If you are familiar with my blog posts, you will notice a pattern in the type of books I pick up to read. I am the first one to admit it: I’m a sucker for a good love story, particularly a good princess story! You could say I’m always on the hunt for the next great series to devour. I can’t tell you how much I fell in love with this series. You just have to read them yourself.
I think the best description of this series is by Publishers Weekly saying, “A cross between The Hunger Games (minus the blood sport) and The Bachelor (minus the blood sport).” Spot on. Just so you know what you are getting yourself into…
The Selection takes place after World War Four in futuristic America, no longer called America, but Illea. People are not just thought of as belonging to a particular class – upper, middle, lower – but are instead defined by a number. The number one’s are in charge. They are the rulers, the sovereigns, the Prince himself. The eight’s are lower than dirt, with no chance of finding a hopeful future.
America Singer is a five. Reluctantly, she enters her name in the Selection. She and thousands of other eligible girls enter the contest in which one of them will be chosen to be the future Princess of Illea – and Prince Maxon’s bride. It is no surprise that our heroine America is one of the 35 chosen girls to compete for the love of the Prince. From the beginning, however, she is convinced that she will not fall in love with him (so, of course, we know that she will). One of the reasons she holds back is because of Aspen, her childhood sweetheart, who just broke her heart. Because Aspen was a number six, their future would have been hard. Aspen, only wanting what was best for America, encouraged her to enter the Selection, hoping that she would have a chance at a better life. America is still in love with Aspen, and has no room in her heart for this stuffy, boring Prince Maxon.
Happily for us, she is proven very wrong about Maxon. Their relationship starts off as a solid friendship, America being quite honest about her lack of feelings for Maxon, and he deciding to keep her in the competition because her family desperately needs the stipend she receives from participating. Their friendship blossoms, and both of them realize that, whatever the future will hold, they will clearly be more than just friends. I must say, I appreciate the pace in which the writer allows their relationship to grow. It does not develop overnight like most classic fairytales, but instead progresses at a steady pace, becoming something strong and very real. Good character development!
I read through this book quite easily in one sitting – the sign of a fantastic book and a mesmerizing writer. I just couldn’t get enough of Amaxica! (clever, I know)
Click on the links below to get your copy of this book and the others in its series:
