Review: The Queen by Kiera Cass

The Queen (The Selection #0.4) by Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen Impulse

Source: eBook ($2.99)

Goodreads link: (click here)

What's it about?

Long before America and Maxon met in The Selection, there was another love story. Maxon's parents, King Clarkson and Queen Amberly, went through their own Selection. Before Amberly became a beloved Queen, she was just a simple factory worker from Honduragua who idolized the Prince from afar. Because of her lower caste, she didn't believe that she had a chance at winning Prince Clarkson's heart, even though being chosen for The Selection was supposed to level the field. She never felt like she belonged, but she truly wanted to get to know Clarkson and hoped that he would give her a fair chance. As the days passed, Amberly began to realize that life in the palace wasn't all majesty and glamour. If she were to become the Princess, and one day the Queen, she'd have to endure dangerous rebel attacks, conflicts within the royal family and a lifetime of political games. But, as she got closer to Prince Clarkson, she began to realize that he was everything she wanted. This was the rise of The Queen.

My thoughts:

MORE! I want more! I enjoyed reading about Queen Amberly's Selection experience and I loved the sneak peek of Marlee's story at the end (Marlee's story, The Favorite, will be released 3/3/2015). I can definitely see the similarities between Amberly and America and I understand why Amberly took such a liking to her. It was nice to look back on the past at the beginning of the King & Queen's love story, but I wanted more. King Clarkson was an enormous jerk (and I'm being kind) in The Selection series and I wanted to know how and why such a kind and gracious woman (Amberly) could have loved him. I saw it a little bit, but I still wonder what made him change. I'm sure the rebels and the political games had a lot to do with it, but of all people, Clarkson should have understood that Maxon loved America, so why was he so cruel to her? I guess he forgot where his own love story began. I also thought Amberly would've been tougher, but I guess she was young and I assume that her volition and poise were a result of maturity and living as royalty. I enjoy reading anything set in the world of The Selection and I want MORE! This taunted me. I want The Favorite and The Heir...NOW!

Also, I came across these lines while reading The Queen and I got a bit weepy. If you've read The One, you know why.

Oh, Amberly...

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<3 Michelle