Tag: the selection

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24 Book Challenge: A Book You’ve Been Wanting to Read For a While

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The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This is book #19 from The Ameri Brit Mom 24 Book Challenge in 2016. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, or outside influences.

Title: The Crown

Author: Keira Cass

Publisher: Harper Teen

Copyright Date: 2016

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(photo credit-theselection.wikia.com)

As I turned to the last page of The Crown a large part of my soul cringed. It’s the end of an era; A period of encapsulation by the world of Illea has come to a close. I have finished The Selection series.

Since April, I have been reading my way through these teen fantasy books by Kiera Cass and I have fallen head over heels with Prince Maxon, America Singer, Princess Eadlyn, and the rest of the royal cast and members of their selections. I’ve always found it difficult to stick with a series due to boredom with characters and plot, but I’ve been hooked since book 1 with Cass’ series.

In this final installment to The Selection, Princess Eadlyn is forced to make some of the biggest decisions yet. The book opens on the eve of a disastrous day for the royal family of Illea. As a young princess in the middle of the selection to find her husband Eadlyn is expected to govern her nation as regent and select a male amidst a herd that she vowed was only a temporary political move. In spite of all the publicity and responsibility during this time in her life Eadlyn finds it hard to remain callous. She begins to open up to some of her suitors and ultimately must trust her heart to make the right decision when it comes to finding her husband.

If you are as hooked into the series as I am and find yourself picking up this final book please know that you will not be disappointed. The ending of this novel cleanly seals up the series and leaves the reader feeling content with the life that Eadlyn has chosen for herself. In a world that relies on royalty for all of their decisions Eadlyn is pressured into desiring approval from her subjects. In the final pages of this absolute monarchy, Eadlyn learns to govern with her heart and not her insecurities. She chooses the life that plagues her mind instead of the one that society might have chosen for her. Eadlyn and the country of Illea emerge from this novel changed for the best.

All brokenness is mended. A happy ending is promised. Fairy tales can come true.

Check out my reviews on the rest of the series:

The Selection

The Elite

The One

The Heir

 

The Ameri Brit Mom

 

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Book Review: The Heir

The Ameri Brit Mom1 Comment

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, and outside influences.

Title: The Heir (The Selection Book #4)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Copyright Date: 2015

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At the end of the third book in The Selection series America Singer has been chosen as Prince Maxon’s wife out the pool of thirty-five women. Originally, these books were only written to be a trilogy with the wedding of Prince Schreave as the conclusion. However, author Kiera Cass found it hard to cap off the series with so much left to tell. Afterall, the wedding was only the beginning of the story for America and Maxon.

The Heir is set twenty years after Prince Maxon puts an end to the selection process by proposing to his true love, America. Maxon is now the King and his firstborn and only daughter, Eadlyn, is next in line for the throne. Throughout Maxon’s reign he has done so much to free the people of Illea. The caste system has been abolished and relations with other nations have improved. But it is in the wake of new rebellion in his kingdom that King Maxon strives desperately to maintain the loyalty of his people. After much diliberation with his beloved Queen, Maxon decides to ask Eadlyn to host a selection of her own. It is the hope of the King and Queen that watching the Princess fall in love will unite the kingdom the way their own selection did so many years ago.

Eadlyn is a headstrong and independent girl. She agrees to the selection only as an act to appease her father. Before agreeing to hosting thirty-five eligible men Eadlyn makes it clear that she is not interested in finding a husband at the end of the eliminations. She is perfectly happy to be single forever surrounded only by her three brothers who think the world of her.

As the selection process begins Eadlyn puts up a wall between herself and the candidates. Afraid of getting too personal or revealing too much Eadlyn keeps each of them at arm’s length. Illea watches as the callous Queen-to-Be treats the suitors like disposable goods, and the public soon turns against her.

Eadlyn’s story is one of learning to love and open up. The more time Eadlyn spends with these men the more she learns about herself. And it isn’t until tragedy strikes her family that Eadlyn learns just how important it is to find a soul mate.

