Title: The One
Series: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 368

WrensReads Review:

And we even out the main part of this series with an even three stars.

I will say that when it comes to young adult romance, Kiera Cass has got it down. Her books do not have a lot of action, which in my case is why the stars are a little lower, but her story telling and her romantic side of the story telling, she’s got it going on.

But alas, that isn’t enough for me.

It’s actually too much for me.

Romance should never, in my opinion, be the focus of a book. This whole thing was flipped for me. The whole war between the violent group of people who hated the caste system and the none violent people who hated the caste system should have had a lot more focus on it in my opinion. It was a different dynamic than the norm. You didn’t just have those who loved and those who hated, you had those who loved those who hated violently and those who hated proactively. I just thought that could have been really interesting to see more of.

But,

The ending is pretty predictable, but it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable after reading about this contest for three books. Even with the unnecessary love triangle, I am happy with the end. I would recommend this book for people who LIVE for romance. It is such a romance book, and I would have enjoyed it more if that was my cup of tea.

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Title: The Elite
Series: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336

WrensReads Review:

I’m not going to spend too much time on this review. It’s going to be short and sweet. Here we go.

I love the idea of the caste system. It’s a great dystopian way of looking at things. People are born into caste 1-8, some want to break out of it and do what they want to and make a living out of what they love to do and blah blah blah blah, you know all this already.

If you read the dystopian genre, they all kind of sound like this and it can get kind of old.

I hope you read more than this genre.

Please for the love of everything don’t subject yourself to only one genre.

What I don’t like is the wasted potential on this series. They have this big war going on with rebels of different directions and it is just a background thing. They could have lit this whole book on fire with war and sly of hand and vengeance and UGH!

I just don’t see why we can’t have more of that in this series. I am not talking about undoing the love triangles (which I low-key hated but it wasn’t the focus of my dislike) or changing the characters or the way the story is in general; I am talking about enhancing it with a little bit more… edge.

This is just my taste and my words. You could be a big giant love of romances and then this book is going to be in your top five. But I, for one, as we all know, am not a lover of romance and need more action and politics and war to love a book. I need snarky. I need something else to make my jaw drop and my vocal cords to raw.

I am going to read the next book. I’m going to finish off the series because it did grab my attention enough for that. But I am not sure I would ever read them again.

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Title: The Selection
Series: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Genre: JUVENILE FICTION
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336

WrensReads Review:

This book isn’t action packed. It isn’t full of weird battles or anything like that.

What this book is: a story about a girl in a dystopian world trying to get over someone she dated for two years.

I usually like books that have a lot of raw battle and decisions in it; but I like this book because it takes things for the opposite angle and focuses more on the heart and the mending than the torn decision.

America Singer is a five in a system of Ones threw Eights. She is better off than Sixes but worse off than Fours. Her family struggles for necessities, but they make ends meet.

She is secretly dating a Six who she is madly in love with (Aspen).

She gets a letter saying she is eligible for signing up for “The Selection.”

The Selection: a group of thirty-five girls, varying numbers, trying to win the heart of the Prince, Maxon. AKA: The Bachelor.

It’s better than it sounds, trust me.

She doesn’t want to sign up, but her bossy mother and her love-obsessed sister want her to. They need the money. Aspen wants her to as well, just so he doesn’t have “what if” lingering over his head.

She reluctantly does it, knowing she doesn’t get picked.

And she doesn’t.

JOKING. What kind of story would this be if she doesn’t get exactly what she wants?

So what happens with her and Aspen? Does America have any feelings for this business-like prince, or does her heart still long for another?

This story is an interesting one. Yes, you have the typical love triangle; but what isn’t so typical about it, is that someone gives her up (I’m pretty sure this is obvious who does). Someone is prideful.

The palace does keep getting attacked by rebels (Northerners and those lethal Southerners…). What is that about anyway?

This is a story about a FRIENDSHIP blossoming with the possibility of something more. This is a story about what a friendship can do for a broken heart. This is a story about how friendship can come from various aspects, even a competitor.

This is just a story. It isn’t anything less.

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