Blog post: http://sonichreads.tumblr.com/post/16... 
 Review: I'm debating. Giving this book 1 star would be too mean, 2 stars would be too nice. So, 1.5 is perfect. 
 I'm not saying that I hate this book because I don't. 3 years ago, I read it and I loved it because I liked romance a lot more than I do now. I'd say that the romance here was tolerable, yet the writing, the plot, the characters were not. So let me tell you the things that went wrong. 
 The Selection was categorized as a dystopian and romance, yet all things dystopian/history/politic in this book were nonsense and un acceptable. There are countries that fought against each other because of money, children being abused for stealing, social castes, so-called social norm like intimacy before marriage, virginity. 
 Another thing I would complain about is how ridiculous the names in this book are. Who in the world would name their kids America Singer? There were girls whose names are Tuesday, Tiny, Caletes. Yup, very unique. 
 I'm damned sure that the writing in this book was supposed to be sweet as a cupcake, but I was not affected by it. Yes, it was funny, but I wasn't swooning about America and Maxon or America and Aspen. Other than that, Cass went describing about America's beauty and her denying it, jewelries, luxurious beauty of dresses and palace. I ain't need that, honestly. I was mostly bored of that and it made me grow tired of the whole Selection and even Maxon. 
 I wouldn't blame this book for having no plot because of the romance and the Selection going on. Though, I have a thing that I question myself a lot of times. Why could the rebels get into the palace THIS easily? It's a monarchy and the kings and queens are supposed to be highly secured and well-defended. The rebels could run into the palace with ease and I don't understand. Plot hole. 
 I know a lot of people who adored America as an example of perfection in protagonist. Not for me, not from the beginning. I thought she was too stubborn and complicated. She thought Maxon as a friend but she was obviously envious of other girls who got to him. I thought Maxon was great and gentle prince charming. Of course, every girl in the whole country loved him. I liked him, but is this the kind of guy I would fall in love with? No. 
 Overall: If The Selection is called romance, then I'll agree. It's more of the humor in the writing that should dwell in this book. And of course, Maxon. Other than that, I wouldn't read it again.