So far, this was the hardest book for me to read in the series. It took twice as long for me to read this one than any of the others because it took a while to get used to another voice. The first three books are told through America’s perspective and I felt like I began to anticipate her thoughts and actions because I knew her so well. For this fourth book, the point-of-view was Eadlyn’s and it took some time to really get to know her.  This was because she was so guarded, and once I settled in I was able to figure her out as well. This book ended on quite the cliff hanger. Luckily, my husband bought me the next book for my birthday. The Crown is the fifth and final book in The Selection series, and I’ll be reviewing it soon enough!

The Ameri Brit Mom

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Book Review: The One

The Ameri Brit Mom1 Comment

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, and outside influences.

Title: The One

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Copyright Date: 2014

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Another book down in The Selection series and at the conclusion of this third book I’m left with awe. Awe for the characters I’ve grown to love, the decisions they’ve had to make, and the author who can make me so happy, stressed, and sad all in the span of three hundred pages. I’ve leapt into the world of Illea with both feet and have yet to be let down in the three books I’ve finished so far.

At it’s opening the Selection is down to four girls. A Perfectionist, A Sweetheart, A Diva, and America Singer are left in the fight for Prince Maxon’s heart. Throughout the competition rebels from the South have been attacking the palace. With each attack they are more violent and precise. In an act to protect the kingdom Maxon and America cut a deal with the Northern Rebels. They sneak out of the palace to meet with August and Georgia of the rebel group to form a plan of protection.

Meanwhile, the King is growing impatient with Maxon’s quest to find a wife. Disapproving of America and her caste the King gives her an ultimatum which would expire on Christmas Day. With the time ticking away America must choose to abandon her convictions about the future of the caste system in Illea or to become the next Queen of the country.

In the midst of her decision tragedy strikes her family. America is sent home to bury someone she loves dearly. Her family is monitored closely by guards of the palace during her stay at home in Carolina. With a short reunion with the rest of the Singer family America remembers what she is fighting for and chooses to be honest with Maxon upon her return about her intentions. America also plans to make things right between herself and her first love, Aspen, who has followed her to the palace as a guard.

The love between Maxon and America is so real and evident in this book. Adversity brings them together even when strong forces threaten to tear them apart. Just as Maxon is about to declare a winner for the Selection the rebels seize the moment and mayhem is brought upon the nation as never before.

In the end Maxon must choose one girl to be the next Queen of Illea…

This portion of the series is brought to a beautiful finale. I especially enjoyed reliving the relationship and story thus far in the final chapters of this book. Looking back on where the main characters began at the beginning of the Selection left me with feelings of nostalgia. If you haven’t guessed I’ve been rather smitten by this series and I believe it is truly worth all of the hype it is receiving. I look forward to the new adventures of the final books The Heir and The Crown which bring new characters to the palace.

The Ameri Brit Mom

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Book Review: The Elite

The Ameri Brit Mom1 Comment

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, and outside influences.

Title: The Elite

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Copyright Date: 2013

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The end of the school year is quickly approaching. While I should be working feverishly to wrap up grading and all of the end of the school year activities I’ve found myself instead retreating into the beautifully crafted world of Illea once again. A few weeks ago I finished the book, The Selection, which is the first book in this phenomenal series by Kiera Cass. I’ve never  been one to fall head over heels for a series, but Cass has captured my interest and attention with her characters, setting, and intense plot. So instead of diving into all of the chaos of the end of the year I’m diving into a good series and finding myself relaxed by the familiarity of America Singer.

America was part of the Selection. Prince Maxon of Illea is in need of a bride and the custom of the nation is to host a Selection by which a member of each of the thirty-five  districts represents their caste and their home in the competition for the crown. By the end of the first book America Singer finds herself in the final six of the competition, also known as the Elite. The closer America gets to the finish the more she questions whether she has all it takes to become Illea’s next queen.

In this second installment to the series America is being tested and monitored more than ever before. Challenges are  created to help Maxon make his final decision. He has made it clear to America that he is in love with her, but she slows down the Selection process with her own self-doubt and confusion.

Before her trip to the capital America belonged to a lower caste and gave her heart to Aspen, a boy even worse off as far as castes were concerned. When Aspen re-enters her life he brings their past to the surface and causes even more uncertainty to fall on America’s shoulders. She finds herself caught between the life of a future queen and the life she had promised to Aspen. She finds her heart tangled up in a love triangle.

