The Selection

I’m so mad I slept on this series. Love this. Reading it for my Lit Honors Paper. Reading the rest of the series beyond the assignment

like trash tv: brain dead but fun

This book was really good, it gave a warm feeling and kinda reminded me of the hunger games but without the violence and sad stuff, it was fun to see the process of The Selection and what craziness takes place inside the palace, felt like I was one of the girls in the room rooting for America.

this is such a guilty pleasure read i can't help but read these books every year

(2.5) Dude, Maxon was so boring idk how the main character found him interesting enough. Maybe will still read because the books aren't that long.

Selekce je knižní série, kterou zná snad úplně každý. Je to jeden z těch bohů Young Adult literatury, kterého musí mít přečteného snad úplně všichni. Já jsem až donedávna byla výjimkou, a taky jsem chvílemi přemýšlela, jestli mi nějaká přihlouplá romantická kniha s princeznama stojí za můj čas. Ale stejně jsem si Selekci nakonec přečetla. A rozhodně jsem neudělala chybu. První díl série mě vytáhl do našeho světa po čtvrté světové válce, a já, jelikož jsem očekávala fantasy, jsem byla zmatená. Ale nenechala jsem se odradit. Čím víc jsem se do knihy začítávala, tím víc jsem si začala uvědomovat, že jsem našla svou Guilty pleasure. Kniha mi přišla zábavná, postavy se v ní chovaly opravdově a sama bych řekla, že v jejich situaci bych přemýšlela dost podobně, a ukázalo se, že celé to palácové prostředí se mi vážně líbilo. Takže nakonec jsem ráda, že jsem nad Selekcí nezlomila hůl, a odhodlaně se do ní pustila. ✩ Selekci dávám 5*/5*, protože byla vtipná, a mně, jakožto náctiletou dívku, zahřála u srdíčka. A přece jen, každý člověk občas prostě potřebuje nějakou tu Trashy romantickou YA.

3.25* Although the plot was amazing, the characters are... unlikeable? I have never been conflicted on rating books until this one. The main character just screams 'I am not like other girls' and I am supposed to like this kind of attitude but I don't know what to feel on this one. I also didn't like their choices. And the love triangle, god. If I have known that this book has love triangle, I would not have read this one. But I still really enjoyed reading this one. There are other elements of the book that I really liked. Overall, it was okay to me. But I really hope their choices would be better on the next books.

** spoiler alert ** It did not give what I expected it to give. The world-building was simple and easy to understand yet for most of the book I was bored. America and Maxon did have chemistry and I loved their banter and their hidden way of communication by tugging on their ear. I can see them being a wholesome couple in the future. *** 🚨 - Aspen is a red flag. Always gaslighting and guilt-tripping America to do what he wants and get his way through things. - the love triangle in the story is so annoying. Aspen is clearly not worth all the trouble of sneaking around at night. *** Note: If I was a bit younger, say 14 or 15, I would've loved this book. I'm about 5 years late in delving into this series and I don't know if I'll finish it. I can also see Maxon Schreave as the prince from Bridgerton. IDK if that's weird or whatever.

I like this book. It's an easy read, the commoner-royalty trope and plot is good definitely team maxon, I'll see what is there on the next part 😋

ok well. it’s safe to say i will not be picking up the sequel unless my drain gets clogged this bad again

