the selection is one of the WORST book series (and i absolutely love it)

[@talia9895]

“my 4yr old” was a jump scare i thought u were like 17

[@ainsleesbookclub]

lol I was talking about the kids I work with (I work in early childhood) you’re not the first person to think that though so I guess I wasn’t clear 🤠 not 17 though

[@sidbid1590]

The chokehold "Break my heart. Break it a thousand times if you like. It was only ever yours to break anyways." had on me was crazy.

[@ainsleesbookclub]

hard same I thought it was peak literature in middle school 🤠

[@luxavonregalia1662]

@@ainsleesbookclubno but I did THE UGLIEST pictures with paint that had this quote in front of a sunset like on a daily basis

[@ainsleesbookclub]

that's so chaotic and i love it

[@SallySueSaywhatagain]

That line is, unironically, v cute.

[@firstnamelastname9051]

@@SallySueSaywhatagainonly cute if you havnt had your heart shattered 😀speaking from experience id rather not go through that 1000 times over LMAO

[@pile_of_shredded_cheese]

I love how the non-Illia countries in the book are like, Germany and Italy, and the author still hits us with SWENDWAY. Gurl why-

[@garfieldbrooks]

i can only imagine that swendway is supposed to be a combo-country of sweden and norway?? because if not that means the author came up with "swendway" on her own and thats. so much worse

[@thewingedporpoise]

​@@garfieldbrooksa combo of Norway and Sweden would just be called Sweden to be honest, historically, despite my own inner leanings

[@ros.an.]

don't forget Honduras + Nicaragua = honduragua, I genuinely passed out when I read that

[@n.sch.8455]

This comment made me laugh so hard lmao 😂

[@fredhasopinions]

Kalmar @@thewingedporpoise

[@Misa.misato]

I keep forgetting this is supposed to be the future because of how regressive this society is and because there is a monarchy. So any time you say “he gave her his number” or “they were caught by the cameras” it throws me off my balance. I’m like “wait, what?”. 😂 This books are so ridiculous.

[@ainsleesbookclub]

It’s truly jarring

[@waitwhat1766]

Omg I have the exact same feelings about monarchies and modern settings...just why??? Another example is the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard. Like I'm sorry but if you think I'm not gonna deliberately ignore every description of technology you are sorely mistaken 😂

[@ELPages]

May be because I live in Europe and there are still monarchies there but that's not the most jarring thing theses books had to offer to me XD

[@waitwhat1766]

@@ELPages fair, I'm actually european too. Something in my mind just doesn't like that specific combination of settings I guess🤔. And you're definitely right when it comes to Red Queen: that's by far the least of ist's problems lmao

[@curryfishheadenjoyer]

and the fact that its suppposed to be a dystopia 💀like please you could relabel it as like fantasy or something and it'll still make more sense

[@nataliyanabakova7419]

there’s something so funny about aspen being like WE CANNOT MARRY I CANT MAKE YOU A SIX like bro. she’s a five. she’ll be fine lmao

[@echothenardier8053]

Yeah, from what info the video gives early on about the caste system, what income difference there is between 5s and 6s doesn’t seem like a lot. If she was from higher up, it would be a little more understandable, since she would be used to a better quality of life than he could provide (given his focus on being the breadwinner for his future family)

[@lunammoon8503]

i think it's that if she were a six, she wouldn't be allowed to do art anymore?

[@lilyyoung1002]

​@@lunammoon8503yeah

[@Schnort]

​@lunammoon8503 then just have a small wedding but don't get it put in legal document??

[@ilovemybabyblues]

In their society, a woman inherits the caste of her husband, regardless of whether his is higher or lower than her current caste. So America, as a Five, would be “marrying down”, and would become a Six if she married Aspen. She worked and trained her whole life to be a musician (the craft of Fives), and would no longer be permitted to do that for work; she would be a Six and have to become a manual laborer for the rest of her foreseeable life.

[@HannahBayles]

I literally thought the “what if Cinderella was like the bachelor” was so revolutionary when I read these. I was obsessed.

[@ainsleesbookclub]

truly!! I thought these books were a masterpiece and no one could tell me otherwise 😭

[@BlendaPortela]

omg vocal coach hii

[@roselover411]

The sheer amount of "then the rebels attack" made me go, why is the _monarchy's security_ so very terrible?? I swear the presidency is more secure and that doesn't make sense to me when the country has become an absolute monarchy. Where are all the guards, the guns, the siege weapons? HOW has it taken this long to kill the king when there's another attack every 20 pages?

[@Air_Serpent]

Lemme remind you of the Capitol Attack of January 6 👀

[@roselover411]

@@Air_Serpent oh don't worry, I did not forget. But I would not consider the white house to be particularly well fortified structure like a castle with walls would be, and in our case the president himself refused to call in the national guard, so I don't know if that is quite the same. (Also it's only happened once and hopefully won't again)

[@MyCLAUDIO123456]

Bro just hearing this video of how they put a number 6 that was just conscripted as an royal guard shows how the writter doesnt know how background checks work

[@ellag3265]

You know the advice "when things get boring, make ninjas attack"? Same thing happened here except it was the rebels.

