The Selection is the first book in the titular romance trilogy by American author Kiera Cass. First published in 2012, The Selection was pitched as a dystopian interpretation of the hit television show The Bachelor, and as Publisher’s Weekly stated in their review, the Selection is “[a] cross between ‘The Hunger Games’ (minus the blood sport) and ‘The Bachelor’ (minus the blood sport).” In a future set in the land of Illéa (formerly the United States), 35 girls from around the country compete in a televised royal dating competition to win the heart of the dashing Prince Maxon. The story uses first-person narrative to follow America Singer, a teenaged contestant who finds herself suddenly thrust into a world of glamor and unexpected danger. While love, heartbreak, secrecy, and jealousy reign supreme, The Selection also tackles themes of family, loyalty, injustice, propaganda, and the power of young women. The version used for this guide is the hardback of the HarperTeen imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Plot Summary

Long ago, the United States was dismantled, and the nation of Illéa rose from its ashes. In Illéa, the population is divided into eight castes: Eights are considered the lowest of the low, and Ones make up the royal family that rules over Illéa. A person’s caste determines their career path, and while it is possible to purchase a position in a higher caste, vicious cycles of poverty leave most of the lower-caste population scrambling just to survive.

Seventeen-year-old America Singer, a Five from a family of artists and musicians, is in love with Aspen, a Six who can barely provide for his younger brothers and sisters. One day, the Illéan government announces the upcoming Selection: a televised event where the crown prince of Illéa, Prince Maxon, will choose his future wife from a dating pool of 35 young women from every province of Illéa. America doesn’t want to participate in the Selection, but at Aspen’s urging and her mother’s insistence, she agrees to sign up. Aspen breaks up with America because he believes she deserves a better future than that of a Six. On the night that the Selected girls are announced, America is shocked to discover that she has been chosen.

America is brought to the palace with the other 34 contestants, but she is quickly overwhelmed by the strangeness of the palace and the uncertainty of her future. She misses her home and Aspen and believes that she is out of her league and ill-suited to become Illéa’s next princess. She tries to escape on her first night at the palace, and she runs into Prince Maxon. Although America expected Maxon to be stiff, boring, and unlikable, she soon finds that the prince is polite, kind, and respectful, and he seems to genuinely want a happy marriage at the conclusion of the Selection. America and Maxon become unexpected friends, although they agree to keep this camaraderie a secret for the sake of the cameras. America also befriends her three maids, Lucy, Anne, and Mary, and another contestant, Marlee. Despite her initial fears and the strange ways of palace life, America steadily begins to settle in.

As the competition continues, girls are cut quickly, and the dating pool begins to dwindle. Maxon is a fair, patient man, and his eliminations are often gentle and well-meaning. He sends home many girls because he doesn’t feel a romantic connection with them, and he doesn’t want to waste their time. However, other girls are sent home for breaking the rules or for speaking ill of America. A trend begins to emerge, and before long, the other girls take notice that Maxon seems to favor America.

While the Selection is going on, America goes head-to-head with the aggressive and power-hungry Celeste, who is obsessed with winning the Selection and the crown by any means necessary. The safety of the palace is also called into question as two separate attacks by troublesome rebels interrupt the Selection. Amidst the chaos, America discovers that Aspen was drafted into the Illéan military and assigned to work at the palace. As America and Maxon’s relationship starts to blossom into something beyond mere friendship, America finds herself torn between her love for an old flame and the possibility of starting something new with Maxon. Additionally, if America and Aspen are caught together, they will both be executed for treason.

After a particularly troubling rebel attack, Maxon makes the difficult decision to put the safety of the girls first, and he narrows the remaining women down to his top six choices. When the dust settles, America remains along with Kriss, Celeste, Marlee, Elise, and Natalie. In private, Maxon tells America that he loves her, and if it were up to him, he would end the competition now and ask her to marry him. However, since America still isn’t sure if she can grow to love Maxon and accept him, he must keep the other five girls around until he knows whether or not America will accept his proposal. Aspen also insists that he won’t stop fighting for America. As the novel concludes, America is determined to control her own destiny and choose for herself.