The One
Kenley Morriss, Quarter 2, Part 3, Period 6/7
The One
Written by Kierra Cass
Published by KarperTeen
ISBN: 978-0062060006
Genre: Fantasy
Review
The One, written by Kiera Cass, is the third and final book of The Selection Series. The One drew me in and took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions along with the main character. It takes place in the future, in what is called Illea. Illea was founded by Gregory Illea after the United States of America became no more. Gregory Illea also created what is known as The Selection, in which 35 girls are drawn from each of the Provinces to compete for the future king's heart. From the very beginning of the series, I was in love with the main character, America, who was selected from the Province called Caroline, to compete in The Selection. America is a Five, which means she is only three castes above an eight, who lives his life in poverty. Cass created her to be a loving person, a stubborn girl, a passionate woman, yet in such a mysterious way, that, as a reader, you can't help but be taken into her life. From the beginning, as the reader I was able to tell that America was meant to be the future queen because she was strong willed but always selfless, giving to anybody and everyone she loved when they needed her most. While she wasn't aware of her love for the Prince until The One, she loved the girls and Queen very much, and by doing that, I think Cass created an even stronger bond between America and the Prince.
While I loved America, I wasn't too impressed with Cass's writing overall. Throughout the three books, but especially The One, Cass only wrote enough about the characters and settings that I was pulled in, but I never felt for any of the other characters in the book, besides America and her loves, the Prince and her guard. I felt that Cass didn't dig the reader deep enough into the plot. I think that if Cass hadn't just scraped the top of the political issues in The One, that it would've been a lot more effective when America was pursued by rebels. Also, if the plot had dug deeper, Cass might have one the medal she was nominated for. America was also creating herself and seeing what she was never able to see when she was in the shadows as a FIve. There was much more than love that America was uncovering and I don't think Cass did a just job to the other characters that were involved with her discovery of hate and friendship. Overall, I enjoyed The One, actually, I enjoyed the whole series, but I just feel that Cass could have done a better job within the plot.
Professional Reviews:
Further Explorations
Further Explorations:
Background article on what a monarchy is, the way the government in The One is run.
The One talked about Illea's ties with Italy. Since Illea was formally America, I was wondering about the U.S. and Italy's ties.
In the book, it says that America was torn apart because of disagreements with Russia, and right now Russia and America are not on the same page.
How Kiera Cass mashes two princesses to come up with The Selection series idea.
This link shows how and why The Selection series gets their beautiful covers.
Read Alikes
Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard, is similar to The One in the sense that the main character, Mare Borrow, finds herself in the royal palace by chance, much like America Singer did in The One. Red Queen also takes place in the future U.S. just like Kiera Cass's book. Both books have the presense of the monarchy type of government and the discrimination against people.
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer, is much like The One because the main character is forced into royalty, much like America when she wins the selection. The main character in Cinder is also trying to hide her true identity, much like America trying to hide what she knows from the King. While The One is fantasy, Cinder is science fiction, but they both take place in the future.
Works Cited
Citation
"Building the Cover Art." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
"Kiera Cass: A Natural Selection." Comic-Con International: San Diego. N.p., 07 Apr. 2014. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
"THE ONE by Kiera Cass | Kirkus Reviews." Kirkus Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
"'The One' EXCLUSIVE Cover Reveal: Look Who's Wearing White!" News. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
"The One (The Selection, #3)." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
"Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.
"Robot Check." Robot Check. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.
"TBR Spotlight: Throne of Glass Series." Miss DreamyMarie. N.p., 22 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.
"U.S. Relations With Italy." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, 15 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
"What Is a Monarchy?" About.com Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.