Tugging My Ear, ALWAYS♥

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Release Date: Already Released! (April 24, 2012)
Format: Hardcover, 327 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: BOUGHT! (Thank goodness!)

Description from Goodreads:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the 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. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I want to sing from rooftops. And ball my eyes out. And gush and gush about how much I LOVED this book. Ah, The Selection. The book in B&N that just would not let me leave until I bought it. The book that I have heard so many good and not-so-good things about. The book that I am currently full-out in love with. Yeah, it was that good.

I would say that this book is like that show The Bachelor, but I've never watched it, so I couldn't tell you. It IS what comes to mind, though, when I think of things to compare The Selection to. A good thing to compare this book to, as far as I can tell. Pretty much, this book is a bunch of girls thrown into a palace competing for the heart of a . . . urm . . . well, I'll get more descriptive later--the heart of a prince.

This was one of those books that was so addicting I lost quite a bit of sleep because I could not put it down. I was so happy as I read this book. Seriously, I'd read it in class when I could, and whenever I couldn't, it was in my lap and I was telling everyone within earshot about how amazing it was as I stroked the gorgeous hardcover lovingly. I get like that sometimes.

I really liked the mix of cultures that I noticed in this book. There were probably more than I caught, but the caste thing, mixed with--yeah, I'm mentioning this again--The Bachelor mixed with a monarchy. I personally feel that this society was described well enough for me to understand what was happening, but was somewhat mysterious in a way that I have a hunch that some topics I am currently wondering about will pop back up later in the series. Another thing about this topic is that we were also limited by America's point of view. If America didn't know about something--and it seems like a lot of people were in the dark about quite a few things--we couldn't know about it either. I like that in a book because it helps me understand the characters better.

While I'm on the topic, Character Rundown time! First we have America. I really want to like America, but am on the fence about her because of some choices she makes that I totally disagree with. At the end of the book, though, I was happy with how she stood up for herself and set on a path of resolve. Overall, America was a nice character. Humble and realistic and talented and kind and shy. And while she was all those things, they also adapted in certain situations when necessary, which added dignity to her character. America . . . certainly a character I am excited to read more about.

Aspen. I'll get him out of the way first. I have thought and thought about what to tell y'all about him, but I can't come up with anything better than this: I don't like him. At all. He did some jerkish things, no matter how selfless he thought he was being, and I honestly do not see why America is so hung up on him. Sadly, I think it may only be his pretty face and the fact that he was her first love. Female leads tend to have trouble getting over those, which makes me unhappy. Anyways, now we have a character I love: Maxon! OH MAXON. I positively adored Maxon. I am 100% on his team, no doubt in my mind. He is kind and caring and charming in his own quirky way. Plus, he's a prince, if that's really worth anything next to his other wonderful traits. I love how he's so inexperienced. It was the total opposite of what I was expecting from him as the prince. Usually the princes are rebellious and stuff, right? Well, this one is sweet and lovable.

And THAT brings me to sweetness. This story is sounds like one that is overflowing with this kind of thing, right? Well, it's not really. Yet it is. I am aware that those statements were contradicting. That would be because this book is SO sweet. So so so sweet. Definitely satisfied me there. But there isn't really an official couple for a majority of the book. There is the friendship between Maxon and America, but that doesn't morph into something like would be totally predicted. So yes, there are positively sweet moments that made me smile and wish I knew Maxon in person. But all of these moments were not necessarily couple-ish ones. Some of them were, though. The details of what I am telling you right now shall remain a mystery until you read the book yourself. So I suggest you go read it. Just saying. ;)

This book was not some big, epic battle story that was a thrill to read the whole way through. It was a total pageant-gush-type book. Clothing and sweetness and friendship and drama. Even though it is not full of action, The Selection still held my attention with the setting, characters, dialogue, and actual events in the book. Maybe not super-hardcore events, but interesting and enthralling all the same.

The ending. I liked the end of this book in the sense that it didn't end at a point where all hope was lost for me. Because that happens more often than it should. BUT, I didn't like that it ended right in the middle of a big character change and revelation about herself. It certainly sets up the next book, but leaves me totally wanting! Needless to say, I plan to attack the next book the moment it gets on shelves. I'm serious, I've already been preparing my mom for it and everything--the moment it comes out, I will be ALL OVER IT.

Now I must comment on the acknowledgements page. I've never done this before because I usually don't feel the need to. But right now I do. I always read the acknowledgements page(s) of books. Always. Sometime I read them before AND after I read the book. Yeah, I'm weird. Anyways, I just want to say that I love that the readers were thanked not once but TWICE. It makes me feel special when things like that happen. I also like that Kiera mentioned that we may have stayed up late reading. Because I did. I finished this book at, like, 2 AM on a school night. I was tired. And I honestly hope Monica and I think of something totally EPIC between now and six months from now.

Okay, now that I'm done confusing you all and commenting on something that really has nothing to do with the content of The Selection, I shall thank y'all for reading my review! And I kind of want to thank Kiera for writing this book because I loved Maxon. And the book, too. ;)

All right, Friends. Until next post!

♥Jessica(: