REVIEW: The Selection

The Selection (The Selection #1) by Keira Cass
Published: April 24th 2012 by HarperTeen
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance, Chick Lit
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 7/10
Description: 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.

Firstly, I just want to make a quick disclaimer. I came into this novel with absolutely no idea about the drama/controversy surrounding The Selection and the rest of the books in the trilogy. I did not read or watch any reviews about The Selection as I didn't want to spoil the story. My initial reaction was shock as I read negative review after negative review. I actually got kind of upset at the amount of mocking that was going on. I want my review here to be unaffected by other's views of the author, or their personal views of the story itself. Just for some clarity: I actually really enjoyed this book. It was highly entertaining. So, let's get reviewing! 

The Characters? America is a frustrating protagonist, but she was highly enjoyable to read about. She is quite selfish and I was always expecting her to do something great. I was really looking forward to some wonderful scene with her and her instruments. As music is her and her families' entire life, I thought that there would be a touching scene with her on her violin or something, but alas, there wasn't. The whole music thing is breezed over, which was disappointing. One annoying thing about America is that she seems to think, "I am in the fifth caste. These two's and three's are so spoiled. Wah." As if people should pity her, or that she's better than everyone else because she has survived through the most. It was quite annoying. 
I am not a fan of love triangles, and this triangle was particularly forced. It didn't bother me too much, though. I didn't care for Aspen, so I was rooting for Maxon most of the time. I think I've gotten to the point where love triangles have become so re-used that I can pretty much predict the outcome. Eh. 
The characters are predictable. Be warned. That doesn't mean that you can't be entertained by them. Don't expect super complex character arcs and motives, because that's not what you'll get. You will get spiteful girls vying for the title of princess, a charming prince, and a headstrong protagonist. It's predictable. But I enjoyed them! 

The Setting? It's in a dystopian world in a county called Illea, which has a monarchy. The world itself isn't too rich. We know that there is a war in New Asia, and there are disputes and rebels coming from the North and the South. For the most part, our setting is the castle. It's not too interesting. 

The Plot? Obviously by now you'll have figured out that The Selection isn't a masterpiece by any means. It is quite flawed. It's story-line isn't weaving and complicated. Rather, (much like the characters), it is predictable and at times underwhelming. However, again, I was thoroughly entertained the whole time. It was exactly what I expected! It's a light romance, with girly drama, a light romance, and some dystopian elements. It's like a guilty pleasure read; Like watching The Bachelor. 
The language is easy and the whole book took my roughly 3-4 hours to breeze through. I liked the simple and humor dialogue, the descriptions of the gorgeous dresses, gowns, and exploring the castle. 
A common critique of The Selection is that it's supposed to be a dystopian, but it's anything but. I will have to disagree. It's a pretty typical dystopian. You've got different groups of people organized by society. The rich are super rich, and the poor are super poor and are mistreated. There's a war raging on that we hear about briefly and there are rebels that are... well, rebelling! The dystopian elements are there, however poor they may be. It's still better than Divergent. 

Overall? I really, really enjoyed it. I can't lie. Those people who were expecting a deep, in-depth novel will be disappointed. But honestly? It's a book about girls trying to win the love of the prince and become a princess. It sounds shallow, right? Well, expect some shallow characters and plots. 
Technicalities aside, I was hooked to the story. It was easy to breeze through. I was interested the whole time. Of course, that is just my personal opinion. There are plenty of flaws, as in all other works of literature. This is a great, quick, girly read. 

The Bachelor because The Selection is about 35 young women trying to win over a prince. The Prince Maxon will periodically eliminate some of the candidates. Also, there's a weekly, televised update. I mean, it's dying to be a TV show. 

Ah, The Hunger Games and Divergent. Firstly, I HATE it when people compare books to these two powerhouses of teen dystopians. But, I did note some similarities simply with the system in which all three dystopian worlds are run. There are groups in which every citizen are sorted into. TGH has District, Divergent has factions, and The Selection has castes. The poor are mistreated, and are often starving. Also, American's family dynamic with her younger sister is like Katniss with her sister. There's a lottery to pick people. And who could forget the love triangles! Can't have a teen dystopian without one! The same old formula for dystopians. It's getting kind of old, really. 

Random side-note: I just imagined Sophie Turner (the lovely actress who plays Sansa Stark on GoT) as America the whole book. If this ever becomes a movie or TV show, I want her to play America. She's so precious and beautiful. I love Sophie Turner. Look at her!