The Selection by Kiera Cass

Oh, YA! How I love you so these days! And while I wish I'd had this much to choose from as a teen reader, I'm just pleased as punch to have the chance to jump in now. 

I'm a huge fan of dystopians (as you may have gathered if you read the blog or view my Read shelf). The dystopian setting leaves so much room for creativity. The history that leads up to it, the particulars of the world, how it fits within the story itself... all of this is treated completely differently by just about every author who tackles it. Plus, it's easy to see (especially these days) how things could get out of hand in reality. Dystopian societies are a natural fear in this kind of climate. 

But I don't mean to get too heavy. Today's book is a light read!

Kiera Cass's The Selection was on my wish list for MONTHS before it hit shelves in April. I'm not a Bachelor fan -- except that one season when I knew someone participating -- but I was definitely open to a dystopian version of The Bachelor (The Selection in a very small nutshell) and indeed I loved it! 

Tradition holds that when the Prince of Illea comes of age, one girl from each province will be chosen to take part in The Selection. At the end, one girl will win the crown and the Prince's heart. America Singer enters on a lark and is chosen, but her one true love is the price she pays for taking part in The Selection. As she and Prince Maxon grow closer, America must decide whether to move forward into an unknown future or hang on to what she's always desired.

I enjoyed so many things about this book. America for one. She's a savvy teen. The love triangle, while a little tired and overly exploited these days, fits just fine within this particular setting. In fact, it's the source of a lot of the conflict. 

But I really loved the secrets. The hinted at story behind the story. How America and her fellow Selection competitors really know nothing about their own history. How America's father kept hidden books in the house. Who is attacking the royal family and why. These are the things I loved. These are the things that, in addition to America and The Selection itself, will drive the trilogy and hopefully be answered before the end. 

And in the end, I loved that it was such a light and fun read. One of my sisters is not a fan of dystopians but I'm hoping that she'll enjoy The Selection as much as I did and I can't wait until she reads it. 

And in case you've been living under a rock, The Selection is already in the works for the small screen.