The Selection : A Review of this Dystopian Must Read with Aneesha Aryan
“No, I’m not choosing him or you. I’m choosing me.” Happy Friday! We are excited to share the second installment of our mother daughter book review series, a series written by Gayatri Aryan and her daughter Aneesha Aryan. For today’s installment, Aneesha thoughtfully reviews “The Selection”, a a young adult novel by Kiera Cass. It is the first in a five-book series, followed by The Elite, The One, The Heir and The Crown. Hope you enjoy (and we also have an audio version here of the review if you prefer to listen on the go)
The Selection By Kiera Cass
Genre: Dystopian, YA Fiction, Fantasy
Publication Date: April 2012
A world where people are split into castes, valued by a number. One to eight. Ones, being the richest and at the top of the pyramid and Eights the poorest and bottom of the classes.
In the novel, The Selection by Kiera Cass, the protagonist, America Singer, is a Five or the more artistic class; she personally enjoys entertaining with a violin.
America is completely content with her life, playing her violin as she is in the more performing and artistic caste. She even has a secret boyfriend, Aspen, a family friend who’s a Six so they decide to keep their love hidden to avoid the conflict of their caste differences.
The prince of Illéa, Maxon Schreave, tells everyone of how he is looking for a wife because he will be king soon. To acquire this spouse, he follows the footsteps of his father by holding a “Selection” which is essentially a competition between girls who get in to be his wife and queen in the future.
Her mother tells America she must participate as she is beautiful and it would be a great opportunity for her and help for the family.
When America is chosen and finds herself in a castle with gowns and maids she learns to appreciate the simplicity of her life and I feel it is symbolized through her two different love interests: Maxon, the royal prince of Illéa and Aspen, the hardworking and supportive. The novel was well explained, not leaving many things unanswered, a common fallacy in many dystopian novels I have read. The book is quite applicable to all, nudging us to keep your simplicity and values when in a crowd of others. Remember who you are and how you started.
Prefer the audio version? Check out the review via soundcloud below!
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