Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Selection by Kiera Cass



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.

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