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sm_readsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
i’m not really into romance novels or books with too many love interests to be completely honest, but this book was different! i really likedall the characters and it felt less of a love sequence novel than just a coming of age/discovery one! i recommend this to people who like the aspect of royalty in books, romance lovers, and people who like love triangles. it is also a pretty short book, so it won’t take thag long, but there are many more in the series! apparently it’s coming to netflix too
brigadeen's review against another edition
1.0
2 stars because I was able to get through the whole book. I kept thinking something would happen... You know, other than her horrible problem of choosing between two handsome men who, of course, adore her. Ugh. So pointless. The characters are so poorly written. Seriously, who was the editor that decided to publish this crap?
kirstenrose22's review against another edition
3.0
Let's just say that I did not hate this book as much as many other reviewers (although they all make some damn fine points). I picked this up because it was described as The Hunger Games crossed with The Bachelor. Let's just say that this book WANTS to be that, but does not quite reach that pinnacle. The Hunger Games comparison never quite makes it (oh, it's a competition.... um, no, it's not to the death..... um, there are some politics, but we're not quite sure what they are.....). The Bachelor part - well, yes, except lots of it didn't make any sense. These girls are apparently just wandering around the palace willy-nilly and nothing happens. It would have been improved if it had been *more* like a reality show, and there had been mini-contests or group dates or something.
By the end, things were really falling apart - the characters were making less and less sense (and in some cases, were doing these violent 180-degree switches in emotion, mood, opinion, and life-plan for each new paragraph). And then it ended with a dumb cliff-hanger.
Clue: if you want a love triangle oh noes which boy will she choose? kind of plotline, you need something else in there with it. That in and of itself cannot usually carry the entire book.
By the end, things were really falling apart - the characters were making less and less sense (and in some cases, were doing these violent 180-degree switches in emotion, mood, opinion, and life-plan for each new paragraph). And then it ended with a dumb cliff-hanger.
Clue: if you want a love triangle oh noes which boy will she choose? kind of plotline, you need something else in there with it. That in and of itself cannot usually carry the entire book.
gingoffthehing's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.75
arojo1's review against another edition
5.0
Still very YA-ish but such a good book. I honestly thought the ending would be more definitive but at least the other books are already available.
kashby's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
she definitely brings a book to a one direction concert
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Blood, Infidelity, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Murder, and Rape
very lighthearted tone and then goes into a pretty graphic depiction of an attack that one of the maids experiencedamarnareads's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
worldofbookcraft's review against another edition
3.0
BLOG REVIEW: http://chaibooks.blogspot.ca/2014/07/review-selection.html
*Spoiler-Free*
Firstly, I just want to make a quick disclaimer. I came into this novel with absolutely no idea about the drama/controversy surrounding The Selection and the rest of the books in the trilogy. I did not read or watch any reviews about The Selection as I didn't want to spoil the story. My initial reaction was shock as I read negative review after negative review. I actually got kind of upset at the amount of mocking that was going on. I want my review here to be unaffected by other's views of the author, or their personal views of the story itself. Just for some clarity: I actually really enjoyed this book. It was highly entertaining. So, let's get reviewing!
The Characters? America is a frustrating protagonist, but she was highly enjoyable to read about. She is quite selfish and I was always expecting her to do something great. I was really looking forward to some wonderful scene with her and her instruments. As music is her and her families' entire life, I thought that there would be a touching scene with her on her violin or something, but alas, there wasn't. The whole music thing is breezed over, which was disappointing. One annoying thing about America is that she seems to think, "I am in the fifth caste. These two's and three's are so spoiled. Wah." As if people should pity her, or that she's better than everyone else because she has survived through the most. It was quite annoying.
I am not a fan of love triangles, and this triangle was particularly forced. It didn't bother me too much, though. I didn't care for Aspen, so I was rooting for Maxon most of the time. I think I've gotten to the point where love triangles have become so re-used that I can pretty much predict the outcome. Eh.
The characters are predictable. Be warned. That doesn't mean that you can't be entertained by them. Don't expect super complex character arcs and motives, because that's not what you'll get. You will get spiteful girls vying for the title of princess, a charming prince, and a headstrong protagonist. It's predictable. But I enjoyed them!
The Setting? It's in a dystopian world in a county called Illea, which has a monarchy. The world itself isn't too rich. We know that there is a war in New Asia, and there are disputes and rebels coming from the North and the South. For the most part, our setting is the castle. It's not too interesting.
