REVIEW: The Selection by Kiera Cass - 5 stars

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication: April 24th 2012

Cover Rating: 5/5

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I really don't like starting a series when I know there will be a lot more books coming out. So I put off The Selection for years, and years. Then, it was 8:45pm and I just picked the book up on a whim and had it finished by 1am. 

America Singer can sing. Shocking? I know, right? But that is just a small part of her life. The world she lives in has been through more World Wars and everything is very different. No more President. Instead, we have a King, Queen, Prince, etc. But in this world there is also no Halloween. It's been gone for so long that it is sort of an urban legend. I have no idea why this one fact sticks out to me so much but it's just stuck in my head.

In this "new" world there aren't high, middle or low classes. There are things called Castes. Royalty and the likes are 1's. America and her family are 5's. But the guy she falls for is a 6 and and it seems like it's a fate worse than death. Because of these castes your true love could be a 7 and you could be a 3. It isn't good to marry below you and there is this entire procedure to go through if you do want to marry lower. The government will give you a grace period before they sign anything just to see if you will come to your senses.

America loves Aspen. She doesn't give two craps whether he is a 6 or an 8. She doesn't care if she goes hungry. She just wants to be with Aspen. But Aspen doesn't see it the same way and wants America to have a better life. Or, at least, that's how he makes it seem. 

Then The Selection comes into play. 35 girls from all over are picks to meet the Prince and live in the palace for a little while all in the hopes that they will be picked as Prince Maxon's wife. America is the right age and gets the application in the mail to sign up. Her mother has to bribe her and Aspen basically pushes her out the door. Aspen needed to swallow his pride. I do not approve of what he did nor the way he did it.

So America enters, gets picked and has to move to the palace. Along the way a lot of funny and sad things happen. America isn't there for Maxon. She is there for her family. So they can eat better, live better. But as things moved on she wasn't so sure what her true reason for being there was. Then someone reappears and confuses America more. She is a no nonsense type of girl but when it comes to this guy... she is pretty much obedient and doesn't want to hurt him no matter what he did to her. 

While America is in the palace you really get to see how truly selfless she is. She befriends servants, talks to the other girls like they are just that, other girls. But, honestly, I was kind of hoping she would roundhouse kick this one girl. We also get to know Maxon a tiny bit. I will judge his character in my next review. 

In the end, I am rooting for Maxon because I don't think Aspen's motives are pure. If you love someone enough you don't do the crap Aspen did. The book ends on a note that just makes readers want to read the next book asap. I think if I would have had the next book in my hands after I put The Selection down I would have consumed that by 5 or 6 in the morning. I definitely can't wait to start the next book. The Selection was a wonderfully pleasant surprise.

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.