Book reviews by
Kiera Cass’ The Selection series is something that a lot of readers will eat up in no time.
There are several novels, plus a few novellas to go with it! This series is a dystopian/romance that is the perfect combination of fairy tale romance, Cinderella, and the Hunger Games.
It’s a unique story that many people already love, and we know you will, too.
The story is about a group of impoverished young women who enter into The Selection. What is The Selection? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change their lives and live among the wealthy by marrying the dashing Prince Maxon.
The books follow America Singer, a 16-year-old girl who wants to change her life and get everything she has ever wanted.
Set in a future United States that is fractured and different, these books follow America Singer. She is a young girl who comes from a small town but is stuck in the caste system like everyone else.
The young peasant girl is given the chance of a lifetime when a generational competition to find the crown prince and a suitor begins.
Women all around the country, no matter their caste, are allowed to enter and better their lives by marrying Prince Maxon.
Although everyone is aware that the competition is rigged from the start, anyone who participates will get a cash prize. This cash is the one thing that America’s family is in dire need of, and ultimately what forces her to go.
She despises the idea and cares about the prince even less, but he turns out to be nothing like she expected.
The tension and romance in this series will sweep you off your feet, and the adventure will be too good to put down. If you love romance, then this is a book that you are going to fall in love with.
We will start off with a quick overview of every book in The Selection series. This includes the five main books in the series and the four novellas. The names of these books are as follows:
The Selection, The Elite, The Prince (Novella), The Guard (Novella), The One, The Queen (Novella), The Heir, The Favorite (Novella), and The Crown.
Find the brief summaries in the section below.
The Selection gives 35 girls the only chance in their lives to escape the rigid caste system they find themselves living in. They get to live in a palace while competing for Prince Maxon’s heart.
For America Singer, the whole thing is a nightmare, and she will have to turn her back on Aspen, her secret love.
Although she wants nothing to do with the Selection and hates the very idea of it, the promise of a cash prize for just competing is the one thing her family needs.
She has to compete for a crown that she doesn’t want, but then she meets the prince at last.
Now, only six of the 35 girls remain. The competition is more fierce than ever as America Singer fights for her place and the ultimate prize.
The Prince is a novella that goes behind the scenes to learn more about one of the characters; Prince Maxon. Here, you get to see the prince’s point of view, and a look into his world before the Selection.
You learn that there was another girl in his life, and you see what happened in the week that leads up to the Selection. What does he think when he first meets America Singer? And what changes?
This is a novella that you shouldn’t miss, and it will only make you fall in love with the characters more.
This second novella focuses on Aspen Leger, the boy that America Singer was in love with. We get to follow him on his journey into the royal guard and get a look into his life.
Readers will also get to experience a teaser for the next book in the series.
America Singer has been forever changed since she entered into the Selection. She has struggled with her own feelings towards Aspen, her first love, as her feelings for Prince Maxon have grown.
America has now finally made a choice, and will have to fight hard for the future that she has decided that she wants.
Only, which future will it be, and what will she have to do to get it?
This novella is another unmissable addition to the series. Here, we get to focus on Amberly, Prince Maxon’s mother, and the journey she had to go on to win the Selection years ago.
We have the chance to see how Prince Maxon’s parents met, and how an ordinary girl became the country’s beloved queen.
This story gives us some insight into the life of the queen, and everything she had to go through to be where she is now. What has changed? What has remained the same? Read the novella to find out.
It has been 20 years since America Singer won the Selection and Prince Maxon’s heart. Now, Princess Eadlyn’s time has come to hold a Selection for herself.
This 64-page novella is told from Marlee’s perspective. It tells the story of how Marlee and Carter’s lives were forever changed on that fateful Halloween night.
The final book in The Selection series follows Eadlyn’s journey as she holds her own Selection. This is the first time a princess has ever held a Selection of her own, and history is changing.
The princess would never have imagined that she would find a suitable partner among the 35 members of the Selection, and certainly not true love. However, the heart will always surprise us, and now she has to make a difficult choice.
This choice might also be the most important one she will ever have to make, so it has to be the right one.
There are two ways to read this series by order of the publication dates, or in chronological order. The first option is the one to go for if you will be reading this book for the first time.
The chronological option is perfect for you if you are doing a re-read and want to stay true to the real timeline.
We will start with the order of the publication dates.
This is how the author intended for her books to be read, and is the perfect way to get into the series. It is also the easiest way to go because everything is laid out in front of you.
As you might expect, this is the route that the vast majority of people will go down. You can find the correct order to read The Selection right here:
Please note that the “Happily Ever After” collection includes all the novellas. While it isn’t a separate book, it is still worth reading in order to stick with the publication dates!
If you would like to follow the true timeline on your next read-through, this is how you would approach the series:
0.1 The Queen (Novella)
0.2 The Prince (Novella)
2. The Elite
2.5 The Guard (Novella)
3. The One
3.5 The Favorite (Novella)
4. The Heir
6. The Crown
Here, you will start with two of the wonderful novellas.
This means that you will get to learn about some of the supporting characters before diving into the story before they even appear there. It’s a great way to learn about these important characters and develop more of a bond with them
The last reading order you could try out is a combination! This might be a lesser-known option, but one that anyone who is re-reading the series will probably love.
Here, starting the series with The Selection just feels right. This will introduce you to the characters, and then allow you to learn more about their backstory when it actually starts to matter.
Initially, it is very unlikely that you are going to care about the queen if you have not even met her in the main story yet.
This option will also give you the chance to read most of the novellas at the same time, which just makes life a little easier. However, it definitely isn’t advised to read the four novellas at once, as tempting as that might be.
Some of them have spoilers, so you don’t want to ruin it for yourself (even if you’re reading the series again).
As such, you can use this method for that re-read you have been wanting to do:
1.5 The Prince (Novella)
2. The Elite
2.1 The Queen (Novella)
2.2 The Guard (Novella)
3. The One
3.5 The Favorite (Novella)
4. The Heir
6. The Crown
There you go! You now have three great ways to read The Selection series, no matter if you are starting out or doing a re-read.
The Selection series is a tale of love, hardship, and thrilling surprises. It starts with America Singer’s reluctant entrance into the Selection and ends with her daughter, Princess Eadlyn’s very own selection.
There are many difficult choices to be made along the way, and drama unfolds at every step. How can you choose between two worlds and two completely different lives?
Each of these options has something different to offer to you, the reader. Since you’re probably going to be reading this series more than once, you can always try out a different method every time, too!
That way, you can experience everything the series has to offer, and you do not need to worry about missing out on anything.