I will also admit that this book really surprised me at the end! There was a plot twist that featured many MAJOR character deaths, and since hardly any (if any, that I can think of anyway) characters died in the first two books, it blew me away that Cass gave some such a brutal end! (That’s the way of disgruntled dystopian societies though, I suppose). It’s moments like this that make me excited for The Heir to see how Kiera Cass further fleshes out the world of Illéa through the use of rituals. I thought it was a fascinating concept to be featured in a dystopian, as it served to oppress the women of The Elite by forcing them to dole out punishment and show deference to the crown but also to empower them at the same time, by giving them the authority to act as a judge. The girls are each required to hand down a prison sentence to a prisoner in front of the nation in order to prove how solemnly they uphold the laws of Illéa, and as a ritual showing the importance and integrity of the (undoubtedly flawed) law. There are several more “challenges” and “performances” The Elite must go through in this book in order to show how well they could handle the title of Queen, and one of them fascinated me: The Convicting.
Sysmbols in the novel the one by kiera cass series#
How are there SO MANY attacks on the palace? How do they KEEP GETTING IN? I can appreciate the need for them as a plot device but the royal family’s security is laughable considering how the rebels stroll into the palace and cause destruction and mayhem on an almost weekly basis!) I really think the series would have been stronger if the rebel cause and background had been introduced earlier in the series and developed more, for it keeps the series from feeling like a serious dystopian. While a lot more information is given (and some shocking revelations are made about who supports them) the rebels still seem like a disconnected entity from the rest of the book (especially the Southern rebels. The “rebels” are on one hand more explained, and on the other hand still vague entities. America’s family gets more fleshed out too, and I loved the opportunity to see her return home for the first time after her participation in The Selection, to see how much she’s changed and how she’s grown as a person and started to live a life defined by what she wants.
Readers finally see the girls begin to bond over their experience rather than as solely catty competitors, and that was something I was waiting for: to see the backgrounds and personalities of such different girls from such different castes. Yet I also was pleasantly surprised to encounter more character growth for the other members of The Elite. This book picks up very soon after The Elite leaves off, and there are still vestiges of the love triangle that have to play out to their bitter end in this installment (in case you were wondering, I am not an Aspen fan, no matter how many times he throws himself in front of a bullet for America). Yet despite these flaws, I found The One to be highly addictive toward the end, and deliver some plot twists that I truly did not see coming. I feel the world building could be more in-depth, the writing more refined, and at times I felt as bored as America was being stuck in the palace with nothing to do but sit in the Women’s Room day after day. Yet at the same time there’s something about these books that prevents me from really losing myself in them, at sometimes grow bored with them toward the middle. I liked the idea of the ruler of Illéa marrying one of the people as a show of support to the country.
I think the caste division is so interesting. I love the concept of mixing society’s obsession with reality tv, especially that focuses on relationships, with a dystopian, futuristic, post World War 4 America. I have a very conflicted relationship with The Selection Series. Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned. From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose-and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants. America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown-or to Prince Maxon's heart. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen. The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever.
Published by HarperCollins on May 6th 2014 Also by this author: The Selection, The Heir (The Selection, #4), The Crown (The Selection, #5)Īlso in this series: The Selection, The Heir (The Selection, #4), The Crown (The Selection, #5)
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