The Selection

The Selection, Book 1

By: Kiera Cass

Narrated by: Amy Rubinate

Fall in love - from the very beginning. Discover the first book in the captivating, number one New York Times best-selling Selection series.

Prepare to be swept into a world of breathless fairy-tale romance, swoonworthy characters, glittering gowns, and fierce intrigue perfect for listeners who loved Divergent, Delirium, or The Wrath & the Dawn.

For 35 girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape a rigid caste system, live in a palace, and compete for the heart of 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, and competing for a crown she doesn’t want.

Then America meets Prince Maxon - and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Don’t miss The Betrothed, a glittering royal romance sure to captivate Kiera Cass’s legion of loyal listeners and lovers of courtly intrigue alike!

©2012 Kiera Cass (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

You might want to wait... if you hate cliffhangers

I clicked on an ad—that said Hunger Games + Cinderella + The Bachelor = The Selection and totally impulse bought this audio book. I admit it, I was taken by the ad and the cover. Beautiful.

I don’t want to give away too much, but I found the main character to be charming and endearing in a “no, no… please don’t do that… oh you really did it now” kind of way. I really liked her family… in particular her youngest brother. I also felt like her relationship with her Mom really rang true for me. There were moments that made me cringe thinking about the trouble America got herself into through her impetuous responses. I am completely rooting for her—and have already picked which guy I think would be better for her. But based on how she reacted through out the book, and what my gut thought she should do—she will probably choose the other one. (So yes, triangle)

Beyond all of the romance stuff (which is front and center of the book)—is what I imagine for the author a slow build. I loved how the knowledge of this society is laid into the story.

But:
1)I thought—especially in the very beginning that the narrator sounded almost mechanical---wooden. Maybe this was on purpose?? By the end, I didn’t notice it anymore… in fact I did love the way she did the Prince’s voice---for that she deserves credit. If you are listening--let me to encourage you to push on.

2)The ending… I have rewound and listened to the last 20 minutes… oh man, seriously painful---and I would say abrupt ending. All I can do is hope it’s not a long time for the next one. But then maybe that’s a good thing…


Over all I really enjoyed it... but if you are more a fan of Hunger Games than Cinderella or the Bachelor then I’m not sure this is the book for you. Romance is definitely the name of this game.

I can't believe I loved this book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It depends on the friend, honestly, as a 30 year old woman, I'm a bit ashamed I loved this book. But I did. So I am more than happy to tell people I loved it - but I have no idea if they would or not.

What did you like best about this story?

The main character is spunky. She's awesome.

Have you listened to any of Amy Rubinate’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me mad that the next book isn't coming out until 2013. Honestly - another person reviewed this, and said wait to get it until the next book came out - which sold me on getting the book. Should have listened to her. I can't believe I have to wait a year to figure out what happens - and since it's a trilogy - probably TWO years to know the end.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to see if A. the TV show is picked up, and B. If they can roll the next two books out any faster... :)

I love dystopian romance fiction, but not this one

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was awful. She sounded like VOICE TO TEXT if you have a Kindle Fire you know what I am talking about. It sounded like Siri if you have an iPhone. No emotion. I could have just bought the book and listen to it on my Kindle Fire with Voice to Text. She did Prince Max's voice fine, but not enough to want me to listen to anything else the narrator has read.

Was The Selection worth the listening time?

No. I regret buying the entire series. I love dystopian fiction, I love a good love triangle, and I love The Bachelor, so I thought this will be a winner for me. WRONG!!! This one just got me in a bad mood. America first was "pushing" certain girls toward Max. She is the one that pushed the whole "we will be friends and I will help you get through this selection." Then it was her whole "why did you kiss her??" That was so predictable. I did not hate America, just some of her behavior and attitude annoyed me. I can already tell Book 2 will annoy me more, I can predict what the entire game. I wish I could return the remaining 2 books I bought in advance. I bought them last month and now it is too late for me to return. Lesson learned...never buy the entire series. Buy one at a time and when you are ready to listen to them. This was not worth my credit.

The Selection

Very intriguing story line. can't wait to listen to the next book in the series.

not bad

Not a fan of the narrator. I like her voice but I felt she lacked emotion in her tone. I had to get over that to continue. I look forward to the next books in the series. I'm definitely interested in seeing not only where the live story goes but also how the political intrigue unravels.

Sweet story

I don't know if the rest of the story will be as sweet but this one was pretty nice!

READ THIS!

LOVE THIS SERIES. It IS SO GOOD. Like the bachelor but with a prince. It’s amazing. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND.

Book amazing.. speaker..

I loved the book! And how it all came together! But the voiceover was not that great. But when the book is that good, you can get pass the readers voice!

Love this book!

I love this book! I’ve read it twice and listened once! It was nice to be able to hear infliction of voices.

I am glad I gave this book a chance

This is not the type of book I typically go for. I am going to enjoy listening to more books in the series. I recently discovered this author and I find myself getting lost in the books.