5 out of 5 gnomes
This book is full of awesomeness. The characters, plot, and setting are intriguing and I pretty much love them all.
Okay, the main plot is pretty much like the show The Bachelor but on steroids. There's a lottery and a girl from every province is picked to be part of The Selection which will be used to find Prince Maxon a bride. There is much speculating and everyone is honored to even enter the contest, well except for America Singer that is.
America is a strong heroine who wants to do what is best for her family. She's not afraid to say what she's feeling and she can read most people pretty well. Her attitude about the whole Selection process is a lot different then everyone else around her but inevitably she becomes involved.
The society of Illéa is an interesting one. It was once the United States but there have been some major changes, including a World War III, which have led to the country now being a monarchy with a caste system of 1-8. If you're a 1 you're pretty much set for life but if you're an 8 you really have nothing.
If we're talking teams then I'd definitely be Team Maxon and not Team Aspen. First of all Aspen has a rather unfortunate name and then there's his attitude about who has to provide for who in a relationship. Maxon just seems to think that America can and should be able to do what makes her happy and he seems willing to compromise with her more. Maxon and America actually start off as friends and they just might grow to be something more.
I love how America acts when she gets to the palace. Her whole attitude about The Selection is refreshing and it's intriguing to watch everything that she goes through and learns while she is there. She's not an airhead or stand offish, she just acts like herself. Being in the palace lets her see how the country is really being run and of course allows her to see the royalty in person. She also finds out how much trouble the country is in with the rebels that attack every now and then. A little is known about the different rebel groups but Maxon has a theory that I hope they explore more in the next book.
The book seems pretty straightforward at first but then some great twists are thrown in. There are plenty of mysteries and secrets to go around. Now that it's down to six in the Selection it looks like anything could happen. The last chapter of the book was a pleasant surprise and made for a great ending.
My Favorite Quotes/Lines
"No wonder I'd never had any friends. I was obvi-ously shockingly bad at it." pg. 231
"No, I'm not choosing him or you. I'm choosing me." pg. 326
"I just had to give myself time to decide what was best for me" pg. 326
The book seems pretty straightforward at first but then some great twists are thrown in. There are plenty of mysteries and secrets to go around. Now that it's down to six in the Selection it looks like anything could happen. The last chapter of the book was a pleasant surprise and made for a great ending.
My Favorite Quotes/Lines
"No wonder I'd never had any friends. I was obvi-ously shockingly bad at it." pg. 231
"No, I'm not choosing him or you. I'm choosing me." pg. 326
"I just had to give myself time to decide what was best for me" pg. 326
