The Crown

The Selection #5

by Kiera Cass

When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.

Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction

278 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

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 of water. Making videos. Buttons. The word Episcopalian. Making people laugh. Layering clothes. British accents. Pinterest. Animation. Fireworks. The smell of the Ocean. My wedding rings. Aprons. Reasons to get dressed up. Sex. Pop music. Stars. Taking walks. Daydreaming. Stickers. School Spirit. My friends. Living in a small town. Japan. Singing. Painting my toenails. Pranks/ practical jokes. Painting. Stretch canvas. Costumes. Dipping my fingers in melted wax. Style. Soda. Spending an hour typing at a coffee shop. Musicals. Back to school season. Mopeds. Good hair days. Naps. Not walking up but looking at a beautiful staircase. Driving alone. My ankles. Playlists. Spending entire days in pajamas. Holidays. Telling stories. Spontaneity. Theme parks. Bookshelves. The word copacetic. Boxes. Empty journals. Surprises. Doing things in groups. Doing things alone. Getting real mail. Decorating. Small forks. A good hug. Gift cards. New Years Goals. Going out to dinner. When someone else remembers some great story about me/us that I’ve forgotten. Toy stores. Fireplaces. Breakfast foods. Journaling. Crying for a good reason. Doorbells. Pointless adventures. Voting. My birthday. Reasons to make wishes. Recycling.

Reviews

[Lauren Kammerdiener · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I'm telling you, Eady, wars and treaties and even countries will all come and go. But your life is yours, singular and sacred, and you should be with the person who makes it feel that way every blessed second you live it."

First, I would like to thank every person who has liked or commented on this review in the past year or so. This much of a response is unheard of for me. Almost every day, a few more people like it, or someone else actively advocates for Kile or Erik and sends up a prayer in the hopes America doesn't die. I've loved hearing everyone's predictions and hopes and dreams over the course of a year in waiting for what may or may not be the last of the Selection books, given the track record.

Second, I wish it didn't have to end this way.

I really enjoyed the original three Selection books. Sure, America could be annoying, but as long as you didn't take them too seriously, they were quick, fun reads.
But The Heir was not a good read for me, for reasons I have already stated in my review.

So let's return to the points of improvement I listed here, the day I finished The Heir, in optimism for its sequel.

• Eadlyn to stop being spoiled and do something unselfish for her people.
By the end of the book, Eadlyn says she's learned her lesson, and that she's more aware of how privileged she is. But let's take a look.

I stepped into the bath, noting there was no lavendar, no bubbles, no anything to sweeten the water. Eloise was quiet and fast, but she was no Neena. I sighed.

So miss Princess--excuse me--Queen Eadlyn just can't enjoy her little bath without all its fluff, and she can't be bothered to just go and get it herself. That sounds like entitlement to me.
And does Eadlyn actually "do something unselfish for her people"?
Not really. She spends the entire book worrying about what they think of her rather than actually trying to help them. The two instances where she does try to reach out weren't even her idea. The first, the town hall meeting, was Marid's idea, and, as he points out, he was the one who had to save it in the end. The other instance, which never played out in the book, was Kile's idea for a throne room where the people could regularly come and talk to Eadlyn about their problems to get them fixed. This was what inspired Eadlyn in the constitutional monarchy aspect, which was a nice touch, but, again, not really her idea.
An additional idea, proposed by again Kile, was the housing project. But instead of actively taking a hand in it herself, Eadlyn banishes Kile from the palace and makes him do it on his own.

• Eadlyn to actually interact with her people on any level.
See above.

• A good old-fashioned, knee-slappin, heck of a time ball.
Does the coronation ball count? I guess.

• Henri to find a cute maid to love.
I guess it was really too much of a close call for Henri to have time "to find a maid to love." Maybe in book six.

• Ahren to come back and have character development.
Oh, Ahren came back. But did he have character development?
I say not really. And I attribute it to the fact that Ahren and Eadlyn's relationship was never really solidified in The Heir. Eadlyn spent a good portion of this book lamenting over Ahren's departure, but it all felt very fake to me. Eadlyn in The Crown claimed she needed Ahren, that she relied on Ahren, but Eadlyn in The Heir hardly every interacted with him. She only every really mentioned Ahren in regard to his relationship with Camille. Therefore, it was hard to take their sudden closeness seriously.

• Either Erik or Kile winning the selection.
I think we all saw that one coming.

• Kile builds something cute to help Eadlyn.
Kile builds houses for those living in poverty, which is way better than building something for Eadlyn.

• Josie to get seriously told off by Eadlyn.
This one, in fact, has changed for me, and it's due to something someone commented on here a while back.
This person pointed out that it was always Eadlyn being unfair to Josie, not the other way around, and after thinking about it, I agree. It especially became apparent to me in some things Eadlyn said to Josie early on. While Josie was immature and annoying, she still never deserved to be treated so harshly by Eadlyn, because all she ever wanted was to be just like her.
So I was very pleased with the way things turned out between them. This was one point I was worried Kiera would drop the ball on, but she pulled through for me.

• Something exciting with Ean.
Something exciting most certainly did happen with Ean, but it was definitely not what I originally had in mind.
Ean's character quite honestly was disappointing for me. When Epic Reads was marketing The Heir they uploaded a bunch of videos that were mock interviews with some of the more important boys in the Selection. Ean was one of them, and his video, which portrayed him as a pompous little snake, got me really excited for some drama being thrown down.
But with the exception of Eadlyn's first meeting with him, he doesn't do anything at all in either books. He's always in the background. He might as well have been one of the boys Eadlyn sent home for all he's actually mentioned. I'm not even sure Eadlyn ever went on a date with him, and yet somehow he managed to make it to the Elite. Kiera really dropped the ball on this one.

• America not to die.
Honestly, after thinking about it, I knew there was a zero percent chance America was going to die. No way in heck was Kiera going to kill off a character so precious to her.

In conclusion, as much regard as I have for Kiera as a person, and as much as I did like the original three books, these last two installments have caused everything to go to pieces. I'm not even sure there ever was a plot in these; most of it has been Eadlyn continually complaining about how "hard" her life is. What little drama exists feels fake and underdeveloped, and the world-building has gone so far under that we didn't even make it out of the palace in this book.
I mentioned the other day to a friend that reading this book has felt like reading fanfiction. It has all the plot holes, cheesiness, and enough of the original characters being married and having kids to give it that feel.
But, above all, Maxon Shreave will always and forever be life.

------------------------------------------------

PREREADING

5/11/15
things i would like in this book:
- eadlyn to stop being spoiled & do something unselfish for her people
- eadlyn to actually interact with her people on any level
- a good old-fashioned, knee-slappin, heck-of-a-time ball
- henri to find a cute maid to love
- ahren come back & have character development
- either erik or kile winning the selection
- kile builds something cute to help eadlyn
- josie to get seriously told off by eadlyn
- something exciting with ean
- aMERICA NOT TO DIE ???

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 2 out of 5]

THIS WILL BE A RANT.

It's a 2.5. The thing is... I enjoyed the book, but OMG, I'm just not buying anything that happened at the end! REALLY? So now Eadlyn gets to make whatever change she wants in the kingdom, she doesn't have to get it approved or even discussed with the council, nope, she just gives the surprise announcement and that's it! WHAT! That's not how a country works! Maybe Illéa has to respect everything she decides, but there will obviously be revolts! It was too simple! She was like: YEAH I'M GONNA CHANGE THE WAY WE'VE BEEN RULING SINCE FOREVER, AND IT WILL BE AWESOME AND EVERYONE WILL BE HAPPY. NOPE.

Also, I couldn't believe Maxon's decision! WHAT EVEN. I love Maxon but in this book he was just plain weak! I mean, I understand where he's coming from, but he can't just do what he did! OH WAIT, he can and HE DID. My God.