[@sarahwayne8656]

Dude this killed me too like how do they ALWAYS breach the castle like how bad are the guards at their Jobs ⚰️

[@cassandratemple45]

When I was reading these I was like, there's no way these "rebels" are real. It's so undeveloped, so vague, and so inconsequential. It must be a thing that the king is making up as a means of social control; and BOY was I wrong. You can literally skip the entire second book and miss nothing. I love it so much.

[@adhominemetc]

I read the whole series two times and all the (many) times I read it after, I never read the second book. I don't know what happens in it. I also kind of forgot how romance centric it was, because the rebels were the only part that actually interested me... Oh how have I learned

[@ighmoss]

lmao when I read the series I literally never read the second book... and I still have not read it. only read the 1st and 3rd book and I missed nothing lol

[@aza.zipppp]

Wait omg the second book was my fav😭

[@lunardoesthings]

I think I skipped an entire book while reading and didn’t notice till like halfway through the next one

[@moonbaby222]

YES YES YESS EXACTLY...the second book is a pain in the arse & absolutely useless 😭😭😭😭😹

[@jenny5272]

Is it nonsensical garbage? Absolutely. Do I love it with my entire soul and heart? You can bet everything you hold dear that I do.

[@ainsleesbookclub]

you and me both 🤠

[@bitterrootsimmer]

I saw his video and immediately clicked on it. 0:26 you took the words right out of my mouth.

[@TheDudeWithTheToes]

I can’t believe you didn’t mention the fact that they redeemed Celeste right at the end then immediately killed her off. I love this series but I can’t forgive them for making me sympathize with the bitch of the series then immediately killing her off.

[@gracel2mart]

That pissed me off also!!! At least wait a bit to kill her, so we get to actually be invested in her

[@gracel2mart]

That pissed me off also!!! At least wait a bit to kill her, so we get to actually be invested in her

[@cloudehdayz7761]

Could you please let me know how Celeste gets redeemed?

[@punctuationstation]

@@cloudehdayz7761 She and America have this heart-to-heart where Celeste basically explains that yes, she is a maniuplative bitch, and yes, she's aware of it BUT something or other about the patriarchy and societal expectations, yada yada yada, trying to make Maxon get her pregnant, yada yada yada. In the end it resolves to Celeste being re-assigned to the Gurl Power Sidekick role where she basically goes "fuck this I don't wanna marry this dude" and is America's supporter 'til she's offed.

[@jorienstoel602]

I hate the plotpoint of the bitch side character who is mean without a lot of reason soooo much like gosh. I didn't care about her being killed because imo she was just a very unnecessary addition to the book and the redemption before killing her off felt so forced

[@luciaflores4693]

i once heard someone describe this book as "was it good? no, but was it fun? sure hell it was" and is the realest thing Ive heard

[@cosmicriptid]

@luciaflores4693 That applies to a lot of books and movies I have enjoyed.

[@ellisgalex]

you left out the part where he proposes to her with the ugliest ring of all time like obviously it’s never pictured but it’s described as being two stones next to each other and one is a amethyst and the other is like a peridot or something because it’s their birthstones? i remember HATING the idea of this ring when i read it for the first time bc wtf also you’d think a KING would have the common sense to get better stones than that bc amethyst is a horrible ring stone it gets scratched and dented so easily. anyway. obviously i’m still mad about it

[@ainsleesbookclub]

No cause why do all of these books have the most god awful rings 😭 the twilight ring and the selection ring it’s so badddddd

[@ellisgalex]

@@ainsleesbookcluband the authors think they’re being so creative and not like other girls 😭

[@ElicrafteeGaming]

Lol, the only truly good ring in any series is the One Ring

[@apollo6274]

All these rings are so god awful, but I feel like I'm a bad judge in general cuz I ligit thought it was so sweet and romantic when Deadpool proposed with a ring pop in the movie. I just assumed I had awful tastes

[@bluehydrangea5506]

It was stupid little things like the ring (amethyst = a poor stone) and calling maxon "majesty" when he was a prince when majesty = reserved for ruling kings/queens that made me think the author did 0 research into anything.

[@matty4338]

"sign a contract saying she is infact a virgin" MY DUMB ASS I THOUGH YOU SAID "IS DIVERGENT" AND I GOT SO CONFUSED I WAS LIKE WHAT KIND OF CROSSOVER BOOK IS THIS

[@jamjam8929]

OH MY GOD SAME I HAD TO REPLAY IT.

[@fpcooper95]

😂😂😂 sameee, so glad we could all share that little moment 😂😂😂

[@FM-er6xy]

omg I LOVE hour long videos on really bad books im never reading

[@varshini6904]

Samee😂

[@heathermartinez2954]

OMG me too!! I wanna know the garbage drama but I don't really wanna invest my time for the garbage. But I wanna know about it. Lol

[@MadelineBuckner]

Same!

[@foundersolaris]

My take about this series is that the author probably wanted to write fantasy romance but dystopia was the genre that was selling at the time. So the publisher was like "What if you made it a dystopia but kept everything else the same?" I think dystopia kind of cramps this book's style. Not that it would be a good book if it wasn't dystopia, but you can clearly tell it wasn't supposed to be.

