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The Forgotten Chronicles #1
The Selection
Survival is everything.
Thrust into a brutal ritual known as The Selection, eighteen year-old Eron is confronted with a reality he recently forgot and must struggle to remember. Survival depends on it.
With a mysterious Forgotten roaming in the wilderness and other boys threatening to kill him, Eron forges an unlikely alliance to save himself.
For Eron, finding his way to Victory Point and reuniting with his childhood crush Mina is all that matters. If they don't make it to Victory Point in thirty days, hope is lost.
Death - or worse, becoming a Forgotten - awaits all boys unable to finish. The Selection is cruel. The stakes are high. Losing is not an option.
Thrust into a brutal ritual known as The Selection, eighteen year-old Eron is confronted with a reality he recently forgot and must struggle to remember. Survival depends on it.
With a mysterious Forgotten roaming in the wilderness and other boys threatening to kill him, Eron forges an unlikely alliance to save himself.
For Eron, finding his way to Victory Point and reuniting with his childhood crush Mina is all that matters. If they don't make it to Victory Point in thirty days, hope is lost.
Death - or worse, becoming a Forgotten - awaits all boys unable to finish. The Selection is cruel. The stakes are high. Losing is not an option.
- GenresFiction
238 pages, Paperback
Published March 24, 2017
63 people are currently reading
752 people want to read
About the author
Jason J. Nugent
23 books78 followersJason J. Nugent has been a paperboy, pizza maker, dishwasher, restaurant manager, promotional products sales rep, chamber of commerce director, and one time BBQ champion. He has skated with Tony Hawk, had a babysitter with a serial killer brother, and is followed by rapper Chuck D on Twitter. He and his wife share a home in beautiful Southern Illinois with their son, four cats, and one dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 4, 2020
A very interesting concept! Sort of a cross between The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner but on another planet! I really enjoyed the story and I'm curious to find out what happens next. I really appreciated the pacifist nature of the main character, Eron, and that his compassion for others is his greatest strength. Can Eron change the brutal ways of The Selection? I guess we'll see in book two, which I am downloading ASAP!
April 17, 2017
The selection is a quick, entertaining read similar to the Hunger games with some marked differences. I liked that Eron, Bello, Mina and everyone else involved in the story ... whether good or bad, were believable. It had enough moments of 'why did that happen?' Or 'what caused that?' To keep me reading and guessing through out. It picks up as it moves a long, and though violent at times I would still rate it suitable for young adult audiences. I hope that there is a second!
January 24, 2018
Centuries ago the Anastasians had implemented The Selection, all boys of eighteen were expected to participate. Eron's time was approaching but with the memories of his brother's ear-piercing screams he was filled with fear and foreboding. But there was something about this ritual, something that seemed out of place. Males outnumbered females ten to one, and the more he looked into it the more wrong it seemed. Adult males were sent to the Defence Force, so very few were seen around the community, but stranger still, was he thought they were alone upon the world, a nameless community the only one to exist, and yet there were others. Things he should have known appear to have been kept from him, can he discover why he alone knows so little, while others know their home's name and of the existence of others. Something doesn't add up, and perhaps having the answers could mean survival against unlikely odds, but who can he trust when there are no rules, and the aim of the game is to live?
I really enjoyed reading Jason Nugent's The Selection, and as the first book in the Forgotten Chronicles I am certainly interested to see where this promising author takes us next. Filled with action, kinship, questions, and mystery you are forced to turn page after page in hope of piecing together the truth of The Selection, and given the ending, I will be picking up the next book to see what plans are in store for the future of this world. Events have been set into motion, and whether the inhabitants know it or not, nothing can remain the same, not now. A gripping read.
I really enjoyed reading Jason Nugent's The Selection, and as the first book in the Forgotten Chronicles I am certainly interested to see where this promising author takes us next. Filled with action, kinship, questions, and mystery you are forced to turn page after page in hope of piecing together the truth of The Selection, and given the ending, I will be picking up the next book to see what plans are in store for the future of this world. Events have been set into motion, and whether the inhabitants know it or not, nothing can remain the same, not now. A gripping read.