What else? OHHH... let me talk about the person she chooses in the end: cliché cliché cliché! It was so obvious, and not because the romance was well-developed (because it was not) but because it was simply OBVIOUS. I mean, I like the boy, he was one of my favorites and one of my top choices, I just don't feel like the romance was believable. Suddenly they both were just like: OMG I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. It felt forced. Maxon's and America's story was BEAUTIFUL, so well-developed and believable and just perfect... but what we got in this book? Nope, not buying it.

I have a lot of issues with this last installment, I think the series would've been fine with the first three books, I really loved them! But these last two? They were unnecesary.

The things I liked? Hm... Henri, he was a cinnamon roll. I also liked Ean and Hale. Kile and Erik were also okay. The Elite boys won my heart at the end. And I also liked Eadlyn's choice, but I still feel it needed more romantic development.

[Neil (or bleed)]

"The highly anticipated conclusion to the bestselling The Selection series."

Me:

[Andreea Pop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gonna put it bluntly out there -- I did not like The Heir. I consider it one of my greatest literary disappointments, even if it has a relatively high rating (2.5 stars). So my expectations of The Crown were along the lines of 'please be decent, please end quick and please be the last '. Most fortunately though, The Crown brought back the love I felt for Kiera Cass's novels made of syrupy romance and dreamy sighs. Taking this into consideration, this review will resemble half an omen to this fifth installment and half a regret for what it did not come to fruition in its prequel, but only to highlight that this book exceeded my expectations and made me fall in love again with its world.

Unlike in The Heir, I loved Eadlyn. She let go of her petty, egotistical, self-centered and vain antics in order to graciously transform into a more than capable young woman, leader and Queen. Yeah yeah, her character-development was speeded up to supersonic mode, but for once I didn't mind. She showed her thoughtfulness, her ambition, her intelligence and her strong personality. I admired the fact that she wants to do good by everyone around her and that she tries to mend her flaws. Regardless, she took a colossal departure from the stoic, stuck-up and artificial princess and became an oddly organic person, beautifully encapsulated through the integrity to her own heart and moral code.

Unlike in The Heir, I didn't check the page count every two minutes to dreadfully discover there was still a long way to go until the finish. I was hooked and I read it easily, eager to see what's in store next. Tremendously enjoyable.

Unlike in The Heir, I could connect to this bunch of boys. Instead of 35, there were only 6 left in the picture. Each of them (and here I'm talking about the ever-wonderful Hale, Kile, Ean, Henri and Erik) became amazing in their own way and right.

Unlike in The Heir, I was actually surprised by some revelations. Marid and Brice, especially. And Maxon shocked me with his introspective tales.

Unlike in The Heir, there were sweet relationships truly taking root. Deep, heartfelt friendships and dynamics that somehow evolved or appeared out of the blue only to fit the bill perfectly. Hale & Eady. Hale & Ean. Kile & Eady. Erik & Henri. Henri & Eady. Josie & Eady. Erik & Eady. Brice & Eady. Aspen & Eady.

Unlike in The Heir, I did not curse the decision to expand the series from the original trilogy. This closure, this grand second finale somehow tied up the loose ends of The One by making sure certain matters were addressed, political ones, LGBT ones, feminism ones and discriminatory ones. I finally understood that we couldn't leave things at how they were with the initial 'last book'.

Unlike in The Heir, there was so much more of the young Maxon and America we all know. Seriously, all the glimpses into their fairy tale of a love story made my heart burst free. Maxon fretting over Mer and going borderline insane about her health was just too cute to handle. I'm glad they're happy and don't paint me foolish just because they're works of fiction, but in my mind they exist vividly and that's of the utmost importance.

Unlike in The Heir, I wasn't constantly exhausted about the sad and ill-fated attempts at romance. This time, it all flourished naturally, because the focus was on the worthy and so a cute and amazing and awesome and lovely couple became canon. And speaking about that particular pairing, I SHIP IT.

Like The Heir, don't expect this book to suddenly be a complex piece of literature, because surely it is not. It fits the style of the series, so it's one for the heart. It's 100% drama and teen romance. It's light. It's quick. It's totally YA. It's a great read for a spring afternoon. It's the kind of book that has you smiling, daydreaming and relaxing. Unlike The Heir.

Unlike the Heir, The Crown was so much better. Infinitely better. I urge you to read it and see for yourself but I have faith that you'll love it bunches.

Bye, Illea. For real now.

ENJOY! <3

[RJ]

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't understand, I thought it was just a trilogy... Why are there suddenly two more books added.



Update : I have read The Heir and I must admit that I actually quite enjoyed it, so looking forward to this one.

Update #2 : :)

[Mikee (ReadWithMikee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

❝Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you've been scared your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wide.❞

Rating: {★ ★ ★}

This was an okay ending to Eadlyn's part of the story in The Selection series. I was never really a fan of The Heir or Eadlyn like I was with The Selection and America. The only reason I kept up with series after The One was because like many others, I was curious as to how everyone from the original trilogy grew up to be.

In all honesty, I should've just stopped after the third book. I don't want to say that The Heir and The Crown ruined The Selection for me but in a way it did. Instead of believing that everybody lived happily ever after once Maxon and America became king and queen and the caste system was eliminated, The Heir just sort of wipes that all away like happily ever after never even happened.

The One was such a bittersweet ending to a fun trilogy and The Crown with its 278 pages wasn't going to top it at all. Not by a long shot.

Nothing really happened in The Crown. To be honest, I thought this book was such a waste because nothing worthy or significant occurred. Sure, Eadlyn was less of a brat in this book but I'm still not very fond of her. On top of that, I thought it was absolutely preposterous that Maxon stepped down and gave up his title for Eadlyn to rule. That was by far the most unrealistic thing I've ever heard. No king is going to give up his duties because he was stressing about his queen's recovery or because he wants a normal life with his wife. Tough shit. That's like saying you're giving up being a parent because you're stressed out about having kids. Putting the fate of your whole country on Eadlyn? Good luck with that.

I also felt that the ending was really rushed. Too many things were resolved too quickly and too easily that added to the unrealism that I was struggling with.

On a positive note, I did enjoy the fact that Eadlyn's choice broke away from tradition. Was her choice a surprise? No, not really. From the very beginning, I knew it would come down to one specific person but I was curious as to how Kiera Cass was going to make it happen.

The Selection was one of the first series that got me into reading Young Adult. Though it is far from the best series out there, I will always have an attachment to the first three books of The Selection. The Heir and The Crown may not be up to par with Maxon and America's story, but I still found it bittersweet that The Selection is finally over for good.

[Mariah Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

SO DISAPPOINTED

***Contains Spoilers***

Kiera Cass seriously did not put that much effort in her last installment in the Selection series. The other books were great, especially the first three, but kind of lost their touch when Eadlyn was introduced. The Crown was so dry. It was like this...



Perfect comparison.

I really do not like Eadlyn as a character at all because she has no personality! All I hear out of her mouth is awkward, out of place dialogue that leaves me cringing. Everyone was telling her how great of a queen she'd be and I was there thinking, "Why would you guys happily trade Eadlyn in place of America and Maxon???". SHE IS SUCH A FLAT CHARACTER.

There is seriously no character depth in this book. We don't get to dive into any of the suitors' backgrounds, and really, we don't get to hear that much from the suitors at all! No personalities, just smiling faces who constantly said things to Eadlyn like "I understand you completely", "I'm so sorry about your mom", and "You'll make a great queen". Okay, I realize that those are nice things to say about a girl, but when it comes to reading, that is so boring! Especially when EVERY SINGLE GUY SAYS IT LIKE TEN TIMES.



Alright, let me just get it out. I hate it when characters are overly nice all the time and have no kind of dark side to them. Character flaws. Yeah, that's it. And backstories, which this book had none of. CHARACTERS WHO ARE OVERLY NICE AND CHEERY ALL THE TIME ARE JUST SO BORING.

Some conversations went sorta like this:

"Hello Eadlyn," said suitor.
"Hello," said Eadlyn.
"You look lovely today," said suitor.
"Oh wow thank you so much!" said Eadlyn.
"I'm sorry about your mom," said suitor.
"Aw thank you...she's starting to get better," said Eadlyn.
"That's good," said suitor.
"Yeah," said Eadlyn.
"Nice seeing you, bye," said suitor.
"Bye," said Eadlyn.

