The Selection Series

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I just finished reading a book series called 'The Selection Series,' by Kiera Cass. It's a dystopian series. Now, when I think of dystopian books, the first thing that comes to mind is survival stories, like the Hunger Games or the Divergent trilogy. I think about a lot of violence and chaos. These books aren't like that. 

The setting of the series is a palace. This takes place after the fourth world war. The world is ruled by monarchies. It takes place in the United States of America, renamed Illea. (Yes, that is a beautiful name.) The plot revolves around Prince Maxon Schreave looking for a bride. There is this thing that happens to help the prince find a bride. It's called A Selection. Every eligible girl in the country is allowed to sign up for a chance to be the next queen. (This is kind of like the reaping in the Hunger Games.) Out of the millions of entries, 35 lucky women are chosen at random to go to the palace and compete for the prince's hand. 

Now, when I say compete, I don't mean anything relating to violence. In fact, violence towards fellow contestants is grounds for immediate disqualification. The girls are pretty much there to date the prince - all at the same time. The prince has to narrow down the playing field until he finds his princess. Of course, there is fierce competition. Being queen is a big deal. Some girls really want it, while others are just at the palace by chance - like the heroine America Singer. She only put her name in the draw because people asked her to. 

This series has simple romance, combined with royal life. It's a take on dystopian writing that I haven't seen before. I couldn't put it down once I got started. If you love dystopian novels but are looking for something calm, I'd suggest this series. It is worth the time. 

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