Publication: May 5, 2015, by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating:
Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible.
But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.
Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.
My Thoughts:
I have to tell you that I was particularly afraid to read this book because I just wasn't ready for it. The One honestly killed me last year after the BIGGEST DECISION EVER MADE IN YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE, and I never would've thought that I would get something else from The Selection in the future, and when I heard about the news for this and for another book afterwards, I was shocked. I have to admit that I wasn't really happy and feeling positive about it because I wasn't sure if I was ready for another bunch of characters and a brand-new storyline. BUT I OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO READ IT, DUH.
"I'm Eadlyn Schreave, and no one in the world is as powerful as me." (Paperback, page 269)
THAT'S A THOUSANDLY MILLIONLY TIMES TRUE. I feel like I cannot emphasize that even more, but we'll obviously get to Eadlyn's character later, but it brings us to my personal homemade synopsis. Basically, this all takes place twenty years after the events of the final novel in America's point-of-view. Here we have Eadlyn, who is the eighteen-year-old daughter of America and Maxon, who is heir to the throne just by seven minutes, where it really was meant to be for her brother, Ahren. It's her turn for The Selection, and she is the first female to lead it, but she sees that she's not ready to fall in love... or is she?
That's how Eadlyn actually ended up by the end of the book... but it obviously took some time and she was arguing about it. Also, I wanted to mention the fact that she was nowhere close to being annoying. I have to say that I actually really don't understand why people are saying that she was a horrible protagonist. She had tons of aspects and qualities in her personality from both Maxon and America! (I swear, I was about to type "Aspen," haha). We'll get to that later, but I'm now warning you that there are themes of: desperation, love, family and sibling-hood. Not that there's anything that I need to warn you about... it's all pure and wonderful things to keep in mind and think about constantly.
Again, I want to let you understand how amazing this book brought life and awesomeness in The Selection's world to be. The setting and the world is very much like The Bachelorette mixed with Amy Ewing's The Jewel, and after reading I feel like I'm one of the proud candidates trying and prying to win Eadlyn's heart... not that I'm a guy or anything. But really, it's so real and easy to feel like you belong in the eyes of Kiera and you just seem to begin to long and want the best for the characters. AND THEN OF COURSE YOU'LL FALL IN LOVE WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. This time around there's not just Aspen or Maxon, THERE'S 35 GUYS. WHAT THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO IN THIS EMERGENCY LOVE-LIFE SITUATION OF READING?!
"Ahren looked at Camille like she hung the sun in the sky every morning. It was beautiful, the way he watched her, enchanted by every breath that came out of her mouth. But I felt strangely detached from it all because no one had ever done that for me, and I'd never done that for anyone else." (Paperback, page 307)
I believe that from all of the books I've ever read, love was never expressed in a way like this series does to and for me. And it's not like it's the impossible, fairy-tale love that even Eadlyn herself sees her parents' love as. The author portrays a view that it's something that you have to fight and look for, and it doesn't just come easily to those who would enjoy and love it. Every person is supposed to have a chance to experience love, and even those who don't see it will experience it somehow, like Eadlyn does. I guess at this point of her journey, she doesn't spot it yet, but from the view of readers, I can say that she honestly has those feelings in her heart, and it's not only with one guy. From all of the men who are left, there's something special about each and every one of them, and those who she loves will definitely be the truest winner in the end.
I guess that I don't even have to explain myself and my feelings on the plot and actual storyline because by now, I bet that you've already guessed it. Reading this book made me fall in love, and I now feel like this book was specifically written for this year of 2015. IT'S THE YEAR OF MENDING AND BEGINNING RELATIONSHIPS THAT MOST LIKELY WEREN'T MEANT TO BE HEALED AT THE START BECAUSE THERE WAS NO KIND OF BELIEF PRESENT BY ANYONE. Eadlyn fucking Schreave was kick-ass, just like her lovely mother is, and she showed that to all of us, every reader trying to seek the wittiness and fortune of destiny.
What I just don't get is how people hate Eadlyn. I guess that it'll be and always end up being one of the mysteries in literature that never will be solved because I'm against the norm. I loved Eadlyn—as well as her attitude, quirkiness and not being your proper, posh queen-to-be that we all expected her to transform into. I loved that Kiera changed our expectations of her into something else. Eadlyn wasn't your most perfect heiress who'll rule the world someday by helping the poor, but she led her story and there was so much guilt on her shoulders that there were thousands of moments where she deserved a hug or ten. Having all of the stress of having to rule the world someday mixing in with choosing between 35 men is so much to handle, and I guess that some don't realize that. HER HUMOUR AND AMUSEMENT WAS WHAT ENTERTAINED ME.
She was a perfect darling, and had so much love for her siblings and her gorgeous parents. *cries again for the millionth time* MOVING ON BEFORE I GET AHEAD OF MYSELF.
The boys were HONESTLY MIND-CRAVING. To this moment, I can't get them out of my head since they're all so hot. KILE, ERIKK (PLOT TWIST) AND HENRI ARE MY FAVOURITES, BUT I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN SINCE THEY'RE ALL AWESOME. And this was extra wonderful because it gave us another view of the actual Selection process from the chooser this time around. Yeah, America was a candidate, but now Eadlyn is the mind-whacker who actually has sense. Remember those moments where we hated Maxon for doing what he did? Yeah, now we know why he did it all. AND THIS CHICK HAS TO DEAL WITH PERVY GUYS WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP THEIR HANDS TO THEMSELVES! It's a worser case, I must say. But I do have a feeling that Kiera's going to mess with our heads next year and kill us, possibly. Eadlyn better make a great choice.
The ending then came and I died. I'M SORRY, I DIED FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME BECAUSE I COULDN'T HOLD IT ANYMORE. What was this?! So Eadlyn got another fifty-thousand extra pounds on her shoulders again and it was all because of a major plot twist that I cannot even bare to admit or else I'll cry again. *BROTHERS STINK, EVERYONE* You may have thought that love was adorable and it doesn't matter the age, but then that twist will change your mind to think otherwise, just saying. Now I'll sit in my room crying until 2016 for the next book.
It's the truth—I'll be crying and unable to handle myself any longer. Now I'm second-guessing my decision to get this novel and read it right away, the day I purchased it because it just was published and I have to wait another year. After the closing ending in The One, I thought we were all done here and now I just panicked and ruined my own life again. Ugh. But other than my sappy, sad life, this was absolute perfection and probably the best book that I've read this year, just saying. I just want to continue to kiss my paperback copy and use it as a stuffed animal to sleep at night, rereading it a thousand times until I'll hear more news. Meh. I'm a depressed slob, BUT THANK YOU KIERA CASS, I LOVE YA.
Amazing book-hangover causing books you've read lately?
.jpeg)
