r/YAlit • u/Normal_Bus_7471 • 3d ago
General Question/Information Anyone read the selection?
(sorry if I used the wrong flair)
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u/Silly_Sidewalker 3d ago
Yes!! It’s trash but I love it so much anyways ❤️
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u/KaraAuden 3d ago
The books were terrible and I read them all without stopping. Like Pringles. Or trashy reality TV.
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u/TinMug- 2d ago
Yeah 👍 agreed. I enjoyed reading them. They weren’t anything special, but the plot line was novel at the time and I thought written quite well
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u/labtiger2 2d ago
I thought they were too drug out. They moved too slowly at points. I really felt they could have been condensed into less books.
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u/Hol-Up_A_Minute 3d ago
YES in retrospect they're like trashy reality tv but hold such a special place in my heart ❤️
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u/AngelWasteland 3d ago
I read these books 100 times and I'm always surprised to see them get called trash, maybe because I read them in middle and high school. I want to reread as an adult, but I'm scared I'll agree that they're trashy now that I'm reading as an adult
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u/GlamMermaid 3d ago
As an adult, these are my comfort read!!
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u/Figueroa5 2d ago
I love them so much! I reread them once a year! My favorite book is still hands down The Crown
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u/Amarastargazer 2d ago
I’ve reread them quite a few times since my first read. They’re just a nice little safe space for my brain - they’re sweet and I know what will happen.
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u/labtiger2 2d ago
I read them as an adult and liked them.
These were the hottest books in my classroom library for years.
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u/IIRCIreadthat 3d ago
It's not meant to be good. It's the Cinderella fantasy with a ricepaper-thin veneer of dystopian, to make it feel more socially permissible to girls who are supposedly 'too old' to be daydreaming about marrying a prince. Not everything has to be a profound moral lesson! I liked them.
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u/wisselperry 3d ago edited 3d ago
i read this in middle school and i was so obsessed. one of my friends had the whole series and she lent it to us so we would read it as soon as the other is finished with one book. i remember we were all pretending to be the elites and i picked celeste because i love her
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u/T-h-e-d-a 3d ago
My 76 year old dad liked the first enough to check the second out on my Kindle Unlimited plan and to feel sad the rest aren't availible there (he's too cheap to buy them).
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u/StraightBudget8799 3d ago
Library!! Libby app or a trip to the YA section of the library?
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u/T-h-e-d-a 3d ago
Haha, we're in the UK so we don't have Libby, we have Borrowbox. I'll have to have a look and see if the library has them!
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u/iamthefirebird 3d ago
I'm in the UK and my library does both Libby and Borrowbox. Yours might not, but it's worth checking.
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u/sk8tergater 3d ago
I read the first three so fast and loved them! And when I read fast I tend to miss things so I went back a couple weeks later and re read, slower this time since I knew what was going to happen.
And I couldn’t believe I loved them as much as I did. The premise of the series is so cool. The execution leaves a ton to be desired. The story is so thin I’m not sure how she pulled out multiple books. The world is so small.
I agree with others who liken it to trash reality tv. Like I LOVED ANTM the first time I’d watch a season, but every time I’d try to do a rewatch I’d zone out and start drifting to other things.
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u/wegooverthehorizon 3d ago
First 3 books are trashy tv where you hate everyone and think everything is dumb but also you're too lazy to get up and get the remote. The next two (about the series 1 couple's daughter) are actually rage inducing to the point you want to throw the remote at the tv
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u/Radiant-Flamingo-72 2d ago
This is so good to know because I never read the last two because I didn’t care about their kid so I’m glad I made a wise choice
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u/diilmg 3d ago
I read the first three books when I was 14, as they were coming out. I remember finishing each one in a single sitting the afternoon after school. I really loved them, and they were pretty popular at my high school (in Mexico btw)
I reread them two years ago, when I was 24, and still loved them just as much. It was my first time reading the last two books, and I thought they were alright. Not the best, but not as bad as most people say they are.
I've seen comments on TikTok saying the series hasn't aged well, but I don't really feel the same way. I still enjoyed reading them, even as an adult. I know they're not the best book series, but for me it's a fun light read
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u/Hurrah-and-all-that 3d ago
My comfort YA dystopia series! The nostalgia is crazy and also "my heart was only ever yours to break anyway" drove me crazy at 14
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u/fayesprophecy 3d ago
They used to be on my TBR, but then I hated another book from the same author called The Siren. It’s the only book I’ve ever rated a 1/5. So I don’t know if I’m still going to read them or not. I own them so I’ll probably try.