May 6, 2017
If you like The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies you'll definitely be into this book too. I couldn't put it down. Interested to see where the author takes Eron in the next book.
May 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. If you liked the Hunger Games, you'll find this entertaining. It was a quick read, and once I got started I didn't stop. I need the next book to come out soon so I can find out what happens to the characters! The ending of this one was a bit of a "that did not just happen" moment.. so bring on volume 2!
April 11, 2017
This is a fantastic story of a young man coming of age in a world that is expertly described by the author. The colors are vivid and the people seem like someone you've known for a long time.
April 7, 2017
Fast paced, thrilling, and hard to put down. Besides the gripping survival competition of the Selection, I also liked Eron's planet and what I learned about the colonies. If the author writes a sequel, I'm interested to know more of Anastasia's history. The entire time I was reading I was dying to know more about how their society became the way it was. Terrific book.
March 31, 2017
Following in the YA footsteps of adventures like The Hunger Games and Maze Runner, this book quickly sets off on an adventure unlike any other. Set in its own world (literally) the excitement starts early and doesn't let up. I read it in one day. The writing reminds me a lot of the Gary Paulson books I enjoyed as a kid.
July 1, 2017
Uncaged Book Reviews:
I finished this in one sitting as I wanted to know what happened straight away. If there is ever a book 2 coming out I can’t wait.
Another book I highly recommended for young adult readers. Reviewed by Jennifer
Full review at UncagedBooks.com
I finished this in one sitting as I wanted to know what happened straight away. If there is ever a book 2 coming out I can’t wait.
Another book I highly recommended for young adult readers. Reviewed by Jennifer
Full review at UncagedBooks.com
July 2, 2017
Won this here on goodreads. Reminiscent of The Hunger Games in some ways. Very well-written, excellent character development. Imagery was awesome. Some memorable unexpected twists and turns. Loved it - I hope there is a sequel.
January 18, 2020
When Humans Take ‘Survival of the Fittest’ in their Own Hands
If The Selection doesn’t remind you of The Hunger Games, then I suspect you haven’t read the books or seen the movies. In both stories, teens from outlying colonies (or districts) are forced to participate in a competition, often to the death. There are, of course, differences. In The Selection, only the males compete and the reason is basically, survival of the fittest. There is an extreme gender imbalance on the planet, with males outnumbering females ten to one. Only if a male survives the process can he procreate. Our protagonist, Eron, sees this devaluation of human life and forced evolution as wrong, instead preferring compromise and letting nature take its course. As the story unfolds, he suffers greatly for these convictions.
Author Jason Nugent does an excellent job creating harrowing situations for our hero. The first challenges are his male competitors. Given Eron’s stance against killing, he often seems near death when he fails to fight back, only to rally to save another or to be spared by fate. His planet also presents a variety of hurdles from hostile animals to something the equivalent of potent, acid rain and deadly dust storms. And then, there are “the forgotten”—males who failed to reach the end of the Selection ordeal within the one month allotted. Apparently, the planet causes those individuals to regress, becoming more primitive over time. Given the name of the series, I expect they’ll play an increasing role over the course of the books.
There were a few plot holes or inconsistencies that detracted in minor ways. For example, in one place, one of Eron’s rivals, Bello, is caught in a dust storm and is in trouble. Eron’s romantic interest, Mina, says "Eron, do something!" He saves Bello, but then, three pages later, Mina says with no trace of irony, “Eron, I can’t believe you went out there. Especially for Bello.” Pacing, in places, also tends to be an issue. There’s sufficient action, but the repetition makes the story feel slow. One theme that is repeated quite often is Eron or his friends wondering why he remembers so little of his training and preparation for the Selection. Given the emphasis, I was expecting something surprising, a twist that I couldn’t see coming. But in the end, Eron’s total lack of preparation is explained away as some type of amnesia or repression that’s blocked every class and every discussion about the ritual, but seemingly, nothing else in his life. That was a bit too convenient.
Overall, The Selection is the story of a harrowing ordeal designed to thin a planet of a burgeoning male population and one man’s stand against the cruel practice. If you liked Hunger Games, you’ll find a kindred read in this novel.