WASN'T THAT EXCITING OR WHAT.

Alright, I'm gonna spice up this scene for the fun of it, keeping the suitors lines, but changing Eadlyn's.

"Hello Eadlyn," said suitor.
"Hey ya fuck tard," said Eadlyn.
"You look lovely today," said suitor.
"Yeah I just took a shit on the crapper and thought of you" said Eadlyn.
"I'm sorry about your mom," said suitor.
"If I fucking hear that one more time I will stick my tiara up yo ass," said Eadlyn.
"That's good," said suitor.
"Bitch what the fuck did I just say," said Eadlyn.
"Nice seeing you, bye," said suitor.
"Stfu," said Eadlyn.

NOW THAT IS GOLD.

Alright, moving on. So apparently Hale and Ean are gay for each other. Before I go on, let me just say, I am not against homosexuality. But, when we found this out, I was so mad because of how random and out of place it was. Okay Kiera, so to make this faster to write, you're going to just have two of the elite fall for each other and get away with it so easily? When Hale told Eadlyn that he was in love with Ean I literally said "What the fuck?" while reading. Whatever, on to Erik.

I knew that Erik was going to be with Eadlyn in the end, like how obvious could it be? And it happened so fast. He's probably the least flat character out of all the characters (but he's still flat). Eadlyn literally chose to be with him in like the last five pages.

What really bothered me though, was how everyone was just fine and dandy with it. When Henri found out, he's like "Ok, I see the love. Be together. I love you guys, you're s'cute. Henri out."........okay Henri. And when Eadlyn announced to the millions of viewers watching the broadcast that she was going to choose Erik (a guy no one even knew existed and was obviously not in the selection), everyone was just cheering and clapping. I don't know about you but if I were watching the Bachelorette and Jojo picked a guy that wasn't even one of her choices and wasn't on the show I'd be like "Who dis bitch". And the media would also go ballistic. But no, everyone was okay with it and didn't think twice.



And then, it was just like "The end, that's it, that's the book".

And I just sat there like "Wat".

Yeah, pretty much. I was hoping this book was going to be a good conclusion to the series, but overall, it wrecked it for me. It was so boring. The writing was bad. The characters were flat. The plot was dull. Nothing really happened.

Goodbye forever, Selection series.

[Beatrice Masaluñga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning: My review contains spoilers. [ I added spoiler tags as many as I can... but you might guess what happens in the end based on my rating]

The Crown continues as Eadlyn Schreave temporarily takes over Illea after the stressful things happened on the previous book. Taking the opportunity and experience is part of her lesson to fully become the next Queen. It's challenging on her part especially when The Selection is on going. Finding the right guy for her isn't easy. Whatever choice she makes, she must follow what her heart speaks and unexpectedly changes everything.

For me, the conclusion to this series is bittersweet. I'm going to be honest, I do like Kiera Cass but I have to say I'm disappointed with its ending. Like, really frustrated that I almost throw the book across the room because I'm holding to my thoughts and it ended not the way I expected or wanted. At the same time, I don't want to be selfish and one sided with the situation. I hope you'll understand my feeling of when-your-ship-didn't-sail. I'm still on denial stage and I'll get over this soon. I actually see it coming but I keep fighting the bad feeling, you know? Still, I am glad to see Eadlyn Schreave's character developed into a fine lady. She handled the situations maturely and earned my respect.

Here I am, seeing the other perspective and tried to understand why it ended up like... THAT. I know some of you rooted for Erik/Eikko to win and I respect that. I think he won because it's a rule breaker to the tradition, it's not a Maxon-America repeat, and somehow, his character shows that he's a genuine, humble, thoughtful and simple man. His character stood out in some way despite of being behind the spotlight.

I'm sorry guys but I'm not convinced with this whole Erik - Eadlyn ship. I didn't feel the spark between them and it was sort of an insta-love. Unlike what Eadlyn shared with Kile, these two tried to like each other.. THEY'RE SLOWLY FALLING and the chemistry between them is so evident. I don't give a damn if it's predictable.. these two have the chemistry. I have to vent out all of these. Apparently, this becomes my least favorite in the series. What can I do? Eadlyn's decision prevails and I should respect her choice.

Why my bet and others didn't win:

Kile - My bet. I am loyal to you no matter what. Among the other competitors, he knows Eadlyn the best. They've known each other for years. Majority, including myself are rooting for him. I guess it didn't sail because it's a Maxon-America repeat, predictable and boring. Well, I don't care. I want an alternate ending where Eadlyn and Kile ship SAIL. SADLY, THERE IS NO ALTERNATE ENDING. SHIP DOOMED FOREVER.

Henri - obviously, communication barrier. a couple won't work out if there is a lack of communication.

Hale - his charm fascinated me. He is like my back up bet. It seems he has a different type. ;)

Now, it's time to say goodbye to this series and I'm definitely going to miss it. I'm still looking forward to Kiera Cass's books in the future. Her writing style is really great and it effectively draws me into the story. Sadly, this book isn't for me.

[Ali Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!! I can't believe I'm done with the selection series😭 I'm going to miss this world and these characters so much. I LOVE Eadlyn and her story. However, I did not expect her to end up with who she ends up with. I thought it was going to be someone else during the fourth book. I do feel like the romance was a bit underdeveloped between her and the person she ends up with. I wish they got more time alone together to really explore their relationship and grow their feelings. But other than that I LOVE THIS SERIES

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER FREE REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HORz_...

This one was a good improvement on The Heir. Eadlyn was a huge brat in the previous book, but she comes to some self realization in this book that makes her change her ways. I liked that with The Heir and The Crown you truly never really know who Eadlyn is going to end up with. With first three books of The Selection Series, you always kind of know who Maxon is going to choose, but these 2 books kept me guessing. However, these 2 books put the romance on the side, which is annoying because that's 95% of why I love these books so much. But overall, I did really enjoy it, but I think it was time for the series to be over.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Crown is book five in The Selection series by Kiera Cass. This series has captivated me from the beginning. For me, it’s one of the most visual series I’ve ever read. Is it the girly girl in me that loves the gowns, the jewels, the pomp and circumstance? No matter the reason, I’m a fan, and I love the way Kiera Cass wrapped it all up.



Eadlyn has grown up. This book holds a very different Eadlyn than you met in the beginning. This young woman holds the weight of her country on her shoulders. Her mother lies in the hospital with her husband by her side. Eadlyn has always known the love her parents shared but watching her father at her mother’s side shows her a depth she hadn’t realized. Could she ever have that with one of these men from the Selection? She never even wanted to be a part of this but now finds herself longing for what her parents have.

“I had power and no idea how to use it. I was a ruler who didn’t know how to lead. I was a twin who was on her own. I was a daughter with missing parents. I had a half dozen suitors and wasn’t sure how to be in love.”



Eadlyn is acting as Regent in her father’s absence. She has trained since birth to someday take over the kingdom but she wasn’t prepared for the full responsibility just yet. At the same time, she is somehow trying to find time to get to know the remaining men. She is developing feelings for some of these men but could it be love?



Of course, with power, come those that want to take it from you. Someone posing as a friend tries to manipulate Eadlyn and the public to put himself into a place to assume power. With public opinion of Eadlyn less than what she would want it to be, this puts her in a very precarious position.



Of course, love can’t be predicted. And for Eadlyn, it came as both a surprise and a shock. But what should have been the most beautiful moment of her life will force her to make a decision that will possible be the biggest sacrifice she will ever make for her kingdom.

“In an instant, everything in the room came alive. Like the sunshine had a melody and the sounds of footsteps had a texture I could feel in my fingertips each time anyone moved. The world woke up when I looked at him.”

Could these feelings just be her own? Or does he feel the same way as well? Does she even dare to voice her feelings or should she keep them locked up inside?

