The Selection (The Selection, #1)

The Selection (The Selection #1)

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4.1 of 5 stars 4.10  ·  rating details  ·  37,173 ratings  ·  6,596 reviews
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. 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...more
Hardcover, 327 pages
Published April 24th 2012 by HarperTeen
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Cinder by Marissa MeyerUnder the Never Sky by Veronica RossiThe Selection by Kiera CassEverneath by Brodi AshtonIncarnate by Jodi Meadows
2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)
3rd out of 793 books — 4,493 voters
Insurgent by Veronica RothCity of Lost Souls by Cassandra ClareDeadlocked by Charlaine HarrisReached by Ally CondiePandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Can't Wait Books of 2012
41st out of 2,388 books — 15,578 voters


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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)
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Wendy Darling
Reaction before reading this book: I know I may be a sucker for falling for this cover, but look at it! I totally want to go to that party.

Reaction after reading this book: I no longer want to go to this party.

Full disclosure: I did not read this entire book. I took notes for the first 88 pages, read to page 168, and then skimmed the rest. I think reading more than half the book qualifies as giving it a fair shot.

The Selection arrives with a gorgeous cover and interesting premise. What if a lott...more
Hana❀Joy
Feb 26, 2013 Hana❀Joy rated it 2 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: People looking for fluff with no substance.
I am not surprised by how this novel turned out. Really, I'm not. But alas, I thought I'd try it anyways.

*Ehem, I would like to say that the events that unfolded before the books release did have a small effect on my mindset while reading, unfortunately. It did affect my rating as well, by one measly little star.

Honestly, I didn't have any fuzzy feelings before I dived into this book, after much controversy I thought I'd give it chance. I'll start off with the characters:

America

My first reaction...more
Kira
This infamous book. Oh, this book.

Yeah, I read it. I also fell once and speared myself with a broken tree root.

I can't seem to decide which was more painful.

Okay, okay. I kid. This book actually isn't the worst book I've ever read. But I suppose the merit of that statement is little, considering that the worst book I ever read was Mein Kampf.

There's your praise, The Selection! You're better than Mein Kampf. Give yourself a pat on the back.

So I've had the book open for about eight minutes and al...more
Lea
.

[**NOTE: This review was not affected by online drama or controversy. Everything I have to say here is based on my own personal opinion about the book itself, even though I definitely think Cass needs a new publicist.]

[**NOTE #2: All the captions in the non-animated picture memes were made by me-- because, you know, I'm just THAT brilliantly witty. So please don't use them without asking my permission first. Thanks :)]


35 GIRLS. 1 CROWN. THE COMPETITION OF A LIFETIME.


Now with a story premise l...more
Skyla
I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book mostly because of the original blurb that made said it was "A cross between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor" and as a child I wrote a story that sounds incredibly similar to this premise, except mine had a talking Duck Billed Platypus and a Kiwi bird and I was 8 so the language wasn't great. But after reading a comment left by the author on a review of a GR friend of mine (see here, comment #39: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... ) I may just g...more
Gabrielle Carolina
Did not finish; stopped at page 208.

I could not get behind America who is suffering from an affliction called TSTL syndrome (too stupid to live.) Her choices seem robotic and awkward, her dialogue and self-deprication feel desperate and forced. None of the other characters rise to the occasion of acting realistically, either.

Besides that, and a serious lack of world building, The Selection is to The Hunger Games as Carrier of the Mark is to Twilight. That is to say an apparent knock-off. Gavril...more
Victoria
I almost never write reviews, but I had to write one to try to persuade people to read this book. Really, it has to be read to be believed. This is actually the worst book I've ever had the pleasure to encounter in my life, and I think it's only fair that everyone else get to enjoy it, too. It's the best ten bucks and three hours of my life I've ever spent.

I'm not being sarcastic. The entertainment value of this novel is high. Especially if you can reenact scenes out loud with your boyfriend, w...more
Courtney
May 26, 2012 Courtney rated it 2 of 5 stars
Recommended to Courtney by: VOYA
Little to no plot. If readers are addicted to watching THE BACHELOR, then they may be able to drudge through this one. The only thing "dystopian" about it is the caste system. There are so many other great dystopian novels out there that readers should pass on this one.

For full review, please visit:

http://litnerd.weebly.com/dystopia.html

(scroll down)
Steph Sinclair
Mar 13, 2012 Steph Sinclair marked it as due-to-reviews-lost-interest
Shelves: due-to-author
When will they learn?
The Holy Terror
And I thought this type of thing was over? Guess we can't seem to stop.

Lol, I added a new shelf.
Bookphilia
Dec 21, 2012 Bookphilia rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Non-feminists, people with little dignity.
Recommended to Bookphilia by: Goodreads failed me again.
NOTE: I want to remind readers that it is important to give all books a fair chance despite negative reviews and controversy (see linked article)/the author or the author's agent being a dumbass. And that is what I did.

