I enjoyed this book. It is written for a fairly young audience - middle school as opposed to high school. Fair warning: there is no ending. I get annoyed with trilogies that are really just one book split into three parts. This is not a self contained story but a section of a 3-part book. Maybe best to wait until all 3 are published.
So perhaps I'm at an advantage since I never watched the Bachelor tv series. I tried once but hated it. However I really enjoyed this book from the very first page. I love the main character America. She is such a strong female lead. She is so comfortable with who she is as an individual. She doesn't try to change herself to fit in with the higher castes or gain the attention of Maxon. She just wants to be herself. she doesn't want to lose who she is during the Selection. That to me is very admirable. Not to mention she never lowers herself by being mean or playing mind games with the other girls in the Selection.
I really felt for America when Aspen leaves her in the tree house after she entered the Selection just for him. Here she plans her entire future with him and leaves her like it's not a big deal. I can kind of understand his reason behind it. He is a man and wants to take care of the people he loves but being a Siz makes it almost impossible. Afterall he has his mother and siblings to help support and with America being a 5 she is a little higher up in society than he is. How can he ever take care of her. So I can understand the why doesn't mean I have to like. He wants the best for her even if that means not being with him. So I of coarse found myself cheering for him in the beginning.
Then of coarse enter Prince Maxon. I really didn't want to like him from the beginning. Afterall I was hoping Aspen would come back. Yet the more and more I read about Maxon and his interactions with America the more I found myself liking him. He is completely clueless with the dating thing. He is shy, smart, sweet, and very considerate with all the girls in the selection. We see his friendship with America grow through out the book. He opens up with her and she helps him to see what life is really like. You realize that for a prince he is really just a normal person wanting to make a difference and wanting to make that difference with a true partner. So of coarse I found myself cheering for Maxon as well.
America is now torn between 2 men. Her first love, the boy she has loved for 2 years, and the boy she planned on marrying or the boy that is trying to make a difference in his country and wanting to do so by sharing his life with a partner no matter what her caste is or was. Honestly I don't know how she is going to choose or who she is going to choose. They both are great male leads. You can't help but like them both. Of coarse I always cheer for a happy ending and I think no matter which guy she ends up with will be perfect for her. At the sametime I can't help but be upset knowing one of the guys won't be chosen.
I am truly looking forward to book 2 in this series. I seriously hope that Celeste gets what's coming to her. Hopefully in the form of humiliation infront of everyone!!!
Loved this book. Plot really pulls you in, simple but elegantly written. I keep wanting to find out what will happen with the main characters. Believeable Dystopian story. Can't wait for book two.
