Title: The One
Author:  Kiera Cass
Publisher/Year:  Harper Collins Publishers 5/6/14
Length:  336 Pages
Series: The Selection #3

Overview

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, 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.

My Thoughts

Yup – i did it, i put as much aside today that i could to read this finale and it was EXACTLY what i was hoping for.  Most of my questions were answered and a few interesting things came up that i was NOT expecting at all.  that’s what i call a great way to end a series that i’ve been enthralled with for a while now.

So, as you’ll remember, at the end of The Elite, we were down to the ‘semi-finals’ of sorts, with the final few girls being tested in various princess like activities.  America was starting to come into her own, yet her temper and strong will continued to get in her way.  There was also the issue of her deep caring and feelings for her friends which continues to drive a wedge between her and Maxon.  Kriss is exactly that kind of wedge, she’s grown quite close to Maxon while America is figuring things out, and that’s where this journey really takes us.

Where i felt that book 2 got a little too angsty for me, book 3 really took us in another direction – one that was more about politics and finding out what matters than being a teenager in love…although that was clearly the biggest theme here.  While the girls continue to get tested, they are challenged to find there place as a potential princess, and maybe a mate/partner for Maxon, although everyone’s starting to see why the others are still in it.

One of the plot lines that was introduced in The Elite that really takes the stage here is about the rebels – and the northern rebels at that.  remember that these are the ones that don’t go for brutality but are clearly looking for something.  What my gut was telling me as a means to how they find their information only turns out to be partly correct.  One person that i thought was in on it, well that person doesn’t seem to play that role, however another is exactly what i expected.  It’s one of the girls in the Selection that I wasn’t expecting at all to play a role – and i think that you will all find it to be a surprise as well.  I mean, there are things that we know about Elise, Celeste, Natalie, Kriss and even America herself that lead us in an interesting direction when things start to be revealed.

I have to say though that it’s nice to see that Maxon is persistent throughout this book, and while he knows what he wants, and he’s not willing to settle, he’s also trying to be honest with himself about having his heart broken.  America finds herself in a precarious position of whether or not she loves Aspen still, and I think that she still does – it’s clear actually in most of the scenes that they are together.  It’s because of this that shows us that Kriss may be the right choice for Maxon, if he’s even allowed to make a choice….the King’s not really interested in that.

Without giving away too much, we get heartache, and love, we get a lot of deaths that were not expected at all – some key folks that i think we’re all invested in find themselves short of the ending, yet it’s the connections and relationships that were developed through the Selection that take us through it, and give us hope that maybe Illea will be better off in the future, if the right princess is selected.

I’m pleased with The One, and who is The One, even if it’s not the path that I expected things to go.  I kind of wish that we had an epilogue further into the future to see if Maxon would make a good king, and if the people would support him, but i think that things happen for a reason, leaving us open to imagine what we want as an ending.  I kind of hope that there’s another novella since i think that Mary, Lucy and Anne deserve a little something as well, but that’s just my thoughts 🙂

I hope you guys enjoy the finale story in this trilogy as much as i did