The Selection by Kiera Cass
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The Selection by Kiera Cass

58%

51 Critic Reviews
The dystopian elements make the world interesting but don’t make much sense in the context of this competition.
-Chicks with Crossbows

Recommended by

Guardian

Synopsis

The first book in the captivating, #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series! Discover a breathless fairy-tale romance with swoon-worthy characters, glittering gowns, fierce intrigue, and a dystopian world that will captivate readers who loved Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Ally Condie’s Matched, and Lauren Oliver’s Delirium.

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape a rigid caste system, live in a palace, and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her, and competing for a crown she doesn’t want.

Then America meets Prince Maxon—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

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About Kiera Cass

See more books from this Author
Kiera Cass is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series. She is a graduate of Radford University and currently lives in Christiansburg, VA, with her family. You can learn more about Kiera's books, YouTube videos, and love of cake at her website and follow her on Twitter.
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Published April 24, 2012 by HarperTeen. 339 pages
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Children's Books, Literature & Fiction. Fiction
Bookmark Counts:
1
Want to Read
1
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Critic reviews for The Selection
All: 51 | Positive: 31 | Negative: 20

Guardian

Good
Reviewed by Wanderer378 on Oct 24 2015

The story is also excellent for gripping people who don’t generally enjoy reading. You come to love the main characters, and you wish that you lived in the luxury with them!

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Guardian

Good
Reviewed by hockey_jess on Feb 24 2015

Cass makes it a suspenseful read with dramatic events and romantic moments and you never know what is coming up in the next chapter.

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Guardian

Below average
Reviewed by Marvellous Mars on Nov 26 2014

It is a real page-turner, although the idea is almost too simple. This book is very gripping and eventful, but I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a complicated read that will get you thinking.

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The Young Folks

Below average
Reviewed by Gabrielle Bondi on May 08 2012

Unfortunately, it does follow the same formula that many other YA books have.

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Dark Faerie Tales

Below average
Reviewed by Emmy on May 05 2012

It’s not a deep, thought provoking read or anything, but if you liked Matched by Ally Condie this book should be on your list!

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365 Days of Reading

Good
Reviewed by Laure on May 24 2012

Critically, The Selection may not be a masterpiece, but it is a darn good time, and I would definitely recommend it.

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The Booksellers New Zealand blog

Good
Reviewed by Jessica Moore on Jul 11 2012

A very addictive book, that you just won’t be able to put down or stop visualising in your head.

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Bibliophilic Book Blog

Good
Reviewed by Monica S.

This book is a cross between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor. Decently written and engrossing.

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My Friend Amy

Below average
Reviewed by Amy on May 06 2012

This book itself was just mediocre to me, I didn't rush to pick it up and even though it's quite short it took me about a week to read.

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The Book Cellar

Good
Reviewed by Erica on Apr 28 2012

This is the dystopian for people who don’t like dystopians. I rarely like them, and it has been ages since I have loved one as much as I loved The Selection.

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Diary of a Bookworm

Good
Reviewed by Rhiannon on Apr 24 2012

Obviously I ate this book up in record time and thoroughly enjoyed it (I think I spent maybe 5 hours reading it?), it was fun and engrossing and it's a strong first book for a series.

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Girls in the Stacks

Good

The ending (which is NOT a cliffhanger) shows her courage, sense of adventure and ability to keep a level-head.

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Ron Reads

Below average
Reviewed by Ronald on Jun 19 2012

The novel also ends on a rather unsatisfactory note, with a cliffhanger that isn’t all that suspenseful and with nothing clearly resolved for America.

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A Book and a Latte

Below average
Reviewed by Jen on Apr 20 2012

The castes were defined, and there were some rebel attacks and moments of danger, but the dystopian world seemed to take a back seat to the rest of the story.

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The Housework Can Wait

Good
Reviewed by Lauren on Jun 01 2012

It’s a fun, sweet, and highly entertaining romance, and the future dystopian setting adds some interest and uniqueness. I enjoyed it immensely.

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Poetry to Prose

Below average
Reviewed by Stephanie on Apr 19 2012

This is probably one of the worst cliffhangers in recent memory and it’s not because I’m anxious to find out what’s next; I simply think The Selection had a complete non-ending.

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Winged Reviews

Below average
Reviewed by Daphne on Jul 12 2012

I think the concept would work better as a TV show...As for the book, read it for the morbid curiosity factor, if you can manage to get through the writing.

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Bookish Novelties

Good
Reviewed by Ashlie on May 17 2012

I was hooked the whole way through, nothing lagged for me.

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Radiant Shadows

Good
Reviewed by Kelly on May 16 2012

Of all the cheesy, eye-rolling and slightly heart-warming releases so far in 2012, The Selection is most definitely my favourite! Though it's not a literary masterpiece, it is a LOT of fun!

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Kat Reads

Good
Reviewed by Kathy Ann on May 15 2012

I cannot possibly sing the praises of this book loudly enough, or express how bad I want the next book "NOW!" without fearing my enthusiasm will be seen as pure impatience.

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Refracted Light

Good
Reviewed by Aly on May 07 2012

The Selection is a beautiful story of love left behind and discovered.

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Chicks with Crossbows

Below average
Reviewed by Tori on May 17 2012

The dystopian elements make the world interesting but don’t make much sense in the context of this competition.