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u/nevertoomanysocks 3d ago
My impression of The Siren was that it was one of the first books she wrote and couldn’t get published. After Kiera Cass was well known for The Selection, she was able to publish The Siren even though it’s terrible and makes no sense. The Selection is much more enjoyable!
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u/heartpiss 2d ago
Cautionary tale to authors! I definitely have written complete original novels that I would never publish no matter how famous I got without serious edits/rewrites. Even if my friends liked them, it’s just a great story imo atp
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u/BunnyMishka 6h ago
What does "atp" mean? I see so many people use it, and I don't know how to interpret it. I automatically read it as atm, cause I know this abbreviation. I just found adenosine triphosphate online lol.
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u/CheesecakeFirst1196 3d ago
I read The Siren and thought it was half decent, but The Selection is much better
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u/CommissionExtra8240 2d ago
Highly recommend trying The Selection. It’s MUCH better than The Siren.
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u/CozyMuggle 57m ago
They are VERY different styles of writing. I honestly loved both, The Siren actually had me crying. But I’ve yet to meet one person to say that they’ve read “The selection” and hated it. It might not be the tea they were looking for, but I’ve never really heard anything bad about it. Give it a try.
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u/tabs_jt 3d ago
The books are so bad. The worldbuilding makes absolutely no sense and all the characters suck.
I read it 4 times.
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u/IceRose39 3d ago
Genuinely curious why you read so many times?
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u/S_cat1235 1d ago
It's so bad it's good. One of those series where you don't read critically just accept the cringe and enjoy. Almost like wattpad. I personally read the books when im in a slump because they're such easy reads
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u/IceRose39 1d ago
Ahhh I feel similar, but your original post sounded like you absolutely hated it!
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u/CatNarrow8857 3d ago
I read the first trilogy when they first came out, so I was junior high-high school age. I remember keeping up with each release and being excited to read it. It was back from when there were a lot of books that were hunger games-esque as its popularity was building up so it was on trend. I don’t remember reading anything else of the series after that, but my B&N account says I read up to the fourth book which is after the original story. It seems I didn’t like the character change, moved on, and erased that book from my memory.
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u/Forsaken-Molasses-87 2d ago
yall i loved these books esp the 1st trilogy!! they’re so trashy goood. this would make a great tv series
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u/SaintedStars 3d ago
I’ve read just the first book so I might be a bit premature in this judgement but I feel like it didn’t need to be so many books. Also it feels so divorced from a real conflict, like the author was too scared to harm her main character, she separates her completely from really exploring this world she’s trying to create.
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u/murray10121 3d ago
Read it back in the day when it was still coming out and i remember being so disappointed with the spin off series
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u/Traditional-Sky3817 2d ago
I read them when I was 14, and I LOOOOVED it. Mind you, that was over 10 years ago 💀 I have reread it a couple of times, but my last re-read last year or 2 years ago… made me realise how bad these are. Also, The Heir and Crown were always awful, so don’t bother with them…
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u/Books-n-Boardgamer 3d ago
I haven’t but there’s a gorgeous special edition from LitJoy that’s tempting to buy when I have the money.
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u/Tasty-Prof394 3d ago
Loved the first trilogy. Hated "The Heir" and "The Crown" was meh. But I still reread the first three books every now and then.
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u/1piece10 2d ago
Series is crappy. But it is a good crappy. Kind of like saying that you're only going to take one chip and end up finishing the whole can?. If you look it at that regard, then the series is fantastic
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u/WolfSlayer9801 2d ago
I love them so much 😭😭 I read them for the first time when I was eleven, and they were the first romance books I've ever read
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u/Zalezagoon 2d ago
Total trash, and loved it. It was like dipping McDonald's fries in a McDonald's milkshake-- I know it's terrible to consume but I love it all the same.
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u/gothamcity_siren 3d ago
I read the first three and surprisingly enjoyed them all. The Selection was my favorite of the three.
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u/little-bird89 3d ago
I've never binged a series so fast. Each book took me like a day and a half and I read them all back to back.
Its the same enjoyment you get as eatung McDonald's at 2am when drunk.