If The Selection doesn’t remind you of The Hunger Games, then I suspect you haven’t read the books or seen the movies. In both stories, teens from outlying colonies (or districts) are forced to participate in a competition, often to the death. There are, of course, differences. In The Selection, only the males compete and the reason is basically, survival of the fittest. There is an extreme gender imbalance on the planet, with males outnumbering females ten to one. Only if a male survives the process can he procreate. Our protagonist, Eron, sees this devaluation of human life and forced evolution as wrong, instead preferring compromise and letting nature take its course. As the story unfolds, he suffers greatly for these convictions.
Author Jason Nugent does an excellent job creating harrowing situations for our hero. The first challenges are his male competitors. Given Eron’s stance against killing, he often seems near death when he fails to fight back, only to rally to save another or to be spared by fate. His planet also presents a variety of hurdles from hostile animals to something the equivalent of potent, acid rain and deadly dust storms. And then, there are “the forgotten”—males who failed to reach the end of the Selection ordeal within the one month allotted. Apparently, the planet causes those individuals to regress, becoming more primitive over time. Given the name of the series, I expect they’ll play an increasing role over the course of the books.
There were a few plot holes or inconsistencies that detracted in minor ways. For example, in one place, one of Eron’s rivals, Bello, is caught in a dust storm and is in trouble. Eron’s romantic interest, Mina, says "Eron, do something!" He saves Bello, but then, three pages later, Mina says with no trace of irony, “Eron, I can’t believe you went out there. Especially for Bello.” Pacing, in places, also tends to be an issue. There’s sufficient action, but the repetition makes the story feel slow. One theme that is repeated quite often is Eron or his friends wondering why he remembers so little of his training and preparation for the Selection. Given the emphasis, I was expecting something surprising, a twist that I couldn’t see coming. But in the end, Eron’s total lack of preparation is explained away as some type of amnesia or repression that’s blocked every class and every discussion about the ritual, but seemingly, nothing else in his life. That was a bit too convenient.
Overall, The Selection is the story of a harrowing ordeal designed to thin a planet of a burgeoning male population and one man’s stand against the cruel practice. If you liked Hunger Games, you’ll find a kindred read in this novel.
June 19, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read, and full of action and interesting characters. I read it in one sitting, keen to find out the ending.
The story is one of teenage boys going through a selection process in the wilderness in order to become accepted as men in their society. It is a theme that scifi authors such as Heinlein (Tunnel in the Sky)and Haldeman (There is No Darkness) have covered. So if you enjoyed their works, this book will also be of interest.
However, the author adds in their own spin, with several plot twists, and characters with their own motivations that add depth and novelty. The interactions of the main three boys are great, and forms the basis of much of the plot. The alien planet is well described, and the author has clearly thought deeply about how humans would change based on the influence of evolving on a new planet. Plants, food, society and creatures are all novel and have their own effects on the human colonies. Several of the planet scenery descriptions were quite lovely, and you could picture the alien landscape clearly. The creatures were also imaginative.
There were some errors of editing in the first few chapters, but this smoothed out as the action intensified. I would have given 5 stars otherwise, as this may turn a few people off, but the book is worth getting past these quite small problems. I doubt the main readership of teenage boys would notice. Overall the writing style is good, fast paced and full of action and emotion.
I would recommend this book as a good short action filled sci fi. But is is more than that as the author explores the issues and emotions of teenage boys growing up in a harsh society on an alien world. One boy at least finds out what sort of man he wishes to be, from the choices he is forced to make.
The story is one of teenage boys going through a selection process in the wilderness in order to become accepted as men in their society. It is a theme that scifi authors such as Heinlein (Tunnel in the Sky)and Haldeman (There is No Darkness) have covered. So if you enjoyed their works, this book will also be of interest.
However, the author adds in their own spin, with several plot twists, and characters with their own motivations that add depth and novelty. The interactions of the main three boys are great, and forms the basis of much of the plot. The alien planet is well described, and the author has clearly thought deeply about how humans would change based on the influence of evolving on a new planet. Plants, food, society and creatures are all novel and have their own effects on the human colonies. Several of the planet scenery descriptions were quite lovely, and you could picture the alien landscape clearly. The creatures were also imaginative.
