The Selection Trilogy

The Selection by Kiera Cass

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime.

The opportunity to be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To 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 leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she begins to realize that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

When America is selected to compete for becoming the new queen, she is probably the only girl who does not want to leave her home and move to the palace and into a new world. It means leaving the boy she loves behind and diving into a world full of jealous and intriguing young women with rules so different from the one she's used to. But it also means being able to support her family with the money she earns and ensure that they have something to eat every night.

America's experience in the palace was a really enjoyable read for me. I finished all three books rather quickly and enjoyed the lightness of the whole thing, even though there were some more serious subjects treated in the story as well. Because I read the books so quickly, I didn't really have time to get annoyed with the love triangle and America's constant changes of mind. I can imagine that, for other readers, these are reasons to dislike the books but it all didn't bother me too much.

I think that these are very light books even though there is a very interesting society described in the story. It is divided into eight castes and the caste you are born into decides what kind of job you will have and whether or not there will be food on your table. Parts of society are rebelling against this system and this becomes a more important part the further you get into the books. So it's not all shallow, but to me the books are mainly about Maxon's search for a wife and the pretty dresses and that was okay for me.