Review for The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor

5 Stars. The best way for me to describe The Selection is that it’s “The Hunger Games” meets “The Bachelor”, and I think if you enjoyed either of those then you would like this book. It has the same wonderful dystopian concepts seen in “The Hunger Games”, but with a more playful tone.

This book is a modern day fairy tale that had me hooked from beginning to end. It’s not as simple as a handsome prince whisking away a pretty girl from the hard life she’s lived to be pampered in a castle, although I did enjoy that part of it. It also looks at the complicated interworkings of politics as Prince Maxon is not only learning how to lead his country but how to make changes and better the lives of his people.

What bring our lead character, America, and Maxon together is a contest, similar to “The Bachelor”, designed to help the prince find his future queen. America makes it very clear from the very beginning of the book that living in the lap of luxury is not the most important thing to her. She looks at this competition that she’s thrown into first as a curse, but later she sees it as an opportunity to do some good. She doesn’t want to be the next queen, but if she could help the prince pick someone else who would make a good queen, and in the process do some things to help her family then, she realizes, that this experience would be worthwhile for her.

I loved the dynamic between these girls and Prince Maxon and how that affected how they were with one another. They all had their own individual personalities and seeing the friendships and animosities that formed between them as they all sought the attention of the same guy was endearing and entertaining. I loved that they still cared for each other, well most of them, when someone got rejected or sent home and, that they weren’t just constantly jealous or selfish. Though we did see those emotions emerge when they were appropriate. This really made these characters and their relationships feel real.

I loved all the characters in this book, especially America. She was outspoken and really a lot of fun to read about. Her competition and love interests were well written as well. You really want things to work out between America and Aspen in the beginning of this book, but Maxon will grow on you and by the end you’ll be torn between this choice that America has to make. I also want to say that I liked how America got into this love triangle. She doesn’t immediately have two loving admirers fighting over her, the relationships built up in a more believable way. I especially liked her relationship with Maxon and how her feelings for him changed as the book went on.

Overall this was a great read and I can't wait to pick up the sequel, The Elite.