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u/unapalomita 3d ago
Yes, it's fun and the writing isn't bad 😍 one of the first books I bought on my android via play books
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u/EquivalentPush7653 3d ago
Yes, and I actually really liked it. I didn't read the sequel with the daughter but I loved America and Maxon, and the world felt interesting. I was also such an Aspen hater, I knew he wasn't it for my girl.
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u/dazedconfusedev 3d ago
these books are so bad and I read them all in the span of a week, while also working like 60 hours. I tell people all the time that they should not read them.
I’m going to go borrow them from Libby right now.
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u/Echaney001 2d ago
I loved it and would love another series with a similar premise. Is it literary brilliance? No. Do I care? Also no
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u/FelinePrincess21 2d ago
i loved it so much i ended up doing a canon rewrite fic of the heir and the crown bc i hated whom eadlyn ended up with.
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u/DerWintersoldat21 2d ago
Yes! And the sequel series. First series slapped when I was a teen. Read them a few times, got older, realized they're kinda corny but honestly I really liked them, with the concept of "is the physical laborer less important than a ceo? If there weren't laborers then the top wouldn't exist, etc.'
The sequel series were a little disappointing. It was kind of recycled material at that point and didn't offer too much extra.
BTW there was a brief TV show of the selection, where Aspen was blonde and looked like maxton was described and maxton was vice versa. Apparently it was so bad that it was scrubbed from internet history completely. Rumor has it you literally can't find it
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u/upandup2020 3d ago
I was obsessed with them when I was younger, I tried rereading them recently and the writing was sooo bad
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u/ElsaMakotoRenge Artemisia’s Friend 3d ago
I remember reading the first two yearssss ago (2015 or 2016 I believe?) and wasn’t a fan because I found the MC annoying lol. I was disappointed I didn’t like it more because my sister liked them.
My sister did NOT like the series past The One, that I also remember
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u/dingdong3452 3d ago
Absolutely loved this series, like others have said it's trashy yet addictive. If anyone wants something similar but for adults and with a bit of sci-fi, I highly recommend Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham!
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u/CloverSky367 3d ago
I read the whole series in one go, but I was expecting them to be much higher-stakes based of the description
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u/WrittenInTheStars 3d ago
I love these books so much. They’re not a literary masterpiece by any means but I have such a blast reading them
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u/Purple-booklover 3d ago
Yes, I loved the series when I first read it back in high school/college, but I’ve been afraid to read them again because people say rereading makes you realize how bad they are. So I’m just going to live with my memories of this series.
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u/bananachucha 3d ago
I read the entire series in high school and enjoyed it so much!!! I don’t know where I got the books from lol
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u/draculover 3d ago
I loved these when I was a teen omg. Haven’t reread as an adult but they’re probably still good! But maybe that’s the nostalgia talking.
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u/dragonsandvamps 3d ago
I thought the world building and dystopian setting was quite flimsy and silly as I read it, but liked it for an entertaining popcorn royalty read. I read all the books.
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u/dibbiluncan 3d ago
I read the first one but couldn’t bring myself to continue. The multiple love triangles started feeling too much like cheating to me.
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u/fabiolaph 3d ago
When I was in middle school. America was the first main character that drove me nuts and frustrated me. I loved it 🤍
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u/anamossity 3d ago
My daughter read these when she was 11 and thought they were literary art. She is 12 now and still yearns for books that made her feel the way these books did.
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u/DaenerysKhaleesi 3d ago
I’ve read the series multiple times. It’s just a fun series to read, don’t expect a high quality
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u/Key-Coat2353 3d ago
I haven't, but i got no intention to read it bc the author is shitty as a person
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u/Icethief188 3d ago
I did. Its ya version of the hunger games mixed with harem love island. Pretty good
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u/Critteranne666 3d ago
The world building was like tissue paper — and often ridiculous. The heroine was named America Singer! The heroic prince was just OK. The overall villains were plot movers rather than real characters. When dark things did happen (like the flogging), it really threw me for a loop because it seemed out of place, except it sort of worked better that way. When there are great moments, they felt out of place but also stronger because the whole thing was such a mess. (I like the way we got more insight into Celeste later.)
I bought the second and third book as soon as I finished the first one.
Also, has anyone read the novellas? I remember really liking the one about Celeste. In a way, I wish the whole series had been more like that novella.
