The Selection

When picking up a young adult dystopian novel my first thought usually isn't, 'Let's get ready for some serious romance!' But what Kiera Cass does in The Selection is blend two genres of young adult literature seamlessly. As the main character, America Singer finds her way into a competition to become the future queen of Illea, maintains her self-posession and strength while still remaining relatable to the reader. Though fraught with dangers from rebels, glimpses of the hallmark inequality of dThe SeThe Selection by Kiera Cass, 327 pages

When picking up a young adult dystopian novel my first thought usually isn't, 'Let's get ready for some serious romance!' But what Kiera Cass does in The Selection is blend two genres of young adult literature seamlessly. As the main character, America Singer, finds her way into a competition to become the future queen of Illea she maintains her self-possession and strength while still remaining relatable to the reader. Though fraught with dangers from rebels and glimpses of the hallmark inequality of dystopian young adult literature, the romance throughout is compelling. Some parts with over-do the "remain true to yourself" lesson, but the story does continuously engage the reader in both romance and a future fraught with problems. Cass does an excellent job of portraying even minor characters as multidimensional. However, the plot tends to be predictable and sometimes sprouts little plot holes that don't quite add up, which can be attributed by a tendency towards shaky world-building. Despite that the book is definitely worth a quick read, and with the sequels, The Elite already released, and the third, The One, to be release in 2014 there is much more to look forward to!