There were some errors of editing in the first few chapters, but this smoothed out as the action intensified. I would have given 5 stars otherwise, as this may turn a few people off, but the book is worth getting past these quite small problems. I doubt the main readership of teenage boys would notice. Overall the writing style is good, fast paced and full of action and emotion.
I would recommend this book as a good short action filled sci fi. But is is more than that as the author explores the issues and emotions of teenage boys growing up in a harsh society on an alien world. One boy at least finds out what sort of man he wishes to be, from the choices he is forced to make.
August 28, 2017
A coming-of-age story taken to it's most basic level, survive! Every eighteen-year-old boy has to go through it. Most will not make it. Not long ago Eron's brother Timo entered The Selection. The last thing Eron remembers is the sound of his older brother's screams. Now, Eron must face whatever awaits him and he's understandably terrified.
It was a little slow at the beginning, but once the greater action began, I really got involved with the characters and was cheering for Eron every step of the way. Jason has done a great job creating another world, environment, and belief system that is part of, yet so far apart from Earth, that it's unrecognizable. Having read Nugent's two previous collections of short stories, I'm pleased to see how much he's advanced as a writer. This, his first novel, did not disappoint me when it comes to seeing his growth.
There were a couple of things I did want a bit more of, though. I love a book where I feel like I am part and parcel of what's going on. I want to 'feel' the environment the characters are in. In some cases, Jason did this, in others, not so much. I wasn't quite there ... close, yet still wasn't able to immerse myself as much as I like. I also had a little bit of a hard time believing Eron was 18. He came across, at least to me, as being more around 13-14. I'm not sure why. He seemed a little too naive, a bit more lost and unsure of himself than I normally think of an 18-year-old 'boy' as being. But then, I'm a girl, so maybe I just don't 'get it'.
All in all, a great start to a future series! I'm looking forward to seeing how Jason expands on this world and develops the characters we've only just begun to get to know!
It was a little slow at the beginning, but once the greater action began, I really got involved with the characters and was cheering for Eron every step of the way. Jason has done a great job creating another world, environment, and belief system that is part of, yet so far apart from Earth, that it's unrecognizable. Having read Nugent's two previous collections of short stories, I'm pleased to see how much he's advanced as a writer. This, his first novel, did not disappoint me when it comes to seeing his growth.
There were a couple of things I did want a bit more of, though. I love a book where I feel like I am part and parcel of what's going on. I want to 'feel' the environment the characters are in. In some cases, Jason did this, in others, not so much. I wasn't quite there ... close, yet still wasn't able to immerse myself as much as I like. I also had a little bit of a hard time believing Eron was 18. He came across, at least to me, as being more around 13-14. I'm not sure why. He seemed a little too naive, a bit more lost and unsure of himself than I normally think of an 18-year-old 'boy' as being. But then, I'm a girl, so maybe I just don't 'get it'.
All in all, a great start to a future series! I'm looking forward to seeing how Jason expands on this world and develops the characters we've only just begun to get to know!
September 26, 2018
Eron comes from a colony of humans from earth, settled long ago on the planet Anastasia, covered with red dust. He lives with his mom. His dad having left for the Anastasian Defense Force many years ago, his older sister Samantha leaving when he was thirteen, and his older brother Timo leaving at eighteen, forced to enter the Selection, never to be seen again. Haunted by his brother’s screams, Eron was left to wonder what had happened to him. Is he dead or alive? Is The Selection a rite of passage or something else?
When Eron turned eighteen, it became time to enter the Selection, along with fifty other boys, including his close friend Connor and the school bully Bello. If he makes it through the Selection, the girl gets to choose between the men that come through the Selection. Eron’s father has made it, his mother chose him. But his father has never talked about what happened as it was forbidden. Eron has had a crush on red curly haired Mina since he was eight-years-old in grade school, dreams of her on this perilous journey, where only a few reach the finish at Victory Point on Mount Jarrow. He encounters packs of howling and hissing dire craates, laths flying overhead, large billed hern, gracer packs, Phelan the blue skinned boy with dark green hair, Steen, Kumo, Laird, the Forgotten, dirt grubbers, yellow headed anthels, and vulbores.