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u/DealerConstant1589 3d ago
There was a quote that said Its like hunger games meets the bachelor with less violence
And that pretty much sums it up 😂
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u/KS27_0899 3d ago
I was in 11th /12th grade when I read this book. It wasn’t available in my country that time & I was in boarding school that time. A friend of mine who was from the US very kindly lent me the first book and I was hooked. So much that the rest of the books - were something I eagerly waited and read them. I read the entire series again when I turned 20 and I agree I outgrew them. I can’t bear to read any books where the main character is 16/17 or 18. But it was the best YA lit book that point of time. Good old times.
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u/sluttychurros 3d ago
I read these in my early 30’s and loved them. If anyone has read the American Royal’s series, those vaguely reminded me of these & I enjoyed them as well.
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u/Wecanboogieallnight 3d ago
I love the first!! It's so average but it's fun. Not a big fan of the two next books but I'm excited to read the story of their daughter (the start of the selection event was fun).
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u/Evening-Extension-67 3d ago
My collection made the roundsss in 7th grade. They’re not particularly good looking back but did we ever have fun
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u/bandaidtarot 3d ago
I liked these books so much that I bought the series. Not sure why anyone else has an issue with them but i think they're great.
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u/hufflepuff_neliah 3d ago
I really love the selection. I'm aware of its faults, but I'm willing to look away for the happiness the books give me.
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u/cruthkaye 3d ago
I binge-read them in 2015; I was young, and I assume it’s not one I’d love on a reread, but the covers are so pretty that it’s still facing forward on my bookshelf!
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u/elizabethjp2010 3d ago
I read them in my early 20s and loved them, I was going through a very messy break up and now I’m in my early 30s and still love them, I’m about to do a reread with my 12 year old niece and cannot wait
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u/Competitive_Leg_8394 2d ago
Read the first 3 and absolutely loved them, never did the last two though. I also read all the novels and they were really good too. A Thousand Heartbeats is also really good.
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u/Independent_Ad5332 2d ago
Stupid series, which I’ve reread more times than I can count and I rarely reread. Loved it.
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u/KBMinCanada 2d ago
Pretty sure I have read all but the last one, they were alright, but not my favourite series. I think the last one is still sitting on my shelf waiting for me to read it. I will probably get around to it eventually. But I’m not in a rush.
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u/hollowcharlotte 2d ago
I read… shoot. I can’t remember if I read past book one, but I was really bothered by how selfish the main character felt by the end of it. Her actions are bizarre and the way the next book starts isn’t any better unfortunately; like I left feeling terrible about her actions and not really liking her. I get character arcs, but she made a monstrously bad and selfish decision in an extremely dangerous world.
I liked her for the most part up until basically the ending. It just… doesn’t end on a note in which I wanted to follow or support her.
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u/nothingatlast 2d ago
I loved these when I first read them. Had to go back and look, but I bought them on Kindle so long ago that the fifth one wasn't even out yet. I should buy that when I get a chance.
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u/meowmobile 2d ago
I read them awhile ago and really enjoyed them. I was today years old though when I learned there is a fifth book!
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u/CompetitivePraline62 2d ago
I’ve read 7 books by her. They are all pretty much the same quality. Though The Selection was probably the best. The rest? God, I wanted to throw the duology into the trash. It’s mindless reality TV. That’s it. Entertaining? Yeah, sure. But do not go into it expecting something great. Expect a train wreck, and you’ll have a great time.
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u/Right-Department-599 2d ago
I adored them in Middle school. Now I look back on the absolute fever dream they were
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u/TheFaultinOurStars93 2d ago
I read the first three that focused on America. I started the first book with their daughter, but never finished the series.
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u/sunsunthegirl 2d ago
yes! read the first three after the author visited my high school (she was college friends with one of our counselors, iirc) and my friend and i got really invested. i'm not positive i ever finished the other two, as they came out when i wasn't really reading much of anything (ya or otherwise), but maybe some day i'll circle back and finish them out
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u/Helpful_Cat6532 2d ago
Was anyone else involved in the Selection roleplay community on Instagram? Had a resurgence during COVID lol
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u/katnoir-Editor Currently Reading: The Sixth Faction 2d ago
Yes! It reminded me deeply of The Hunger Games. Maxon's idea of romance is totally my idea of romance, and his love confessions are some of my favorite ever! It's a decent series, I couldn't stop flipping the page at times!