As I said above, I love this series. I feel like the ending was perfect. Since it’s been awhile since the last book, I don’t remember it being so poetic. Kiera’s way with words in this one was just beautiful. With all the responsibility Eadlyn was forced to take on, I wished she had more time with her gentlemen but in the end, I don’t know if that would have mattered.

As of late, I’ve gotten away from young adult. But there was no way I couldn’t follow this through to see how it ended. So if you haven’t started this series and are on the fence about it, let me give you a not so gentle nudge and get started. Now there will be no waits between books for you to see what happens next. And if you think of it, let me know how you like it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Thank you to Kiera Cass for such a wonderful, beautiful series.

[Ade]

This is going to go one of two ways.

Way #1: I will love this book. I will gush about this book. I will want to have its children (not really) and pledge my soul to this book (a possibility).

Way #2: I will hate this book so much that I see red. Gouging my eyes out after reading is a possibility (gouging occuring during reading in an [most likely successful] attempt to avoid continuing reading this book is also a possibility, BUT it will only happen if the book is really bad), but I may settle for minor hair tearing out and extreme ranting.

We shall see.

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG OMG OMGGGGGGG TIENES QUE LEER ESTE LIBRO Y TODA LA SAGA YA

La Corona, cuarta y última parte de la saga La Selección o segunda parte de la bilogía secuela de la trilogía la Selección. Sea como sea, novela que concluye el ciclo que abrió la Selección y que se ha hecho con el pedacito que quedaba disponible de mi corazón. La Corona es una novela totalmente a la altura del resto de la saga, con unos giros totalmente inesperados y que, sin duda, gustará a todxs lxs seguidorxs de La Selección.
Lo cierto es que La heredera no fue del todo lo que esperaba y encontré bastantes fallos que me dejaron con un sabor agridulce. Sin embargo, La Corona corrige casi todos esos errores que vi en La Heredera y sube de nuevo el listón colocándose a la altura de la trilogía. Para mí es tan buena como La Elegida y creo que incluso acaba la secuela mejor de lo que La Elegida acabó su trilogía.
Los personajes de La Corona mejoran respecto a la anterior novela. La verdad es que entre tantos pretendientes en La Heredera me perdía por completo y muchas veces confundía unos con otros. Sin embargo, Cass define claramente quiénes son los personajes de La Corona y les da cierta profundidad que hace que no te pierdas en la lectura y que seas agente directo de la elección de Eadlyn ya que sacas tu propio favorito porque los conoces lo suficiente como para hacerlo.
Eadlyn como personaje. Pf. Creo que ha evolucionado muchísimo en esta novela y que ha mejorado como personaje respecto a La Heredera. De hecho creo que Cass restifica y reconduce a la protagonista en La Corona y me ha gustado muchísimo cómo ha marcado la diferencia entre ella y América porque, a pesar de las claras similitudes, son totalmente diferentes y polos opuestos. Si ya bien en la novela anterior se nos presentaba a Eadlyn como un sujeto muy diferente a su madre, aquí la distancia entre ambas se hacen aún mayor y se remarca muchísimo su personalidad. Me encanta y me encanta porque su evolución en tan solo una novela es alucinante y brillante.
El ritmo. Típico de Kiera Cass. Siempre dejándote con ganas de devorar el siguiente capítulo y no dejándote descansar por las noches. Disfruto mucho de su ritmo desenfrenado y de cómo consigue atraparte entre sus historias.
Otra cosa de la que he disfrutado muchísimo y que me parece bastante nuevo dentro de la saga ha sido de los giros inesperados. ¡Qué de giros! ¡Por no hablar del giro final respecto a quién ama Eadlyn! Creo que si algo le faltaba a la saga eran giros más profundos e inesperados y que con esta novela Cass borda eso en lo que solía flojear.7
La secuela de La Heredera y La Corona me ha gustado muchísimo porque aporta una perspectiva distinta a la de La Selección y se ven las cosas desde dentro más que desde fuera.
En resumen, La Corona es una novela fascinante, repleta de giros, sorpresas, con un ritmo increíble, una evolución de personajes brillante y un final totalmente a la altura de lo esperado.
Tienes que leer esta saga YA.

[Kai Spellmeier]

“Maybe it's not the first kisses that are supposed to be special. Maybe it's the last ones.”

I have finally finished The Selection series. It was about time.
A few years ago when I read the first book I loved the story. Then came the second book and it went downhill. After The One I passionately hated America. And then I found out that this still wasn't enough and I had to read about her daughter! Who would only be more spoiled and vain and self-centered. If that was even possible.
So why did I keep reading? Two reasons.
1. I hate leaving a series unfished.
2. The Selection is exactly like the Bachelor. It's crap, but highly entertaining crap.

The Crown was no exception. This novel could've been named "The wonderful and great character traits of Eadlyn Schreave". The plot is basically Eadlyn doubting herself, followed by someone telling her how strong she is. Then she doubts herself and someone tells her how strong she is. And, take a guess, then she doubts herself and, yes!, someone tells her how strong she is. I'm not kidding.
Apart from that this book had a high level of cheesiness. Which was no big deal, since that's what I was used to from the other books in the series.

I'm glad I can take those books from my to-read list and never bother myself with them again.

Find more of my books on Instagram

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cada que leo un libro de Kiera Cass mi corazón muere un poquito. La cantidad de sentimientos que logra producirme esta mujer con sus palabras, sus personajes y las situaciones que ellos viven es increíble y me deja deseando vivir en el palacio de Illéa junto con Maxon, America, Eadlyn y sus seleccionados.

Si bien entiendo las razones por las que muchas personas odian un poco La Heredera y La Corona, para mí fueron libros preciosos (no tanto como los tres primeros, pero, oye, llegar a ese nivel es difícil, jajaja). En La Corona vemos a una Eadlyn muchísimo más madura y consciente de lo que se está jugando con la Selección; una Eadlyn que entiende más a fondo que debe velar por los intereses de su familia y de su pueblo, sin olvidarse de ella misma.

Casi puedo decir que me leí La Corona de un tirón, pues necesitaba saber cómo iba a sortear Eadlyn a la opinión pública, las trampas de Marid Illéa y los entresijos de su propio corazón. Cada página que pasaba, sentía yo misma las dudas que Eadly tenía, sus miedos y la angustia por su madre y su futuro. Veía cómo ese sentimiento oculto que había intentado reprimir iba saliendo cada vez más y más a la superficie. ¡Ahhhhh! Y es que aunque yo no estuviera muy de acuerdo con ese sentimiento, la intensidad con que se narraban todos los momentos me fue absorbiendo hasta que terminé fangirleando con cada palabra que cruzaban (#IsaHablandoEnClaveParaNoDarSpoilers).

Lo único que me resta decir antes de entrar a la sección de spoilers es que estoy muy satisfecha con el final que se le ha dado a la historia de Eadlyn y su Selección. Es un final poco predecible, muy emotivo y que te dejará satisfecho, pero, paradójicamente, con ganas de más (querida Kiera, otro libro de relatos cortos, por favor, love you). Y no digo que te deje con ganas de más porque quede incompleto, sino que sencillamente vas a querer saber cómo sigue la vida de Maxon, America, Eadlyn y su futuro esposo.

Ahora... Los SPOILERS

¡Estás avisado!

No leas más si no quieres saber detalles puntuales.

Te lo estoy advirtiendo.

Sigue leyendo bajo tu propio riesgo.

¿Eres masoquista o ya leíste el libro?

Venga, va, último aviso.

Spoilers en 3...

2...

1...

¡Empezamos!

° Tuve un serio dilema con este par de libros. Desde un primer momento, me encantaba Kile como opción para Eadlyn. De hecho, los shippeaba muchísimo. Tenían una química increíble, se conocían y lo pasaban fenomenal. Sin embargo, creo que mi corazón sabía, en el fondo, que Eadlyn no podía escogerlo a él... a pesar de que ese fue su plan en un momento. Cuando llegó la hora de pedirle que se casara con ella, sabía que Eadlyn no sería capaz de mantener a Kile atado al palacio sabiendo que lo que más deseaba él era salir a conocer el mundo y construir cosas. ESA escena me destruyó por dentro porque fue terriblemente desgarradora, pero a la vez mostró la faceta más desinteresada de Eadlyn y, bueno, morí con eso.

