A teen review by Saara
The Selection by Kiera Cass is a dystopian series that explores the complex dynamics of a society where a competition is held to determine the future princess. In this series, 35 randomly selected young women from across the kingdom participate in “The Selection”, competing for the heart of Prince Maxon. One of the chosen is America Singer, a young woman whose heart belongs to another.
The series delves into the themes of class, identity, and the struggles of finding one’s true self amidst societal pressures and expectations. The world-building in this series is rich and immersive, providing readers with a vivid backstory for the characters’ journeys. While I did find the characters very one-dimensional in the first book, Cass’s writing did improve. This series is very fast-paced and is very intriguing for fans of dystopian and romance-driven narratives.
The problem is the fact that America—a five in the kingdom’s caste system—is competing against more suitable girls who belong to the higher classes—fours, threes, and twos. This raises questions about whether America’s status would be accepted by the prince and the kingdom, and whether she would be able to actually rule the kingdom if she were to win the crown. But another question would be, does she want to win? We learnt very early on that America was only staying for the food and bed.
The Selection series offers an amazing exploration of the challenges America must navigate in the complex social and political landscape of a dystopian society—while not being born into it and not believing anything it has to say—while also finding the courage to follow their hearts.
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