability to decide who she's in love with, but they fascinate me. We know that the northerners are less violent and hostile than the southerners and we know that they want the Selection to stop. But that's about it. I'm really hoping that the third novel will focus more on the rebels and what they are about and less on our protagonist's hormones.
Three unexpected things in The Selection: I can't even really think of any. This book was painfully predictable.
Three things this book does not feature: Magic (no werewolves or vampires), originality, plot
Would you recommend this book to anyone?
I would, but only if they wanted a beach read. If they were looking for a great book that left them preoccupied for days (which is what I've been looking for) I would suggest The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern or The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon.
Bottom line is, I didn't really like the book. I tried to put my negative feelings towards it into words and I think I was partially successful. However, someone else put it into much better words than I did. Thank you, Christina A. Marley for your review on amazon, because it completely summed up everything I didn't like about this novel. I also chose to use a quote from the novel as my quote for today.
"No, I'm not choosing him or you. I'm choosing me." -The Selection by Kiera Cass
No comments:
Post a Comment