° Hablemos del asunto de Hale e Ean. ¡Ay, dioses! Yo me esperaba que Hale fuera gay, a decir verdad, pero lo de Ean se me escapaba, así que fue una gran sorpresa leer el momento en el que todo sale a la luz. La verdad es que fue precioso y adoré la reacción de Eadlyn que, aunque en un principio fue en plan "¿qué va a pensar la gente de mí cuando se enteren de que dos Seleccionados se enamoraron entre ellos y no de mí?", luego se tornó en algo muy tierno. El asegurarse de que los dos tuvieran un futuro lejos del miedo, la recriminación y el qué dirán... eso derritió mi corazón.

° Momentazo épico aquel en el que Eadlyn le pide a Hale que diseñe su vestido de boda. HELL YEAH!

° A pesar de todo el drama, nunca creí que America fuera a morir. A decir verdad, como que no estaba muy apegada emocionalmente a America y Maxon en su versión de La Heredera y La Corona. Sé que son los mismos, sólo que con 20 años más, pero no lo sentía así.

° Peeeeeeeeeeero, hablando de Maxon, lo que sí me pareció buenísimo fue cuando Eadlyn, minutos antes del Report en vivo en el que anunciará al ganador de la Selección, va a donde su padre a pedirle consejo y él le dice "sáltate esa estúpida norma, Eadlyn. Cásate con el chico del que estés enamorada. Si crees que será un marido perfecto, te apoyaré hasta el final. Y si la gente no lo aprueba, pues será problema suyo".

° Me mataba de ternura ver a Henri intentando aprender inglés para poder comunicarse mejor con Eadlyn, aunque creo que en el fondo él sabía desde hacía mucho tiempo de los sentimientos de Erik y Eadlyn.

° PODEMOS HABLAR POR FAVOR DEL PRIMER BESO DE EADLYN CON EIKKO. AY, MADRE.

"¿Sientes algo por mí? Si has sentido aunque sea una milésima parte de lo que yo siento por ti necesito saberlo porque me estoy volviendo loca".

Y LUEGO SE BESAN... Y LUEGO SE DAN CUENTA DE QUE NUNCA VAN A PODER ESTAR JUNTOS.

"Esta será la primera vez en mi vida que no consigo lo que de verdad quiero. Y eres tú. La vida es cruel".

Y MI CORAZÓN SE ROMPIÓ. Y quiero que sepan que yo no quería que ellos dos terminaran juntos, yo era muy #TeamKile... pero la intensidad de las situaciones y la lógica de no-puedo-ser-egoísta-con-Kile terminó haciendo que yo amara irreversiblemente a Eikko y Eadlyn como pareja. Creo que el que fuera algo prohibido y aparentemente inalcanzable me llevó a adorarlos incluso más.

° Quizá uno de los momentos que me hizo llorar de asdfghjkl fue cuando Eadlyn le pide a Henri que se case con ella. La felicidad de ese hombre me partió el corazón por las circunstancias. Sin embargo, justo antes del Report en vivo, Henri lleva a Eadlyn de la mano hasta donde está Eikko y les da su bendición y es como OH. MY. GOD. YOU'RE. THE. FREAKING. BEST. HENRI.

"-Soy lento con este-, dijo Henri, señalándose la boca-. Pero no con este- añadió, y se señaló los ojos.
-Ustedes son enamorados-prosiguió.
Eikko negó con la cabeza. Henri soltó un suspiro y, con cierta desesperación, lo obligó a mostrar la mano derecha, donde destacaba el anillo de sello que yo le había regalado. Y después me cogió la mano y señaló el anillo de Eikko".

° En resumen, el libro me produjo DEMASIADOS FEELS de los buenos y que me hacen querer releer un libro en el mismo instante en que lo termino.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

**53 people liked this post because of this initial review**

OMFG!! YAY <3

lol so much raging in the review section of Goodreads. If you don't like the series why dafaq u stil following it bro? get out & stay out yayy thank you

----------------------------------------
**Review of Novel**

As I recall, I’ve described Kiera Cass as an author who takes the difficult path and makes it work somehow. She never takes the easy path and this allows her to write interesting storylines and events. I’ve always been pleasantly surprised by her stories and avidly engaged by her characters. I can describe The Crown using varied words, but good is not one of them.

As I began reading this book, I felt that there was something missing. I want to stress that even this early on, I wasn’t planning on rating this book with 5 stars, which is odd for me because I’m an devoted fan of this series. It’s true that the fourth book in the series was a bother to read because of Eadlyn, but I still admired her character. She had a different type of personality, one that a lot of people would not appreciate, but her thoughts and actions made sense when they were strung together. Her personality wasn’t an issue in this book, though. It was evident from the beginning that there were a lot of missing information and that most of the scenes were rushed. There were some scenes where she was suddenly in a date with someone without even an introduction that she was going to one. And said date would end abruptly and nothing interesting actually happens. I understand if this is a tactic to undermine the date, but as readers of Eadlyn’s selection, it also undermines her emotions over her suitors. This, I think, should not have been done because she repeats every now and then that she cares deeply for them – even going so far as to say that she loves all of them. The lack of focus on the dates make these claims easily refutable.

There was also a huge deficiency in character development. There were certain things in the book that were revealed rather abruptly. If you think about it, the clipped dates should have given way to more space for the development of other aspects of the story, but it didn’t. These revelations caused so much turmoil in me that I was unable to continue right away. I was so pissed! I never curse in reviews, but that development was COMPLETE BULLSHIT. I’m not really picky when it comes to characters, as long as there’s evidence of how so and so could have happened, I’m okay with it. And yes, there were scenes that could have lead up to that kind of development, but EADLYN WASN’T IN THAT STATE OF EMOTION. AT ALL.

I can’t… this book is a MAJOR DISAPPOINTMET.

I love the America & Maxon moments, but if Kiera Cass really needed more space for character development, then they should have just cut out these scenes from the book. HELL, I would have preferred another book if that would let me avoid this mess of a rushed book. I’m thoroughly disappointed. I tried to see how what happened had happened (avoiding spoilers is hard, whew!) but I just couldn’t. I even tried to accept it, like – okay, you can’t do anything anymore, this is the flow of the story. But I was at such at an emotional disconnect by that point that I couldn’t enjoy the story anymore.

The Marid plotline was so obvious that I can’t believe Eadlyn missed it. And she only started to take notice of it when she was drunk! Also, I’m not sure what constitutional monarchy entails, but by voting for a prime minister, it would appear that with Marid’s popularity, he could still get the position if he so wanted. This book, I tell you, is complete BULLSHIT. Kiera, if you’re reading this or if this somehow gets to you, please understand that I’m not against your decisions. However, I AM mad that things were too abrupt, had no buildups, and seemed to have little to no thought put into it. It's obvious; this book didn’t even reach 300 pages. Everything was sloppy, even the writing style. I’ve read better self-published novels than this.

This is a very, VERY harsh review, I know, but I loved the Selection series because of how emotional everything was and because I was able to sympathize with the characters. I didn’t love this series because of sloppiness or laziness from the author’s part. I know that Eadlyn isn’t supposed to be a very emotional person, but everyone – and I do mean EVERYONE, no matter how cold and stoic they appear in everyday life – does not stay that way when presented with emotional situations. Especially people who are self-centered, which Eadlyn proclaims to be. Self-centered people are concerned with everything about them including their feelings, ESPECIALLY THEIR FEELINGS, no matter how calculating they may seem. But no, Eadlyn was portrayed as someone who wanted to be the best monarch for her people and was despised despite her efforts. This is not being self-centered. This is attempting to make your character do things that your fans would want her to do. This is making your character make choices that she isn’t prepared to do yet in that part of the book. This is BASTARDIZING your story by forcing it to end by page 278.

I won’t even end this review with a proper conclusion. We didn’t get one, why should this?

