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A review by imamandaaa
The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard by Kiera Cass
2.0
I kind of regret reading this book in its entirety because I had so many previous notions about who the characters are and I am really disappointed that I was wrong!
For one, I had a whole playlist (or at least making a playlist) of songs that I thought fit with the series, but this book provided a list of songs associated with each chapter for the first two books and it made me question everything! There are quotes that best summarized each chapter with the songs which was a nice touch but it made me realize how wrong it was that America and Maxon got together. Those songs made me think that Maxon and America weren't really fit together like I thought they were! I am crushed!!
Reading the male lead's perspective was interesting as well. Maxon is mostly a good boy! I enjoyed his story but I definitely wanted to read more about this thoughts on even more big events in the story (and the rest of the series)! But as I was reading Maxon's story, I can't help but not really root for America. She's actually still very selfish and seems too in her mind to really appreciate what Maxon has to offer. I was truly rooting for her and Maxon just because they are the main characters and I adored the cheesy-lovey things that happened. I felt Kriss was kind enough to really want to get to know Maxon so it really faulter my admiration between Maxon and America.
Readings Aspen's point of view was more interesting than Maxon's in a way that it showed literally all the behind the scenes of the action with the help. He was lusting after America and it was hard to read since America ends up with Maxon but America being so encouraging rubbed me wrong (but I get it when you're in a high stress situation where its more than just feelings at play). I liked seeing Aspen and Lucy interacting (and I think Cass did them dirty in the final two books btw!!) and Aspen became a bit of my favorite after this. But I wish Aspen could have seen more. He was there with the King; he had first hand knowledge of policy making. The view that America never had and he was still not quite rooting for Maxon which I thought was interesting. Aspen is relentless as a character so I guess I can forgive him for being so pushy for America (since I was rooting for Maxon).
I am still disappointed these books didn't go where I wanted it to go. I still wanted to see the critiques in society, see the society change. To see the political aspect of these books but it's very much a love story. The drama Aspen was seeing was such a good part of the story but America never gets to experience it and I think that was a loss. She was always in the shelter trying to figure out what was happening whereas Aspen was in the front lines and could get information. I think the disinterest in the main story comes from only seeing these women being sheltered, or in the Women's Room or in their rooms. The story could have been so much more if it wasn't afraid to let them outside. I firmly believe that the main story should have a section where America ventures outside or gets captured or something to increase the tension from just drama between the selected and her and Maxon/her and Aspen. That would have been fun to read and fun to see the world.
*** Spoilers for Book 3 *****
An alter ending that I think I would have enjoyed was if the King actually kicked America out in book 2. At that moment we can take the time to see Maxon really miss her and even a chance for him to really stand up to his father to provide a sort of closure for all the abuse he endured while giving him character growth (maybe write the letters). America could have ended up being captured in a rebel hold and she can see first hand the effects of what was happening. Maybe she would realize what the palace had to do to appease the rebels and she would find her way back to the palace (maybe with the help of Aspen) and at that moment of returning to the palace, she confess her relationship with Aspen and then there's anger. Rebels attack and his father gets killed and Maxon takes over. Then Maxon defying his father ends up marrying America. Maxon and America rule together where America doesn't just sit in the Women's room to like chill but she's there making policy as well. That their policies weren't just getting rid of the caste system but creating new alliances and fixing the system; actually political things! Instead of just being quiet and fixing one big thing slowly as suggested in the last book. I want America to come back with renewed love for Maxon and find a way to show that they would work better ruling together. I think that should have been the story for book 3, but this is called The Selection series so I guess I understand why it wouldn't go in that direction. It's about navigating the duty with the feelings.
This is such a flawed, messy love story that I enjoyed nonetheless. I'm just shook that I think I got a lot of things wrong about the books even though I've read the three books twice now. I think I'm going to discard some of the added information from reading this book and just continue with my version of what happened and how I perceive these characters.
For one, I had a whole playlist (or at least making a playlist) of songs that I thought fit with the series, but this book provided a list of songs associated with each chapter for the first two books and it made me question everything! There are quotes that best summarized each chapter with the songs which was a nice touch but it made me realize how wrong it was that America and Maxon got together. Those songs made me think that Maxon and America weren't really fit together like I thought they were! I am crushed!!
Reading the male lead's perspective was interesting as well. Maxon is mostly a good boy! I enjoyed his story but I definitely wanted to read more about this thoughts on even more big events in the story (and the rest of the series)! But as I was reading Maxon's story, I can't help but not really root for America. She's actually still very selfish and seems too in her mind to really appreciate what Maxon has to offer. I was truly rooting for her and Maxon just because they are the main characters and I adored the cheesy-lovey things that happened. I felt Kriss was kind enough to really want to get to know Maxon so it really faulter my admiration between Maxon and America.
Readings Aspen's point of view was more interesting than Maxon's in a way that it showed literally all the behind the scenes of the action with the help. He was lusting after America and it was hard to read since America ends up with Maxon but America being so encouraging rubbed me wrong (but I get it when you're in a high stress situation where its more than just feelings at play). I liked seeing Aspen and Lucy interacting (and I think Cass did them dirty in the final two books btw!!) and Aspen became a bit of my favorite after this. But I wish Aspen could have seen more. He was there with the King; he had first hand knowledge of policy making. The view that America never had and he was still not quite rooting for Maxon which I thought was interesting. Aspen is relentless as a character so I guess I can forgive him for being so pushy for America (since I was rooting for Maxon).
I am still disappointed these books didn't go where I wanted it to go. I still wanted to see the critiques in society, see the society change. To see the political aspect of these books but it's very much a love story. The drama Aspen was seeing was such a good part of the story but America never gets to experience it and I think that was a loss. She was always in the shelter trying to figure out what was happening whereas Aspen was in the front lines and could get information. I think the disinterest in the main story comes from only seeing these women being sheltered, or in the Women's Room or in their rooms. The story could have been so much more if it wasn't afraid to let them outside. I firmly believe that the main story should have a section where America ventures outside or gets captured or something to increase the tension from just drama between the selected and her and Maxon/her and Aspen. That would have been fun to read and fun to see the world.
*** Spoilers for Book 3 *****
An alter ending that I think I would have enjoyed was if the King actually kicked America out in book 2. At that moment we can take the time to see Maxon really miss her and even a chance for him to really stand up to his father to provide a sort of closure for all the abuse he endured while giving him character growth (maybe write the letters). America could have ended up being captured in a rebel hold and she can see first hand the effects of what was happening. Maybe she would realize what the palace had to do to appease the rebels and she would find her way back to the palace (maybe with the help of Aspen) and at that moment of returning to the palace, she confess her relationship with Aspen and then there's anger. Rebels attack and his father gets killed and Maxon takes over. Then Maxon defying his father ends up marrying America. Maxon and America rule together where America doesn't just sit in the Women's room to like chill but she's there making policy as well. That their policies weren't just getting rid of the caste system but creating new alliances and fixing the system; actually political things! Instead of just being quiet and fixing one big thing slowly as suggested in the last book. I want America to come back with renewed love for Maxon and find a way to show that they would work better ruling together. I think that should have been the story for book 3, but this is called The Selection series so I guess I understand why it wouldn't go in that direction. It's about navigating the duty with the feelings.
This is such a flawed, messy love story that I enjoyed nonetheless. I'm just shook that I think I got a lot of things wrong about the books even though I've read the three books twice now. I think I'm going to discard some of the added information from reading this book and just continue with my version of what happened and how I perceive these characters.