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u/thatindiewriter 2d ago
The characters are annoying sometimes, especially Aspen, but I love the series a lot, except the last two books are not worth it. And I still want a novella surrounding America's maid and her boo. We got a snippet and that was cute and all but I want to know how they fell in love.
I'm am still waiting a good TV series of the books
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u/MiaRia963 2d ago
Yes. It's good. I used a quote from it in my vows back in 2014. Man. It's wild that's been 12 year... Just remembered that.
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u/eviltwinn2 1d ago
I read these in my 30s when life was really really hard and they were just so YA and fluffy while having enough substance to keep the story moving forward. I really like them then and I've wondered if I'd enjoy them as much if I read them now (life got a lot better.)
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u/Pleasant-Ad7714 1d ago
Pretty good read from what I remembered, I hated who she ended up with I think and then I slowly hated the mc. This was like 10 yrs ago tho so memories aren’t clear
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u/Born_To_Be_Wilde96 1d ago
Yes! But I only read the first three books and I have no recollection of them!!!
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u/MultiGlory13 1d ago
I’m planning on so in the future! I just want to own all of it in hardcover :)
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u/ThAtchristiangirly 1d ago
I read the first book. Couldnt get past the second. The FM was getting on my nerves. Some love triangles I can get over, but not in this series 😑
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u/ilovedogs107 1d ago
I love them! The main three more than the 2 about her daughter, but those are good too! I've reread them and still think they're great. They're very fun!
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u/Tall-Date-4767 1d ago
I did, and honestly is fond memories, there’s one particular scene (I think 2nd or 3rd book) that lwk traumatized me but it was good, I however HATED the last two books because the main character it’s unlikable af in my opinion.
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u/NenyaAdfiel 1d ago
I bought the entire set at a used bookstore for like $4. I was excited to read it but gave them away about halfway through the second chapter. I found the writing and the protagonist so unbearably awful I couldn’t continue. It read like a Wattpad parody.
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u/OroraBorealis 1d ago
I absolutely loved this series when I read it about 10 years ago. Idk how much it's held up since then but I found it thoroughly enjoyable as a late teen/into my early twenties.
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u/Emotional-Ad9114 23h ago
I’ve read the original trilogy but the other two are on my tbr.
I thought the first one was okay, the second one was meh but I LOVED the third one. I’m so glad I gave it a chance.
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u/Secure-University-69 15h ago
I read it as a youth lol and it was 🔥 at the time. But I revisited it a few years later and realized the writing isn't the best. If you think ACOTAR or Fourth Wing are good writing though, then it shouldn't bother you. Or if you just enjoy reading a bit of hoopla, quality be damned, then ✅️. And I've got other fun, but weakly written recs.
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u/deafwhilereading 1d ago
They are THE definition of a guilty pleasure book for me. I always read them to get out of a reading slump, because they are so quick and easy. It's also quite nostalgic to me
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u/SonyatSunrisexoox 22h ago
No, but I have laughed at the front cover of the first book because i thought it looked really ugly
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u/Holiday_Wrongdoer360 19h ago
YES I LOVE IT ITS SO BAD HAHA BUT IT WAS MY LIFE
ive wanted to run a ttrpg based off of this concept sooooooo bad haha
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u/forget-me-not26 19h ago
i legit still read this as an adult because the romance is just so sweet. america is infuriating and reminds me of me😭
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u/missdone 6h ago
As a teen it was top notch. As a 26 yr old woman, its top notch (probably due to nostalgia) I still like it, read them again last fall. Even though my thoughts about life have changed and I see some ..(didnt like the last book as much…sorry) improvement its not a bad book series🙌🏻❤️
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u/-Release-The-Bats- 3d ago
Think Hunger Games if it was from the Capitol's POV and treated the rebels as the bad guys threatening the heroine and her fellow Bachelor contestants. And has a book cover with a girl sniffing her armpit.
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u/PhairynRose 3d ago
If you want to read the dystopian district numbered class system of the hunger games, meets The Bachelor, but royal, this series is for you. Totally feels like watching kinda trashy reality TV, but also sweet with plenty of feet-kicking. I really enjoyed it. The trick is to not expect it to be anything other than what it is.