The Selection
Thirty-five beautiful girls. Thirty-five beautiful rivals…It’s the chance of a lifetime and 17-year-old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for The Selection, a reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon’s love.Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamorous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others.Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don’t know is that America has a secret – one which could throw the whole competition… and change her life forever.
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First published in the USA by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. in 2012
First published in paperback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Childrenâs Books in 2012 HarperCollins Childrenâs Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
THE SELECTION. Copyright © 2012 by Kiera Cass. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Kiera Cass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of the work.
Source ISBN: 9780007466696
Ebook Edition © April 2012 ISBN: 9780007466726
Version: 2015-12-19
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Acknowledgments
âOne can never help being born into perfection,â I whispered.
He came close, wrapping an arm around my waist so that we faced each other. His nose tickled mine. He ran his fingers across my cheek so gently it seemed he was afraid I would break.
âNo, I donât suppose you can,â he breathed.
With his hand holding my face toward his, he lowered his lips to mine and gave me the faintest whisper of a kiss.
Something about the tentativeness of it made me feel beautiful. Without a word, I could understand how excited he was to have this moment, but then afraid at the same time. And deeper than any of that, I sensed that he adored me.
Hi, Dad!
*waves*
WHEN WE GOT THE LETTER in the post, my mother was ecstatic. She had already decided that all our problems were solved, gone forever. The big hitch in her brilliant plan was me. I didnât think I was a particularly disobedient daughter, but this was where I drew the line.
I didnât want to be royalty. And I didnât want to be a One. I didnât even want to try.
I hid in my room, the only place to avoid the chattering of our full house, trying to come up with an argument that would sway her. So far, I had a solid collection of my honest opinions ⦠I didnât think there was a single one she would listen to.
I couldnât avoid her much longer. It was approaching dinnertime, and as the oldest child left in the house, cooking duties fell on me. I pulled myself out of bed and walked into the snake pit.
I got a glare from Mom but no words.
We did a silent dance through the kitchen and dining room as we prepared chicken, pasta, and apple slices, and set the table for five. If I glanced up from a task, sheâd fix me with a fierce look as if she could shame me into wanting the same things she did. She tried that every so often. Like if I didnât want to take on a particular job because I knew the family hosting us was unnecessarily rude. Or if she wanted me to do a massive cleaning when we couldnât afford to have a Six come and help.
Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didnât. And this was one area where I was unswayable.
She couldnât stand it when I was stubborn. But I got that from her, so she shouldnât have been surprised. This wasnât just about me, though. Mom had been tense lately. The summer was ending, and soon weâd be faced with cold. And worry.
Mom set down the pitcher of tea in the center of the table with an angry thud. My mouth watered at the thought of tea with lemon. But I would have to wait; it would be such a waste to have my glass now and then have to drink water with my meal.
âWould it kill you to fill out the form?â she said, no longer able to contain herself. âThe Selection could be a wonderful opportunity for you, for all of us.â
I sighed aloud, thinking that filling out that form might actually be something close to death.
It was no secret that the rebelsâthe underground colonies that hated Illéa, our large and comparatively young countryâmade their attacks on the palace both violent and frequent. Weâd seen them in action in Carolina before. One of the magistratesâ houses was burned to the ground, and a handful of Twos had their cars vandalized. There was even a magnificent jailbreak once, but considering they only released a teenage girl whoâd managed to get herself pregnant and a Seven who was a father to nine, I couldnât help thinking they were in the right that time.
But beyond the potential danger, I felt like it would hurt my heart to even consider the Selection. I couldnât help smiling as I thought about all the reasons I had to stay exactly where I was.