[Andie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers have been tagged but if you've read my review of THE HEIR, the outcome of THE CROWN will be spoiled nonetheless.

2.5 stars

Disappointed is an understatement. Where's the romance?!

As a huge fan of The Selection trilogy, I was ecstatic when Kiera gave us 'The Heir' as a spinoff story. I was really disappointed with Eadlyn's characterization but she showed room for growth and I prayed she would get it together in 'The Crown'. While she did surprise me and do an almost complete 180, it just wasn't enough for me. And here's why - my SHIP completely sunk!

I, like many others, was rooting for Kile from the very beginning. Eadlyn's choice makes ZERO sense to me. It was never clear if she felt something for this guy or not and then after one specific conversation she decides SOULMATES! He doesn't really become a competitor until about the last 1/4 of the book. It was completely out of the blue and I didn't much care for it.

The obvious choice was Kile in my opinion. They had more chemistry than any of the other boys. In fact, I felt a complete disconnect from all but two of the boys (her choice is not included in the two). There's something about childhood friends turning lovers that's just so appealing maybe it's predictable but it's the fairytale story that I was hoping to see unfold - watching them go from not caring much for the other to falling in love. Because isn't that what The Selection was originally about? I feel cheated!

Besides the lack of romance, the entirety of the book felt rushed, even more so at the end. Can the epilogue even be called an epilogue? Ugh I'm just so disappointed that after a year of waiting for the series conclusion this book ended up feeling like an after thought.

What I DID like:

-Eadlyn goes from being a snotty brat in The Heir to a strong, caring, down to earth girl.
-Maxon and America. Thank god they were here to remind us what true love is.

I can't think of anything else I really enjoyed. Such a shame because I love Kiera Cass as an author.

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m on BookTube now! =)

”I was surrounded by examples of how love, real love, could make you less bothered by your circumstances, whether it was facing the greatest disappointment of your life or shouldering the weight of a country. And suddenly, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember why I’d been so afraid of it.”

When I started to read “The Crown” I only wanted to finish this series. After reading all the other four books I was just in too deep not to read the last one and tell you what: I actually liked it. Which is mostly due to the fact that Eadlyn was way more likable in this book than she was in “The Heir”. Well, and truth be told this is the main reason why I liked this more but at the same time also one of the reasons why I feel kinda conflicted about liking the book? Do you get what I mean? No? Okay, I’ll try to explain it then. *lol*

”So, yes, I am emotional right now. Anyone in my position with a soul would be. And you, sir, are an idiot. How dare you try to force my hand on something so monumental on the grounds of something so small? For all intents and purposes, I am queen, and you will not coerce me into anything.”

As we all know America had a heart-attack at the ending of “The Heir” and I could smell the author’s intention behind this from miles away. It was an easy plot device to make Eadlyn more likable and it worked, but for me it worked way too well. I mean aside from the fierceness and the attitude Eadlyn showed in “The Heir” her character seemed to have changed completely. So much in fact, that she seemed to be an entirely different person than the girl we knew from book one. I don’t know why no one else pointed this out in their review and maybe I’m the only one who feels that way but for me this was a huge part why this book was better than the last one. And even though I enjoyed it more I can’t help but address this issue. So yeah in short: I liked Eadlyn more this time around because she wasn’t the Eadlyn we got to know in “The Heir”.

”Do you know how scary it is for me to say all that?”
He bridged the gap between us. “Probably as scary as it is for me to hear it.”

Another thing I had problems with was the sudden appearance of a certain character that didn’t even exist in the former book but was suddenly a huge part of this one. Like okay, let’s just introduce a new and important character in the last book. Why not?! (Sorry, for being salty. Guess my nachos were too spiced. *lol*) The existence of Marid Illea was extremely irritating and once again his sudden appearance in the last book was way too convenient. But oh well, it’s okay, I still read this book and enjoyed it enough to page through it. My enjoyment was all due to the adorable and precious gentlemen of the Elite though.

”I realize that’s asking a lot, but getting me past the coronation would mean the world to me.”
“It’s not asking a lot, Eadlyn. It’s hardly asking anything.”
I put a hand on his cheek. Something every day.

Hale, Ean and Fox were amazing and I really loved those three! Especially Eadlyn���s friendship with Hale was so awesome and ahh they just gave me all the good friendship vibes I long and crave for in a book. I never would have seen Ean and Hale together but I guess that was why I always thought something was off with Ean. He’s gay and that’s the reason why he had no interest in Eadlyn and offered her that deal which was too good to be true. I was totally rooting for Hale and Ean though and I’m sure they make a cute couple. I won’t speak about the use of a side-character LGBTQ+ couple here though. You already know my opinion about how I feel when they are used as a plot device. *sighs* Of course Henri and Eikko were their adorable selves as well and I couldn’t get enough of them and their interactions with Eadlyn. Plus do I even have to mention that Kile is a precious angel?! This boy!!! I swear! <333 He knew exactly that he would have to give up his dream of becoming an architect yet he still didn’t even hesitate to marry Eadlyn. He liked her enough as a person to go through with it. Thankfully Eadlyn knew better than to accept his offer.

”I’m telling you, Eady, wars and treaties and even countries will all come and go. But your life is yours, singular and sacred, and you should be with the person who makes it feel that way every blessed second of your life.”

All told “The Crown” was as addictive as all the other books of this series and I enjoyed it. I just had a lot of issues with how it was executed and I really wasn’t happy with the ending. After five books it was way too abrupt and I really would have wished for a couple of more pages. It wouldn’t have hurt to get a little more information after the big reveal of Eadlyn’s final choice. There were so many things that never got any closure and I personally hate it when I have to imagine the rest of a book. It’s only personal preference though so I guess a lot of people will be fine with this. ;-)

___________________________

Okay, I really didn't expect to like this more than "The Heir" but I did? *lol*
Guess Eadlyn was more likable in here than in the last book.
Also the boys were just too precious! <333 The ending though?! Mhmm...

Full RTC soon! Stay tuned. ;-P

___________________________

I really don’t like Eadlyn and I think she deserves none of those amazing, cute and handsome men. *lol*
This said: Here I am and I’ll finally read and finish this series!
Let’s hope Eadlyn will be a little bit more likeable in here and let’s hope at least one of the boys will be able to give her a run for her money. XD

Okay, let’s go for it!

P.S: I personally would take Erik and be done with it! *lol* He isn’t even among the selected but I really love him. Him and Henri. So yeah, either of those two would be MY choice. ;-P

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

*THIS BOOK WAS NOT OKAY FOR MY BRAIN AND I"M JUST GOING TO START OFF BY RANTING.*

So, as you can see, my brain can't work for two reasons-
Number one: This book was just TERRIBLE. I just.....I can't......
And...
Number 2: It's 10:30 in the morning and we all know for lazy teens like me, I need my beauty rest but I just couldn't lay my ass down in bed and do nothing, SO HERE I AM.

Now, with my little update of my miserable life, here i go.
Eadlyn was just this little, immature, ungrateful child. And I know, she does have her good points, but straight off the bat, she talks about how she's all important, yet she doesn't want to be. I mean, she literally starts complaining in the book before this!!

Besides this, the romance was just trash!
Why'd she pick the other dude??!!
I swear, she barely even knew him, and then all of a sudden, she's like, "Oh! He's the one for me!!"
*swoon*
I DON"T EVEN KNOW HOW IT WORKED.
How does the author build up so much between her and mystery dude in a few pages??!! How does Eadlyn suddenly find this random guy so hot, and so charming, and so blah-de-blah-blah??!!

To be honest, the romance was probably the biggest thing that screwed up this story. So warning for y'all, don't read this if you're in a cranky mood, because your computer will break as you slowly let all your anger pour out into reviews....

*sniffle* My poor keyboard.....

Read it if ya want!! But I suggest the first three books are all that you need!!

now i need food......

[Fatima Havilliard · Rating 3 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Review soon. :D

--------------------------------------
PRE-REVIEW
April/16/2016
You know I'm not going to put any spoiler, but I need to express how I'm feeling right now after know that


Also 17 days until The Crown!!

