The Selection

The Selection, Book 1

By: Kiera Cass

Narrated by: Amy Rubinate

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Fall in love - from the very beginning. Discover the first book in the captivating, number one New York Times best-selling Selection series.

Prepare to be swept into a world of breathless fairy-tale romance, swoonworthy characters, glittering gowns, and fierce intrigue perfect for listeners who loved Divergent, Delirium, or The Wrath & the Dawn.

For 35 girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape a rigid caste system, 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 Aspen, who is a caste below her, and competing for a crown she doesn’t want.

Then America meets Prince Maxon - and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Don’t miss The Betrothed, a glittering royal romance sure to captivate Kiera Cass’s legion of loyal listeners and lovers of courtly intrigue alike!

©2012 Kiera Cass (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Worth it!

This book turned out to be much more interesting than I'd expected. It was a little slow in some places but all in all it was worth it. Cass' ability to create so many characters (a majority being female, at that) was very refreshing. No one was too similar to the next and each character captured you differently. I wished at points that America had been a little less wishy-washy about her feelings but again, all in all it was worth it. I very much look forward to the next!

Mon.o.tone Narration

Would you try another book from Kiera Cass and/or Amy Rubinate?

Ok, we're all mostly adults, and as such, we can make our own decisions on what to read and eat for dinner. It's not uncommon for me to just eat chips or cereal or something for dinner. Is it nutritional, healthy, and full of substance? No. is it filling? Eh, sort of. Do I like it and will I probably pour another bowl and be satisfied for a few hours? Sure

And that's like this book. It's got no depth, substance, or any redeeming qualities other than I enjoyed it while I read it. I'll probably continue with the series, and I'll probably like it while I listen to it, but in the end, I'll get nothing from it other than entertainment for the hours I've had it.

HOWEVER. I have literally heard more emotion from a potato than from this narrator. I seriously thought the book was read by an automated computer for the first few minutes. Lord, it's awful. There is no life at all, even when the narrator is given emotional cues like "she cried..." or "he screamed" it's just the same flat, boring, mind numbing droning on and on. I should get a medal for finishing it. The person who picked this narrator to read it should be shot in the foot, because I'd rather listen to them complain about being shot in the foot than this narrator. If you want something to put you to sleep, this woman's voice and narration will knock you out cold. That being said, I will continue to listen, because I can't NOT finish the series, and I hate myself for that.

The story, once you get past the lunch-lady-reading-over-the-intercom narration, is ok. I am somewhat entertained and will most likely continue, as at least for the next books in the series, I know to drink a Red Bull to stay awake because of the voice. I want to know what happens in the end (which I do, but you still want to finish it) but my god, I will never listen to another book by this narrator unless I have insomnia

Loved this trilogy!

What did you love best about The Selection?

I loved the story; the author was very realistic with the characters. It's so refreshing that the author did NOT make the characters "hold out" on telling the other characters information that would cause ridiculous domino effects. In reality people explain themselves, so I'm really glad the characters in this book did the same.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Selection?

There was more action in this trilogy than I expected. Things happen and spins unfold making this book exciting and the story unpredictable (except for the fact that the 3 trilogy titles really do give it all away haha).

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narration was not very good. It was very flat and monotone, the different voices were inconsistent. I did not like the dull narration. But I did get used to it after a while and kept listening because the story was good.

monotone performance

Not at all a fan of the monotone voice but the story is wonderful, easily finished in a day, it was a great listen.

Why can Maxin date others, but America can't?

Potential spoilers*


It annoys me that Maxin can yell at America, but then she feels guilty, or he can date others but the girls can't, and that he refused to see Celeste for the bully that she is. I know the book needs opposition to it, but come on don't make strong America into this weak female.

Decen YA Dystopian Novel

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Selection series. There are five books in that series. I got this as an audiobook through Audible.com.

Audiobook Quality (4/5): The audiobook was well done. The narrator did a good job with character voices and it was pleasant to listen to, no complaints.

Story (4/5): I liked this more than I thought I was going to. I thought this was going to be another boring YA dystopian sci-fi book, but it ended up catching my interest. It is set in a sort of futuristic setting where the US is broken down into different countries. The main character, American Singer, is in one of the newer nations and her nation is strictly managed under a caste system. However, she is given the chance to compete in The Selection where girls from the nation compete to see who will marry Prince Maxon.

I was worried this was going to be about women being catty with each other and fighting over a prince, there was a bit of that but it wasn't too bad. There is a lot of time spent with American getting comfortable being away from home and getting to know Maxon. The surrounding activities with the rebels were intriguing and mysterious.

Characters (4/5): I enjoyed both American and Prince Maxon as characters. I was completely prepared for Prince Maxon to be a jerk, but was impressed with the depth of his character and with how much I liked him. I should warn that there is also a love triangle here which I am normally not a fan of. However, American is smart and pretty much tells her old boyfriend (Aspen) where she stands since she is committed to the Selection. So it's a love triangle where the heroine isn't an idiot.

Setting (4/5): I found the alternate history setting intriguing and enjoyed the pieces of history that are slowly shown to us to help us unravel how this alternate United States got to be where it is in the story. I also found the caste system interesting

Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): The book is decently written and kept my interest. I wasn’t completely enthralled with it but did end up enjoying the characters. I do wish we had got to see more of the world and learn a bit more about the rebels. I am guessing that will be the topic of later books in the series.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this but didn’t love it. I liked the characters more than I thought I would and enjoyed some of the mystery around the rebels. I am unsure right now if I will continue with the series or not. It has a lot of elements from other YA series in it and I think I know how it's going to play out already. However, it is decently written so I might go ahead and finish it up. I’ll give it some time and see if I forget about it or if I am yearning to read more of it.

Fun plot

At first I was thinking this sounded like the story of Esther in the Bible and a bit like the bachelor royal edition lol.

I liked how simple America is and how honest and open she is with the prince. I like how she is his friend and in a way being someone’s friend bonds you faster then pretend dating like this selection.

I hate Celeste and I want America to win but the love triangle makes things so complicated. I just bought book 2 and I like how it left off with the top 6 for book two.

I surprised myself by liking this one.

I went in to this book with doubts. It's a cross between the post-American downfall of Hunger Games and Cinderella. That being said, once I started it, I couldn't stop listening until it was done. I even downloaded book two and three when one left me hanging on the cliff with what was gonna happen.

On a side note...as a decisive person, I'm annoyed by the main character's indecisiveness about what she's feeling. I guess I've been married too long and forgotten the teenage angst feelings. Lol.

Easy Fun YA Romance

I can see why this story was on the New York Times Bestseller List. The main character (a girl named America) lives in a distopian society which is explained in pretty good detail without a ton of intricacies. As an adult, I'd like to know more about the society, but since this is a novel for young adults and is primarily about a love triangle, I understand why there is no in-depth exploration done. The characters are fun. They make stupid, teen-type decisions. The romance is sweet and the main character is not nearly as shallow as many other books for teens. The only thing I don't love is that the young men in this book do not seem complicated emotionally by any stretch of the imagination. Additionally, the triangle is a little contrived. But, the story is fun and if you believe in coincidences, it works well.

As a note, one of the greatest strengths of this book - and indeed why I will read the next one - is an interesting little subplot with a side character. I don't want to add a spoiler, so that's all I will say.

Great story but I wasn't a fan of the narrator

I loved the story, I just wish the narrator was a younger voice and not so monotone