Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

My Rating:✯✯✯✯✩

Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance

Publication Date: April 2012

Quick Synopsis 

The Selection is set in the futuristic dystopian Country of  Illéa which is the nation made up of a smaller combined Canada and America, ruled by a Royal Family. Society is broken up by a cast system determined by your family's ancestry. Ones are the elite and Eights are the wondering and homeless. Everyone in between performs jobs in society determined by their cast. The Royal Family are of course Ones, when they have daughters they are paired in diplomatic marriages with royal family's of other nations but when they have sons it's a bit more dramatic.

To keep up morale and patriotism a contest is held when a prince of Illéa needs to find a bride. 35 young woman are selected across all casts to compete for the affections of the prince and become royalty. 

America is a 5, the artist and entertainer cast. She is a talented singer and excellent on the violin. After pressures from her family and the boy she is in love with to enter the contest,   she reluctantly finds herself competing in a contest she doesn't even want to win. Every day she is in the contest she is sure her family is fed and warm but everyday brings her closer to something she's not sure she wants. 

Review 

I've heard this book compared to the TV show 'The Bachelor' meets 'The Hunger Games' and I have to say that I agree, although I would argue there's a bit of 'Americas Next Top Model' thrown in as well. I enjoyed the descriptions of the other contestants and the relationships America forms with them. The mandatory love triangle is actually going to get interesting and I've already decided who I want to end up together. 

The dystopian world back story was presented in a clever way with out feeling like a mass of descriptions and I feel as though the characters in the story where as out of the loop about their country's history as I was. As America learns more about the political terrorists and history of her nation we get a clearer picture of the world as well as the competition this story centres around. 

A really fresh take on the dystopian genre. Nicely set out and a fun concept. Definitely going to read the next one and I'd recommend it if your a fan of the dystopian genre or reality TV shows.