[@tinyetoile5503]

Yeah I was going to comment "I think people would rag on this series' nonsensical dystopian setting less if they just made it pure fantasy instead" LMAO Like I keep thinking "if this exact story were a rofan shoujo manga it would've sold like hot cakes"

[@dootdoot3065]

​​@@tinyetoile5503You can't just call me out like that 💀 I don't like dystopian settings and I'm a sucker for romance shoujo manga no matter how cliché it can get. I just know I'd be willing to give this series a chance in these circumstances.

[@emmaforti4672]

No I clearly remember the first wattpad chapters, it was like this from the start. Obvi as you said she was influenced by what was popular at the time, but it wasn't a publisher choice. More like trying to emulate the style of ya stuff like hunger games or divergent

[@randomperson7489]

Confession time: I have a selection poster hanging up on the wall in my room (I am now in my junior year lmao) when I was in middle school I checked these books out of the library so often my middle school librarian was like we have a box of posters in the back that came with the books you want one? And I thought it was the absolute greatest thing on earth ever

[@ainsleesbookclub]

i am absolutely obsessed with that

[@knightfromhell1]

Librarians are the backbone of society

[@MissMoontree]

That librarian is the best!

[@Air_Serpent]

Amazing librarian 🥺

[@amirah_lovey76]

Pls I still love these books to this day. Is there better yes do I care no there’s a grip these books have on me that I can’t shake fr 😖

[@kitfairchild9784]

You know, one thing I forgot about was that Kris was the rebel's plant. I think the series would be more interesting if Kris were the main character and Maxon ended up with her instead. You could have a good ole enemies to lovers and lies and deception and completely remove the unnecessary love triangle with Aspen.

[@prosiosy]

Omg? Absolutely. Now I’m craving this

[@mickeymouse7222]

You have no idea how much I agree!

[@mickeymouse7222]

For some reason, I read these books twice. First time out of interest and second time because I saw KZbinrs reviewing it. First time I had a relatively okay time, it was one of the first published romance focused books I'd read. Second time I was completely unimpressed with the romance, and honestly liked Kriss Ambers a lot. And the plot twist about her being a rebel! You have no idea how much I obsessed over that, I have a very huge fanfic idea centering on Kriss Ambers and August Illea as a couple, and I was really influenced by King of Scars so I have this huuuuge story about these two and I adore them and I really really wish I was dedicated enough to write a fanfic on them! I really really wish I was.

[@mickeymouse7222]

It's this idea about how Kriss, as a sixteen or seventeen year old, loses her parents and ends up kicked out of her house. She is treated the way Sevens and Eights are treated. Then she finds the Northern Rebellion and how they're trying to help people, though not quite having the means... She is with the rebels for a couple years, learning to steal stuff or political stuff etc etc, and then the announcement happens about the Selection. Kriss enters and she spies in the castle when she's there. She tries to find the Gregory journals, figure out the secrets the royals have so that she could destroy their public image by leaking those secrets to the media, she also charms Maxon because... he's a teenager, literally has never dated before, and I think impressing him would be easy given how easily Maxon fell for America? Also, she conspires with another guy who is on the King's council, who is secretly a Northern rebel, to make the royal coffers to be emptied and to stop the Twos from exploiting the economic conditions, etc etc. Like Kriss just f*cks everything up and then enter August Illea. I kinda modeled him in my own head after Nikolai Lantsov from the Shadow & Bone series, I was heavily inspired by King of Scars. In my head, Adelaide Kane is Kriss and Austin Butler is August. When August Illea reveals to the public that he is truly the descendant of Gregory Illea and the leader of the Northern Rebellion, everything goes crazy. People start rallying behind him. Of course the Schreaves are not happy with that. Aaaand more politics, Game of Thrones style, ensues. And just thinking about all those ideas I had, ahhhh, I wish I could just write it all

[@kitfairchild9784]

@@mickeymouse7222 Could always write it ✍️ one chapter at a time. Would make for an interesting fanfic. Or you could take the inspiration, change it up, and make something entirely new!

[@toothfairy10133]

"nicoletta gives america her phone number" took me off guard. i might not have been paying attention but. they have PHONES in this universe?

[@gwendolynrobinson3900]

Its in the future so yup haha. Highest castes have smart phones, but most people just have landlines.

[@TinyPumpkin17]

“Try lesbianism, girl. I heard it’s great.” Omg when I tell you I immediately clicked subscribe after hearing that

[@SingingSealRiana]

if only it where a choice . . . cant imagine any girl would chose to be straight

[@StarfishGoneToxic]

@@SingingSealRiana what

[@drunkkillerwhalesdriving]

​@@SingingSealRiana id be straight if i could.. dating as a lesbian is actually impossible

[@poggorseel]

liking girls as a girl is so different from liking them as a boy i would know

[@stevenkramer6217]

“We are in dystopian North America” of course we are.

[@stevenkramer6217]

Also, I’ve never read handmaids tale, but this sounds like a HMT ripoff far more than a Cinderella ripoff, at least at first.

