Review: The One by Keira Cass

The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. Now, only one will claim Prince Maxon’s heart…
For the four girls who remain at the palace, the friendships they’ve formed, rivalries they’ve struggled with and dangers they’ve faced have bound them to each other for the rest of their lives.
Now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.
America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown – or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realises just how much she stands to lose – and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.

Oh this series. It's one of those ones that if I think too hard about what I'm reading I have to stop, because there is so much wrong with this series, yet at the same time it is weirdly addictive...

The series had a lot of potential, but it falls into the trap of so many cliches that really it never stood a chance. The girls are all one dimensional, the drama is all one dimensional, and don't even get me started on the love triangle. America comes across as the sort of girl who would fall apart if she didn't have one of these boys to fawn over, which is incredibly irritating. I want strong heroines. Now that doesn't mean that they don't have to want to have a partner, but at least give them something that makes them their own individual person, not have their desire for one of the inevitable two boys vying for their attention be the only feature about them.

So yes, incredible irritation at the love triangle, and the terrible depiction of these girls as on the whole being vapid and one dimensional creatures that wouldn't survive without a man to prop them up. But at the same time, it's kind of compelling. If you asked me what made me keep reading this series, it would be quite hard to pin down, but there is just something that redeems these books. I just have no idea what...

The plot has so much potential, but is never fully realised, although it is great to finally see all these threads that have been set up in the first two books finally come together into quite an explosive finale.
And again, America could be a brilliant heroine if she could just stop stringing these two boys along. It's incredibly frustrating to read, particularly towards the end when she doesn't want to let go of Aspen based purely because she doesn't want to risk being on her own if Maxon doesn't pick her. All in all it is a mixed bag for the final installment in the series. Yes it's got some fast paced action and some brilliant moments, but it is also incredibly frustrating for the love triangle and wasted brilliance.

So if you enjoyed the first two books I definitely recommend picking up 'The One', and if you are desperate for some light fluffy (and highly irritating love triangle) action based in a castle where you can pretend to feel like a Princess along with the chosen girls, then try 'The Selection' and see what you make of the series.