Staff Pick: The Selection

When I first started reading The Selection by Kiera Cass, I wasn't sure if I would care for it or not. In a world torn apart by war, Castes have been created to help people know their rightful place. Being a 1 means that you are part of the Royal Family. Being an 8 means you're almost homeless and have a hard time earning a living.

America Singer is a 5 and in love with a man who is of a lower caste. But America believes that love can overcome anything. Then the Selection comes up. A set number of girls are Selected from all the Castes and given the opportunity to win the heart of Prince Maxon and become his Princess.

America only put her name in because she was under pressure from her family because they could receive monetary compensation. What were the odds that she'd be Selected, after all? Very good, it turned out, as she was one of the girls called on to try to win the Prince's heart. Only she wants nothing to do with him!

The novel starts off with several elements found in The Hunger Games, and I didn't want to read a duplicate with a different name. However, once I got further into the book, I discovered that it actually had very few similarities. No one is killing anyone else in order to survive, that's for sure! There is a battle of a different sort going on instead - the battle for Maxon's heart. The Selected girls, each and every one of them, except for America Singer, is determined that she'll be the one to become Maxon's bride and become a 1.

I found The Selection to be a very good read, and America to be a very likable character who feels genuine in her wants, hopes, and dreams. I'm glad that I kept with the book and read it to its conclusion. If you'd like to check it out, you can find it in our online catalog by clicking here.

-Amber