Sentence: I sentence Kiera Cass to a season of The Bachelor in which everyone is selected to be dropped off on a deserted island and are made to fight to the death (to be the lone survivor). But then, as a prize, the survivor has to marry some asshole she may or may not like.

Revie...more
Megan (Book Brats)
Review goes live on Book Brats on April 23rd. Visit http://book-brats.com for more details and reviews!

I had plenty of initial reservations about reading THE SELECTION, I admit that – certain online fiascos and a plot that I felt somewhat iffy about. But I decided that the other part of me, the part that wondered if this book might possibly charming and a take on reality dating shows that YA has yet to show, was too hard to resist. So I requested this book on Edelweiss and loaded it up onto my K...more
Nessa
Apparently every little girl dreams of being a princess. The idea being that Prince Charming comes from a little country you've never heard of and woos you with his eloquent parlance, snappy dress sense, and amiable personality. He might also be cursed and looking for the kiss of true love.

Still, cursed or not, Prince Charming archetypes have existed for as long as fairytales and Disney movies have perpetuated. It also seems that a lot of girls don't really grow out of wanting their own gorgeous...more
Emily
*An ARC was provided by HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review*

I don't usually go for books like this one, with the whole princess competition thing going on (actually I've never even started one because they don't look good), but let me tell you, this book is amazing.

I loved it. That's all I can say. It went right into the story, and I was hooked from page one. I just couldn't stop reading. The plot was AMAZING!! I loved how Kiera Cass manipulated the characters (Aspen) to make America sig...more
Mariya
"I'm not so stupid as to believe that you've completely forgotten about your former boyfriend. I know you think there are others here more suited for me and this life, and I wouldn't want you to rush into trying to be happy with any of this. I just...I just want to know if it's possible..."

THE SELECTION was one of the best books I have ever read! I don't think I quite expected that once I flipped the first page that I couldn't stop! But guess what it happened! I am constantly thinking about t...more
Luu
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. Čiže Nevesta pre milionára meets Hunger Games. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. A celý národ bude na svojich obrazovkách sledovať, ako sa princ zamiluje - a to je reálna to parafráza na citát z knihy.

But for America Singer, ktorá miluje spievať národnú hy
...more
Jillian -always aspiring-
The Blurb: Kiera Cass's trilogy beginning with THE SELECTION, a dystopian romance pitched as "The Hunger Games" meets "The Bachelor," following 17-year-old America Singer, one of the eligible young women selected to compete to become the next queen, who finds herself falling in love despite only wanting to break her family out of the lower castes and leaving her boyfriend at home.

My Expression After Reading the Blurb: O_o

Thoughts Accompanying My Dubious Expression: Uh. . .you expect me to take...more
Vi Vi
Ha, my review got deleted to I guess. No matter.

BTW the book sounds awful and I won't be reading it regardless.
Braiden
May 31, 2012 Braiden marked it as not-finished
I had it rated as a one star but there was no point in giving one flimsy star after even one chapter—one chapter which I couldn’t take too seriously enough to believe that anything good will come out of it (but I figured that what I “didn’t like” was within that first chapter, bringing about the one star that equates to “I didn’t like it”). I wasn’t going to waste my time on it, and after the author’s recent/past antics there was definitely no good to come out of the book if I had continued to r...more
Lauren Suero
Here's how this book should be marketed: Dystopian world meets 'The Bachelor'.....sort of.

NOT THE HUNGER GAMES. There's no fight to the death here.. just a bunch of young women vying for the heart of one very handsome prince.

Personally, I've been excited to read this book from day one of it's announcement. Say what you will about the cover, but holy heck is it gorgeous. If I wasn't so damn short, I'd totally rock that dress. The chance to become a princess? BESTILL MY 5 YEAR OLD HEART!

I loved th...more
AH
Jan 05, 2013 AH marked it as not-gonna-read
Too much drama this week about this one. Took away any desire I would have had to read it.
Sophie
Edit:
I have only one question, and that question is:
WHY IS THE OVERALL RATING FOR THIS BOOK SO HIGH??

Last time I checked it was in the 3's. Something fishy is going on here...

This review also appears on The Dreaming Reader.

May I present to everyone The Hunger Games...Girlified!
Disclaimer: Despite the fact that I am drawing comparisons between the two, there is no way that this sad little novel (if it can even be called that) will ever match up to The Hunger Games.

Similarity #1: A "cutthroat"...more
Erin Bowman
I never, ever read books in one sitting, but I couldn't put this one down. There’s a blurb on the cover from Kiersten White that says something along the lines of “Charming, captivating, and the perfect amount of swoon.” This could not be more true.

THE SELECTION follows America Singer as she leaves her home, and a secret relationship with a boy from the caste below her, to competes alongside 35 other girls for the heart of her country’s prince. The book has been pitched as THE HUNGER GAMES meets...more
Tara
REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/2012/...

