Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass (The Selection #1)

Where to begin? Suffice it to say, I did not like this book. Every page in it is trite, packed with one-dimensional characters and clichés. And the caste system? I'm having a hard time understanding how the former United States regressed so far, not to mention the return of the monarchy.

But let me tell you what we have. We have a fiery young lady called America who shows flagrant and belligerent disrespect for royalty (although the book has made it fairly clear that there is zero tolerance for that kind of behavior). We have a boy named Aspen from back home, who is perfect in every way, aside from being a caste below our narrator and therefore ineligible. We have a dashing prince named Maxon who our narrator initially "hates" and, despite herself, begins to fall for. We have thirty-four other young women whose personalities are extreme, all black and white with no gray. There are our narrator's friends and there are her enemies. There are never any questions as to the caliber of a character; all of our heroes and villains are easily identifiable.

Though rich in its fictional history, this story drags. We spend pages and pages reading about petty disputes between the girls and spats between our narrator and herself. She spends much of her time lamenting over trivialities, when she could be reveling in her newfound palace home, (although, to be fair, America is very candid about her disdain for the Selection from the start). But it takes an eternity for anything to HAPPEN.

Very few events actually occur in the book. There is the Selection process, then a period of nothing. Then there is America going to the palace, then more nothing. There are a few rebel attacks on the palace, but they are always off to the sidelines and are never witnessed. Then a whole lot more nothing.

I have a longstanding love-hate relationship with love triangles, but this specific triangle is particularly unbelievable. It's understandable that Aspen would want to keep America around; she is, after all, a caste above him, quite talented, and, above all, beautiful. But then there is Prince Maxon, whom the whole Selection revolves around. He is given the choice of thirty-five women, but someone manages to have eyes only for America. If anything, the love triangle would naturally revolve around him, America, and another girl. Alas, this is not the case, and I am left with little more than frustration.

Perhaps the biggest reason why I did not like this book is that I did not find America, well, likable. I like certain aspects of her, sure, like the fact that she is a musician and a singer. This makes it unfortunate that her expertise is only shown one time.  But, aside from her musical talents, America is rather bland. She's rude to people above her, obstinately kind to people below her, and frustratingly submissive to the evil characters in her life.

This book is only the beginning of a much larger and longer story. Perhaps it will become more enticing, perhaps the characters will become less insipid, and perhaps more events and less sitting around will occur. Maybe. I don't intend to find out unless there is a shortage of other good books that will be a much better usage of time.