Rainer Maria Rilke

"Live a while in these books, learn from them what seems to you worth learning, but above all love them. This love will be repaid you a thousand and a thousand times, and however your life may turn,-it will, I am certain of it, run through the fabric of your growth as one of the most important threads among all the threads of your experiences, disappointments, and joys."--Rainer Maia Rilke


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Sunday, June 28, 2015

Not Your Momma's Fairy Tale

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Young Adult Dystopian Fiction

This is not usually a book I would pick up.  It looks a bit too much like a girly-girl book for my taste.  However, when I started reading it, I was so glad for the recommendation because it's exactly the kind of book I love. 

It's a cross between a fairy tale and dystopian novel.  The main character is America, so much symbolism in that name and what a perfect choice.  The other main character is Prince Maxim, who has reaching marrying age.  In a future world, this would make a great reality show.  Bachelor, anyone?  At the insistence of her mother, America submits an application to be considered as one of Prince Maxon's marriage potentials.  She is stunned to learn she is only of only 35 to read the final stage, the Selection.  In order to do this, American must big goodbye to Aspen, her true love but social inferior.  Still, she figures once the Prince chooses someone else, she can take the prize money to help her family and then get her romance, and life, back on track.  When she meets the Prince, her feelings on lots of things starts to change and she's no longer sure she wants to lose the contest.

I loved the futuristic feel of the book and the fact it still felt like an old-fashioned fairy tale.  It was a perfect blending of the two genres and pure genius.  It reminded me a bit of Ally Condie's "Matched" series, but America is more of a rebel, which I loved.  I also loved the political undertones.  It is part of a trilogy and not a stand alone boo.  You'll have to read them all, in order, to see how the story really ends.

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