I'm fangirling now and it's only the title... I can't wait to see the cover!

Nov/05/15

Oh god... I think in this moment I'm suffer a heart attack because of that cover! Only look:



And I think I need to say that I really love the cover but it's not my favorite... The color and the dress are wonderful but the face of the model seems a bit unnatural. :/

May 3rd, 2016 COME TO ME!!

And please Kiera don't kill Maxon and America... ;-;

Feb/20/16

75 Days until The Crown!!!

And look what Kiera post in her Instagram:

[The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger · Rating 4 out of 5]

WONDERFUL! What a spectacular ending....I don't know what to do with myself now !

[Katrina♡•• · Rating 2 out of 5]

Minor spoilers

Major rant

So I read through this in one sitting but I did not like it. I found it boring and the romance was so rushed and came out of the blue. By halfway through the author still had me guessing on who Eadlyn, our stupid useless heroine, would choose. She had guys coming from far and wide just for her to "pick". Load of bull. I just taught Eadlyn's story was pointless. I am sure these two books would have been so much better if Maxon and America's story had continued from book 3 on where they left off. And it was so ridiculous in the end how she proposed to Henri but a minute before the wedding she changed her mind and after he had worked so hard for her to pick him, and he was not the least bit bothered.
How convenient. How fitting. What an understanding guy!!! Totally unrealistic and pointless!!

[Vanessa J.]

This is just too much. The Selection was supposed to be a trilogy, yet there are five books in the series?



Woman, let go of this series. Try writing something else - the cow has no more milk!



Yep, that's right.

[Ahmad Sharabiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crown (The Selection #5), Kiera Cass

Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn didn't think she would find a real partner among the Selection's thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you, and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult-and more important-than she ever expected.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز نوزدهم ماه نوامبر سال 2017 میلادی

عنوان: تاج: کتاب پنجم از سری گزینش (انتخاب)؛ نویسنده: کایرا کاس؛ برگردان: رباب پورعسگر؛ تهران، نشر بهداد، 1395؛ در ؟ ص؛ شابک: 9786008203650؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 21م

در جلد پنجم از سری «انتخاب» با عنوان «تاج»، دوره‌ ی تازه ای در دنیای رقابت «انتخاب» آغاز شد؛ از زمانیکه «امریکا سینگر» و «شاهزاده مکسون» عاشق هم شدند، و ازدواج کردند، بیست سال بگذشته است، و اکنون دخترشان نخستین شاهدختی است، که رقابت «انتخاب» را تجربه می‌کند؛ «ایدلن» خیال نمی‌کرد، بتواند بین سی و پنج خواستگارش، یک شریک زندگی واقعی پیدا کند، چه برسد به اینکه عشق واقعی خویش را بیابد؛ ولی گاهی قلب آدمی، او را غافلگیر می‌کند...؛ و حالا نوبت «ایدلن» است، تا دست به انتخابی بزند، که اکنون دشوارتر– و مهم‌تر– از حد انتظارش است؛

نقل نمونه متن:(خودم را آماده ی هر نوع واکنش اجتناب ناپذیری کردم، و گفتم: «متاسفم.» وقتی رقابت انتخابِ مخصوص من شروع شد، در ذهنم پایانش را اینطور تجسم کرده بودم؛ ده ها نفر از خواستگارهایم یکباره حذف میشوند، و بیشترشان آمادگی خروج از دور رقابت، و از دست دادن توجه مردم را ندارند؛ ولی در هفته های اخیر که پی بردم بسیاری از آنها صاحب شخصیتی مهربان، باهوش و سخاوتمند بودند، به این نتیجه رسیدم که حذف دسته جمعی آنها مایه ی دل شکستگی من میشود.؛ پسرها رفتاری عادلانه با من داشتند، و الان مجبور بودم خیلی غیرمنصفانه با آنها برخورد کنم.؛ - میدونم غیرمنتظره ست ولی با در نظر گرفتن شرایط خطرناک مادرم، پدرم از من خواسته، مسئولیت بیشتری به عهده بگیرم، و حس میکنم تنها راه پیش بردن این روند، کاهش تدریجی شرکت کننده های رقابته.؛ ایوان آب دهانش را به سختی قورت داد و پرسید: «حال ملکه چطوره؟» آه کشیدم.؛ «مادرم...، حالش خیلی خوب نیست.»؛ پدرم مردد بود، که به من اجازه ی دیدن مادرم را بدهد، ولی بالاخره او را متقاعد کرده بودم.؛ لحظه ای که چشمم به مادرم افتاد، متوجه دلیل بی میلی پدرم شدم؛ مادرم خوابیده بود، و میزان ضربان قلبش روی نمایشگر عددی مشخص را نشان میداد.؛ او را تازه از عمل جراحی آورده و دکترها مجبور شده بودند، رگی از پایش جدا کرده، و جایگزین رگی در سینه اش بکنند که از کار افتاده بود.؛ یکی از دکترها گفت ضربان قلب مادرم دقایقی قطع شده بود، ولی موفق شده بودند، دوباره او را به زندگی برگردانند.؛ کنار مادرم نشستم، و دستش را گرفتم.؛ احمقانه به نظر می رسید، روی صندلی با بیحالی نشسته بودم، و یقین داشتم با اینکارم هوشیاریش را به دست میآورد، بلند میشود و به من میگوید درست بنشینم؛ خیالی واهی بود.؛ ولی زنده ست و پدرم...؛ اون...؛ «رائول» برای دلگرمی دادن، دستش را روی شانه ام گذاشت، و گفت «اشکالی نداره، علیاحضرت.؛ همه ی ما این موقعیت رو درک میکنیم.»؛ فضای آنجا را از نظر گذراندم و به تک تک خواستگارهایم زل زدم، تا نیرو بگیرم، و چهره شان را به خاطر بسپارم.»؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 14/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

[J.C. Morrows]

I will never understand why people feel the need to bash something they haven't even read.

Irony... God willing, I will be in the same place a year or so from now. I am sure there will be plenty of people who detest my book. LOL!

EDIT - 9/2/15

The words above were strangely prophetic... I AM preparing to release my first novel and praying my skin is thick enough to deal with the inevitable bad reviews. Wish me the best...

[♥ℂĦℝΪՖƬΪℕÅ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Absolutely Fantastic ★'s

"I had power and no idea how to use it. I was a ruler who didn’t know how to lead. I was a twin who was on her own. I was a daughter with missing parents. I had a half dozen suitors and wasn’t sure how to be in love. "

“It was a delicious feeling, falling in love. I'd had so many luxuries in my life, and I thought I'd had a taste of this before, but I realized now it was merely a cheap imitation of something not meant to be imitated in the first place.”


Buddy read with my, girl Desireé :)

Reread

There are a lot of differences in opinions when it comes to The Selection series. I for one fall on the side that is in LOVE with it! This series is AMAZING and these books are golden. They are light fluffy wonderful goodness. The Selection series is the perfect books to read when I need a break from the heavy, epic, giant, books I read a lot of. I know this series has been over since 2016 but still, I am so sad that it's over.

