I purchased this book myself from Chapters/Indigo. The following review is a truthful and honest representation of my opinion. 

The Selection by Kiera Cass on April 14th, 2012
Pages: 328
Format: Hardcover/Paperback

In the world of 'The Selection', there is a caste system that operates from 1 to 8; 1 being the rich, 8 being the poor. America Singer (and yes that is her real name) is our main character and is a 5 in the caste system, making her relatively poor. She partakes in a secret relationship with Aspen, whom she is forbidden to be with because he is in a caste lower than hers. In this dystopian society, a 1 is royalty; and the current prince, Maxon, is now searching for a bride. As a result, the country participates in a mass search for eligible brides for him. Girls from all over signed up to be chosen to compete for Maxon's heart, however, America wants no part in it. It was her own boyfriend, Aspen, who convinced her to give it a shot. She did as he said, and it just so happened that she was selected to enter the competition. This was a very controversial thing because of how low her caste is. And so America was off to the palace, along with 34 other girls, to compete for a crown that she does not want. But how will she manage in a world so different from her own? And will she abandon her feelings for Aspen once meeting Maxon? 
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The first thing I will say about this book is that I did not enjoy the main character's name, it bugged me to be quite honest. America Singer; can we guess what her profession is? A singer, very clever. Other than this, nothing else about the book really sparked a negative opinion for me, and I actually enjoyed it a lot. It has been compared to "The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, - the death". This is a pretty accurate statement! The competition was fierce and entertaining to read about, as were the contestants. The romance, however, consisted of a love triangle, which I find cliche in almost anywhere that I read about them in. However, in 'The Selection', it kind of just worked. Between Maxon and Aspen, you loved one and you hated the other, which is what a good love triangle is supposed to impose. Although I am not a fan of the cliche, it was executed well-enough that I did not mind it in the plot of the novel! 

The last thing that I will say is that if you are not a fan of typical teen romance/drama, you may not enjoy this book. The entirety of the plot surrounds itself with drama between the contestants, romance within the love triangle, and many more smaller plot points in the book. For this reason, many did not enjoy this book. I went into 'The Selection' with extremely low expectations, but came out enjoying it! So much, in fact, that I bought and read the remainder of the series. I feel like you really need to give this book a try, whether you think you will love it or hate it; because it may surprise you! Overall, I enjoyed it and rate it 4/5 stars.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1021085519