Mini Reviews: The Selection and Glimmerglass

Hi guys(: I hope you all had a wonderful week, and are having a great weekend! Today, I will be doing 2 mini reviews, because I have come to the conclusion that I simply have no time to write out 2 full ones. My schedule is so hectic right now, but at least I still have time to blog! Now, let's begin(:


1. The Selection(The Selection, #1) by Kiera Cass

Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 327 pgs
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: April 24th, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Read: January 1st-5th
Source: Barnes&Noble

Synopsis:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

(from Goodreads)

The Selection was a perfect read for me. I had heard so much press about it, so I was really excited when I got my hands on it. I think the part I liked the most about it was that America was such a fighter. She was very out of the ordinary, and stood out from the rest of the Selected. The pacing was nicely put, and I didn't feel like a snail or an Olympic runner at any point. Maxon, oh Maxon. He is probably the first fiction boy I have swooned after, instead of lusting after, lol. He was so gentlemanly to America, and he truly seemed like he one day could run their country. Aspen was okay for me. I liked him a lot in the beginning, but after something happened, I kinda hated him and forgot about him until he came back into the story. The love triangle was pretty nice, unlike the forced ones you see authors make. I can't wait to read The Elite!

I thought America was very feminist for herself, fellow Selected and to her maids. She stood up for them all no matter how many chips were down. Therefore, I am marking The Selection as my first Feminist Read for my 2013 Feminist Reads Challenge.

1.The Selection(The Selection, #1) by Kiera Cass 5/5 stars.
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2. Glimmerglass(Glimmerglass, #1) by Jenna Black

Page Count(Paperback Edition): 294 pgs
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Released: May 25th, 2010
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Read: January 6th-12th
Source: Library

Synopsis:

It's all she's ever wanted to be, but it couldn't be further from her grasp...

Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides shes had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl, she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she'll never have a chance with...until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again.

For a good part of this book, I was confused as to what Avalon really was, and who the Council was for that matter. I also had a hard time connecting with Dana and her life. She seemed to over-react a lot, and kept trusting people who hurt her time and time again. Dana was entertaining though, so I stuck around to see what came next. As far as the plot goes, it was interesting enough to want me to stick around as well. As it progressed, I slowly grew more and more attached to the story. I definitely want to read the next book soon, but I'm not totally sold to the story yet. I may take a couple of months and then read it, who knows? (:

♦Haley♦