Jason J. Nugent skillfully spins a sci-fi adventure fraught with danger and treachery. His story raises philosophical questions. Is survival at all costs justified? How far do you push the limits of your mind and body? Should man accept the natural order or try to change it?
When Eron turned eighteen, it became time to enter the Selection, along with fifty other boys, including his close friend Connor and the school bully Bello. If he makes it through the Selection, the girl gets to choose between the men that come through the Selection. Eron’s father has made it, his mother chose him. But his father has never talked about what happened as it was forbidden. Eron has had a crush on red curly haired Mina since he was eight-years-old in grade school, dreams of her on this perilous journey, where only a few reach the finish at Victory Point on Mount Jarrow. He encounters packs of howling and hissing dire craates, laths flying overhead, large billed hern, gracer packs, Phelan the blue skinned boy with dark green hair, Steen, Kumo, Laird, the Forgotten, dirt grubbers, yellow headed anthels, and vulbores.
Jason J. Nugent skillfully spins a sci-fi adventure fraught with danger and treachery. His story raises philosophical questions. Is survival at all costs justified? How far do you push the limits of your mind and body? Should man accept the natural order or try to change it?
March 1, 2018
A young adult dystopian science fiction adventure with some fun twists. The first part of the book has the MC, Eron, coping with the fact that soon he will be forced like all the other boys his age to take part in The Selection. Despite knowing it's coming, everyone seems to know what to expect except him and mostly what he's gleaned is that it's a battle for survival they must go through in order to be men and at the end, a girl will choose which of the survivors she wishes to be with.
As he tries to find out what to expect, we get to know what his life is like, who his age he gets along with, who he doesn't, and a bit about the planet they live on (a former colony of Earth). All of these things give us insight into Eron's personality before the rest of the book focuses on him fighting for survival in The Selection.
Throughout his fight, we find out why he's so unprepared, why his personality and views may just help him survive, and also paints a very dark shadow over just what is involved in trying to survive. There are plenty of little twists that keep you glued to the story and a few you may see coming ahead of time but they don't detract from the story's enjoyment.
The first thing I did upon finishing it was buy the next book in the series because I desperately need to see how it continues.
Overall, the story may feel a bit slow to get going at first but once it does it goes full steam ahead.
As he tries to find out what to expect, we get to know what his life is like, who his age he gets along with, who he doesn't, and a bit about the planet they live on (a former colony of Earth). All of these things give us insight into Eron's personality before the rest of the book focuses on him fighting for survival in The Selection.
Throughout his fight, we find out why he's so unprepared, why his personality and views may just help him survive, and also paints a very dark shadow over just what is involved in trying to survive. There are plenty of little twists that keep you glued to the story and a few you may see coming ahead of time but they don't detract from the story's enjoyment.
The first thing I did upon finishing it was buy the next book in the series because I desperately need to see how it continues.
Overall, the story may feel a bit slow to get going at first but once it does it goes full steam ahead.
April 19, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this young adult science fiction novel even though I’m far from being a young adult. The Selection is basically a coming-of-age story of Eron, a boy who lives in a colony on a planet called Anastasia. Long ago a virus affected the humans, causing more male births than female. In an attempt to stabilize the civilization, the Selection was created to thin out the males. When boys reach eighteen, they are forced to spend thirty days fighting their way through a dangerous wilderness—and fighting each other to the death—to reach the goal. If they don’t make it in time, they become the “Forgotten,” a creature that sounds like a Sasquatch-type character and are forced to live the rest of their lives in the wilderness.
The book is full of adventure and the characters are well drawn. Eron is a good person and more mature than many of his cohorts even though he’s still a child in many ways. It’s obvious early on that something traumatic has happened to him, something that makes it more difficult for him to handle the Selection. It was fun “watching” him face the physical and mental challenges of the Selection, and while the novel sets up the rest of the series, the story in this book does come to a satisfying conclusion. In other words, no cliffhangers and that’s a good thing!
The book is full of adventure and the characters are well drawn. Eron is a good person and more mature than many of his cohorts even though he’s still a child in many ways. It’s obvious early on that something traumatic has happened to him, something that makes it more difficult for him to handle the Selection. It was fun “watching” him face the physical and mental challenges of the Selection, and while the novel sets up the rest of the series, the story in this book does come to a satisfying conclusion. In other words, no cliffhangers and that’s a good thing!