[@analias1983]

I also totally read these books at the PERFECT time: entering middle school, just getting into romances. And like my Preteen mind loved them and I recommend them to EVERYONE around me and I don't know why I did that 😭

[@ainsleesbookclub]

no cause I thought these books were peak literature when I was in middle school which is sooo humbling to look back on 🤠

[@squigglemonster2634]

Exactly this was peak middle school reading, I never really read romances but this one stuck to me! I bought the first book and read the books from the library + the audiobooks

[@riothacker3051]

OMG SAME

[@Common.n.n]

As a middle schooler, is it really that bad? 😭 I freaking love them! Maxon honestly is making me set my expectations WAY too high in men

[@samarasha6806]

@@Common.n.n Don't worry, they really are not that bad! Of course if you're looking at them through a very critical eye analysing it as a piece of literature, it's not ranking high. However, for what it is, it's a really fun book. It's no masterpiece, but it's interesting, it's fun, it's cute, and it sells you on the romance and the other girls, it's a very good book to enjoy. So, don't feel two ways about it, it's exactly what it is, and most of us unapologetically still enjoy them, despite gradually noticing some flaws with age. 😂

[@rianabdussalam03]

Even my 12 year old self hated Aspen. He would’ve been an okay person if he wasn’t SO INSECURE about how broke he was.

[@doran7555]

there was a thriving instagram roleplay community based on the selection where we competed in our own selections. Almost every one had a rebel attack in some way

[@raella]

god, i remember those days😂

[@priyadhillon8324]

girl WHAT

[@allbymyshelf4125]

I was briefly involved in a pinterest based selection roleplay - I'm not kidding lmao. What a time it was to be alive

[@zolacola7924]

Ohhh my god we did this on Quotev too 😭

[@lovebuzzs]

@@zolacola7924QUOTEVVVV MY SECOND AMINO

[@mbae123]

I literally got this book series because of the gowns in the cover. And the model really slayeddd

[@ginghamswans]

REALLLLL

[@Ballerinitini0815]

So did I! I still want one of those gowns so badly ;-;

[@mbae123]

@@Ballerinitini0815 saaame. The white one and gray one was a fave. Each really had different textured skirts which interested me more for the next cover.

[@Ballerinitini0815]

For me, it was the blue one! My literal goal at the moment (since how many years?) is to be able to sew some similar dress myself - I'm on the way, and I even already got the fabric when a store in my city closed down recently!

[@paschachan4946]

Me too😂

[@LTowgun]

Finally found my safe space to say that I adored this series in high school despite knowing that it is literally a wild dumpster fire from start to finished. I was OBSESSED.

[@System-zu7np]

I think this is such a universal experience with this series :,)

[@iwouldgiveyouthemoon_]

i’m in high school now, read the selection for the first time in middle school, and two more times since then. i still love this series with my whole heart.

[@Common.n.n]

I still am obsessed with

[@francescakyanda9182]

"my kink is good healthy communication" me as an ace person

[@Papisweater]

Her name being America is the first red flag 😂

[@AmandaDavis6130]

Don’t you mean red white and blue flag? /jk

[@Sailormac2]

This series ticks SO MANY Mary-Sue-According-To-2004-LiveJournal boxes.

[@yolmak]

Loooool @Papisweater

[@poxidog]

"Not America, Americas stupid" 😏 OK then

[@hanzycake]

america SINGER 😭

[@JayEyedWolf]

"Put them in a locker and make them talk about their feelings" hits so hard, it's such a good trope.

[@maggiejenson4129]

this felt like a facetime call where we talk about someone we mutually hated in middle school

[@Darkacademai08]

AGGGGG😂😅

[@alyh3721]

Oh my gosh those were the best phone calls when I was in high school, just mutually ripping into a series 😅

[@MusicLvr251]

i also hate aspen but i feel like we’re glossing over the fact that the only reason they broke up was bc he was a six, and now that he’s a guard he’s a two (i think, 2 or 3) and so now he’s like an option after he finishes his service. But regardless aspen sucks so go on

[@liaistotallyfine]

I have never read this series but while you were talking I kept imagining Aspen as Gale from the Hunger Games

[@kelb6073]

Yes!! I kept thinking of hunger game characters.

[@anonymous-iy5pd]

My tween brain always pictured that curly headed prince from Ella enchanted as maxon

[@poggorseel]

i fucking hate gale hes such a whiny bitch wah wah you like peeta you kissed him because the governemnt made you im so much better than him. PEETA LITERALLY WAS WILLING TO KILL HIMSELF FOR HER YOU LITERALLY DID NOTHING FOR HER BUT GET HIT BY A WHIP

[@Common.n.n]

YES omg I feel like if they made a movie the guy who played Gale would play Aspen. Except Aspen is a lot more understanding

[@iFlutterbye]

Do the companion series! You have to! I’m in it to win it… you brought me here!! You CANNOT LEAVE me here!!

[@ainsleesbookclub]

Already done! The companion series is up on my channel (my apologies in advance)

[@bexyjay24]

All

[@emily3790]

😊😊000😊😊0⁰000😊⁰0

[@Kendayl]

@@ainsleesbookclubmim mmm mmmiji eiimijjjm mim iijiiiiim mimimimi I’m mmmmmim I’m I I’m mijiiijimimiii I I’m imiiiiiiiiiiijjimmjmmiijmmijimijijmx Lord minim I I mimimimi in lllllllll

[@MorganChing]

ooooh I ate those up and I only started reading them because the first book was free on Apple Books a while back

[@plasticbottle4270]

What I find the funniest about this book - just after hearing this rewiew - is how weak the monarchy actually is. The rebels are breaking in with pretty much weekly regularity, the king must have terrible defenses. They don't have money to build good defenses to keep the people safe but have money to hold a big bride selection ceremony? This is really funny, I love bad books like this.

