Book Review of The Selection

When this book was recommended to me by a couple of my friends, I decided to read it with high hopes, and it did not disappoint.

In The Selection, the country of Illea is sorted into 7 social classes: One (royalty), Two (celebrities), Three (intellectuals, like teachers, inventors, doctors, etc.), Four (businessmen), Five (performers and artists), Six (servants), and Seven (manual labor). Our protagonist, America Singer—a Five—is one of 35 girls between the ages of 16 and 22 chosen to participate in the Selection. For context, the Selection is a competition to marry the crown prince, Maxon, and become the crown princess. As the 35 Selected gather in the palace to compete, America not only must survive the cut-throat competition, but she must also stay safe when the palace is attacked by rebels. At first America did not want Maxon’s affection. She only attended the Selection to avoid her boyfriend, whom she got into a fight with. However, as she befriends Maxon, something more than friendship sparks between them.

One quality of the book that makes it unique is its setting. The plot takes place in a dystopian future of our world, with a new country called Illea replacing the United States. The United States transitioned from a democracy into a monarchy. From the third World War to the Chinese assault to the Russian invasion, the United States’s reputation was tattered beyond repair. I feel that not only is it surprisingly believable and realistic, but it also makes the story far more interesting knowing the country’s history. Additionally, it is so creative how Roberts came up with all these events transitioning from the United States to Illea.

The way the writing gives lots of personality and emotion also stood out to me. I can practically feel America’s emotions throughout the entire book. I can easily tell she is very honest and true to her opinions. Her dynamic character was very engaging to read as her feelings changed with her surroundings, though she still held on to her morals. Not only the protagonist, but each character has their own unique personality. Maxon’s courtesy, Marlee’s liveliness, and Celeste’s haughty demeanor, just to name a few.

My favorite character in the entire book is Maxon. His extremely caring attitude of everybody around him makes him attractive. No matter how busy he is, he will still make time to get to know all the Selected. As he and America were talking, I liked how open he was. He discussed his problems with her and was open to suggestions. I also enjoyed that aspect about him, how he was willing to take other people’s thoughts into careful consideration. Then, he'd contemplate on them and change his plan as he sees fits. However, he will not let his opinions be overlooked and will stand up for whatever he believes is right.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book, romance with just a touch of action. It keeps me on my toes with events happening back-to-back. After I finished the first book, I immediately wanted to read the next book in this five-book series.

 -Joyce Zheng