The Selection

Justification

The Selection by Kiera Cass was recommended to me by my mentor librarian when I asked for some options of good teen romance novels. When she described it as a romantic version of The Hunger Games, I was instantly interested. This is a frequently checked out book at our High School Library, and The Selection was also reviewed by Booklist, Horn Book Magazine, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

Response

Romance is not a genre that I typically choose to read on my own, so when I reached the second chapter of The Selection and the main character was already stating, “It hurt me to be away from him,” I gagged at the excessive passion in the teen novel. However, the further I read, the more intriguing the book became. I began to see some loose connections to my life as I watched the main character struggle with her emotions, feelings and desires to be loved. (a) I clearly remember as a teen and young adult the heartbreak when a young man did not reciprocate the same feelings and emotions that I felt for him. (b) I realized this book and others like it, were part of the reason I felt so jaded about love for so long in my life. The reality is that love is not as simple or easy to come by as The Selection makes it out to be. (f) Although the reality of love did not match what is portrayed in this book, I still enjoyed it. I found myself rooting for certain characters and gasping in shock at the surprises. I felt the emotion that Kiera Cass was hoping to get from her readers.

Conclusion

The Selection is a well written romance novel. Although I am not much interested in romance, the premise of the book is interesting, and I will be reading the second and third book in this series. This book is recommended for those who enjoy the romance genre, and even for some who don’t!

Citation

Cass K. (2012). The selection. HarperTeen An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.