The Selection by Kiera Cass

Rating: PG (mild language and brief VERY mild discussion of sexuality)

Grade: C+

I am a sucker for a YA book with a pretty dress on the cover. Can't help it. I like pretty things. So, even though I picked up the book, read the jacket, and thought it might not be for me-I read it anyway. 

With that introduction, answer this riddle--What famous YA novel includes a lottery, choosing one person from each state to go and compete until there is one person left? All the contestants have their own design team, who sew outfits especially for them; they all are interviewed by a famous interviewer, are filmed and watched by everyone in the country, and the main character just can't seem to be what everyone expects her to be? Hmmm...sound like The Hunger Games? Well, its not.  The Selection feels all too familiar to this reader. Swap out the killing and the arena and replace it with a prince/princess version of The Bachelor competition and you have The Selection. I could not get past the similarities of the books--it was highly annoying. That is not to say The Selection wasn't a fun read. It was just SO predictable. I found myself saying, "Oh, now I bet. . .will happen." Then it did.

America Singer lives in the (post-apocalyptic?) country of Illea, formerly America. She is chosen to be one of the "selected" young women to battle it out in order to marry the prince and someday become queen. America doesn't want to put her name in the lottery, but does so at the urging of her secret boyfriend, Aspen (insert love triangle here).

The girls all show up at the castle and will be whittled down to ten girls (called the Elite), and will eventually be narrowed to the one true love of the prince, Maxon. This is first and foremost a romance--with the possibility for a political turn of events. Rebels within the country strongly oppose the government and especially the Selection. Said rebels attack the castle, sometimes violently and sometimes just to ransack it. America's resentment at being chosen for the Selection begins to dissipate as she gets to know Maxon...and her resentment turns to the typical YA female character feeling of confusion ("Oh, who do I choose? My impoverished secret boyfriend who broke my heart or the prince of the country?")

All the romance aside-one aspect that I really enjoyed was that the author, Kiera Cass, has resurrected the caste system for her country. Her characters have opportunity, wealth (or lack of), and career choices directed by their caste. The castes are numbered 1-8, ones being the royal family, and eights being, essentially, homeless beggars. America is a five, which means her caste allows her to be an artist and only an artist. As such, America's family makes little money and food is hard to come by (ah, another allusion to The Hunger Games). America's caste is considered poor and are often not regarded as much by the higher castes. I found this part of the book so interesting and unique that I wish it would have been the basis of the novel rather than a component to the characterization. However, the political potential I mentioned earlier could very well incorporate this incredibly unfair system later in the trilogy. Yes, I will probably read the rest of the books.

The read is fast and simple--and like I said, fun. This isn't a life changing book, but if you want to have some entertainment, The Selection will do wonders.