Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: Harper
Teen Year: 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-205993-2
Genre: Fiction/Dystopian
This book is for
grades: 6 and up
Subjects/Themes: Marriage,
Princes, Social Classes,
Plot Summary: America Singer is a 17-year-old member of
the artist’s caste of Illea. America is in love with Aspen a servant in the caste
below hers. The two secretly meet in her
tree house after curfew and share kisses and dreams for the future. Until Aspen tells her he loves her too much
to allow her to live a life of poverty. When
she is selected to be one of the 35 girls from across the country to compete to
marry Prince Maxon of Illea and live in the palace, America takes the opportunity
to stay away until her broken heart can mend.
But living in the palace means taking part in the crazy competition to
marry Prince Maxon. Life in the palace is
not all glittering jewels and fancy dresses. Rebels attack the palace and America discovers
feelings for her people and the prince that she never imagined.
Review: America joined the selection to help her
family and escape her broken heart. Reading
is interesting as she navigates the palace and develops a friendship with Prince
Maxon. While in the story she establishes
relationships with other contestants and her maids their character’s voices are
not really developed. The reasons for the
dystopian environment, the rebel attacks and the type of the government are
gaps that also need to be filled. The
book could have been so much better. America
is the luckiest girl in the world. Everything
just seems to fall into place for her except her relationship with Aspen. This book ends abruptly, however, despite its
flaws, readers will enjoy the book and look forward to the sequel.
