The One by Keira Cass

The One by Keira Cass

Last book - Conclusion to the Selection Series

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

   I hated this book or maybe the entire series because of America, but I loved and enjoyed reading it so much that I don't know what to feel anymore. I have felt a lot of emotions whilst reading The One and I'm not going to lie that it's mostly frustration. I don't want to give off a negative view for the people who haven't read this book yet or the series because despite the fact that my hatred for America is skyscraper high, I still want to recommend reading this series. I honestly don't know why but I guess you'd really enjoy reading the Selection trilogy. Its a really, really quick read. You can finish it in one sitting because the books are so thin and I bet you won't be tempted to put it down. I guess that its kinda a slow-paced book, with the slow character development, and as well as the dystopian world building but I promise you that you'll get used to the slow pacing of this book. I don't think that Kiera really wanted to focus on the dystopian world she built outside the palace because the book mostly revolves around the palace and the people in it. However, this book, or the series itself, is very refreshing. Its dystopian but not a heavy read. Its frustrating but enjoyable. A lot of adjectives contradict each other in describing the series but all I want to point out is that you will not regret reading it. 

   I'm embarrassed to say this but I want to feel like a princess every once in a while and I kid you not, that this book will literally make you feel like one. The dresses are so pretty, the vibe of the palace is really regal, and oh the prince! Maxon will just make you swoon all-over the place. The way he talk to America, his aura, and the way he present himself are the real definition of a prince. I badly want to talk to him about you guys. I literally just finished reading the book and my feelings are overflowing that I need to make a book talk about it right away. So, here I am holding myself back from the things that I truly want to say. I should just probably start my review.

SYNOPSIS | The Selection:

   The Selection is about a girl named America who’s living in this dystopian country called Illea. Illea is a new country that was created after World War IV, so the story take place in the future. The book is about the prince of Illea is finding a girl to marry through the Selection. The Selection is a competition of 35 girls fighting (not literally) their way to the crown and to the Prince's heart. This is the usual way of finding the wife of the future king. Maxon, the prince of Illea and the heir of the throne, is holding this usual “competition” for all the girls of Illea between the ages 16 to 24. And they are required to sign up for the competition, but only 35 are chosen from the hundreds or thousands of these bachelorettes. But, our protagonist, America is currently in a relationship with the handsome and gorgeous guy, Aspen, so she’s not really in for the Selection. There’s a downside about Aspen though, his caste is too low to give America a good life. Caste is like the ranking or economic status of your family, something like that. Both of Aspen and America have low caste, so if America won or got picked from the Selection then her caste, alongside with her family will increase. 

   In this series, you'll see the development of Maxon and America's relationship. You'll be able to see how the get fond of each other, face obstacles, and realize their feelings for each other.

RECOMMENDATION:

   I recommend this series for the people who likes to feel like royalty. I swear that you'd feel royal while reading this book. And if you love romantic and sappy kind of books then this would be perfect for you. It really revolves around the love story of Maxon and America. Their relationship is a huge struggle between the two of them and it would affect their love for each other in ways that you can't imagine. I always find myself giggling while reading this book because Maxon is so adorable~ The way he shows his feeling for America and the other girls will make your heart melt like an ice cream on a hot day. Even though the focal point of this trilogy is the love story, there are also some side problem that goes along as you progress on reading the book. There are rebels and things like the Hunger Games. I'm not saying the cliche line that this is like Hunger Games but its inevitable not to feel that way. I mean with the rebellion and stuff. Nonetheless, the rebellion won't entirely ruin the romantic parts in the books. 

   I also want to recommend this if you want to meet the most annoying and frustrating female protagonist ever. 

THE ONE REVIEW: 

{ Without Spoilers // don't read if you haven't read The Selection and The Elite}

• If you're done reading The Elite then you probably hate America, too. If you don't, then I don't know what's wrong with you because America is the most annoying protagonist ever. I have to warn you that her stupidity will continue on The One. There came a time where I just want to throw the book across the room and just leave it like that. Her stupidity is always right around the corner, including her indecisiveness between Aspen and Maxon.
• I'm not a huge America fan because she gets on my nerves every time. Before starting reading this book, I hoped that she'd pull her shit together and just choose Maxon. Gods, she frustrates me a lot.
• In this book you'll also see the story and problems sew itself into place. I don't know how it happened but things can just happen in a flash, or in a few pages. The Northerners and Southerners will appear more in this book and you should see that one coming because until now we still don't know what's their goal in ambushing the palace every now and then. 

