Kiera Cass: "But I guessed she would never stop wanting more for me, more from me. Maybe that's what mothers did."

I am infatuated with The Selection by Kiera Cass (Amazon). I'm not even joking. I stayed up super late to read it, and then I immediately got online to check when the sequel is coming out. Unfortunately, it won't be coming out until Spring of 2013 BUT there is also a TV show in the works. So, needless to say, I'm pretty excited.

So, what is The Selection? Think America's Next Top Model meets The Hunger Games. The book is set in a dystopian future, where a caste system and royalty exist. Each time a prince needs to find a princess, a contest is set up. 35 girls are chosen to live in the palace and compete for the Prince's affections. I suppose it's actually more like The Bachelor, but I've never seen that show, so I'm going to stick with my America's Next Top Model analogy. EDIT: After my initial post, I found an article referring to the proposed TV series as "The Hunger Games Meets The Bachelor." So, I guess my analogy isn't as original as I had hoped. Oh well!

The main character is America Singer, a member of the 5th caste (the artist caste, and rather low on the totem pole). She happens to be one of the only girls in the country who doesn't want to be a princess. You see, she's already in love with somebody else-and to make matters worse, he's in a lower caste than her. However, at the urging of everyone around her, she still enters the competition.

It's hard to explain why I loved The Selection so much. To me, it really did feel like an original idea, and that is always wonderful to experience. I think it's also because the book dances on the edge of cliche, but usually manages to avoid it. Kiera Cass did a great job at characterizing the girls being selected, and America Singer's telling of her experience is believable and endearing.

To my pleasant surprise, Kiera Cass has both a regular mailing address and a web form available. I decided to send her something in the web form. Here it is:

"I just finished reading The Selection. I stayed up all night reading it (and was pleased to find my reading-style referenced in your Acknowledgments). Honestly, I completely fell in love with it. Confession: I immediately got on my computer to find out when the sequel is coming out. Imagine my disappointment when I found I had to wait another year! But, seeing the news about the TV show definitely helped to ease the blow. 

Good luck with your writing & with your pregnancy."

If you want to see more information about The Selection series, definitely check out Kiera Cass' website, kieracass.com.