Very funny and a little bittersweet. I think it's good that Karp waited awhile to write about this time of his life--you can tell he's still a little sad and angry about how things turned out for him, but ultimately has the perspective (and other career success) that he can enjoy reminiscing about this really wild story. I also appreciate his perspective on the homophobia in rap & hip-hop and how gross it sounds to him now--I will warn that this book includes some homophobic rap lyrics (with apologetic footnotes about how he hates those lyrics now but feels like he should own up to them by including them with the rest of the songs). For the audiobook he said he was too embarrassed to read his old raps himself so he hired a dignified Shakespearean actor to read them and it's a pretty good gimmick.

ughhh I can't explain why these books are so compelling and yet so frustrating?!

I try to have a sympathetic eye toward insecure, waffling teen characters because I do remember that phase of my life but also GOD DAMN IT AMERICA SINGER, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER



also the audiobook narrator has kind of an annoying, breathy aspect to her voice but that's probably how America Singer talks, to be fair

the worldbuilding continues to make no sense but I continue to be very addicted to the story?!?

Despite this being called THE ONE and being the THIRD BOOK of the series I was still terrified that by the end of it the prince wasn't going to have chosen his princess yet because GOD DAMN nobody in these books has their shit togetherrr

There was actually a twist in this that I didn't see coming, which was nice! Still: not much sense made here. A lot of exhausting angst. Why are these so compelling. I don't know. I can't explain it. I have to get back to listening to book 4 now. BYE.

I still can't put into words why this series is so addictive??? Especially since [b:The One|18635016|The One (The Selection, #3)|Kiera Cass|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395612906s/18635016.jpg|21587145] so abruptly resolved America's story.

I am interested in the ways Cass was kinda trying to do something feminist here with Eadlyn occasionally mentioning double standards about how men are ~assertive~ and she's ~bitchy~ even though she's a ~future queen~ and all the men are just garbage peasants. The problem is that Eadlyn is basically like a teenage Lucille Bluth??? Which is weird because her parents are basically socialist royals??

also the technology in this world still makes NO GODDAMN SENSE IT'S 300 YEARS IN THE FUTURE AND THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY HAVE LIKE ONE LAND LINE AND NO INTERNET AND THEY KEEP MAKING SERVANTS DELIVER HAND-WRITTEN NOTES AND I'M FURIOUS AND NOBODY HAS BOTHERED TO MAKE ANY MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS AT ALL ARGHHHHH

also we listened to this on audio and then later I learned that Kyle and Aaron spell their names Kile and Ahren because the future??? also SWENDWAY god they kept saying SWENDWAY and I couldn't handle it

also it's very rude of the palace not to provide a translator for their Swendish visitor

ughhhhhhhh

I'M FREE, IT'S OVER

I shrieked for like five minutes at the ending

Spoiler

Eadlyn spent forever obsessing about if she could marry someone who wasn't technically in the Selection and then ON A WHIM, WITHOUT ASKING ANYONE, dissolved their country's monarchy into constitutional monarchy???

MAYBE THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T PUT A TEENAGER IN CHARGE OF YOUR WHOLE COUNTRY

SORRY BOUT IT MAXON

oh fuck this was so good but so scary!!!! i didn't know it was going to be so scary!!!! ahh!!!

I understand that some people like scary things??? but it just kind of gives me a stomachache. But I loved all the characters and the mystery and the historical detail so much that I stuck it out through the GENUINE TERROR.

the audiobook is phenomenal too, great voices for all the characters. Highly recommended for your next 15-hour drive.

I also love the diversity, taking full advantage of the 1920s NYC setting--not just white flappers but also the Harlem Renaissance, and how those worlds do and don't interact. And also ghosts ahhhh

Also for me I thought the use of 20s slang was like, just enough, but not so much to be annoying. The cat's particulars!

This was a quick, enjoyable read! I'm a little surprised it was a Pulitzer finalist tbh? I don't know. It is a great character study and it is kind of a refreshing/frank piece of historical fiction? Also it was a stressful read that made me want to eat biscuits. Mm, biscuits. I'm still thinking about the ending, and it gave us all a lot to talk about at book club.

I'd read really mixed reviews of this but I'm interested in cults (...fictionally speaking) so I checked it out. I...agree with mixed reviews? It's a great idea and there are some beautifully observed lines about ~the patriarchy~ and how much sense it makes for all these girls to be competing for a male cult leader's affections. (“I waited to be told what was good about me. [...] All that time I had spent readying myself, the articles that taught me life was really just a waiting room until someone noticed you- the boys had spent that time becoming themselves.” ) It can feel a little didactic in points, but the frame narrative makes that make sense.

Overall I'd recommend it if you're interested in cults, but otherwise not a must-read.

This has been on my to-read list based on strong recs from friends for literally years, but it did not disappoint when I finally got around to it! I listened to the audiobook on a trip and it's a good one for that; it kept me engaged but also the structure makes it easy to start and stop. (I've also heard it recommended for read-alouds for that reason.) It's so smartly done and simultaneously a surprising read but also very logical? Like there are no loose ends here. Also just lovely and fun. So good! Minli forever! <3

Aww, this was very sweet and also compelling? Like...Hatchet + Charlotte's Web + a robot? It was such a careful blend of ~nature red in claw and tooth~ but also a helpful community? I could still see it being upsetting for sensitive young readers but it's overall a sweet story. It's interesting portrayal of a disability!

Also I read the ebook version on my Kindle so I missed out on the color illustrations ,but even in b&w they were very cool. (As you would expect from Peter Brown.)