[@amandad8922]

I hated these books so much I rewrote it with my own characters and fixed all the plot holes in a 68 chapter, ~5k words a chapter wattpad fic in highschool

[@lemonywater2979]

And you're not even gonna tell us what it's called??

[@-alovelygaycat-]

I gotta agree DROP THE NAME OF THIS FIC I GOTTA READ THIS

[@amandad8922]

@@lemonywater2979 it's called Atlas lol the first like 10 chapters are terrible but they kinda pick up from there. The selection holds such a special weird place in my heart

[@jorienstoel602]

so slay

[@jorienstoel602]

there's another series that starts off exactly lite the selection and it's called the princess academy by Shannon Hale

[@magiradyne]

I remember in high school, my best friend read this book series. As part of a class assignment for extra credit, she sent an email to the author asking what her thought process was when designing the dystopian world. As I recall, the response was something like: "I didn't think about it that hard to be honest, I read Hunger Games and thought it was cool. My main focus was writing a YA romance."

[@raedas7353]

i watched the first 15 minutes of this a few days ago, before reading the entirety of the first book from 10:30 PM to 1:30 AM. ive since finished the wholetrilogy and holy shit. it is so much worse than i expected & also the implications/underlying politics/RACISM???? are so bad. im obsessed.

[@karenboyd9739]

Are you me? I did exactly the same, except I've been listening to the books while I'm at work and giving a coworker a synopsis about how awful every single character is every few chapters.

[@Aaaaaa-j5r3j]

I read it when I was in like the beginning of fifth grade so I was like 9 or 10 and it was absolutely so good for some reason?!? I don’t know what I was thinking but it felt like peak fiction

[@casey1040]

I went insane and listened to the first three audiobooks within 3 days I could not stop reading these books but I hated them so much it was like I was under a spell

[@amymiles5346]

Lmaooo insanity indeed 😭😭

[@sophieg4571]

me too omg. I cringed so much but couldn't stop reading and then rereading these books. it felt like a never-ending cycle of second-hand embarrassment but it was sooo addicting for some reason

[@Noaartetc]

Every time you've said "America is scared", "America wears a bracelet", I automatically imagined the newspaper headlines. Also an old-timey radio narrator voice: "The situation is dire, ladies and gentlemen, the whole America wears a bracelet"! 😂😂

[@cassidybuenz750]

I’d truly die to hear you recap the Uglies books. I do not remember a moment but I have a feeling the vibes would be incredible IF you explained them

[@kayhaven4710]

They still hold up in a weird sort of way.

[@manakamune]

I read these during the pandemic and it relieved all the stress I was feeling. Not a thought happened, my brain was smooth as shit and I loved it

[@carolkoski4875]

This books truly summarized a whole genre for me. The somewhat interesting world building unravelling that was MIND BLOWING for 11 year old me, the cliche cute lil romance lines, the insane amount of racism????? She put NeoAsia onto her book and made the only non-white girl be there because she was asian and had family connections over there and literally followed the Honor No Feelings Money-Hungry stereotype.... HOW did nobody see that and went "humm there's a problem??"

[@marions.3657]

I know it's un realistic but i want a story where there is this genuine relationship building, they share a secret , they are fake courtning or something like that but IT'S JUST PLATONIC SOULMATES. I just want to see the ml and fl be genuinely friends Without anything more and Without the excuse of mlm and wlw solidarity ( although I love that stop )

[@luna_nova_09]

It’s not “unrealistic.” Platonic male female friendships happen. :) Unless you mean it’s unrealistic to expect that from a YA novel, then yeah lmao

[@marions.3657]

@@luna_nova_09 it's unrealistic to expect a book with it

[@luna_nova_09]

@@marions.3657 got it

[@ajax068]

It's unrealistic to look for that with book that are under the romance genre. Romance books are going to have romance. Maybe try looking up found family books or searching up non romance stories. Genre's are meant to spoil the book just enough that the reader has a general idea and expectation of what they're getting into without giving away the plot or ending.

[@rare6143]

Timestamps (mainly for my own use): Preview : 0:00 - 0:03 Intro : 0:03 - 1:10 World Introduction : 1:10 - 3:13 Book 1, "The Selection" : 3:13 - 18:36 The ✨controversy ✨: 18:36 - 20:30 Book 2, "The Elite" : 20:30 - 40:03 Book 3, "The One" : 40:03 - 55:27 Outro : 55:27 - 56:19

[@luna_nova_09]

Thank you!

[@christinashively986]

these books are ANNOYINGLY important to me lmao like yes they're are bad but god i love them

[@_Kuma_]

I can’t believe your channel isn’t bigger! I love this premise. Hearing about awful books I’ll never read anyway is one of the ways I pass time when I’m working.

