The Selection Selection Series 1

For many girls the Selection is a dream come true, but not for America Singer. Getting in the competition for Prince Maxons affection means that she has to leave her secret boyfriend Aspen behind. But it is also one of the only chances to get out of the rigid caste system and improve her chances in life. Then she gets to know the prince as a person and soon realizes that he is not what she has expected at all. Maybe the life she always wanted is nothing compared to her possible future. I know this is probably not one of the best books out there but I must admit that I loved reading it anyway. It was giving dystopia combined with „The Bachelor“ vibes and I personally think that’s a great combination. I also enjoyed the idea of this future world as it has the traditional / historical royalty part but also some more modern / future parts. On top this book had some good plot twists as well as some secrets and intrigues that made it quite enjoyable. America is a great protagonist that really fits to the story line. It is fascinating to see how much here character develops throughout the entire book. There were some moments that she really drove me crazy with her attitude but I still liked her and thought she was pretty relatable. And of course I loved Maxon. He is so much more than just an arrogant prince. It is great to see how much he cares about his country and the people living it. Together with America I think he could make a big difference. Aspen on the other hand is definitely not my favorite character but without him and his actions I think America wouldn’t be who she is today. So I guess we do need him after all. If you like a good dystopia with some bachelor vibes I would 100% recommend this book to you. It definitely is a light read but that’s probably one of the reasons I liked it so much as I just flew through the pages.

This book is a mix of the hunger games, bridgerton, a little of divergent and such a good love romance. I couldn´t stop reading it and I was awake till 4am in the morning to finish it, I ruined my whole sleep schedule but it was sooo worth it, right after I finished it I bought ,,The Elite´´´and I will probably buy every book from this series. Kierra Cass right in a way that when you read, you forget that youre reading because there is such a good movie playing in your head and the love triangle is just so good and that comes from a person who usally doesn´t like too much romance but this is just chef kiss.

Anfangs dachte ich es wird ein Buch gefüllt von Klischees sein aber das Gegenteil wurde sehr schnell bewiesen. Es ist sehr gut geschrieben und zieht einen sehr schnell in die Geschichte von America rein. Die Charaktere wachsen einem sehr schnell ans Herz und ich habe bei allen drei Büchern Gelacht, Geweint und Gehofft das Americas temperamentvolle Art, sie nicht in Schwierigkeiten bringt. Einige Sachen waren vorhersehbar aber trotzdem war es eine perfekte Trilogie. Maxon ist einer der besten Charaktere die ich jemals kennenlernen durfte und ich bin sehr froh das ich die Reihe gelesen habe.

Kiera Cass hat mich mit diesem Buch ganz besonders verzaubert. Es spielt rund 300 Jahre in der Zukunft und die Bevölkerung ist in ein Kasten-System gegliedert. Alles wird wunderbar beschrieben, von der Hungersnot bis hin zum Reichtum. America Singer steht im Vordergrund dieser Geschichte und bewirbt sich (eher unfreiwillig) beim Prinzen als potentielle Brautkandidatin. Tatsächlich werden sie und 34 andere Mädchen aus der Bevölkerung gewählt um an der Selection (Auswahl) des Prinzen teilzunehmen die landesweit ausgestrahlt wird! Es ist eine Mischung aus "Der Bachelor" und erinnert entfernt an "Die Tribute von Panem". Und Zickenkrieg ist vorprogrammiert! Ich bin total verliebt in diese Geschichte und freue mich auf Fortsetzung und die TV-Serie!

I'll be quite honest here: I like dystopian novels. I like casting shows (it's a secret weakness, like my weakness for cotton candy), as shallow and stupid as they often are. If you also do, chances are high that you'll like this novel! I like America as a character, even if she sometimes stretches my suspension of disbelief to almost the breaking point - she wavers between staying true to herself and not submitting fully to the game (by refusing pretty dresses and jewelry, for example) and trying to play the game well so she'll be a credit to her caste and family. Sometimes she goes a bit too far either way to be truly believable - Kicking the Prince in the groin? Really? - but on the whole, I liked her attitude and how she handled herself. She's not the prettiest of the girls, nor the nicest, the smartest or the most graceful - and I like that. Come on, could you identify with a saintly princess? I like the Prince even more: he's not what I expected at all. He's neither a villain who's out to surpress the lower castes, nor is a saint who's trying to save the world. He's a product of his education, but there's a decent man with an honest heart behind it. More than a couple of times, I wished America would stop waffling and fall in love with him already! Of the supporting characters, there were only a few who stood out to me - like the sweet, friendly (but a bit mousey) girl, Marlee, and the two-faced, mean social climber, Celeste, who isn't above ripping dresses and threatening the competition. The latter is a character I absolutely loved to hate! (And I'd be willing to bet that this one is going to stay until the very end. The mean girl always does in casting shows!) There wasn't ever a point in the story where I felt bored, even during the slower bits. In fact, I read until the early morning hours even though it was a work day... As much as I tried, I simply couldn't warm up to Aspen. I'm not sure why; he's certainly portrayed as a loving boyfriend - loving to the point of complete selflessness. But I was more of less indifferent to him, which lessened the impact of the love triangle between him, America and the Prince. Which brings me to another con: the love triangle. Why does every other YA romance apparently need one? Isn't it enough that America has to struggle with her feelings for Maxon and her ferocious dislike of the way the country is run? I wish there was more emphasis on the dystopian part of the story - but maybe that's coming in the next book? We're told bits and pieces, and the rebels make a few attacks on the palace during the Selection, but we aren't really told what they stand for, nor what they demand. We don't get to see much of the other girls who compete in the Selection; we see them coming back from dates, whispering in the Woman's Room, giggle and swoon when the Prince is near... I would've liked to get to know at least some of them better. What are their lives like, in their respective castes? Are most of them social climbers, or do a few actually have real feelings for Maxon? The author doesn't really bring anything completely new to the table. There's very little in here where you cannot say: "Oh, that reminds me of..." But hey, it's like eating a huge tub of all your favorite ice creams - nothing new, but yummy all the same. The story focuses more on the love triangle and the romance than on the dystopian bits. That might or might not change in future novels, so you should be aware of that before you start reading. The characters are (mostly) interesting and likable. The story doesn't bring anything really new to the table, but it's written well and is entertaining. I would recommend it to girl and women who'd like to read a modern Cinderella story with a bit of humor and a touch of suspense.