The Plot? Obviously by now you'll have figured out that The Selection isn't a masterpiece by any means. It is quite flawed. It's story-line isn't weaving and complicated. Rather, (much like the characters), it is predictable and at times underwhelming. However, again, I was thoroughly entertained the whole time. It was exactly what I expected! It's a light romance, with girly drama, a light romance, and some dystopian elements. It's like a guilty pleasure read; Like watching The Bachelor.
The language is easy and the whole book took my roughly 3-4 hours to breeze through. I liked the simple and humor dialogue, the descriptions of the gorgeous dresses, gowns, and exploring the castle.
A common critique of The Selection is that it's supposed to be a dystopian, but it's anything but. I will have to disagree. It's a pretty typical dystopian. You've got different groups of people organized by society. The rich are super rich, and the poor are super poor and are mistreated. There's a war raging on that we hear about briefly and there are rebels that are... well, rebelling! The dystopian elements are there, however poor they may be. It's still better than Divergent.
Overall? I really, really enjoyed it. I can't lie. Those people who were expecting a deep, in-depth novel will be disappointed. But honestly? It's a book about girls trying to win the love of the prince and become a princess. It sounds shallow, right? Well, expect some shallow characters and plots.
Technicalities aside, I was hooked to the story. It was easy to breeze through. I was interested the whole time. Of course, that is just my personal opinion. There are plenty of flaws, as in all other works of literature. This is a great, quick, girly read.
*Spoiler-Free*
Firstly, I just want to make a quick disclaimer. I came into this novel with absolutely no idea about the drama/controversy surrounding The Selection and the rest of the books in the trilogy. I did not read or watch any reviews about The Selection as I didn't want to spoil the story. My initial reaction was shock as I read negative review after negative review. I actually got kind of upset at the amount of mocking that was going on. I want my review here to be unaffected by other's views of the author, or their personal views of the story itself. Just for some clarity: I actually really enjoyed this book. It was highly entertaining. So, let's get reviewing!
The Characters? America is a frustrating protagonist, but she was highly enjoyable to read about. She is quite selfish and I was always expecting her to do something great. I was really looking forward to some wonderful scene with her and her instruments. As music is her and her families' entire life, I thought that there would be a touching scene with her on her violin or something, but alas, there wasn't. The whole music thing is breezed over, which was disappointing. One annoying thing about America is that she seems to think, "I am in the fifth caste. These two's and three's are so spoiled. Wah." As if people should pity her, or that she's better than everyone else because she has survived through the most. It was quite annoying.
I am not a fan of love triangles, and this triangle was particularly forced. It didn't bother me too much, though. I didn't care for Aspen, so I was rooting for Maxon most of the time. I think I've gotten to the point where love triangles have become so re-used that I can pretty much predict the outcome. Eh.
The characters are predictable. Be warned. That doesn't mean that you can't be entertained by them. Don't expect super complex character arcs and motives, because that's not what you'll get. You will get spiteful girls vying for the title of princess, a charming prince, and a headstrong protagonist. It's predictable. But I enjoyed them!
The Setting? It's in a dystopian world in a county called Illea, which has a monarchy. The world itself isn't too rich. We know that there is a war in New Asia, and there are disputes and rebels coming from the North and the South. For the most part, our setting is the castle. It's not too interesting.
The Plot? Obviously by now you'll have figured out that The Selection isn't a masterpiece by any means. It is quite flawed. It's story-line isn't weaving and complicated. Rather, (much like the characters), it is predictable and at times underwhelming. However, again, I was thoroughly entertained the whole time. It was exactly what I expected! It's a light romance, with girly drama, a light romance, and some dystopian elements. It's like a guilty pleasure read; Like watching The Bachelor.
The language is easy and the whole book took my roughly 3-4 hours to breeze through. I liked the simple and humor dialogue, the descriptions of the gorgeous dresses, gowns, and exploring the castle.
A common critique of The Selection is that it's supposed to be a dystopian, but it's anything but. I will have to disagree. It's a pretty typical dystopian. You've got different groups of people organized by society. The rich are super rich, and the poor are super poor and are mistreated. There's a war raging on that we hear about briefly and there are rebels that are... well, rebelling! The dystopian elements are there, however poor they may be. It's still better than Divergent.
Overall? I really, really enjoyed it. I can't lie. Those people who were expecting a deep, in-depth novel will be disappointed. But honestly? It's a book about girls trying to win the love of the prince and become a princess. It sounds shallow, right? Well, expect some shallow characters and plots.
Technicalities aside, I was hooked to the story. It was easy to breeze through. I was interested the whole time. Of course, that is just my personal opinion. There are plenty of flaws, as in all other works of literature. This is a great, quick, girly read.