I am only slightly ashamed to admit that I watch reality TV show competitions, like Big Brother, Project Runway, and basically all the cooking reality TV shows. So The Selection by Kiera Cass immediately sounded appealing to me just based on the summary.

Initially, I was a little put off by the writing in The Selection. There were a couple of instances where I thought there was more telling that showing and I wanted the showing.

But...more
Lorraine
I don't mean this review to be harsh, in theory. My thought after the last page was, "well that was okay." My thoughts now as I consider what I liked (not a lot) and what annoyed my liver (a lot) are challenging this general "that was okay" assertion.

Basically, it was fluff. 336 pages of mediocre fluff. Let's break it down:

The first 20% of the book was rather tedious. From page one, you KNOW that this girl is going to get chosen in The Selection, right? And yet, it gets talked on and on and on,...more
Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity
Wow. So uh, yeah...I had never planned on shelving this book, even though I read it back in the pre-release days. Backtracking for a second - I had made the choice not to make a badly behaving authors shelf for books I hadn't read, even though I understood why other friends were doing so. I thought to myself : fine, I'll stay out of shelving stuff (for now, I reserve to change my mind later) that I haven't read, regardless of how much I want to speak my mind on some of the complete nonsense that...more
Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit)
One of my most anticipated reads of the season, The Selection was described as The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor - and if you know me a bit, you know that I love reality TV (and who doesn't like The Hunger Games?). I'm here to report that that phrase is not entirely accurate - it is definitely The Bachelor, not so much The Hunger Games. Regardless, I loved this one.

Full Review: http://chickloveslit.com/2012/02/revi...
Alex
Ingredienti per creare un libro che Alex adorerà :
- una cover strepitosa
- un bel distopico originale
-una storia d'amore tormentata e/o impossibile
-protagonisti coraggiosi e affascinanti
-umorismo sottile e passione delicata.
Mescolate sapientemente e buttate tutto ciò dalla finestra -.-"...
"Perché il Mappazzone che Kiera Cass sta per rifilarmi,non ha nemmeno uno dei sopra citati ingredienti!".
Ho appena terminato The selection, ed ancora non posso credere che qualcuno abbia potuto etichettare un...more
Mags~CVAddikt~Chaos defies imagination!
What the hell did I read????

I thought that after Paranormalcy, Marked and Indebted my eye rolling capacity had reached its limit ... was I ever wrong!!!







Arghh not enough!!!

Where do I start???

The worldbuilding was awful!!! The people is supposed to be struggling to survive, they don't have food bla bla bla ... and America has her own room, she has a phone at home, a TV and she showers daily ..... WTF!!!??? But they are poor ... so poor. And apparently no one knows about birth control ... guys if...more
Theresa ♫
Jul 14, 2012 Theresa ♫ rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fellow humans in search for a readable "The Bachelor"
BEFORE ZE BOOK IS OPENED

"The Hunger Games" meets "The Bachelor"...

It's set as dystopian and romantic...I hope to read through pages of originality!! And even though I usually narrow my eyes with suspicion at books that claim to be remakes of other books, I will ninjetically get my hands on this book! Just the description of this book sucked me in!! (The cover was a bonus.)

Once I get my hands on this book, I will be on the ninja scavenger hunt for originality and a smile!!

Miss Kiera Cass, I am e...more
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YA Buddy Readers'...: The Selection by Kierra Cass/Start Date: May 20th 121 78 12 hours, 29 min ago  
The YA Book Club: Team Aspen or Team Maxon? 39 213 May 20, 2013 10:03am  
Prince Maxon or Aspen? 1325 1830 May 20, 2013 07:10am  
Love 2 Read YA: The Selection 5 5 May 20, 2013 04:53am  
Team Maxon or Aspen 8 28 May 19, 2013 04:00pm  
Leserunde - Let's...: Abschnitt 1: Kapitel 1 – 6 18 49 May 19, 2013 04:51am  
♪ YA Obsessed ♫: Quote Game! 12 11 May 17, 2013 07:18am  
The Selection (The Selection, #1)
The Selection (The Selection, #1)
The Selection (The Selection, #1)
The Selection (The Selection, #1)
La Selección (Paperback)

2987125
100 Things I Love:

Being married. Cake. The smell of Autumn. Motherhood. Books. Elephants. Back rubs. On demand movies. Actually going out to movies. Faith. Cinnamon rolls. My family. Butterflies. When my kitchen is clean. Crayons. Pink. Tote bags. Dancing. Organizing via color coordination. That my wedding dress was tea length, not floor. Baking. My house. Writing utensils. Paper. India. The sound...more
More about Kiera Cass...
The Elite (The Selection, #2) The Prince (The Selection, #0.5) The Siren The One (The Selection, #3) Untitled

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