   I honestly don't want to say anything anymore. I feel like if I continued talking about this I might slip a spoiler out. And I really, really don't want to ruin the experience of reading the last book for you. So yeah, maybe you should just start reading it already because its actually good and annoying.

 

{ With spoilers }

• LET'S TALK ABOUT AMERICA, NOW. I can't talk without discussing about her stupidity anymore. Oh my god, you don't know how I always scream at my book every time I feel like America will not use her brain again. She can rule the kingdom of idiocy. She never think about anything else other than herself. She's so freaking selfish. I wish I could strangle her and tell her "AMERICA CAN YOU STOP BEING SUCH A BRAT ABOUT EVERYTHING?" There are a lot of times in this book where she did not just risk her position in the Selection but she also risked Maxon's life as well. How stupid can she get? I'm sorry if I kept on saying "stupid" or "frustrating" because those are the only words that can describe a protagonist like America. Why can't she act more like Kriss and a little of America? That would be perfect! 
• I hate the fact that every time Maxon would push her away I'd get hurt because I should be happy that Maxon won't end up with a girl like her. Why does America have to narrate the story? I get carried away by her emotions which makes me root for her until the end. I'm actually crying when she and Maxon had a happy ending. I'm not going to lie that I could make a pool of happy tears whilst reading the last pages of the book. However, I can make a river of tears of frustration whilst reading The One. I'm just going to list out the times that America seriously got on my nerves:

1. It would have been funny if America isn't really stupid. How can she even think of literally seducing Maxon?! What the hell got into her mind? I mean if she does have one... It was so embarrassing. I laughed though. I found if funny when Maxon found it funny. But while she was doing this little stunt of hers, I was really embarrassed for her. America is really stupid I want to cry.
2. AND EVERY SINGLE EFFING TIME America push Maxon away, Maxon just kept on coming back. I really love Maxon for doing that but serisouly dude. What do you like about America? SHE'S LITERALLY THE MOST IRRATIONAL PERSON ON EARTH. Maxon is giving America a chance to freaking end the Selection. I'm not dumb like her to see the obvious, which is she freaking loves Maxon and Maxon loves her back. She can end the Selection whenever the hell she wants but NO. She just kept on sulking. She kept on saying "Is there even an us anymore?" "Oh no Maxon doesn't love me anymore" Are you seriously using your brain? Of course he loves you. Oh god, how dense can you be!
3. That moment when she realized that she loves Maxon. I am really happy that she did because it's about time she does! I was like "OH MY GOD YES, YES YOU LOVE HIM OH MY GOD HOW CAN YOU JUST REALIZE THAT NOW?" Why would she feel jealous of the other girls if she doesn't, right? This is girl, oh god. 
4. I also hate that time when she finally realized and it was the perfect moment to say that she loves Maxon, she'll just be like "Nope, I won't say it now, maybe later." And then she finally had a crap ton of chances to tell Maxon she kept on saying "Hmm no maybe not the right time" HER PROCRASTINATION IN CONFESSING IS REALLY ANNOYING. Why can't she just say it. I just want to shout at her "America, oh god. Are you seriously doing this? JUST FREAKING SAY IT!" I hate how she can't just tell Maxon those three words, three words that would end the freaking Selection and move on with the freaking story. But our self-centered protagonist is too dumb to say I love you. So the story will keep on revolving around her stupid life. She kept on blurting useless words in public, but she can't say the right thing that will obviously make things right. 
5. Her irrational thinking!!! It annoys the heck out of me. On the day of the Conviction, I know that she'll say something dumb again. I can always see it coming. I just want to freaking stab America every time an event comes up because she always seem to end up ruining everything anyway. And I hate the fact that she always do the right thing and people actually like her stupidity. Sigh..... why does she have to be the main character. She's the most frustrating person ever.
6. Lastly, every time Aspen opens up something about their relationship she immediately assumes that it's about her. HOW SELF-CENTERED CAN SHE GET? I knew that Aspen doesn't love her anymore, it doesn't feel like that while reading the book. And when Aspen was about to tell her something she'll instantly think "Oh not this again" and say to Aspen "Nope I don't want to talk about that right now." Why does she always, always push the important things away?! CAN I JUST KILL HER THANKS.

