The Selection reviewed

Young adult (YA) novels are one of the most popular genres of fiction. They’re generally pretty easy to read and understand, and many allow you to get lost in a fascinating fictional world. Most importantly, a core aspect of these novels is that they’re primarily character-driven, with a decent amount of proper world-building, of course.

This simple yet practical setup allows young adult books to be liked by young adults of all ages. Plus, with the increasing popularity of audiobooks, they’ve become even more accessible. And, one such novel is The Selection by Kiera Cass, which will be our topic of discussion for today. So, sit back, get ready, and let’s dive in – and beware of spoilers.

What The Selection by Kiera Cass is all about

The Selection is a young adult book series comprised of five books. And in addition to the original five, four novellas were also published, though they are spinoffs connected to the main story through supporting characters and their narration. The novellas were also comprised into a single volume called Happily Ever After.

This book series was written by Kiera Cass, an American young adult fiction author. Her most popular work is, understandably, The Selection, however, she’s written other works as well. The Betrothed, her most recent work, was published last year.

Now, when it comes to the books themselves, in chronological order, the first part bears the name of the series – The Selection. It’s followed by The Elite, The One, The Heir, and, lastly, The Crown.

The story is set in a dystopian reality in which society functions under a caste system. The caste systems are organized from numbers one to eight, with the Ones being the elites and the royals and the Eights being the bottom of society. However, the main character, America, is neither of those classes. Instead, she’s a Five, which technically makes her a member of the lower castes. Fives are performers of all kinds, artists, musicians, dancers, and so on. The story continues as America navigates her situation after becoming one of the thirty-five girls chosen for the Selection.

The later books follow the story of America’s daughter Eadlyn, who is the prize of her Selection.

The book series itself found a lot of popularity and even became a New York Times bestseller. A Netflix adaptation of the first book, directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, has also been announced. And both the reviews on Good reads and Amazon have been pretty good.

Exploring love, power, and class

Despite it being a fictional YA book, The Selection books work quite fine as a subtle commentary on power and class while also being a captivating love story. The organization of different castes is both original and reminiscent of other societal classifications in fiction. Nonetheless, it serves its purpose in setting the stage and establishing the world in which The Selection takes place.

The Selection also explores all the complicated nuances of love and class, depicting the different dynamics between the characters belonging to various castes within the system.

Most important characters

Alongside the protagonist, America Singer, The Selection has various central characters that influence the course of the story. So, let’s discuss each one of them.

America Singer

America is, as you’ve gathered by now, the main character of Kiera Cass’s book series. At the beginning of the story, she’s a 17-year-old girl with a short temper and a rebellious attitude that 17-year-olds usually tend to have. Her red hair is also meant to be a physical representation of her fiery personality. She is persistent and stubborn, but also shown to own up to her mistakes, which also ties into her courageous spirit. Additionally, she encourages the people around her to grow and reflect, as she also tries to do herself. As the Selection progresses, she becomes part of the elites, the six girls with the potential to win prince Maxon’s heart and the crown.

Prince Maxon

Prince Maxon Schreave is a member of the highest caste, a One. He is the prince of Illea and the heir to the throne. At the start of the story, he’s 19, and to America, he comes off as arrogant and shallow. And due to this, their first interaction is rather unpleasant. Despite this, both America and the audience learn very quickly of his kind and understanding nature. Additionally, through America’s help, he is able to learn more about the lower castes and extend his compassion and generosity. It’s important to note that due to his traumatic upbringing, Maxon is also kind of stubborn. Due to his problematic relationship with his father, he struggles with being told what to do and greatly dislikes it.

Aspen Leger

Aspen is America’s first love and her secret boyfriend. He is a Six, meaning he’s one caste below America. At the beginning of the story, he gets drafted into the army, and in the later books is shown to be a general. Aspen’s an understanding and kind person. He is also shown to be self-conscious about his caste status, which has tended to create problems for him.

Marlee Tames

Marlee is a genuine and sweet girl who participates in the Selection, and despite eventually losing interest in the prince, she does bond with someone else – America. She and Marlee quickly become best friends and their friendship only gains depth as the story progresses. Marlee’s eternal optimist attitude keeps her afloat even during very stressful situations, and it’s arguably her biggest strength.

King Clarkson

King Clarkson is Maxon’s strict father, and the two don’t really get along that well. His past trauma leads to him having trust issues and being overly controlling toward his family. It’s also revealed that he had been physically abusive toward Maxon in the past, which is why their relationship is so strained.

Queen Amberly

Amberly is Maxon’s late mother and the wife of King Clarkson. She was a Four who had a humble upbringing, and after becoming the Queen, she treated her duties with great diligence. She is generally described in a very positive manner by both Maxon and the other characters.

Kriss Ambers

Kriss is another of the thirty-five girls who enter the Selection. She also comes from a simple but educated background, being a Three. She’s intelligent and confident and comes off as kind but she tends to get jealous.

Celeste Newsome

Lastly, we have Celeste, who is another candidate in the Selection. She is a Two and is a model, which leads to her being arrogant and feeling superior to others. She has a very scheming personality, but a lot of her bad behavior is due to her own issues. And, with America recognizing that the two form a friendship.

Read The Selection series with Speechify audiobooks

If you’re looking for a place to listen to The Selection series in audiobook format, Speechify Audiobooks allows you to listen to the entire series, including The Selection, The Elite, The One, The Heir, and, The Crown.

Speechify Audiobooks also has a large collection of the best books out there, in various languages, and many of those are YA books and novels similar to The Selection that you should add to your book list.

So, for fans of The Selection, what other recommendation would be better than other books by Kiera Cass? In the name of that, we’re here to recommend The Siren, a YA book reminiscent of a fairy tale, or Cass’s The Betrothed.

However, if you’re looking to expand your collection beyond Kiera Cass’s books, we’ve also got you covered. The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard is another YA book series that deals with class and has a 17-year-old girl as the protagonist. The plot is like a cross between The Hunger Games and Cinderella, and the ratings on Goodreads are stellar.

Sign up for Speechify Audiobooks today and never run out of tales to read. Plus, enjoy your first audiobook for free.

FAQ

Is The selection series spicy?

The Selection is a YA romance novel, so the rating would be 13+, but it shouldn’t really be categorized as ‘spicy.’

Is The Selection getting a movie?

Yes! The Netflix adaption will, in fact, be a movie and not a TV show.

Is The Selection a vampire series?

There are no vampires in The Selection series since it doesn’t really have supernatural elements.