The Crown by Kiera Cass

35 suitors entered the selection who will win her heart?

Having read all four of the The Selection series I knew I needed to finish off what Cass had started in so naturally I chose to read The Crown.

I pre-ordered the copy for the school library so managed to get it on the publication date. Sadly I have mixed feelings about this story. Although enjoyable to be back with the characters I just don't get a strong likeable feeling for Eadlyn. In The Heir I felt that this was on purpose but I assumed that in The Crown that Eadlyn would be mellowed and seem kinder.  Unlike her mother (America) before her Eadlyn does not have the same presence or heart and comes across like a brat a lot of the time.

In the original Selection series there is a lot of unrest and the difficulties with the caste system and problems are really tangible. You feel the tension throughout the books. However, even though there is supposed to be unrest again but it doesn't sizzle off the page in quite the same way. I think this makes it difficult to understand the reasons Eadlyn makes her decision so fast as the importance was not conveyed well enough.

In The Heir I wanted to know who she would choose but I felt her choices made no sense in The Crown and went against what it initially seemed she wanted. The romance just didn't feel real to me and it felt a little contrived and cliched.

For me Cass wasted her long standing characters. America, Maxon, Aspen and Marlee as they do not feature enough and this was really noticeable. I always acknowledge that when a series is for young adults that it might feel juvenile when I read it. I did not feel this with the first 3 of these books but this one in-particular just felt aimed for much younger audiences then before.

Not for me - good for those who want to finish the story arc