This review originally posted at Hooked on Books 
 I got so sucked into the drama of The Selection I couldn't help but read it in one sitting. 
 The Selection takes us right inside what is essentially The Bachelor for royalty. There's beautiful dresses, and maids to get help you get dressed and a charming prince. And right alongside that are a bunch of petty fights amongst the contestants, a secret (and illegal) love and coded messages. As a lover of the occasional soap opera I ate all of it right up. If you've ever watched the Bachelor or any sort of reality t.v show you know just how addictive the drama can be. My best description of this book is that it is a reality T.V. show in book form. And just like reality t.v. this type of book is fun to indulge in every once and awhile. 
 In this particular contest the story is focused on America Singer - who despite not wanting to be there is a favourite of the people. I wasn't overly impressed with America, herself. She seemed pretty one dimensional and it was fairly predictable what was going to end up happening to her. But I think in this case, I'm willing to overlook that because this novel does touch on some more important issues like hunger, education and wealth disparity and it is often America that brings these topics up. It's nice to see a YA novel pointing out some more difficult issues instead of just focusing on the love story. 
 While The Selection was definitely addictive, I still have so many questions that I couldn't overlook. A brief history lesson is given, as to why the United States of America is no more and how the current state came to be, but I didn't feel like it was enough. It explained the what and when but not the why. Particularly why a caste system was set in place - and an elaborate one at that. It simply states that it was easier that way, or they needed to do it. But why? What series of events are made simpler by a caste system? Just like my beef with the lack offeminists in the future, this didn't quite add up to me. 
 There isn't a lot of character substance and a lot of things are left unexplained but nevertheless The Selection is a fun read. It's sort of like cotton candy - light and airy but delicious. 
 Final recommendation: Recommended for those looking for a lighter read or those who enjoy indulging in soap opera drama.