The One by Kiera Cass

The One by Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection Book 3

Genre: YA Dystopian Romance

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This book was infuriating. America had made her choice, she had pushed Aspen away and focused on Maxon, but Maxon and America kept fighting about the same issue over and over again and refusing to declare their love. It was so repetitive and childish and annoying. This whole book was just cheesy and predictable, as the rest of this series, but everything caused a fight and everything caused doubts that shouldn’t be there.

Also, the emotional reactions of many of the characters were either far too powerful for such a small issue, or not enough for an important issue, and that bothered me. America would sob and cry at the tiniest little spat with Maxon, but she hardly reacted to various deaths.

However, if you ignore the cheesiness and lack of realistic emotions, this book was pretty good. Cass focused more on the conflict in society than the relationship, which I appreciated. Although, considering how important endings are too me, I didn’t think that Cass did the book justice. She could have done so much more with the plot and world she’d thought up, but instead she just ended it. It was as if all of the conflict was magically resolved as America slept, and she woke to find a beautiful husband and a recovering country.

This book could have been magnificent, and I did enjoy it, but there were more things that bothered me than things I enjoyed.

Two stars.

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection Book 2

Genre: YA Dystopian Romance

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This book was exhausting. The story that I enjoyed in the first book was continued in this one and I thought it was carried out well, for the most part. What bothered me were the flaws in all the characters. They were so unnatural, and the conversations had no flow or natural feeling. One minute America would be strong and independent, the next she’d be a jealous friend, then she’d run off throwing a temper tantrum, then she’d be extremely stubborn, and then she’d be a damsel in distress. America was not the strong woman that was shown in the first book. She was weak and always crying and making bad choices.

Maxon and Aspen weren’t any better. Maxon would be kind and considerate one minute, then he’d be cold and hard, but then all of a sudden they’d show a soft side and instead of America eating that up she’d think he was simply acting. And Aspen would seem so perfect one minute, but America would change her mind again and paint him as a cruel human being.

Also, issues would just pop up out of the blue and go away the next chapter. The story would be focused on America sobbing because of a gossip column in a magazine, then the rebels would attack, but Cass doesn’t dive into that or connect that to a plot. It seemed like the major conflict in the society is included more to fill in blank pages between the next spat between America and Maxon or Aspen.

Cass could have expanded much more on the plot, the conflict, and even the characters. It was still enjoyable and an easy read, but it was written quite poorly in my opinion. I’m hopeful that the next book in this series will be an improvement on the first two books.

Two stars.

Branded by Keary Taylor

Branded by Keary Taylor

Series: Fall of Angels Book 1

Genre: YA Romantic Fantasy

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This was the first book that I have been able to dive into in a while. I’ve been very busy and overall very uninterested in all the books I’ve attempted to read, until this book. When I started reading, I was immediately caught by the hook and drawn in. Taylor held me from cover to cover and I couldn’t put it down.

I loved the story line and the cleverness of it. Usually, angels are perfect beings and the main character is the spawn of an angel and human *gasp*. However, in this book, the main character was an ordinary human who just happens to dream of the horrendous and terrifying angels and their world each night.

One thing I didn’t enjoy was the relationship development. Jessica and Alex were head over heels for each other immediately, despite the odd and slightly creepy manor of their first encounter. And everyone Jessica tried to hold a conversation with was met with little to no response, which bothered me immensely. She had little interactions with certain people, despite the fact that they had enormous rolls in the plot.

Overall, this book was very entertaining and unique. There was great description and a great storyline. The relationships were a bit odd, as were the connections with the characters, but it was otherwise a great book.

Three stars.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection Book 1

Genre: YA Dystopian Romance

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I have always loved dystopian novels. First I read Hunger Games, then Matched, and now this! I love Kiera Cass’s series because while it is futuristic, it also has hints of the past. There is a strict and binding caste system and the poor are starving. Also, there is the feeling of having princesses that slightly reminded me of my childhood but more of the Middle Ages. I loved the incorporation of different time periods.

Also, I loved the name choice. I wish that I could adopt some of these names for my own, such as Aspen and Tuesday. I have to praise Cass for being so clever! I really connected with America as well. She was so strong, opinionated, stubborn, and kind, and though I’m not all of those things, I like to think that I am.

However, one of my reservations about reading this book was that it was similar to the TV show, The Bachelor. And I can’t stand that show and that idea. It’s appalling that someone has to pick who they will from a pool of girls, and the girls are willing to do it. I hated how all of the girls in the pool were falling over each other just for Maxon’s attention. As if girls need a famous and powerful man to make them complete. Even America fell for his charm, although if I were in her shoes I would have too. But what bothered me about America is she has this love triangle. And I will have you know: I HATE love triangles. They can be entertaining for a little while, but they just get frustrating. And love triangles are a bit overdone now, just like the Romeo and Juliet idea.

Although, this love triangle was less exhausting because it wasn’t a love triangle until the end when Aspen came back into America’s life after breaking her heart. Before that, America was just being charmed by Maxon and slowly falling for him while completely forgetting about Aspen. But then he appears on her guard and he claims he never stopped loving her. I thought that whole part was completely cheesy, especially because America fell for it and became uncertain again. From that point on everything irritated me. It was so frustrating having him back and I thought that the plot would have flowed more smoothly if Cass hadn’t reintroduced Aspen into the story.

Overall, though, I loved this book. The characters were great, although Aspen was a bit overbearing and annoying. The love story was good, and the dystopian combination of past and future was very well done. I loved this book, and can’t wait to read the next one!

Three stars.