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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Edit:// (December 20, 2012) I'm starting to get a bit anxious for the sequel. I can't wait!
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Okay. I was hesitant to read this book because of how many low stars I got, but they must just have something wrong with them if they gave this book one star, because it was SO GOOD. I read a lot of Young Adult, but sometimes I just read it because I'm really busy and don't want anything that I need to put a lot of time and effort into understanding. I never really feel like Young Adult has very good characters, and I don't usually feel like it comes to a good ending. It just like of.... ends without even knowing what really happened. But this book... WAS SO GOOD.
For one thing, the story line is awesome. I love dystopian books, and anything that has to do with princesses, I love. The whole idea of a group of girls trying to win a prince's heart in a competition is SO COOL. I use to love all of those dating shows on MTV like Bret Michaels' and Tila Tequila. Hahaha. And the fact that it's a series is even more awesome because you're gonna have to keep waiting to see who is gonna win. Also, I love that there is a love triangle. Some people hate the love triangles in books. I love them! I love getting to choose 'Team blah blah' or 'Team blah blah', and switching back and forth between the different books in the series. The author is a fantastic writer. I'm surprised this is her first book! It's so easy to understand, and it's just well written.
Nothing annoyed me TOO much. But some things that I didn't like as much were how many characters there were. I know it's inevitable with a competition of 35 girls, but there names were so extravagent (sp?) that I couldn't even keep anybody straight. You couldn't be like "OH, the girl with the extravagent name" BECAUSE THEY ALL WERE. Examples: Amberly, Emmica, Tiny, Marlee, America, Aspen, Maxon. Yes, they're gorgeous names. And if I were to write a book, I would use beautiful names like those. but because they were all named those, I couldn't keep ANYBODY straight during the first half of the book. There's about a billion characters from the family of America, and the maids, and the royalty, and all the girls in the competition. But it was easily caught on to. ALSO, I did like America, but some of the stuff she did slightly annoyed me.
I never usually give young adult books five stars. But I LOVED THIS. I stayed up late just to finish it, and you best believe I will be buying the second one the day it comes out. SO fantastic. And the author is adorable; she's so pretty!
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Okay. I was hesitant to read this book because of how many low stars I got, but they must just have something wrong with them if they gave this book one star, because it was SO GOOD. I read a lot of Young Adult, but sometimes I just read it because I'm really busy and don't want anything that I need to put a lot of time and effort into understanding. I never really feel like Young Adult has very good characters, and I don't usually feel like it comes to a good ending. It just like of.... ends without even knowing what really happened. But this book... WAS SO GOOD.
For one thing, the story line is awesome. I love dystopian books, and anything that has to do with princesses, I love. The whole idea of a group of girls trying to win a prince's heart in a competition is SO COOL. I use to love all of those dating shows on MTV like Bret Michaels' and Tila Tequila. Hahaha. And the fact that it's a series is even more awesome because you're gonna have to keep waiting to see who is gonna win. Also, I love that there is a love triangle. Some people hate the love triangles in books. I love them! I love getting to choose 'Team blah blah' or 'Team blah blah', and switching back and forth between the different books in the series. The author is a fantastic writer. I'm surprised this is her first book! It's so easy to understand, and it's just well written.
Nothing annoyed me TOO much. But some things that I didn't like as much were how many characters there were. I know it's inevitable with a competition of 35 girls, but there names were so extravagent (sp?) that I couldn't even keep anybody straight. You couldn't be like "OH, the girl with the extravagent name" BECAUSE THEY ALL WERE. Examples: Amberly, Emmica, Tiny, Marlee, America, Aspen, Maxon. Yes, they're gorgeous names. And if I were to write a book, I would use beautiful names like those. but because they were all named those, I couldn't keep ANYBODY straight during the first half of the book. There's about a billion characters from the family of America, and the maids, and the royalty, and all the girls in the competition. But it was easily caught on to. ALSO, I did like America, but some of the stuff she did slightly annoyed me.
Spoiler
Like the way she treated Maxon, even though he was nothing but kind to her. I know she didn't want to be there, but still. She's SO lucky.I never usually give young adult books five stars. But I LOVED THIS. I stayed up late just to finish it, and you best believe I will be buying the second one the day it comes out. SO fantastic. And the author is adorable; she's so pretty!
I gave The Selection 5 stars because it was just such a fun, easy, and addicting read. It’s like The Bachelor but make it royal, and honestly, I was hooked from the very first chapter. The drama, the romance, the palace politics, it’s the perfect mix of fluff, tension, and just enough stakes to keep you flipping pages.
America is such a relatable main character. She’s stubborn, passionate, and not afraid to speak her mind, which made her really fun to follow. And of course, the whole competition element was such a good setup for drama and swoony moments. It’s fast-paced and bingeable, one of those books you can easily read in a day because you just have to know what happens next.
It’s definitely a comfort read that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I had the best time reading it. Totally understand why this series is so loved, it’s addictive in the best way.
America is such a relatable main character. She’s stubborn, passionate, and not afraid to speak her mind, which made her really fun to follow. And of course, the whole competition element was such a good setup for drama and swoony moments. It’s fast-paced and bingeable, one of those books you can easily read in a day because you just have to know what happens next.
It’s definitely a comfort read that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I had the best time reading it. Totally understand why this series is so loved, it’s addictive in the best way.
Ironically enough, my experience reading The Selection felt very similar to watching reality tv: it wasn’t of the best quality, and there were a lot of things I didn’t like in it, but it had just enough action to keep me entertained.
Here were some issues I had with it:
1. I know other people have said this, but America Singer?? As her name?? I really felt like someone should have mentioned during the editing process that it’s a bit on the nose.
