I had heard a lot about The Selection by Kiera Cass but was a bit skeptical as it just appeared to me about girls in dresses trying to win over some prince….blaaah.
Well I was wrong. Yes it is about girls in dresses trying to win over a prince but there is a little bit more too it than that. The Selection is a dystopian novel. It follows America Singer who is one of 35 girls competing to win a prince and a crown. They live in the newly formed country of Illéa whereby the male heir of the royal family must select their future wife from the group of 35 girls randomly selected from across the country. This is known as the ‘Selection’.
America finds herself stuck between falling for the prince and staying true to herself. The novel tells the tale of America and the prince, the backwards and forwards of their relationship. It also tells how America struggles to adapt to her new life and comes to term with how it has changed forever.
Whilst the novel is mainly a dystopian romance it does also deal with some more complicated themes. For example, Illéa has a caste system. The caste goes by numbers: one being the royal family at the top, eight being the homeless at the bottom. The novel discusses poverty and hunger, which leads America to become an advocate for change in the country.
America is five in the caste system. Anything below four is deemed to be a lower caste. America and her family are have careers within the arts as is expected of the caste. Her father and younger sister are painters, her older brother a sculptor, and her mother and America are singers. At the beginning of the novel it is clear that the Singer family struggle to make ends meet and know what true hunger feels like. America is also friend with another family who are a caste below them. Through this family it becomes evident that the living conditions of the lower castes is a struggle and they live in the worst of poverty.
The Selection is a not a simple love story. America’s story is complicated and she has to overcome a lot of obstacles. One of my favourite quotes is “true love is usually the most inconvenient kind.” I feel like this completely summarises the whole novel.
My only criticism of the novel is that some parts are slightly predictable and there’s no real ‘sitting on the edge of your seat moments’. I also wished it was long enough – but that’s what the rest of the series is for!
I recommend reading The Selection as it is essentially a romantic dystopian novel crossed with the bachelor. It also doesn’t just stick to the normal romance themes. Cass discusses issues that are still relevant to modern society.
Rating: 4 out of 5
P.s. Buddy thought he would show off his modeling skills and pose with the book. Thumbs up if he makes a great model!
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