This book was somewhat troublesome for me to pin down my reaction on. The beginning was hard for me to get into. Once we moved into the Selection and it became more Princess and the Pea in the style of the Bachelor (all tinged with some Hunger Games) I got into the flow a little more. I think what I really don't like is Aspen. The relationship between him and America was somewhat annoying to me from the beginning, probably because I knew it was going to be a love triangle from the start (You've got to impress me with the love triangles at this point. I'm over the love triangles.). All the characters could use a little more rounding, and I don't think my annoyance is anything to do with Aspen's character. Rather, the dynamic between Aspen and America is uninteresting to me. It feels like a plot device. 
 That being said, there was one part with Aspen that did get on my nerves a lot, namely the ill-fated dinner America made for him. I understand that men want to provide for their families, and it's a pride thing with this guy, but this was handled somewhat poorly. It provided a very specific idea of gender roles and did nothing to explore or commentate on it. Is this a very specific personality trait? Is this the norm? The premise of this book is already somewhat problematic when it comes to gender roles. I'm not asking for heavy, deep commentary. I understand the landscape of YA, but I also understand the potential power of these books. It doesn't need to be overt or preachy, but even exploring it a little or providing a counter POV would help young girls reading the novel to question and think about gender roles in a more complex way, without breaking the narrative flow of the story at all. 
 The world of the book is at its best while within the palace. The dystopian society that rules outside is still somewhat half formed, although most of the seeds seem to be there. I actually liked the subtle build up of the rebel attacks. I think the world they were rebelling against could have been set up a little better at the beginning. We got information about the caste system, but most of this was told. I would have like to see a scene or two of this in action more. Additionally, what does the world look like? Outside of the palace, I don't know. The idea of the caste system is intriguing, especially when you think of it being divided by occupation as well. It seems to mimic and attempt to commentate on the ideas of social class we have. I'd like to see this expanded even further. I think there's more potential there. The little tidbits we were given about America's social climbing older brother were extremely intriguing and promising. I hope more comes of this in the sequels. 
 Was I seduced by the glitter and whimsy? Probably. But isn't that what a book like this is supposed to do? I will be tuning in for the sequels. So, we'll see what happens.