2. Aspen is an unlikeable love interest, and I don’t understand how we’re supposed to sympathise with America’s confusion over choosing Maxon or Aspen when he’s just such a jerk.
3. This could just be me, but I didn’t get much sense of America as a person outside of her relationships with Maxon, Aspen, and the other girls.
All that being said, the drama of America’s experience at the palace did entertain me, and Maxon was mostly likeable (when he wasn’t calling girls who he just met “my dear”).
Here were some issues I had with it:
1. I know other people have said this, but America Singer?? As her name?? I really felt like someone should have mentioned during the editing process that it’s a bit on the nose.
2. Aspen is an unlikeable love interest, and I don’t understand how we’re supposed to sympathise with America’s confusion over choosing Maxon or Aspen when he’s just such a jerk.
3. This could just be me, but I didn’t get much sense of America as a person outside of her relationships with Maxon, Aspen, and the other girls.
All that being said, the drama of America’s experience at the palace did entertain me, and Maxon was mostly likeable (when he wasn’t calling girls who he just met “my dear”).
My mom read this with me and now she is freaking out about the cliff hanger like ending and how I'm not reading the Elite yet. I was surprised and really liked it. Good job Kiera Cass. Woo hoo.
With the show coming out soon (I think) I wanted to do a reread and it did not disappoint! YA Distopian books involving a love triangle were all the rage when this book was published, but I think this one did something a bit more interesting than most. It is a fun, fast read for fans of The Bachelor and The Hunger Games (although not quite as good as either, for me).
The main character, America, does suffer a bit from I'm-not-like-other-girls-itis, but it's not too painful, and she is also very supportive of her female friends. Overall, I think it's a fun first book that still holds up, even 8 years later. I look forward to continuing my reread!
The main character, America, does suffer a bit from I'm-not-like-other-girls-itis, but it's not too painful, and she is also very supportive of her female friends. Overall, I think it's a fun first book that still holds up, even 8 years later. I look forward to continuing my reread!
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Purchased this book a while ago, it was basically just sitting in my bookcase since I am such a mood reader and lately only read mystery or crime books. But I wanted a good romance book. And I became a fan! So happy I have the whole collection and can’t wait to start number two!
ok this book clearly isn't like groundbreaking but I really enjoyed myself and that's all that matters right?
My immediate reaction to this book is simply this: foolish, foolish girl. I hope that this story doesn't stand as any kind of example to young girls as a way to behave.
Not that any girl would be in this situation today. This is a dystopian novel where the US has changed into a monarchy. Becoming the next princess is basically a popularity contest. It is televised in a similar fashion as Hunger Games. It is a national event and everyone has their favourites.
As far as characters go, I found America Singer to be slightly less than appealing. She starts out ok but quickly descends into someone I don't overly dislike but certainly don't understand. Perhaps this is because the character doesn't really understand herself that well. She is working through a broken heart and possible new relationship. But her waffling got tedious. I found myself rooting for the guy I wouldn't have expected. While America seems noble in her defense of the less fortunate, she is less than honoring of the privileged who have shown her grace. This contradiction in her personality earned my distrust. The times when she would overstep her bounds and be embarrassed didn't seem believable; she wasn't brash, but those examples painted her as brash. And she wasn't shy, although hiding out in her room to think painted her as shy. I didn't get it.
The plot fell flat for me. The conflict was basically the contest as to who wins the prince's hand. And as this is a series, we don't even find out who it is. There is the love triangle, but it is unsatisfying because it is not really believable. The heroine doesn't seem to be thrust into any kind of bad situation; the worst thing she encounters is a room full of spiteful, catty girls and a torn sleeve on her dress.
On a romance scale of recent books, I have to say that the Matched Series did a far better job. That is not to say that this series won't improve, though.
On the up side, this book did keep my interest. I think that's because the characters were revealed bit by bit. I liked the prince a lot, and there were accessory characters that made things somewhat lively. I'm interested enough to read the sequels. I still want to know who gets the crown. This book appeals to the Cinderella in us all, despite its flaws. And while I think the prince will get his girl, I wonder if ultimately it will be the girl we expect.
Not that any girl would be in this situation today. This is a dystopian novel where the US has changed into a monarchy. Becoming the next princess is basically a popularity contest. It is televised in a similar fashion as Hunger Games. It is a national event and everyone has their favourites.
As far as characters go, I found America Singer to be slightly less than appealing. She starts out ok but quickly descends into someone I don't overly dislike but certainly don't understand. Perhaps this is because the character doesn't really understand herself that well. She is working through a broken heart and possible new relationship. But her waffling got tedious. I found myself rooting for the guy I wouldn't have expected. While America seems noble in her defense of the less fortunate, she is less than honoring of the privileged who have shown her grace. This contradiction in her personality earned my distrust. The times when she would overstep her bounds and be embarrassed didn't seem believable; she wasn't brash, but those examples painted her as brash. And she wasn't shy, although hiding out in her room to think painted her as shy. I didn't get it.
The plot fell flat for me. The conflict was basically the contest as to who wins the prince's hand. And as this is a series, we don't even find out who it is. There is the love triangle, but it is unsatisfying because it is not really believable. The heroine doesn't seem to be thrust into any kind of bad situation; the worst thing she encounters is a room full of spiteful, catty girls and a torn sleeve on her dress.
On a romance scale of recent books, I have to say that the Matched Series did a far better job. That is not to say that this series won't improve, though.
On the up side, this book did keep my interest. I think that's because the characters were revealed bit by bit. I liked the prince a lot, and there were accessory characters that made things somewhat lively. I'm interested enough to read the sequels. I still want to know who gets the crown. This book appeals to the Cinderella in us all, despite its flaws. And while I think the prince will get his girl, I wonder if ultimately it will be the girl we expect.