by Kiera Cass

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Published : April 2012

“I couldn’t joke about the person who’d saved me from facing absolute heartbreak at home, who fed my family boxes of sweets, who ran to me worried that i was hurt if I asked for him. “ – page 248

 Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Published by: HarperTeen
Book:  1 of The Selection
Genre: Dystopian-Utopian / teen
Found: My shelves/Netgalley
Rating: 4 Voodoos

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself–and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

-Goodreads

Holy smoke! Another book containing a love triangle reaching 4 Voodoos!

So, being completely honest, as I’ve promised to be, I’ve had this book on my shelf possibly since it came out. So why did I request it from Netgalley I hear you ask. Easy. It’s one of my 101 read it or lose it books for this year and I thought that if I got it from Netgalley it’d force me to read it. Which it did. I’d forgotten about the love triangle till I re read the blurb before I started it which knocked me a little, but having just read and enjoyed the first two of the Talon saga by Julie Kagawa (Review for Talon can be found HERE and Review for Rogue can be found HERE), I ploughed right in. This, to me, seems more of a teen/younger YA book because the foreshadowing is not in anyway subtle. In fact the foreshadowing was so blatant that I threatened to put the book down if (when) it happened. It happened, but by that point I totally didn’t care. I was enjoying the characters and the world.

Ah the world, so well planned out and so MYSTERIOUS!!!!!!! Just what are the various groups of rebels after?
Also, for some reason, I kept thinking that the Castes were living in sections, like the districts in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, but they’re not, they’re all intermingled, which I liked and they weren’t completely rigid, you can marry up or down which was also interesting. I look forward to learning more.

 So yes, love triangle…I have to admit I auto-disliked Aspen, mainly because he was guy #1 and therefore in the way of guy #2. (I’m with Johnny Depp on this one, if you loved person #1 enough you wouldn’t have fallen for #2, so choose them) This is perhaps one of the acceptable (HA!) forms of love triangle, you’ll have to read it to find out what I mean cause I’m not giving that away for ya. Lets be honest though, we know where this is going, we’ve looked at the titles of books 2-4!!

And onto the characters. Well, I was finding it confusing as to who was who, I kept reading America as Amanda and Lucy as Lily. I was pretty sure there were extra people in this story, thank you dyslexia, but I didn’t bother too much and I kept pulling myself up on it.
I liked the Queens sister. And America (not Amanda) was actually quite sensible. I 100% agree with her decision at the end of the book. Which, unlike the start of the book, didn’t feel forced. While it may stretch some things out, I don’t feel that it was designed specifically for that. It was the perfect choice to make. I hope to like the queen too, but we haven’t seen much of her yet. Hopefully in the next book!

I was glad I enjoyed this book as someone I follow on Instagram loves the series. This is certainly a series I’ll be collecting. And as to the cover! Well, super pretty! Except for the hair. What is with that? It’s meant to be RED! But oh well.
I can’t wait to read the next one! Unfortunately I’ve not yet been accepted/declined for The Elite (book 2) on Netgalley, but I have been lucky enough to be accepted to read The One (book 3). I’ll just have to wait and see while I read some other Netgalley books I have waiting. It’s going to be hard thinking of other stories with this one waiting for a conclusion in my head.