• That's not the end of my rant about America. I'm just going to get on with another topic because I can seriously just talk about my annoyance over her in this post but I don't want that to happen. I don't want to make this about her, again. Just like what she did in the books. (OH THE FRUSTRATION) Anyway, I was starting to get fond of Celeste and then in a snap she dies. Just like that. I was so surprised when I got shell-shocked that she just died. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm sad to see Celeste go. I was actually tearing up on the epilogue when America wished that Celeste was there. I really wish she was. She's a very kind and happy person. I seriously got to love her. *cries* 
• Can we just talk about the scene in Maxon's bedroom? CAN WE JUST PLEASE. I was literally starting to go crazy when Maxon turned into desperate mode he was all over America. I AM CRYING. That scene was hella insane. I barely recognized Maxon. He was like "I want you so much America, I desperately WANT. YOU. ALL. FOR. MYSELF." I was on the verge of madness. IT'S MADNESS I SAY, MADNESS! Can Maxon do that to me, too? Please. Oh god.*hyperventilates*  And before that he was like "I can think of a few other ways to show you how you make me feel." WITH A DEVILISH SMIRK. CAN WE JUST. That was the time I started freaking out and shouting around the house. And when someone knocked on the door, I can't help but feel like killing someone. I was on the edge of happiness and then when Maxon said America's father died, it was like I was pushed off the cliff of happiness. I know that it's over. I was like "WHAT WHAT WHY WHAT HAPPENED" I was so mad I'm blaming America for not just telling Maxon she loves him, too! That she also wants him all for herself. She should've said that before leaving the palace. *CRYING*
• MAXON'S LETTERS. Oh god. Enough said. 
• I was starting to cry so damn much when Maxon was proposing to America. Aaaaah~ That was so, so sweet! When he gave her a picture of a house, and then America was like "It's beautiful, did you take this?" and Maxon was like "My gift to you is not the picture, but the house." and I was like "WHAT. WHAT!!! OMG THAT'S IS SO.. OMG" And in that moment, I wish I could stab America and just take her place. Maxon's proposal was so sweet. The happiness was so overwhelming that tears of joy actually came out of my eyes and it was the best feeling ever. When America finally said I love you to Maxon he was so happy and so shocked that he was like "What? Can you say that again?" AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. That's really adorable! I started giggling and jumping while crying. I swear that really happened. I was so happy that I started jumping. That moment was the real definition of a happy ending, my heart was overwhelming with feels that tears of joy started dripping from my eyes. It was so sweet!
• Just when everything was turning out perfect, the authors are always there push us off the stairwell of depression. I was like "YES YES THEY'RE GETTING MARR---" and then Maxon saw Aspen and America. I was outraged. And of course I'd blame America because she didn't tell Maxon about Aspen. Her and her procrastination, it annoys me so damn much. She should've told Maxon the night he proposed. I know that it will ruin the moment, the sweet sweet moment, but not the freaking marriage! And the scenes after Maxon caught America and Aspen nearly killed me. I intend on stopping on reading The One because I feel like my heart is going to burst any moment but I want to know what will happen even if Maxon's coldness sent a shiver to my spine. I don't know why I felt sad for America and I hate that she's the narrator of the story because I want Maxon to end up with a girl like Kriss. But of course, I'd feel the same way that America feels. 
• My mind and heart were all over the place while the ambush is taking place. Especially when Maxon was like "America I'm sorry I love you I'm going to marry you but I can't because I'll die." I WAS TURNING HYSTERICAL. And then he was like "Be happy" and America was safe and I wanted to stab her so bad because I wish Maxon was the one who's safe. The next thing I knew I was flying through the pages because I badly want to know if Maxon will die or not and then Aspen was like "Maxon is not dead. But the King and Queen are" And I was like "KIERA CASS IS IT NECESSARY TO KILL THE QUEEN" But the way the Queen died for the King is beyond sweet. I knew that the King really picked a girl who'd take a bullet for him, literally. And it was heartwarming. 
• I knew that Aspen already likes someone else. The conversation he always have with America it was pretty obvious that he doesn't love her anymore. And I wasn't surprised to see that it was Lucy. When America told Aspen about Anne's feelings for him, he was like "Lucy Lucy Lucy" and then when America needs to bring one of her maids Aspen was like "Lucy! Lucy is the best pick yes yes" I'm happy for Aspen that she ended up with someone who deserves his kindness and love. If he ends up with America, I'll feel sad for the dude.
• And then America had her happy ending. The epilogue was cute. I'm happy that I got to see their wedding~ The moment I finished the book I was like "THANK GOD I MISSED HAPPY ENDINGS" I would have to say that America's story is the epitome of a happy ending. She got everything she wanted even though she's really annoying. I'm satisfied with the ending but I still hate America.

   I wish that Kiera Cass would make a novella for how an immature queen would rule a country. That would be exciting!