I’m not going to lie. I picked up The Selection in seventh grade for the first time, and you can probably guess why. The cover is just drop-dead gorgeous. A princess-like ball gown, with a light turquoise cover, was enough to win me over at the time.
The book is set in a futuristic America, now called Illea- with a monarchy in place. Society is divided in the form of a caste system, with castes from 1-7, one being the royal family, and seven being the poorest of the poor. Each caste is associated with a specific type of profession, the protagonist is a Five, meaning that she and her family are artists- they entertain with music, art and dance.
One of the hardest things to get over initially is that the protagonist’s name is America, named after the former nation. There are many of the typical clichés found in young adult fiction- there’s the boy next door, Aspen, who despairs since he’s a Six (in caste), and a union with a Five would be impractical since he wouldn’t be able to support them very well, financially. There’s also the typical bubbly girly character, and the mean girl as well.
In Illea, a partner for the heir to the throne is chosen via a competition, “The Selection”. 35 girls are chosen from across the country, across castes, and are made to participate in a heavily publicized program, until the prince chooses his wife. I’ll spare you the details, but America does get chosen for the Selection. She has no actual interest in partaking in the competition, to become the princess of Maxon, the crown prince, especially since it means leaving behind Aspen. The caveat is that members of the Selection are heavily compensated for their participation, and being a Five, America’s family is usually hard-pressed for money.
Once America is at the palace, she immediately feels out of place, since, unlike the other girls, she has no intention of actually proving her worth to Maxon. Maxon, the crown prince, is surprisingly kind and thoughtful, though his character appears to be a tad bit one-dimensional. He understands America’s predicament and vows to keep America in the competition if she stays on as his closest confidante, rather than an actual participant in the Selection. As time passes, America and Maxon become the best of friends. In order for this to be typical YA fiction, there obviously has to be a triangle of sorts, and who’s better than Aspen? Aspen enlists for the army and gets stationed in the palace as a guard, making the whole situation very awkward.
There’s also an element of the Hunger Games/ Red Queen, with the constant rebel attacks on the palace. The rebel attacks disrupt life at the palace and cause many participants to leave. However, as America continues to stay at the palace, she quickly becomes the favourite of the palace staff, the queen, and of Maxon as well. The book ends with America realizing that she’d actually like to stay at the palace, and have a shot of being an actual participant, and a possible princess.
The Selection, on the whole, is a pretty light-hearted book, with the only major conflicts arising from the rebels, whose motives and intents are not really explored in the first book. The rest of the drama all arises from petty fights the other girls get into, and the entire situation with Aspen and Maxon.
Is this a book that is above average? Definitely not. But I can’t help but find comfort in the book’s light-heartedness. Maxon and America’s friendship is a slow build, which is quite endearing. Maxon’s character also undergoes some major character development, from an almost shy prince to him being more confident about what he wants. Although the book is meant for early teens, it’s definitely a book that I come back to once in a while, when I want to find solace in the lives of imaginary people. The entire series never fails to make me smile, with America’s quirkiness, Maxon’s thoughtfulness and Aspen’s loyalty. In all, The Selection and the remainder of the books in the series, are some of the most wholesome books I’ve ever read, and I’d definitely recommend the series for anyone who’s looking for an easy read, with a whole lot of cuteness along the way.