[@ainsleesbookclub]

aw thanks!! I’m glad you like my silly videos

[@mariaczachura6164]

Former selection girly here (this series was IT for 11 yo me) Important fact left out, if i remember is that America's family was compensated food/money during the time she was in the castle, and it was important in her decision and will staying there (if I'm wrong pls correct me). This recap was so fun, I forgot about this series, but i still have them all somewhere in my childhood boxes. First time seeing your channel, thanks for uploading!

[@whateveryouneed4858]

You are 100% correct, they get money

[@andreamarquez5475]

55:25 I just wanted to share that in this scene I clif hanged myself because I was reading before dinner and just when I got to the part where America thinks for like a SECOND that Maxon is dead my aunt called me to go downstairs and eat dinner and I was fricking sad while eating because I actually thought that Maxon had died, and then an hour after they let me go back to my room to keep reading my book and I discovered that I was sad over NOTHING because he was okay. Anyway, great video I finally found someone that loves these books as much as me lol

[@ajax068]

I was so mad at that point of the book. Read through it thinking, "Is this another Divergent ending" and reliving the trama from Tris.

[@lucikka3674]

Never read the selection but I _did_ read a demon au bts x reader that was basically the same thing so I’m not really qualified but this video slayed

[@chesecke]

and ur just not gonna tell us the name of this art piece

[@veronicaa4173]

OH MY GOD I READ THAT TOO THAT WAS INSANE

[@Exayevie]

Wait how did we go from "foreign relations with Swendway" to "foreign relations with Germany and Italy" ??? 🤣

[@moon7shinev150]

I feel like the author couldn't decide is they wanted Sweden or Norway

[@meowcoww]

It seems to be implied in the video briefly that the 8th caste consisting of poor and disabled people is somehow a wrong thing for the author to suggest. As a disabled person, this really irked me. In a theoretical caste society like the one established in the book, used by the author to emphasise the skewed class structures enforced by capitalism in our real societies, the poor and disabled would almost certainly be the lowest class. We shouldn't just ignore the fact that in our current society, poor and disabled people are consistently exploited and oppressed on a systemic level. Even if caste systems don't explicitly exist, poor and disabled people are considered to be on the lowest rung of society, ESPECIALLY in an American context! The Selection is not a book of particularly high literary or political value in comparison to some other dystopian texts, but that doesn't mean we should encourage the story to just ignore the very real circumstances of many poor and disabled people. Yes, it is important that we see more texts empowering such people, but is also important to respect the lived experiences of discriminated against people by not suppressing any representation of the sad state of reality. We need to acknowledge and critique the bad parts of society while also showing how things like mutual aid, compassion, equity, etc can be utilised to create a more accepting society. This is not to say that every story including a poor person, disabled person, person of colour, queer person, etc needs to have a tragic plotline that focuses on their struggles, just that when such issues of discrimination and oppression are relevant, they shouldn't be ignored in favour of pretending nothing is wrong in our societies.

[@josieerin505]

YES like-this is not the author’s version of a utopia! This is a DYSTOPIA. Putting poor and disabled people in a lower caste is BAD. That’s why the DYSTOPIAN GOVERNMENT is the one that does it. Dystopias are meant to challenge current modern day issues!! Presence does not equal promotion!!!

[@Hazelnutssssssss]

I’m happy somebody said this because I was also put off by that point but didn’t feel it was my place to comment on it and felt I might be alone in my opinion. The author isn’t being malicious by putting people with disabilities and addiction in the lower cast, but is highlighting the very unfortunate reality that those are the kind of people that are often mistreated in our own society, thus would be treated even worse in a dystopian society with no support systems.

[@smilewhenyoureadthis9925]

​@@Hazelnutssssssssyes!! I was like, "but the whole point is that this class system is bad! Of course it's going to be unfair and problematic."

[@draconicfeline6177]

A good point.

[@JayCarraway]

“America is stupid” Beautiful quote I’m making this a sound bite 😭

[@moth.03]

I took part in SO many selection inspired roleplays as a kid but I never read the books and I am living for this video

[@irishalchemy]

These books and The Uglies series were the ones that hit me right in my preteen brain and stayed there. Even at the time, I suspected that this series might be trash, but i loved them anyway. Anyway, new to your channel, but very much enjoying it!

[@renee1390]

I never finished this series, but I remember being in middle school being traumatized by the whipping scene oh my GOD

[@sleepy.timaeus.arts.]

36:03 sigh… she pisses me off so much. he literally wants to marry her but she keeps pushing him away, and then she mentally accuses him of being a terrible person just bc hes showing interest in other people?? nevermind the fact that he DOES want to talk about things, and now shes shoving him? and why is she even thinking hes so terrible for kissing another girl when thats kid of his role as the bachelor, meanwhile she is actively committing TREASON?! she is doing the same thing, but worse bc she isnt the bachelorette so why is she running around with someone else? 😭 oy vey

[@FiveEyedRaven]

This series accompanied me throughout my early teens and now I am going to re-read it because of this video. Thanks I guess,, 😂 Would love to see a video about the sequel thing about her daughter too xD

[@b3ld4m]

I read the whole series in high school and I loved it. Maybe it was because of the mini book club I had with a friend where we shared all of our thoughts, and I gave up being critical towards the whole dystopian narrative because it was so popular during the time, but I'm sure I wouldn't be so smitten by it now. Thank you for your video! You made me wanna reread the whole series. I would love to hear more thoughts on The Heir and The Crown. I feel like they were much worse than the original trilogy.