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Leanna.me

Below average
Reviewed by Leanna on Jul 13 2012

It is a lot like The Bachelor TV show. But it’s just not for me.

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Death Books and Tea

Below average
Reviewed by Nina on Jun 29 2012

America’s name was really offputting...she’s not really that interesting. Same goes for Maxon...The plot develops slowly and steadily, but just about fast enough to keep me interested.

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Rhi Reading

Good
Reviewed by Rhianna on Jun 18 2012

I highly recommend it for fans who like love stories unfolding in dystopian worlds and readers who haven't yet tried dystopians who would like a gentle place to start.

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Endlessly Bookish

Good
Jun 21 2012

Only the last few chapters are bit rushed and I wished Kiera Cass would have taken her time with them.

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Fantasyy & Scifi Lovin' News & Reviews

Below average
Reviewed by SQT on May 17 2012

It's a generally sweet, but flat book that won't likely hold the attention of fans of the far superior "Hunger Games."

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Cupcake and a Latte

Good
Reviewed by Mocha on Apr 20 2012

The Selection by Kiera Cass was an absolute blast!

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Review Diaries

Above average
Reviewed by Rosy on Jul 15 2012

On the whole though I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t anything overblown or extravagant, nothing life changing or particularly deep, but I still liked it, I still rooted for the characters and I still want to know what happens next.

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The Garden of Books

Good
Reviewed by Lisa on Jul 12 2012

I enjoyed the world that Kiera Cass slowly built and it was interesting to see throughout the novel how the governmental situation was escalating.

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The Literature Lion

Good
Reviewed by Kiera on Jul 05 2012

This was kind of a mix between a dystopian and a contemporary.

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Chick Lit Teens

Good
Jul 04 2012

No matter what it was that caught my attention, once I began reading, I was hooked.

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Ashley Loves Books

Good
Reviewed by Ashley on Jul 03 2012

I think the big thing someone has to know when going into this book is that it's not some tough, hardcore Dystopian. It has a set-up to be, but it's largely a romance book.

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Charissa Books

Good
Reviewed by Charissa on Jun 26 2012

Until then, I do recommend this book even if you aren't a fan of the author's actions.

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Between the Covers

Below average
Reviewed by Louise on Jun 25 2012

But I have to say that while this book is billed as dystopian, it really never seemed to be one to me.

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Reading is My Drug

Good
Reviewed by Ellen Faith on Jun 19 2012

All in all, I enjoyed this. As I've said again and again, it was simple and easy. And sometimes, those can be the books that I enjoy the most.

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A Reader's Devotion

Good
Reviewed by Becky on Jun 18 2012

If you want to read about a blossoming romance, with a group of selfless caring characters, a fairy-tale with a slight dystopic twist, I highly recommend you give The Selection a go.

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The Reluctant Hypersomniac

Below average
Jun 16 2012

This book is a literary cupcake. Once in a while it makes for a delicious, guilty-pleasure treat, but this is not a book to base a diet on.

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V's Thoughts on Anime, Book, and Life in General

Below average
Reviewed by Seibun on Jun 15 2012

The novel wasn't too unbearable, but it really could have been helped if the world and the side characters had been better developed.

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Peace, Love, Books

Good
Reviewed by Jessica on Jun 14 2012

So overall this was a fantastic book that took you on a great journey through a dystopian bachelor-esque storyline.

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Steph Likes Books

Good
Reviewed by Stephanie on Jun 11 2012

Overall, The Selection is a great story with characters that jump out of the page and will leave you gasping for more.

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Reviews of Young Adult Literature

Below average
Jun 05 2012

Overall, I just had lukewarm feelings for this one but I think this would be an entertaining read for young adult females between the ages 13 and 17.

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Country Book Bumpkin

Good
Reviewed by Tarah Schaeffer on Jun 05 2012

The book was awesome and I can't wait for the new books to come out!

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Georgia Summers

Below average
Reviewed by Georgia Summers on Jun 05 2012

I want to warn you: this isn't a good book.

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Jona Babez

Below average
Reviewed by Jona on Jun 01 2012

Anyway, the book seems a bit short for me and I felt like the author just decided to end it that way without further elaborating about the contest and the setting.

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The Ya Sisterhood

Good
Reviewed by Brittany on May 29 2012

My recommendation for this book is definitely for you to read it!

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How I See It - Reviews

Below average
Reviewed by Mar on May 21 2012

The way it was written was very immature and basic.

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Once Upon a Prologue

Below average
Reviewed by Molli on May 17 2012

The Selection has a lot of elements that I like, but there were several things I thought could have been improved on.

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A Little Shelf of Heaven

Good
Reviewed by Kristy on May 03 2012

I'd suggest this book to anyone who likes good, swoon-worthy romance.

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The Book Twins

Good
May 01 2012

I quite enjoyed this book. It gave an interesting take on the dystopian world.

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Annette's Bookshop

Good
Reviewed by Annette on Apr 24 2012

I found the pace of The Selection compelling; there was always something to keep my interest and the pages flew by.

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Reader Rating for The Selection
87%

An aggregated and normalized score based on 6395 user ratings from iDreamBooks & iTunes


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Linda Elliott 3 Mar 2013

Rated the book as 4 out of 5

Lauren Hortum

Lauren Hortum 7 Apr 2015

Has read the book

Anna Fahey-Flynn

Anna Fahey-Flynn 5 Sep 2013

Added the book to want to read list

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