As the prince senses that things are changing between America and himself he begins to invest more time into the other members of the Selection. He begins to court the other girls leaving America with feelings of betrayal. But isn’t that what she was doing to the prince with Aspen?

At the end of this second book an ultimatum is given and an understanding reached. Will America continue to fight for the crown or will she settle down with Aspen, her first love?

Believe it or not I’ve been hooked by this series. There’s just something about the way that Kiera Cass writes that keeps me so engrossed in her books. I’m planning to finish reading this series throughout the summer. But for now, I should probably grade essays and get through my summer check-out list if I plan to be on summer vacation by the end of the week.

The Ameri Brit Mom

 

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24 Book Challenge: The First Book in a Series

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The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This is book #6 from The Ameri Brit Mom 24 Book Challenge in 2016. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, or outside influences.

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: Harper Teen

Copyright Date: 2012

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Picture credit: Goodreads

For the past couple of years The Selection series has been really popular among the ninth grade girls in my English classes. I’ve watched this series turn reluctant female readers into confident ones as they devour the pages quickly and with excitement. Whenever someone prepares to present about this book there is always another student in the room who gasps, “I loved that book!” uncontrollably. As a result of all the love this book gets in my classroom this title has been on my TBR (To-Be-Read) list for a while so I was excited to get it out of the queue.

America Singer lives with her family in the country of Illea. She is from one of the lowest castes in the nation where she is being trained to work as a musician. Over the past several years she has fallen in love with Aspen, a boy of an even lower caste, but they have found ways to kindle their star crossed love without suspicion.

Things are going well for the love birds until news comes out that Prince Maxon will be hosting a selection at the royal palace to seek out a wife. The promise of wealth and power for the family of the chosen wife as well as her mother’s own urging cause America to put her name in the running to represent her province in The Selection. When she is chosen to embark on the adventure to the crown America is torn apart, but she puts her family  before her own desires. Soon after her arrival to the palace it becomes clear that she is a front runner for Prince Maxon’s affection and she pays the price of his feelings with her relationships with the other girls in the contest, her forbidden love for Aspen, and the dangerous rebel attacks on the palace during her stay.

The Selection was a mash up between a couple of popular stories. When trying to explain the plot to my husband I drew multiple comparisons to well known tales/shows such as The Bachelor, The Hunger Games, and the story of Queen Esther from the Bible.

The Bachelor

Some parallels which can be drawn between The Selection and The Bachelor would be that the Prince of Illea has come of age and is need of a bride. Instead of going about the dating process the traditional way Prince Maxon undergoes a live televised program where he will court thirty-five women (one from each of the provinces.) The process will eventually lead to the selection of a wife.

The Hunger Games

The Selection is similar to The Hunger Games in that it is set in futuristic America. China has defeated our country before being invaded and overtaken by the troops of Lord Illea, the namesake of the newly formed nation. There is also a strict caste system in place across the country. And along the lines of the districts in Panem from The Hunger Games, each of the provinces of Illea will have a woman chosen at random to represent their province in the Selection. Much like Katniss Everdeen, America Singer is reluctant to be called upon to represent her home on the televised competition, but discovers that she is a natural and finds herself successful.

Queen Esther

The last comparison I made between the book and a famous story is that of Queen Esther. The process for determining a wife for the eligible Prince Maxon is reflective of the process that Esther took part in to win the heart of King Xerxes. The women are all brought to the palace and treated royally. Each woman is at the beck and call of the young prince and spends her days waiting for the privilege to spend one-on-one time with the heir to the country’s throne. Also, like Queen Esther, America Singer shows that she is not romanced by the wealth and power of the prince and oftentimes breaks the rules of the game by asserting her will without fear of consequence.

This was a very quick read. The author drew me into the plot from page one and didn’t let up until the abrupt ending. This is the first book in a series and so the ending was not clean and tidy. Most of the loose ends were left dangling. The rest of the series includes: The Elite, The One, The Heir, and The Crown (to be relased in May.) It’s clear to me why young adult readers have been flocking to this series. And now that I’m attached to America, Prince Maxon, Lady Marlee, and Aspen I’m looking forward to continuing the series!

The Ameri Brit Mom