[Review] THE ONE (The Selection #3)

 

America, you are full of nothing but bad ideas. Great intentions but awful ideas. (Marlee, p. 86)

Last October, I began to read The Selection, and then I found myself craving for more. So then, I read The Elite and the two novella, The Queen and The Prince. Recently, I've finished reading The One. For the previous two novels and two novella, I haven't written the reviews yet, and I don't know if I'll ever write them or not. For this one--The One--on eventually, I wrote the review, mostly because The One unintentionally is matched with BBI January's Reading Challenge: "book with number on its title".

THE CLOSED-LOOP OF DOUBTS

The Selection came near to the end. Sooner or later, Prince Maxon had to make certain about his choice. One out of four of The Elite, America, Celeste, Elise, and Kriss, had to be chosen. It seemed that, in public's eyes or even among the Elite themselves, America must be the one. But, it wouldn't be as simple as that. Maxon had told America that he loved her, but then Mer demanded, if he truly loved her, then he ought to end the Selection eventually. What was he waiting for? Did he not want to lost his chance to catch more romance things with the other Elite? Moreover, Mer knew that Kriss loved him too, and Maxon seemed to very comfortable with it. Not to mention that King Clarkson clearly disliked Mer and untiringly tried to put her into a corner everytime he got the opportunity.

We get close and then something happens and it falls apart, and you never seem to be able to make a decision. If you want me as much as you've always claimed to, why isn't this over? (Mer, p. 42)

In the other hand, Maxon would eventually without doubt choose Mer as The One, but he needed Mer to give him her whole heart. He needed Mer to let go of her former love. Yeah, Mer had to determine her heart over Maxon or Aspen. If she truly loved Maxon, she should let Aspen go. She couldn't be that selfish to have Aspen as a back-up if she didn't end up with Maxon.

Because half the time I've been sure you loved someone else and the other half I've doubted you could love me at all. (Maxon, p. 42)

When finally Maxon decided to end the Selection, the truth about who Aspen was came to the surface and it blew to bits the faith Maxon had in Mer. Would Maxon finally choose Kriss over Mer?

THE REVOLUTION BEGAN

Meanwhile, the Northern Rebels, represented by August Illea and Georgia Whitaker, went to the palace and asked to meet Maxon together with Mer. They explained the intention of Northern Rebels to end castes, and they believed that once Maxon be the king, he wouldn't disappoint them. They also would help fight down the Southern Rebels that kill people and the family of The Elite if the girls didn't abandon the Selection immediately. If Southern Rebels finally did carried out a coup d'etat, it would be the same for the people with the reign of King Clarkson--the tyrant, or even worse.

The Southerners are prepared to be far more cutthroat than you could ever be, and the chances of the country bouncing back are slim. It'll be the same old oppression under a brand-new name... (August, p. 32)

The Northern Rebels then made a request so that they would do everything to end the riots made by the Southerners. They demanded Maxon to pick America as the princess, since she was the only one who was in line with the revolution. Not long after that, in Report, regarding to the rebels' attack to people, King Clarkson told the people to "stay close to home and to take any security measures possible" (p. 49), but Mer told the opposite.

Fight. The rebels are bullies. [...] If you give them power, they're going to be a thousand times worse. So fight. However you can, fight. (Mer, p. 50)

The King, of course, hated the idea, but surprisingly, the people became to love Mer even more. And as Mer told them through the Report, they tried to defend theirselves and fight the rebels.

Lady America is just like the queen. She's a fighter. It's more than wanting her; we need her! (p. 63)

Mer infuriated the King even more through what she did in the Convicting. I knew that Mer would do something at the Convicting--she definitely would do something, I knew a girl with such character wouldn't easily obey the King and/or the rules--so I looked forward to it passionately. What would she do? Oh, then, not bad. Good. Love you, Kiera Cass.

But wait, to prove her love to Maxon, the King wanted her to do something against her principle. What would she do? This time, I was pretty disappointed by the way the author executing the ending. I've looked forward to it all this time--yeah, I knew that in the end, Mer would be the one, but how came? What did Maxon and Mer do to get his approval? I've been always wondering, but the author ended it that way. Since after I read book one, I saw that the author somehow liked to suspend the climaxes. The climax was an inch away from its peak, and then suddenly the author threw it to the valley of anti-climax.

THE GIRLS' RULES

The part I love the most maybe when the Elite began to open their hearts to one another, and got together a chat as such best friends would have. Thanks to Mer and Celeste who at the first struck fire. The two came to a mutual understanding about their not-beautiful past and then became good friends.

OTHER THOUGHTS

I wondered what had happened between Aspen and Lucy? How came they suddenly become like that? Well, maybe I can find it out in The Guard novelette. And then, about the truth Mer finally found out about her father--after he passed away--it was such a plot device. The author never gave me a hint that actually he was what he was, and then suddenly the truth was like that. But, maybe I was the one who overlooked it. And so did about who Kriss actually was.

At last, I feel relieved that many characters came to understanding, and though the ending was like that, I still love this series. Through the character of America, the author implied that we should do what is right even if it means that we stand alone (don't worry, sometimes it doesn't to be really alone). It's very not easy thing to do.[]

Title: The One (The Selection #3)
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperCollins
Edition: EPub, March 2014
Pages: 219 (EPub edition)
ISBN: 9780062060013
My rating: 4/5