The One
So came the day when I finally sat down to read the last book in The Selection trilogy. This is a story that isn’t what I usually read but something that I did find entertaining when I read the first two books. I did look forward to reading the last, The One, and see how it all ends. But I have to admit, I was disappointed.
America Singer has lasted to the top four in the Selection, the competition of the prince’s heart and a place on Illéa’s throne. Though she has never seen herself as either a princess or a future queen, America does have feelings for the prince and even though she might not want the crown, she definitely wants prince Maxon. But as the competition grows even harder and tougher, so does the rebels attacks. They’re more vicious and but America and Maxon fears that one day something truly, truly horrible will happen in their country and to their people. Fighting from the inside, as neatly as they can, both work as best as they can to do anything to help. At the same time, the competition goes on and the mean king seems to dislike America a bit more for every day that goes by. And, of course, Aspen, America’s love for two years previous to the Selection, still wanders the halls of the palace as a guard, confusing her more and more.
I knew exactly what I wanted out of this book and where I wanted the story to go. How I wanted it to end. Kiera Cass took me on a wobbly journey though and a day after I finished reading I still haven’t really digested everything. Without saying too much and spoiling something, for me, the end wasn’t good. It did go where I wanted, but the way to get there was wrong for me. It was too much too fast and… just too much. I see why Cass did what she did, but I neither like nor accept an end like that. In my opinion, this was somehow a cheating way to get out of the lingering problems that lined the story. But like I said, I see why Cass did what she did and I’m sure some people liked the quite action packed ending.
Another thing that I stopped and thought about again and again, something I believe I said after The Selection and The Elite, was the way the story was written. I thought about it then, but it’s been almost six months since I read them and thinking about the two previous books now only makes me think about the story itself, not the writing, but it was very clear now. Maybe the two first books were better or, maybe, I’ve just forgotten it. But the writing wasn’t very good. I wanted more and not a longer book, but more. More details and more meat in the story. It was quite plain, almost empty. Conversations usually felt cut short and more than once did I get the feeling that something happened but it was merely just a bump on the road than something worth stopping to ponder over. One big thing happened in The Elite and that upset America greatly. But another, even bigger, thing happened in The One and it felt like she got upset for a day and then put it behind her. Something that I’m sure would upset a real person a bit more then it upset America. I do get that people react differently in tough situations, but I can’t really see anyone shrugging off what America when through after just a few days. I understand that the story revolve around the competition and thus America and Maxon, but putting something this huge in the story and then not follow through all the way didn’t feel right at all for me.
I believe the story in itself has a lot of potential, but I think it would have been a whole lot better if it just had been worked through a bit more. Something meatier, more details to make it feel like it was real. In some books I read, I know exactly what the characters are dressed in and I like that because then I can picture them more clearly. Sometimes the writer mentions a smell or the warmth of the sun or the feel of something against the character. But the whole Selection stories missed that. It was just the story, what that character said and then the answer and that’s that. Nothing more and I wanted that. Right now it merely felt like I was reading a summary or something of the like, not a real story. More flow in the text and more insights to the character’s thoughts. Something to make it feel more real.
All in all, I’m not satisfied with the last piece of the story but I am glad I read it either way. Now I’ve gotten a final end to the whole thing and that felt good. Before I sat down to read The One I thought that I could reread the entire trilogy during the summer, if the last book was good. And now I can say that that won’t happen. Maybe I will reread the story one day, but it won’t be for quite some time.
America Singer has lasted to the top four in the Selection, the competition of the prince’s heart and a place on Illéa’s throne. Though she has never seen herself as either a princess or a future queen, America does have feelings for the prince and even though she might not want the crown, she definitely wants prince Maxon. But as the competition grows even harder and tougher, so does the rebels attacks. They’re more vicious and but America and Maxon fears that one day something truly, truly horrible will happen in their country and to their people. Fighting from the inside, as neatly as they can, both work as best as they can to do anything to help. At the same time, the competition goes on and the mean king seems to dislike America a bit more for every day that goes by. And, of course, Aspen, America’s love for two years previous to the Selection, still wanders the halls of the palace as a guard, confusing her more and more.
I knew exactly what I wanted out of this book and where I wanted the story to go. How I wanted it to end. Kiera Cass took me on a wobbly journey though and a day after I finished reading I still haven’t really digested everything. Without saying too much and spoiling something, for me, the end wasn’t good. It did go where I wanted, but the way to get there was wrong for me. It was too much too fast and… just too much. I see why Cass did what she did, but I neither like nor accept an end like that. In my opinion, this was somehow a cheating way to get out of the lingering problems that lined the story. But like I said, I see why Cass did what she did and I’m sure some people liked the quite action packed ending.
Another thing that I stopped and thought about again and again, something I believe I said after The Selection and The Elite, was the way the story was written. I thought about it then, but it’s been almost six months since I read them and thinking about the two previous books now only makes me think about the story itself, not the writing, but it was very clear now. Maybe the two first books were better or, maybe, I’ve just forgotten it. But the writing wasn’t very good. I wanted more and not a longer book, but more. More details and more meat in the story. It was quite plain, almost empty. Conversations usually felt cut short and more than once did I get the feeling that something happened but it was merely just a bump on the road than something worth stopping to ponder over. One big thing happened in The Elite and that upset America greatly. But another, even bigger, thing happened in The One and it felt like she got upset for a day and then put it behind her. Something that I’m sure would upset a real person a bit more then it upset America. I do get that people react differently in tough situations, but I can’t really see anyone shrugging off what America when through after just a few days. I understand that the story revolve around the competition and thus America and Maxon, but putting something this huge in the story and then not follow through all the way didn’t feel right at all for me.
I believe the story in itself has a lot of potential, but I think it would have been a whole lot better if it just had been worked through a bit more. Something meatier, more details to make it feel like it was real. In some books I read, I know exactly what the characters are dressed in and I like that because then I can picture them more clearly. Sometimes the writer mentions a smell or the warmth of the sun or the feel of something against the character. But the whole Selection stories missed that. It was just the story, what that character said and then the answer and that’s that. Nothing more and I wanted that. Right now it merely felt like I was reading a summary or something of the like, not a real story. More flow in the text and more insights to the character’s thoughts. Something to make it feel more real.
All in all, I’m not satisfied with the last piece of the story but I am glad I read it either way. Now I’ve gotten a final end to the whole thing and that felt good. Before I sat down to read The One I thought that I could reread the entire trilogy during the summer, if the last book was good. And now I can say that that won’t happen. Maybe I will reread the story one day, but it won’t be for quite some time.