As for The Crown, It. Was. Marvelous!! I love the beginning the middle and the end. So yeah, you could say I love the WHOLE damn book. It was just perfect! Just like all the rest once I opened the book I was unable to put it down. I couldn't devour each sentence each chapter fast enough. And though some things were pretty predictable, I enjoyed it immensely. I thought the writing was beautifully rendered and at times I found that I had the most ridiculous grin on my face. I couldn't help but smile. Still, as I'm writing this review I can't help smiling thinking back on all that has happened. I absolutely love all the sweet, cheesy and endearing moments. This was truly lovely, I just really wish this final book would have been a LOT longer because it really was too short :( But the Conclusion was really wonderful and swoony and it didn't disappoint whatsoever. There is enough drama, intrigue and heart filled scenes to satisfy and Kiera Cass sure knows how to mess with my feelings and pull at my heartstrings and she does so brilliantly especially in this book. The love these characters have for one another is intense and it makes me very emotional. I cried off and on throughout the last half and I thought my heart might explode from happiness. I adored Eadlyn in The Heir but I think I love her even more in The Crown because of the growth of Eadlyn's character. She grows so much and though she keeps her fiery spirit it's more refined and controlled. Eadlyn really grows into herself, being around all those boys from all different backgrounds of life changed her in so many ways. From the way, she sees herself to the world around her. I love so many of the guys but my favorites are Eikko, Kile, Henri, Hale, Fox and Ian and in that order. They are all wonderful and were such a joy to get to know and love. I am super happy with who Eadlyn ends up with... I KNEW it would be him and I truly couldn't be any more ecstatic with the outcome! #TeamEikko Forever & Always!!! I love this book, this series, this world more than I can ever express and I find such contentment in the way it has ended. I recommend this series to anyone looking for something light and sweet and full of funny, happy and cheesy goodness :D

“Maybe it's not the first kisses that are supposed to be special. Maybe it's the last ones.”


*This audiobook was perfect! Agan... Brittany Pressley (the Narrator), did an incredible job. If you are an audiobook lover then you don't miss this one :D Also, the cover is gorgeous, I love it!! :)*


He smiled. “You are always just Eadlyn. And you are always the queen. You are everything to everyone. And infinitely more to me.”

“The world woke up when I looked at him.”

“I pulled him to me. Kissing him as if our lives depended on it.”

“I'd wondered how it was possible to magically find a soul mate in a random group of boys. But now I couldn't question it.”

I looked over, and something in his expression, the hopefulness in his eyes, calmed me. I forgot the cameras. “As such, I've fallen hopelessly in love with him.”

“And I you,” he answered so quietly, no one may have even noticed.

[Helen 2.0 · Rating 1 out of 5]

EDIT: Apparently there might be a Selection Movie coming up soon?


(Actual Review)
I would say I'm disappointed but that's a lie. I totally expected this book to have 0 literary worth. The only reason I even read this series is that a certain friend pressured me into it every step of the way.

So Eadlyn is still hated by her citizens because she's a shallow, self-absorbed child. To raise her public ratings her family decides to marry her off to a worthy suitor, because seeing Eadlyn happy will regain the country's support. (On a side note, when I see someone I despise in a happy mood, it makes me want to strangle them. So why exactly would this plan work?) In any case, everything goes wrong because Eadlyn manages to fall for the one and only guy in the castle who isn't trying to put a ring on it. Good going there.

Besides the shallowness and narrow-mindedness and egotism, Eadlyn is an awful role model. When she's self-confident, she shows it by putting other people down (she especially likes to make fun of poor people). And the rest of the time she's ridiculously insecure. For example, one guy tells her he can't marry her because he doesn't swing that way, and her immediate response is:
"This was my worst fear coming to life. I was unlovable. I knew it."
I CANNOT BELIEVE this girl. I really hope there aren't any impressionable young ladies taking lessons from Eadlyn's behavior.

So glad this series is over and can't plague me anymore. DOBBY IS A FREE ELF

[Dana Kenedy (Dana and the Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.

The Selection series is my guilty pleasure.

If you've never read the series, it's essentially The Bachelor/The Bachelorette set in a dystopian future and with royalty.  I also suggest you stop reading this review if you haven't read the series as there are spoilers for the first four books here.

The Heir (Book #4) takes place twenty years after the first three books and we find ourselves thrust into another selection.  Except this time the girl chooses from a group of boys.  The girl, Eadlyn, is of course the daughter of America and Maxon—the subjects of the first three books.

The Crown (Book #5) picks up where The Heir ends: right after we find out America has had a shocking heart attack and then follows Eadlyn to the end of The Selection.

Yes, the whole premise of this series is totally corny and there isn't anything spectacular about the actual writing itself, but it's so adorable and addictive. It's kind of like watching bad reality TV, you know it's bad, but you keep looking for more because you enjoy it on some strange level.

Overall, I did find it a great conclusion to the series. It was definitely predictable, but I think if Kiera Cass ended it any other way it wouldn't have worked, and I would have walked away feeling like all the time I put into reading this series was a waste.

All of the books in the series are quick reads, but I found I got through The Crown much faster than the others.  It was very short: 278 pages. To put that into perspective, the four other books are all more than 300 pages.  Since this was the last book and it was so short, it felt rushed.

I like who she ends up with but I wish we had more build up and a longer look at the relationships between all of the guys who were left in The Crown.  Again, I feel this final book was far too short for a series closer. I wanted more side plots, more tension, more of a conclusion.

Yes, these five books have been drawn out when it really could have been just three, but I don't care. I want more.

I want to experience another Selection.

Thanks so much to HarperCollins UK Children's for approving me for a copy on Netgalley!

Pick up your own copy (Amazon US / Amazon CA / Indigo / Book Depository)!

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4 "Happily Ever After" stars***



“Trust your gut. Trust your heart.”
“I’m terrified of my heart.” I didn’t mean to say those words out loud, but there was something about him that made this room, and this moment, the only place I could ever admit to the truth.
He leaned down by my ear and whispered, “There’s nothing there to fear.”

I'm a sucker for fairy tales...
And i was almost obsessed with the first three parts of the series...

America and Maxon were amazing and i will never forget their story...
And then came Eadlyn and everything changed...

"Seriously, even if I did find someone, could it ever compare to them?"

The fourth book wasn't my favorite... Eadlyn was America and Maxon's only daughter and she had nothing from the brightness of her parents...

She was spoiled, she had a great opinion of herself and she was sooooo annoying...
But damn, i needed to find out with whom she will end up...

"I was surrounded by examples of how love, real love, could make you less bothered by your circumstances, whether it was facing the greatest disappointment of your life or shouldering the weight of a country. And suddenly, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember why I’d been so afraid of it.
I mentally thumbed through my list of suitors. Kile’s sweetness, Fox’s enthusiasm, Henri’s joy … these were all things that drew me in. But, beyond that, was there something beautiful and lasting?
I still didn’t know. But finding out no longer looked so frightening."

In my heart, i wanted her to end up with one of two candidates....
And to be honest while i started this book, i diminished them to one....

And yep, i'm so happy because my wish came true after all!!!
Nope, sorry guys, i can't tell you who he was!!!

"No, this whole process made no sense, but I could see how it happened, how your heart could get swept up in the endeavor. And that was my hope now: that somehow duty and love would overlap, and I’d find myself happy in the middle of it all."

The blissful thing in this story is that Eadlyn had changed... a lot!!!
She wasn't annoying anymore and you could say that she was more approachable... and i liked this change...

The snob and selfish girl had vanished and in her place were a lovely, full of grace girl...
Thank God!!!

"I had power and no idea how to use it. I was a ruler who didn’t know how to lead. I was a twin who was on her own. I was a daughter with missing parents. I had a half dozen suitors and wasn’t sure how to be in love."

Αfter the flight of her twin and her mother's unexpected illness, Eadlyn had to grow up...
She stepped into her father's shoes temporary and she had lots to deal... and mostly her people's disbelief in her face...

And except all the above, she had to continue with the Selection and the six remaining men, the Elite...
But what will happen when the cold hearted girl will start to fall in love with someone that she can't have????


“This will be the first time in my life I haven’t been able to have something I truly wanted. It’s so cruel that it happens to be you.”

No, i can't tell you more!!!
The only thing that i will say is that as a very sensitive person, my heart was breaking with the torment of Eadlyn's heart near to the end...

Seriously, i couldn't stop the tears and i am so embarrassed for that!!!
But i have to say that i enjoyed this book, especially the last half...

"I had felt it growing, this feeling that had been hiding beneath the surface for some time now. I’d seen him, this person who never intended to be seen, and my faulty, silly, useless heart kept whispering his name. I clutched my chest, feeling my heart racing. “You treacherous, treacherous thing. What have you done?”
I’d wondered how it was possible to magically find a soul mate in a random group of boys.
But now I couldn’t question it."