“In a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels THE SELECTION is the chance of a lifetime: to compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon’s heart. But for America Singer it means turning her back on her secret love, and leaving home for a prize she doesn’t want. Then America meets Maxon and all her plans start to crumble. Can the life she’s always dreamed of compare to a future she never imagined?”
What is the book about?
In a world divided by numbers, where there barely any opportunities for anyone to move up a caste, the Selection is a chance of a lifetime to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon and become a princess, no matter who you are. Every girl invited to submit themselves for the competition is beyond excited, but for America Singer this competition is a curse keeping he away from her family and her secret love to win something she doesn’t even want. Despite her worries, she turns in the form to make her family happy because she strongly believes that she will never be chosen out of all the other thousands of beautiful girls competing. However, against all odds, America becomes one of the 35 girls in the Selection and leaves her home to live in the palace until Maxon chooses her bride. America arrives at the palace determined to survive as long as possible to help her family, but as soon as she lays eyes on the prince her plans start to crumble. She never believed she would win and she never thought she would like Prince Maxon because he is a One and she is a Five, he is destined for a crown and she is destined to entertain. But Maxon wasn’t anything like she thought he would be and she starts to see that maybe life as a princess and his wife wouldn’t be that bad after all. But can she throw away the life she always dreamed of for the one she never imagined would be possible?
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
Until I heard someone mention it, I never knew that The Selection existed and I had never considered reading it. However, I heard a lot of good things about the series and I was very interested in seeing if the series was really as good as people thought it was. When I first looked at it, I thought it was rather interesting and I always enjoy a book with royalty and hopefully a happily ever after but I also had a few doubts. I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t enjoy the book that much because I was concerned that it would be boring compared to the books I had previously read, which were as action-packed as possible, and I didn’t want to be disappointed. The book is a lot more romance centred than most of the books that I read but I liked that I would be stepping a little outside my comfort zone and trying out a popular book. The blurb was rather interesting, and I obviously wanted to know everything and see what the results the Selection would be, so as soon as I finished reading it I opened the book to the first page and immediately all thoughts of being disappointed disappeared. The first few chapters were amazing and were definitely perfect at hooking me to the book because before I knew it I had already finished reading and I was desperate to start the next one. I was so tense during the first part of the book, waiting impatiently too get the results for the Selection, even though I already knew what would happen. The book was far too short for my liking but I think it was just because I reached the ending far quicker that I had expected because the book was just too good to put down.
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character would have to be America and not just because she is the main character and the perspective that I am reading, but because of how real she is. Obviously America being the main character had some influence on my decision because her thoughts and emotions were the ones I was reading and you always grow closer to the people who open up to you much quicker than those who don’t. However there were a lot of other reasons why I liked her, like her bravery and strength to give up her dreams. America could have never signed up and maybe she could have had the perfect life she always dreamed of with the person she loved, but she submitted her form for her family and risked it all just to make them happy. She then did everything she could to stay in the Selection for as long as she could, so that she could keep providing money for her family and giving them a chance to live in luxury for a little while. One other thing that made me like her was how she was pretty much only in the competition for the money and the food. The money might have made her seem a little shallow but she truly needed it, and the food was actually rather hilarious seeing as she thought the only good thing in a palace with magical gowns, millions of pounds worth of jewels and a gorgeous prince was indeed the food. She was a really amazing character and she stood out, not just to me, but to every character she met. She was different than all the other girls because she didn't take advantage of all the riches that the palace provided and she didn't try to change her image just to impress a prince, she did everything she could to make sure she stayed like she had when she arrived and tried to make her life at the palace feel like home. She didn't try and win the prince's heart and that made her the best girl there.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
My favourite part of the book would most likely be when the girls competing in the Selection were announced. I already knew that America was going to be picked because that was the whole point of the book and it would be one strange story if the main character was not involved in the competition that is the namesake of the book; however I was still very anxious to hear the results. I have read quite a few books that have really made me feel what the characters were feeling and made me really believe that I was part of the story, but I have never in my life felt so nervous and tense and I really felt as if I were the one entering the Selection. That is the main reason I picked this part as my favourite because I love how the author made me truly feel like I was there, but I also liked this part because it was the beginning of America’s adventure. There is always one part in the book that if it never happened, then the story wouldn’t even exist, and this is that part for The Selection. This is probably the most important part of the book and without the announcement of America’s name then this book would have never happened and I wouldn’t have lived through it with her. I really enjoyed reading this part and every other part of the book; I can’t wait to carry on reading more about America’s adventure in the palace.
What was your overall impression of the book?
The Selection was a really great book and I loved reading it. There isn’t a single thing in the book that I didn’t like and I absolutely believe that the book was perfect, maybe a little short but still perfect. One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was the ups and downs. Some parts of the book were happy and sweet and left me also feeling as happy as the characters, but others were sad and disappointing and left me feeling sad and angry for or at the characters. However I enjoyed both the happy and the sad because the book couldn’t have been complete without a few upsetting moments. It also made the book feel more real because not even a fairy tale is without a few bad moments were the characters lose everything and start to believe there is no hope. Another thing that I enjoyed about the books was that I could actually relate to the main character and I could understand what she was feeling. There are some characters that never feel like real people but America and some of the others were as real as can be. That made the book so much more enjoyable because I could feel like I was actually there much easier than most books and I could actually step into the characters shoes and sympathise with them. One last thing that I really enjoyed about the book was how it was simple without being boring. It was easy to understand and the author didn't stray far from the main plot making it much more interesting than the crazy books with so many twists that you forget what you are reading. It might not have had tons of twists but it was still really interesting and I enjoyed it immensely. I really loved reading The Selection and I am so excited to start the second book.
Would you recommend this book?
I absolutely recommend you read this book and I confident that anyone who tries it will enjoy it. I think it is best for readers aged 13 and over and if you enjoy dystopian fiction, romance and some drama then I suggest you try this book out.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A romantic competition to win the price and the crown, 35 fierce and beautiful girls, only one can win.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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