Okay, first of all: this was a light, refreshing and original read which I finished in one go. However, it made no sense. We have a dystopian future, a monarchy, a dumbass prince, a girl who is supposed to be 'poor' but acts like a brat, and a totally f*cked up system. On top of that, we have rebels. Rebels that keep trying to break into the castle and seem to be added purely for the sake of suspense. Castes: in which Twos are celebrities or something, Fives are music/art focused, Sixes are servants and Eights are freaking homeless people. Who gets to decide which caste you're put in and what's stopping you from moving up or down? Not to mention that Maxon is a clueless bastard and America is a total brat. Beyond that, the character development is mediocre at best. The last straw, however, was Swendway (Sweden and Norway) and Honduragua (Honduras and Nicaragua). Why?! In conclusion, if you're looking for an easy, light read, this book is great. If you want something that is well developed and nuanced, stay away. I can say that I'm looking forward to reading The Elite, in hope of some clearer explanation as to what the hell is going on. I really like the premise. But I am a character-driven person, and characters really make the story for me, and America Singer did not live up to my standard in this novel. Which was disappointing. I've never hated a female protagonist this much before, and I'm usually a very forgiving reader! So this is shocking. I guess I'm used to butt-kicking heroines and fiery red heads with attitude, but America is none of that. I will not ever be reading The Elite (#2) or The One (#3), unfortunately, because I know I cannot struggle through America's perspective.Another thing I didn't like in this book is the character names. Maxon. To me, it's the ugliest name ever. Aspen is nice, though. However, the idea that Illea will crown America the Queen of Illea is just ridiculous. The government tries to hide all evidence of Old America, and yet they're going to crown this girl named America... Just weird, in my opinion. But I understand what Cass was trying to make this an analogy for. Not plausible, imo.The Heir (#4) is apparently going to be narrated by the new princess of Illea 20 years later. I MIGHT read that. Because at least the narrator is not America Singer.
What do You think about The Selection (2012)?
AMAZING I absolutely loved this book
—Skye
the bachelor meets hunger gamesbetter than i expectedfast paced, for reluctant readers
—drika
