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hannahnana73's review
5.0
It was nice getting everyone else's pov - esp Celeste's! I wish she survived but ig in a way she got her wish by never having to see herself get old lol
finley_marie's review
3.0
3.5 Way better than I thought, and got me into a fantasy mood! I’m so glad this completed everyone’s stories from the original series, even the side characters that we didn’t see much of their stories!!!
idahobekah's review against another edition
4.0
This is a collection of novellas and bonus content for books 1-3 of the Selection series. My overall rating of this collection is based on my average rating of each novella.
The Queen, 4⭐️
- The affection that Amberly had for Clarkson (before they even met) really just came from nowhere, but that has to be my only complaint. Perhaps that’s the point? That she fell too easily and didn’t need too much to fall in love?
- This book made me appreciate the consistency in Clarkson’s character. From the start you could see what he was doing. He’s a compelling villain and this gives a fairly good glimpse into his background.
- Overall this book was believable, consistent with The Selection series as a whole, and very well-written. Highly recommend.
The Prince, 3⭐️
- I do enjoy how we get some explanations of why Prince Maxon has certain conversations with America. It could’ve felt repetitive, but instead it just felt exciting because we were given more context for where Maxon was coming from.
- It is insane to learn more about how much more manipulative King Clarkson is from Maxon’s perspective. This book is very consistent from the start and has you feeling very sympathetic for both Maxon and Amberly’s home-life.
- Overall I felt like this book kind of didn’t need to exist, though I did have fun with it through reading. Through the main series we already know what Maxon was all about. The only thing this added was character consistency and a new perspective that we could’ve inferred from previous scenes between America and Maxon in the first two books.
The Guard, 2.5 ⭐️
- I can confidently say that I don’t HATE Aspen as much as I did prior to reading this novella. Regardless my desire to read this was quite low because I just didn’t think it added too much to the overall story. It just adds his POV for the second half of The Elite book.
- I think I finally figured out why Aspen is too possessive of America. He thinks she’s HIS, and never belonged to Maxon. Especially since he’s trying to protect her from the corruption of the royal family. This is incredibly annoying considering he was the one who dumped her at the beginning of the first book.
- I did enjoy that we get more insight into why Aspen hates Maxon so much. It’s clear that Aspen believes with a prince’s power, he should be able to make changes that Maxon is too cowardly to do. No wonder Aspen has so much disdain for the royals.
The Favorite, 3.5 ⭐️
- Another novella with a worthwhile point of view. As short as this was, it did feel repetitive, and part 2 jumped around so much. I kept getting confused as to where this takes place!
- Not my favorite story (unpopular opinion) within The Selection Novellas, but a story worth telling with a main character that everyone enjoys. Though this book is 2.6 within The Selection timeline, you should wait until after book 3 to read so you don’t get spoiled like I did.
Scenes from Celeste, 4.5 ⭐️
- Once I realized The Favorite contained spoilers for book 3, I took a break from reading this collection until I was finished! Before reading book 3, I was reasonably annoyed that we’d be getting more Celeste, but I’m excited to explore this now that I know what happens at the end. Do NOT read this in tandem with the trilogy as you may end up spoiling yourself.
- I love the theme of “It’s lonely at the top.” When you look down on everyone, you end up alone without good friends. It’s only by giving respect that you’ll get any in return.
- It’s also interesting to see Celeste’s strategies going into the selection. You would think she was there for more clout, but she really thinks she’d do just about anything to secure the crown.
- The only thing that made this fall a little short for me was the random fondness that Celeste has for America. Sure you can make arguments that you see their “friendship” progress after what Queen Amberly says in book 3, but as far as continuity goes it felt like it didn’t fit here. It also had me wanting to know more of her perspective!
The Maid, 5⭐️
- The Maid is a short story from Lucy’s perspective. Do NOT read this until you’ve finished book 3! It contains spoilers about a very important love triangle within the first paragraph.
- I LOVE the context that this brought to book 3. Suddenly Aspen’s decisions don’t seem far fetched, and we get more context around Lucy’s whispered conversations throughout the books.
After The One, 5 ⭐️
- Like the title suggests, this takes place two years after book 3.
- I was so giddy reading this and seeing how happy everyone has become!
Where Are They Now?, 3.5⭐️
- This is exactly what it sounds like- an 8 page summary of where the rest of the final 5 end up at the end of book 3.
- The final contestant we get info on gave some context to some of the political drama that happened in the books.
- This is definitely worth reading for the sake of “and they all lived happily ever after.”
Overall Rating: 3.8⭐️
The Queen, 4⭐️
- The affection that Amberly had for Clarkson (before they even met) really just came from nowhere, but that has to be my only complaint. Perhaps that’s the point? That she fell too easily and didn’t need too much to fall in love?
