Review: The Selection

The Selection, by Kiera Cass. The GoodReads summary:

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.

I just . . . don’t know how I feel about this book. I liked the premise a lot. I mean, come on! Who doesn’t secretly love The Bachelor? So take the idea of The Bachelor and make it a competition to marry the prince, and you’ve got a potential goldmine. And on top of that, I thought the story was quite readable—even at the points where I wasn’t thrilled with the plot or the characters, I never felt like I didn’t want to read through to the end.

But. I thought the book fell short of its potential. I mean, you’ve got 30-something girls competing for one guy, but there’s practically zero drama? I felt a bit let down by that. There’s one girl who’s kinda catty, but other than that, everyone’s friendly and well behaved, so it got a little . . . not exactly boring but . . . not as interesting as it could’ve been, let’s just say. Especially since the competition is also a reality show, so the girls are being filmed as well as competing for the prince. You’d think that the combined pressures would make somebody snap eventually, but nope. Everyone’s super chill. I just wanted one good catfight out of it, to tell you the truth.

I also didn’t like America. And I’m not honestly sure why. She pissed me off for sure at the end because I felt like she was playing both guys, but even before that, practically from the beginning, she rubbed me the wrong way. And it’s not like I even have a specific reason why she got on my nerves. She just did. Something about the way she seemed to take herself too seriously, maybe? Anyway, I didn’t click with her personality, so I had a hard time caring about her feelings and actions. And let me tell you, it’s difficult to sympathize with a character that you couldn’t care less about.

Overall, this wasn’t the book for me. I couldn’t relate to the main character, and I thought the story was sadly lacking in drama. But I know plenty of people who loved this book, so don’t let my whining stop you if the premise appeals to you.

Rating: 2.5 / 5