The Selection by Kiera Cass is a dystopian fantasy novel that follows America Singer as she is put into the Selection, a contest of 35 girls competing for the prince’s heart. I have been putting off reading this book for a long time because of its heavily mixed reviews, but I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed.
This is definitely a guilty pleasure book; it’s so lovable because it’s like reading a reality TV show mixed with royalty. I like the idea of society presented in this book; I found the castes to be very interesting and reflective of class in modern society.
As for the characters, I have varying opinions. I loved Maxon; he was just so adorably awkward that it would be hard for anyone not to love him. As for Aspen, I hated him; he was so careless and put his pride over his love for America; anyone who thought him leaving her was noble is kidding themselves. I didn’t love America quite as much as Maxon, but I did like her; she’s very independent and driven, all while remaining true to herself, which makes her a good role model. One thing that drove me crazy was the cattiness between the Selected; yes it was entertaining, but it was disappointing in the representation department.