- This book made me appreciate the consistency in Clarkson’s character. From the start you could see what he was doing. He’s a compelling villain and this gives a fairly good glimpse into his background.
- Overall this book was believable, consistent with The Selection series as a whole, and very well-written. Highly recommend.
The Prince, 3⭐️
- I do enjoy how we get some explanations of why Prince Maxon has certain conversations with America. It could’ve felt repetitive, but instead it just felt exciting because we were given more context for where Maxon was coming from.
- It is insane to learn more about how much more manipulative King Clarkson is from Maxon’s perspective. This book is very consistent from the start and has you feeling very sympathetic for both Maxon and Amberly’s home-life.
- Overall I felt like this book kind of didn’t need to exist, though I did have fun with it through reading. Through the main series we already know what Maxon was all about. The only thing this added was character consistency and a new perspective that we could’ve inferred from previous scenes between America and Maxon in the first two books.
The Guard, 2.5 ⭐️
- I can confidently say that I don’t HATE Aspen as much as I did prior to reading this novella. Regardless my desire to read this was quite low because I just didn’t think it added too much to the overall story. It just adds his POV for the second half of The Elite book.
- I think I finally figured out why Aspen is too possessive of America. He thinks she’s HIS, and never belonged to Maxon. Especially since he’s trying to protect her from the corruption of the royal family. This is incredibly annoying considering he was the one who dumped her at the beginning of the first book.
- I did enjoy that we get more insight into why Aspen hates Maxon so much. It’s clear that Aspen believes with a prince’s power, he should be able to make changes that Maxon is too cowardly to do. No wonder Aspen has so much disdain for the royals.
The Favorite, 3.5 ⭐️
- Another novella with a worthwhile point of view. As short as this was, it did feel repetitive, and part 2 jumped around so much. I kept getting confused as to where this takes place!
- Not my favorite story (unpopular opinion) within The Selection Novellas, but a story worth telling with a main character that everyone enjoys. Though this book is 2.6 within The Selection timeline, you should wait until after book 3 to read so you don’t get spoiled like I did.
Scenes from Celeste, 4.5 ⭐️
- Once I realized The Favorite contained spoilers for book 3, I took a break from reading this collection until I was finished! Before reading book 3, I was reasonably annoyed that we’d be getting more Celeste, but I’m excited to explore this now that I know what happens at the end. Do NOT read this in tandem with the trilogy as you may end up spoiling yourself.
- I love the theme of “It’s lonely at the top.” When you look down on everyone, you end up alone without good friends. It’s only by giving respect that you’ll get any in return.
- It’s also interesting to see Celeste’s strategies going into the selection. You would think she was there for more clout, but she really thinks she’d do just about anything to secure the crown.
- The only thing that made this fall a little short for me was the random fondness that Celeste has for America. Sure you can make arguments that you see their “friendship” progress after what Queen Amberly says in book 3, but as far as continuity goes it felt like it didn’t fit here. It also had me wanting to know more of her perspective!
The Maid, 5⭐️
- The Maid is a short story from Lucy’s perspective. Do NOT read this until you’ve finished book 3! It contains spoilers about a very important love triangle within the first paragraph.
- I LOVE the context that this brought to book 3. Suddenly Aspen’s decisions don’t seem far fetched, and we get more context around Lucy’s whispered conversations throughout the books.
After The One, 5 ⭐️
- Like the title suggests, this takes place two years after book 3.
- I was so giddy reading this and seeing how happy everyone has become!
Where Are They Now?, 3.5⭐️
- This is exactly what it sounds like- an 8 page summary of where the rest of the final 5 end up at the end of book 3.
- The final contestant we get info on gave some context to some of the political drama that happened in the books.
- This is definitely worth reading for the sake of “and they all lived happily ever after.”
Overall Rating: 3.8⭐️
robinhood2000's review
4.0
This was Still great! It Holds Up after 10+ years.
Earlier review:
I loved the selection series. I do realise it is basically the bachelor but the characters are great and there is more to the story. I love how the society is set up. Recommend!
Earlier review:
I loved the selection series. I do realise it is basically the bachelor but the characters are great and there is more to the story. I love how the society is set up. Recommend!
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Really beautiful book, happy to have all the prequel/side-stories in one book. I also love the extra scenes we had, they gave even better insight in the characters!
lilliandm's review
4.0
Why were the "Where are they now"s at the end so depressing! Also this book makes Aspen look better and the Marlee story is adorable.
ciella__'s review
4.0
i read the selection series a few years ago, i enjoyed it (haven't read the heir nor the crown though), it was nice to meet the characters again
larinha_08's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25