Roller Blading and The Selection

      Monday, we had the school day off because it was President's Day. My best friend Emily, creator and writer of the awesome book review blog, Sitting With A Book, invited me to go to the local roller skating/blading place. She is an epic figure skater and is also very good at roller blading. I started with roller skates, but after we decided that there was no hope for me with roller skating, I switched to roller blading. It was so much fun (after I stopped holding on to the wall!) Thanks, Emily, for taking me and teaching me how to roller blade!
      I have been slowly starting to enjoy teen dystopian books. Emily recommended The Selection by Kiera Cass for my next read. It was absolutely fantastic! It was set in a dystopian future where, after the United States had been weakened by multiple world wars and changes in leadership, the nation had eventually been turned into a monarchy and its name changed to Illea. The people lived in a caste system where the different castes had numbers. The Ones were royalty, and the Eights were very poor. America Singer, a girl from the Five caste, excelled at art and music, like almost everyone in her caste. Her family struggled to get by, and when Prince Maxon sent out applications for a contest to find a wife, America was urged to enter because her family would receive money if she was selected. America didn't want to enter because she was already in love with a Six named Aspen. She entered after Aspen suggested that she should and became the representative for Carolina, the area of Illea where she lived. She was swept from her family, Aspen, and her entire lifestyle to live in the palace with thirty-four other girls. Between nerve wracking publicity, strange new rules, attacks on the palace by rebels, and America's conflicting feelings for Aspen and Maxon, the contest was an intense experience for America and all the girls fighting for the Prince's heart.
      The book was very exciting! There was never a boring moment. It was well written and the characters were great. Kiera Cass has a fantastic writing style, and I strongly recommend  The Selection to everyone! The sequel book, The Elite, will be released in April!