Introduction: The Selection by Kiera Cass
I got a notification from Quora, and a man was talking about his 13 year old daughter who reads a book a day, and reviews them on her blog. I was very impressed, so I visited her blog PriyankaReads. At 13 years old, I enjoyed reading, but my reading was not as diverse as Priyanka Mehta. So far, based on recommendations from Priyanka, I have read two trilogies. The first is by Kiera Cass (There are actually five books in the series, but you can stop at the first three).
Because of Priyanka, since the summer started, I have read several books, a few of which have strong, young female characters, and I am ecstatic. There are times when we go on a journey and end up somewhere that’s wonderful.
Based on her book recommendations, I also read the Fair Assassin Series (Grave Mercy: His Fair Assassin, Book I (His Fair Assassin Trilogy)
, Dark Triumph: His Fair Assassins, Book II (His Fair Assassin Trilogy)
, Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin Trilogy)
) by Robin LaFevers – and I have enjoyed them. I love books with strong female characters.
Young people often have important things to say and we should give them the opportunity and the platform to share their message.
My blog post today is focused on the first book in The Selection series by Kiera Cass. There is a trend these days for trilogies, quartets, and quintets, but most of the times, there is no need for the story to be stretched out. Each book in this trilogy is about 300 pages, and I read all of them one Saturday. Hint: That’s all I did the entire day.
Have you read?
The Elite by Kiera Cass, Book Review
The One by Kiera Cass, Book Review
The Story: The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Selection series is a young adult, dystopian romance novel by Kiera Cass that follows the journey of America Singer. The kingdom of Illea is the result of war. China invades the US and renames it the American State of China. Later, no longer under the rule of China, the country cannot bear to keep the name it was given, so Illea is the union of The United States, Canada and some Latin American countries.
The country, ruled by a king, operates on a caste system, and the higher your number, the lower your caste. America Singer is a number five, which is the category for artists. Each number in the caste system is associated with a certain lifestyle, servants, royalty, the unemployed, the most vulnerable and disenfranchised and so on.
The Selection
In the first book, The Selection, there is a selection process to choose a wife for Prince Maxon Schreave. The Selection is also a chance of a lifetime for all those who enter, to get a shot at the good life – but not everyone believes so. The King wants young ladies between the ages of 16 and 20 to participate in the selection process. America Singer’s mother pressures her to submit her application to become one of the young women from which the prince will choose his wife, but she refuses to do so.
She wants no part of the process, but her secret love, Aspen Leger, encourages her to enter the contest. Aspen is a number 6, the servant class, so his family is very poor, and he doesn’t have much to offer a wife at this time. He works very hard to support his family, since his father died a few years ago. America and Aspen have been secretly meeting in a Treehouse for the past two years. There are times when the young man goes without food because he is kind-hearted, and wants to make sure that his siblings have enough food to eat.
America finds ways to give him food so that he doesn’t feel embarrassed that she is helping him, but he does anyway. And that is why he suggests that she enter the Selection contest, so that she will have access to more and better opportunities. America loves Aspen, so she will do what he asks. He also breaks up with her before she leaves to participate in the selection contest, and it tears her heart apart. Aspen makes the right decision, because as harsh as it may sound, at this stage in his life, he is in no position to take care of a wife, and America is only 16 anyway, she has her whole life ahead of her.
Although America Singer has no interest in being crowned queen, she is one of the 35 young ladies selected to participate in the contest to capture Prince Maxon’s heart. These women are transported to another area in Illea where the palace is located and the elimination process begins in earnest. For America, a good thing about participating in the contest, is that her family will receive a stipend while she is still participating in the process.
America and Marlee Tames become fast friends and, just as quickly, becomes Celeste Newsome’s enemy within the first week at the palace. During that time, she meets Prince Maxon, and discovers that he is not like she first perceived. The two form an alliance – America lets Maxon know that she is not interested in being crowned, but she will be his eyes and ears, and advise him on choices to make.
She lets him know how valuable the stipend is to her family, and he agrees to keep her in the selection process as long as he can. By way of America, the Prince becomes aware of what life is really like outside the palace walls. You cannot lead effectively if you are out of touch with what is going on in your environment.
The Selection process is also a popularity contest, and once a week, they have to appear on TV to answer questions about the experience. While staying at the palace, rebels from the North and South attack the palace. The action of the Northerners suggests that they are looking for a book, but the Southerners want the palace demolished. Three of the contestants leave because they are scared, one was sent away because she started a fight with Celeste. America starts to fall in love with Prince Maxon, who is so very different from what she expected, and she becomes jealous when he spends time with the other contestants.
As would be expected, Aspen shows up at the palace as one of the new guards, and because he had joined the army, his status elevates to a two, now he is higher than America, who is now a three because she is a participant in the selection process. Aspen wants America back, but does he deserve her? After another brutal attack by the rebels, Prince Maxon decides to select six women, who are now a part of the Elite, and as can be expected, America is among the six.
All through the process, America is changing, when she realizes that she is exactly where she wants to be – she is falling hard for Prince Maxon, and she also recognizes that she has the power to effect change in Illea. Interestingly enough, although America is falling in love with Prince Maxon, she is holding on to Aspen because she doesn’t want to return to the life she led before the competition.
Conclusion: The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Selection
by Kiera Cass teaches you about human nature, and you are likely to see yourself in one of the characters. It’s a book about social justice because America talks about the unfairness of the caste system – there are so many in need in the world, while a few people control most of the resources. In many parts of the world, there are people who are living on $1 a day.
America Singer speaks for those who feel powerless, and she teaches us that sometimes the right thing to do is not to do what we are told.
The Selection Series Box Set: The Selection, The Elite, The One
The Selection
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Kiera Cass Books
The Crown (The Selection)The Selection 4-Book Box Set: The Selection, The Elite, The One, The HeirHappily Ever After: Companion to the Selection Series (The Selection Novella)The Heir (The Selection)The SirenThe Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard (The Selection Novella)The Selection Coloring BookThe Queen: A Novella (Kindle Single) (The selection)The Prince: A Novella (Kindle Single) (The selection)
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