The Selection book review

What would happen if it was the end of the world and, in order to be saved, you had to marry someone and be on a show like The Bachelor?

Who would survive?

This was a fantastic book. It's like The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor. Yes. Really.

I pick a lot of my books from online. I use the Libby app, see something interesting, and download it.

I saw this cover with a girl standing in what looked like a hall of mirrors and thought, "Okay. I'll read that."

Obsessed.

Obsessed.

And now I know some of you are probably thinking, "You've never reviewed this book before?"

That's because I loved it so much that I bought the entire box set.

Loved it.

This story is all about 35 girls who are trying to win the attention of one prince: Prince Maxon.

The girls enter a competition called the Selection. Being chosen instantly changes their status in society, and the longer they stay in the competition, the more privileges they receive.

There are all kinds of reasons for wanting to win.

Some girls want political advantages for their families or regions. Others want a better life, more security, more food, and more opportunities.

Then there's America.

America doesn't even want to be there.

She's already in love with someone else.

She thinks the whole thing is ridiculous.

At least at first.

My favorite part of the book is when America starts getting jealous of the other girls.

Now hear me out.

At the beginning, she's convinced she doesn't care about Prince Maxon. She's focused on the guy she left behind. She already has her future planned out.

She's a Five. Her boyfriend is working hard to support his family. She's saving food for him. She knows exactly what her life is supposed to look like.

Then she gets selected.

Suddenly she's living in a palace.

People are scrubbing her clean, dressing her in beautiful gowns, and treating her completely differently than she's ever been treated before.

She's a total fish out of water.

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But eventually she starts adapting.

And then something happens that she never expected.

She starts caring about Maxon.

That's why the jealousy is so important.

At first she's just grateful that her family is receiving larger food rations while she's in the Selection. That's enough.

Then it becomes:

"Wait, you spent time with who for their birthday?"

"Wait, you kissed who?"

"Wait, what happened?"

And suddenly she's paying attention. A lot of attention.

America's jealousy shows that she's developing real feelings but it also forces her to confront some assumptions she had about the royal family.

She was definitely judging Maxon.

She was definitely judging his parents.

As she gets to know them, she realizes they're more than titles and fancy clothes.

They're a family.

A family with problems, drama, challenges, and complicated relationships just like everyone else.

That was a big deal for me as a reader because it adds depth to the story.

It's not just a romance.

It's about realizing that people are more complicated than we think they are.

"Everything has to change and evolve."

One of the things I related to most was how America has to rethink the future she thought she wanted.

She had a plan.

Then life happened.

Suddenly she's asking herself:

"Wait, now I'm in the Selection?"

"Wait, what's going to happen afterward?"

"Wait, what?"

Everything changes.

Everything evolves.

That really resonated with me because I've been changing and evolving over the last few years too.

I thought certain things in my life were going to happen one way, and they didn't.

New opportunities came along. Different paths opened up. Plans shifted.

Watching America adjust to a future she never expected felt very familiar.

I honestly couldn't believe this was a young adult book when I first started reading it. It's definitely PG-13. There are some kisses, but nothing beyond that. Even as the series continues, it stays appropriate for a young adult audience.

What I love most is that it combines romance, competition, politics, family dynamics, and personal growth in a way that keeps you turning pages.

Kiera Cass is a great author, and after becoming completely obsessed with this series, I started reading some of her other books too.

If you're all about finding love, happiness, and figuring out who you're meant to be, I highly recommend The Selection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmXMDXpc3IA

Until the next book review, 

Kyla