[@ainsleesbookclub]

I’m glad you liked the video!! I had so much fun rereading these books, if only to laugh at my younger self for being so enamoured with them :) The Heir and The Crown are DEFINITELY worse (by a long shot lol) and I have plenty of thoughts, so there will be a video coming !!

[@katie_a1075]

I never read this bc the KZbin girlies kept telling me it was bad, and I’m so glad I didn’t bc this retelling was ✨ top tier ✨

[@scz1770]

The most fantastical element is the idea that teaching in this series is a well respected career

[@MsSamy13]

😭

[@trashpanda3544]

I mean this in the best way possible, maxin reminds me of my middle class boyfriend when we first started dating. He wasn't completely clueless but I would tell him stories of growing up in poverty and he would be floored. Like he couldn't accept I had never been on holiday before and don't even have a passport. When I told him my TV only had 5 channels until I was 9 he didn't believe me. He was even more shocked when I told him I didn't have Internet until I was 15.

[@bellabean8009]

WAIT I JUST REALIZED Girl you didnt even bring up the short story book that has stuff from maxons pov oh and his moms pov i love those short stories with everything in me

[@ainsleesbookclub]

How did not know about that book??? I need it immediately 🤠

[@evanlinden4410]

I’m disabled, and I remember wanting to read this in high school. Glad I didn’t

[@Siscuya]

I never got over her name literally being America

[@caitlinjolly3332]

Listen, 10+ years ago young 20s me ATE THIS SERIES UP. I knew how bad this was but it was still a comfort read and now in my 30s I will definitely re read this

[@alpii_3254]

Omg I remember this book! I listened to the Spotify audiobook like a year ago and hated America and the love triangle so much that I drooped it but this I making want to start it again. #AntiAspenGang Edit: I downloaded it again. Wish me luck :)

[@caramazzola2399]

There are audiobooks on Spotify? Holy shit. All I've ever found is public domain ones that are 1000000000 years old and that's fine and everything but sometimes you just need to read a bad YA novel yk

[@Aphrodite-ho4zb]

There is another „spin off book“ (which is actually written by the author). There are four short stories in there. Two of the stories are the Selection from the view of Maxon and Aspen and one of the other two is about the Selection of King Clarkson and the Queen (I forgot her name). The last one is about Marlee and what happened to her after the beating. I personally really enjoyed them especially the one about the Queen and the one about Marlee. Sorry about my English… I am not a native speaker

[@yelena86]

Please please do more videos on bad books. Your channel title is so me in every single way, I’ve always loved bad books cause it equals quality content and I’m here for it!!!!

[@Esmeyippie]

If only the writer had enough writing talent to make Aspen an actually good person and have all three of them in a polycule wouldve made for an actually interesting and NOT terrifying dynamic

[@adotchka]

Iron Widow may be up your alley then… really fun recent YA

[@yawninglion1677]

Is there a single YA love triangle that doesn't have at least one toxic option? I mean there's Gale I guess but he's a bit too angry macho hunter man lol

[@ahstiasummers5583]

It’d be more interesting to have 2 decent options rather than “one good and one super toxic” or even worse “two super toxic options that main character is somehow still in love with”

[@missamvmaker]

The way I vividly remembered the entire series and how bad/good it was throughout this. Amazingly told. I never want to reread this series yet I do

[@jorienstoel602]

If you would like an alternative, there is the princess academy by Shannon Hale which is basically the same book but differently. You can relive the same premise but slightly different

[@HazZzel-]

Preteen me loved these, but now I'm kind of just like "what". I still love "The Siren" though, its another book by the same author and it hit me right in the feels

[@graced4895]

I love this Aspen hate train you’re the conductor of😭

[@ainsleesbookclub]

I am the conductor of the aspen hate train I’m the president and vice president and treasurer of the aspen hate club truly my vitriol knows no bounds

[@juliasharma840]

​@@ainsleesbookclubgurl i am joining your party i hate him too so much

[@StxpidCxpidYouTube]

@@ainsleesbookclubI was so mad at aspen when I was 11 that I literally blacked out his name every time it mentioned him

[@elifg.714]

I think the reason why this is my comfort series is because it's so unapologetically girly and campish, whenever I feel blue I'll re-read this series like a ritual or smth and feel like a fourteen-year-old under my blanket going "ooooo they're kissing omfg!!1!1" 🥹

[@Me-vn3gz]

SAME

[@Me-vn3gz]

we need more unapologetically girly content

[@xovanstahxo]

I have no clue wtf I just stumble upon with this video and the books, but this is the gem I needed in my life. 😂 56 minutes I am blessed to spend listening to your shitty story time

[@ainsleesbookclub]

omg thanks for spending time watching my silly little videos :)

[@ultravioletpisces3666]

7:30 this reminds me of legally blonde. She thought he was gonna propose and instead she breaks up.

[@marinamcmullen2088]

i loled in public at "if an adult tickles another adult. jail."

