The Siren and The Crown

It's been a long, fun ride with Kiera Cass onboard The Selection Series train. But somewhere between The Heir and The Crown, my loyalty is deviating. 

Reading The Siren (great cover, by the way) felt like stumbling across a teenager's private diary, with words that didn't feel or sound quite like the Kiera Cass I've come to know and love. A tiny bit of research led me to find that this book was actually her first novel that was self-published and recently re-released. Unfortunately, as a writer, I can empathize with the desire to have everything published, but as a wise (and wise ass) professor once instructed: "Sometimes you have to edit by cleaver." This book is one of those that didn't quite have enough guts to stand proudly in Cass's canon. The characters were underdeveloped, the scenes were pretty fun but a little predictable, and the outcome was decent, but there was some weird stuff along the way. 

As for The Crown, the fifth and final installment in The Selection Series, there were a lot of things missing, including the juicy plot, secret make out sessions, and political intrigue, love triangles (and quadrangles) and a general sense of excitement. Being the final book in a series of major romantic excitement, stolen kisses, complicated family dynamics, and torn heart-strings, this book didn't get there, literally, until the last 10 pages. Now, I've never thrown a book across the room, but sure was tempted after slogging through to see what happened at the end (which was pretty predictable also). At least it was a semi-satisfying end to a far too chaste and aloof story. When you go in expecting The Bachelorette-meets-The Royals, there's got to be more lust, jealousy, and fancy clothing. Sigh. I have to say it was a disappointing end to a series I've been talking up for years. 

I'm not giving up, I'm simply hoping for more well-crafted, highly-developed characters, fabulous settings, and intriguing plots in the future, with lots of secrets on the side and a fair dose of emotional and romantic turmoil. That's not too much of a tall order, right? 

This post is a personal opinion. It is not a reflection of the author or publisher.