Review circa 2017: 3 stars On maturation and rereading, this book loses not only much of it’s appeal, but also its positions on my favorites shelf and a star. The only reason this book still has three stars is because it’s fun and enjoyable, despite all its flaws. The books begins on a bad foot with America’s initial ‘refusal of the call’ going largely unexplained. The reader is given to understand that America has some of philosophical disagreement with the Selection, but is never told exactly what. Instead, all the reader sees is that America doesn’t want to sign up because a) she’s already in love so b) it doesn’t matter anyway. However, the arguments in favor of the Selection offered by her mother and Aspen stand, so when she does sign up for the Selection, the reader is left wonder why she didn’t just do that in the first place. This lack of depth is conspicuous, and continues throughout the entire novel: Aspen’s ‘love’ for America is baseless, as his break-up with her; it feels like scaffolding in order to put America in a position to fall in love with Maxon, and then give her a reason to feel conflicted about. The endless descriptions of dresses are as shallow as they numerous, and much of the dialogue is wooden, to boot. Many of the most interesting characters (Ashley, Bariel, Celeste) are squandered. I still have misgivings about America’s name, though not quite so dramatically as I did a couple years ago. Overall, I feel Cass’s ideas outmatched her writing ability. She wanted to tell this story, a market-driven dystopia with a twist (monarchies? In the future? WHAAT?) yet she lacked the depth to tell the story well. Review circa 2012: 4 stars OMG, The Hunger Games and Princess Academy had a love child and nobody even told me about it! No seriously, there were some pretty obvious elements of the Princess Academy in this book, but I also got some HG vibes. Especially toward the middle-beginning, when she first arrived at the palace. The greeting people, the going back to beauty base zero, all that stuff reminded me of similar stuff from HG. The ‘crowd favorites’ were talked about. Yeah. There’s some definite HG here. except, of course, you don’t really have to worry about dying. … Or do you? I’ll let you dwell on that. Yeah, so. Okay, let’s talk about her name. Before I read this book, (actually, it was, like, three months ago) I read some reviews about this book and I noticed that a lot of people were annoyed with her last name being ‘Singer’. Because, hey, she sang, and people who sing can’t have Singer as their last name, cuz that’s too cliché. But it makes sense. if they were all sorted into these castes because of what their ancestors did, and America’s family was sorted into the Artisan/musician caste, and it kind of makes sense that artisans/musicians would have a last name like Singer. So, no, her last name didn’t annoy me. Her first name, however… I have mixed feelings about. I think she was named America in order to highlight some point. As in, hey, I just wrote this book where the U.S. got taken over by China cuz we couldn’t pay them back all we owe them, and when we revolted against china, we didn’t keep the name America cuz that name brought into a mind a country that basically crumbled when worse came to worst, and now, just to make sure I’ve hit the nail on the head, the main character’s name is America! That’s what I think, anyway. But, all that aside, I still have general mixed feelings about the name America. See, I have this baby doll. I’ve had him since I was really little, like, younger than three. At the time when I got him (or when I named him. Those might have been two separate times and occurrences, but I honestly don’t remember) I was so happy to be alive, and so proud that I lived in this country, I named him America. and then High School happened and I started hating life and all that junk and I think politics are annoying and stuff. so. Suffice to say, mixed feelings about the name America. Now, the main point of this book that wasn’t the ANTM-like part was the rebels. They attack. Ooh, scary. What are they after? Such and such. This was interesting. I enjoyed it. probably more so because I was reading it this afternoon in place of math HW, which I actually have completed half of and have five days to finish before it’s due, so I think I’m good on that front (in case dad is reading this). Will I read the next one? Most definitely. If only to find out who she chooses (I’m pulling for Maxon. Aspen is a jerkface) and to find out who Maxon chooses (most definitely America, unless something drastic happens) and to find out what he rebels are after, cuz that has me guessing, too.

i wrote about this book and sultana's dream for my paper regarding women in utopias and dystopias being the centrepiece in different circumstances

Simply amazing..........................OMG.

people were telling me that this book is gonna be like hunger games... umm ok.

It’s an easy read, and it was okay, I guess. I just didn’t like it. I wanted to DNF this book, but I just continued it because it was a fast and easy read. The plot wasn’t strong, the characters aren’t that charming or interesting; they lack depth, and the writing was not my style. It lacked tension and I guess my expectations were just high, but I really didn’t like it. I think if I read this at a younger age, I might have liked or even loved it, but after reading better books, it’s hard to make myself like it. For a dystopian book, it really didn’t explain much about the society which I would have loved to see. I felt like it was all dialogues which I wasn’t a fan of, kinda got boring. The whole idea was interesting, but I guess the execution was lacking. It isn’t a bad book, and I get why people like it, but I guess it just wasn’t for me. I, most probably, won’t read the following books. The TV show might be better though, so here’s to hoping.

im not kidding when i say this book got me screaming for about an hour someone get me a maxon pls im deprived of romance and im living vicariously through books :'))

the synopsis caught my eye and i generally think i’m usually a sucker for these kind of stories but this one feels sort of like it falls flat or just doesn’t really hit the mark. there’s a lot going on and it seems like rushed writing. the romance in the book feels extremely impractical as well.

just like watching the bachelor series

at first, this book is quite boring. but when you sink deeper to the page, you will found some interesting things (well, i did). honestly i didn't enjoy this book a bit. then, there's maxon, and i couldn't resist.

3.5 Stars

a reread! pretty good for preteens, but when older it's pretty predictable and the protagonist is quite pick me. it's alright for casual reading tho

I've read this book series once ten years ago and I still remember crying because I was so annoyed by the characters.

If I had to recommend a book to someone that would make them fall in love with reading, it would be this one. Everything about this book is so sweet. I’m not a fan of dystopian novels but this wasn’t a dystopian novel that I felt it’s setting was confusing or too unrealistic to the point I couldn’t put myself in anyone’s shoes because it was just too unheard of. I personally am Team Maxon after this read. But I understand America’s love and hesitation to move on from her first love, Aspen. But he also told her to leave and to take part in something that had the potential to pull her away from him for good. That being said, I’m so excited to read the next book in the series because who knows if Maxon really is compatible with America. We didn’t learn too much about him in this book so I have a feeling we’re about to see much more of who he is and the kind of partner he’s looking for. I once read this in high school but never finished the series. I have the entire series now and I’m so excited. On to the next: The Elite!