[@organicpigeonmilk]

I’ve been WAITING for a deep dive into this series for so long I’m so excited

[@ainsleesbookclub]

yessssss I hope you like it 🤠

[@organicpigeonmilk]

@@ainsleesbookclub I told my fiancé I’ve been waiting for someone to cover this series bc it was such a random piece of media to be stuck in my mind forever and I actually gasped when I saw the video 10/10 you’re doing gods work

[@babsismore]

i read the whole series with my mom back in the day and WE LOVE IT!!!! we still have a lot of affection for this series (minus the last two books, they are garbage). Loved the video, you got a new subscriber ❤

[@maddiesokoloski7586]

I loved these books so much in middle school mostly because there's like an implied sex scene in the last book and it was.... eye opening to me to say the least

[@mikanviola]

I read it in middle school as well and I think I missed it 😭😭 i was a very stupid child

[@suyareads]

Wheeeere

[@kaitlynbriggsmusic]

​@@suyareadsI'm pretty sure it was in the bonus book (I dont remember the title but I think the cover was pink) I remember rereading it over and over lol

[@evanance4991]

so glad I clicked on this video LOL!!! I read these when I was in middle school and never critically thought about the quality of the story but you mightve convinced me to read them again... in any case, fantastic video, super entertaining! it felt like listening to a funny friend rant about a book series! keep up the awesome work

[@ainsleesbookclub]

This is so sweet!! Thank you :)

[@thatonedude9744]

Ironic that this story is about America convincing the prince to institute a social safety net, yet the real America… isn’t so keen on doing that 😅

[@kayladeann7984]

These books and the “Matched” trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart. They were the first books I read without someone telling me to or my mom having read them first- I know that they weren’t necessarily the best books for their genre or whatever, but they had me in a chokehold. I plan on reading them to my daughter when she’s older 😂

[@elliesmith1752]

God Matched was my jam!! I was obsessed, literally would imagine my life as Cassia and got soo into it

[@amandalily28]

I read these books back in high school, but apparently forgot the entire plot, bc tell me why i GASPED when you said that one girl was shot in the head at the end lol

[@melancholist]

the pure joy emanating off of you is so delightful

[@angieng6091]

"you can put me on 2x speed in the background if you want" girl i feel so seen 😭 love ur vids btw!

[@Tollkirschenkind]

I didn't read the books until I was in my twenties, but every now and then I go back to them and read them again, there's something about them that gets you out of a reading slump and they're so easy and stupid. Love your take on them!

[@devereaux_makes_stuff]

I love the blanket on your couch I'm crocheting shorts while watching this lol

[@neddles33]

I first came across this in a full length fanfic rewrite and it felt so natural I was genuinely shocked the plot was a fully published book

[@Lindseydftba]

Any chance u remember what is was called or where it was published? 😅

[@madelineneely3238]

the way aspen was “ass-pain” to me and my entire friend group when we read this

[@arianae1993]

I remember loving this series when I was like 18-19 and a couple years back I tried to read it again and I couldn't because I constantly wanted to hit the characters to get them to actually think 😂😂😂 although I still love it for all my teen memories of it

[@ilarian4062]

ngl, the selection was WYLD. and it got me into reading. i absolutely LOVED it😭

[@sleepy.timaeus.arts.]

honestly i dont like how she didnt tell him?? made a big stink about how she would and then let the secret come out by her being close to aspen for no reason… like ur about to marry max. ignore aspens stupid ego idc. bro broke up with YOU and tried ruining your life by being so obvious with the treason 😭 idc about his feelings AT ALL!! and if they couldve had a conversation about it in a calm way, where SHE tells him, i think it wouldve went well. he probably wouldve been considerably less upset, especially with how he was always crawling back to her

[@sleepy.timaeus.arts.]

lmaooo her being so happy about his dad dying 😭 also, i cant believe they end it here?! honestly with all that rebel build up, i was lowkey hoping for more war, but i forget my place. this isnt the folk of the air series 🙈

[@W1sp_y]

There is one thing I hate the most about these books and it’s the god awful names. I thought Maxon was Maxin and I was like “hmmm ok…” and then AMERICA??? Like it’s too much 😭 Edit: I just saw the name Skinny, I am over this

[@AbbieCrawford02]

I’ve never actually read these books but I know the plot of the whole first book because of fanfics I’ve read that were basically a rewrite of the first book but characters from a fandom inserted. Feel like I need to read the source material now

[@corvaecorp]

this desperately needs more views i was mad entertained while doing my ap lang essay thank you

[@ainsleesbookclub]

omg thanks!! good luck with ap lang :)

[@CaribbeanCitizen]

Soory, now that I'm seeing this again 16-20 is a wild age range for this. Why are you trying to marry off a 16 year old?

[@roisindecoppi5219]

Most criticism for this book can be ignored on the basis that AMERICA IS 17!

[@inge1428]

You had me in stitches at "congrats you're doing the bare minimum." Also you saved me having to read this series. I like your sassy retelling much more.

[@cringeworthy4755]

I legit thought she was gonna throw the scissors at us when she was talking about the 2nd time Aspen forcibly kissed America.

[@soapie725]

This book series had such a chokehold on me when i was in middle school. I own the first two books and i need to have The One on my shelf so badly

[@FrizzEllen]

this has the exact energy of me and my friends telling each other about our latest dumb YA reads during a maths class...*chef's kiss*