The Crown by Kiera Cass

Title: The Crown (The Selection #5)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2016

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 250

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Great Love Story

Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.

A fitting end to The Selection series. I really fell for Eadlyn and her story. Turns out that I did predict the ending of the series, but that's okay. I still enjoyed my reading of it. Plus we get to check in with all the other characters from the series along with meeting some new characters. Definitely an enjoyable series.

The Selection:

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Heir by Kiera Cass

Title: The Heir (The Selection #4)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2015

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Four or More Books

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story...but as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she’s always thought.

For this volume, Cass thankfully moved the storyline ahead to write Eadlyn's story. I was unsure of the princess when we first met her, but I grew to like her over the book. Again, I figured out the ending (or at least I think I have) before the rest of the storyline was set up. And yet, I enjoyed reading the volume so much. I loved experiencing another Selection but with a twist. Can't wait to finish out the series.

The Selection:

Next up on the TBR pile:

Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass

Title: Happily Ever After (The Selection #3.5, #4.5)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2015

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 387

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - 24 Hours

Meet Prince Maxon before he fell in love with America, and a girl named Amberly before she became queen. See the Selection through the eyes of a guard who watched his first love drift away and a girl who fell for a boy who wasn’t the prince. This must-have companion to the Selection series includes all four novellas as well as exclusive bonus content.

This was an interesting mix of some Selection short stories and series extras. The First two stories were prints from the other short story collection. I've already read those. But then, Cass added some interesting new stories. We get Amberly's story which I wasn't a super fan of. We also get Marlee's story; much more interesting to me. And we get some fun "Where are they now" passages. Overall, a nice companion to the series.

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown

Next up on the TBR pile:

The One by Kiera Cass

**Reading Challenge Note: When I set my reading challenges in December, I didn't realize that I would be reading just so much so quickly. As the last few months have progressed, I have realized that I need to up some of my challenges. So, I've decided to max out the I Love Libraries challenge and up my goal to 60 books!

Title: The One (The Selection #3)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2014

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 338

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries

America Singer searches for her happily ever after in this swoon-worthy YA dystopian romance, perfect for readers who loved Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, or Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath & the Dawn.

Entering the Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she arrived at the palace, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Such a great ending to this trilogy (even though I know there are two more books, I came to think of this as a trilogy). The first two books were pretty fluffy with a big focus on the romance. I was so glad to see this volume branch out and get into the larger issues within the society. I loved finally meeting the Northern Rebels and hearing their point of view. I loved how all the secrets just started coming out in this volume. And while I thought that the ending was a bit rushed, I did enjoy the storyline. I will have to pick up the next two books and the remaining short stories.

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown
#5.5 Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Selection Stories by Kiera Cass

Title: The Prince (The Selection #0.5) and The Guard (The Selection #2.5)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2014

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries

Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon’s life. In The Prince, follow Maxon from the week before the Selection begins through the first day of the competition.

Loved this story from Maxon's perspective. We get to see his actions and hear his thoughts as the Selection begins. And we get to see the first interaction with America.

Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace. In The Guard, get an inside look at Aspen’s life as a palace guard—and the truth about his world that America will never know.

Not quite as enamored with this story. Try as I might, I never really came to like Aspen as a character. Hearing his story did not change anything...

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown
#5.5 Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Title: The Elite (The Selection #2)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2013

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 337

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Halloween; I Love Libraries

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection, and to win Prince Maxon’s heart. Now six girls remain, and the competition is fiercer than ever—but America Singer is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—that she wants? Or is it still Aspen, her first love?

I couldn't help myself and blew right through this volume in one day. I enjoyed it very much, although America's behavior occasionally grates on me. I just want her to make a choice! (Although I imagine that the choice is coming in the third book.) I did enjoy getting to know Maxon more and the various side characters. You know I'll be picking up the next volume soon, but first, I am going to read the next short story.

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown
#5.5 Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection (The Selection #1)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2012

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 338

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Days of YA; I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Parents Still Alive

Prepare to be swept into a world of breathless fairy-tale romance, swoonworthy characters, glittering gowns, and fierce intrigue perfect for readers who loved Divergent, Delirium, or The Wrath & the Dawn.

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape a rigid caste system, live in a palace, and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her, and competing for a crown she doesn’t want.

Then America meets Prince Maxon—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

This book is so incredibly light and fluffy. It's the young adult romantic comedy. And it was just what I needed to read this week. I sped through this volume and enjoyed every minute of it. Definitely a lot of fun. And that cliffhanger just killed me. I must grab the next book in the series soon. In the meantime, I can at least read the short story prequel "The Prince."

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown
#5.5 Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile: