As I did with Divergent, I waited until the third book of this trilogy was about to be released before I started to read the first book. I didn’t want to be stuck waiting (most likely impatiently) for the release of the final book of the series as I am with the Lunar Chronicles. But, lo and behold, it seems all my planning was for naught… because there’s now a FOURTH book! Even though the audiobook for The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard had a sneak peek of The One — which it touted as the “thrilling conclusion” to the trilogy — I now have to wait until MAY 2015 to get my hands on The Heir… And I have a sneaking suspicion things won’t even end there since GoodReads lists a 5th (currently unnamed) book. /sigh
So, what’s the big deal about this series? First of all, it’s a dystopian romance. Enough said, right?!? OK. OK! I get that some of you might want to know what sets this apart from the rest of the dystopian romances out there, so I will give a little more background. 🙂 In this dystopian future, the USA no longer exists. In its place, there is now the kingdom of Illéa. When Illéa was formed, a rigid caste system was created — in a supposed effort to bring about order and security. The castes, which range from one (royalty and clergy) to eight (homeless, runaways, etc.), dictate which type of jobs people can hold. Although it is technically possible to get into a better caste by buying your way up, it’s practically impossible for the lower castes to do more than survive. For America Singer (and the other girls participating in The Selection ), though, marrying Prince Maxon could mean being instantly transformed to a one. So why, then, would America NOT want to participate in The Selection? This book is like an über version of The Bachelor with a side of uprisings and war… and I just can’t get enough!