March 24, 2018
This book is a slightly odd mix for me, you have that well-worn plot device of a deadly game or coming of age trial, but it is done pretty well overall with the author managing to avoid some of the worst clichés of that type of plot.
The world-building is good overall, but quite a lot of that may not be relevant to subsequent books as it related directly to the selection and it's setting, which is completed by the end of this first book. The characters are fairly well-realised on the whole, but the main character didn't grab me as much as he could have done, I was interested in what happened to him rather than fully caring what happened to him.
The narrator mostly did a good job with the book, his narration had a clear and pleasant tone to it, but could have maybe made some of the main characters a bit more distinctive as that would have probably helped me connect better with the book.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, however it was merely a good setup for an ongoing series and a good standalone book rather than really excelling in either aspect, I think it is one that could grow on me if I enjoy the subsequent books in the series.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
The world-building is good overall, but quite a lot of that may not be relevant to subsequent books as it related directly to the selection and it's setting, which is completed by the end of this first book. The characters are fairly well-realised on the whole, but the main character didn't grab me as much as he could have done, I was interested in what happened to him rather than fully caring what happened to him.
The narrator mostly did a good job with the book, his narration had a clear and pleasant tone to it, but could have maybe made some of the main characters a bit more distinctive as that would have probably helped me connect better with the book.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, however it was merely a good setup for an ongoing series and a good standalone book rather than really excelling in either aspect, I think it is one that could grow on me if I enjoy the subsequent books in the series.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
October 6, 2017
Eron has always known that when he turns eighteen, he must participate in The Selection, where boys become men. The problem is, no one seems to be able to tell him what exactly will happen. All he knows is that the last time he saw his older brother Timo was two years ago when he left for The Selection. Eron will soon find out just what he is made of and whether or not he can survive the unknown.
This is the first of Nugent’s books I’ve read, and it is his first full-length novel. It is a cross between a coming-of-age story and a dystopian. While it starts a bit slowly, it quickly picks up, especially as The Selection grows closer. The characters are believable, and it contains strong imagery. There is some violence at times, but it does have a purpose. For that reason, I would recommend this for older teens and above. The book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger, likely leaving the reader anticipating the sequel (which will hopefully be out soon!).
This is the first of Nugent’s books I’ve read, and it is his first full-length novel. It is a cross between a coming-of-age story and a dystopian. While it starts a bit slowly, it quickly picks up, especially as The Selection grows closer. The characters are believable, and it contains strong imagery. There is some violence at times, but it does have a purpose. For that reason, I would recommend this for older teens and above. The book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger, likely leaving the reader anticipating the sequel (which will hopefully be out soon!).
July 23, 2017
It doesn't look good for Eron. Bello, a bully, beats him down day after day and year after year. Adults just let it happen. He hears the screams of his long absent brother in his head. To say life is sometimes not fair would be an understatement. To say that life is sometimes fair would be an exaggeration. This is a dark, realistic science fiction written by a man for his boy. This is a story that a father would tell his son in preparation for things to come. Because men must face hard things. It's been like that since the garden.
Some mothers may not want their boys to read Jason Nugent's The Selection.
If you need to man up or man up your boy, I can recommend the following: Derek Prince's Husbands and Fathers, C.S. Lewis' The Abolition of Man, Aristotle's The Nichomachean Ethics, The Book of Job and my own novella, Francesco Augustine Berndadone.
Some mothers may not want their boys to read Jason Nugent's The Selection.
If you need to man up or man up your boy, I can recommend the following: Derek Prince's Husbands and Fathers, C.S. Lewis' The Abolition of Man, Aristotle's The Nichomachean Ethics, The Book of Job and my own novella, Francesco Augustine Berndadone.
August 5, 2017
An enjoyable read that reminded me of the Hunger Games set on a Star Wars type planet with creatures one would expect to find in Harry Potter. The storyline pulled me in and I could hardly put the book down (I finished it in two days). Here's to hoping for a prequel (for a little more insight into how it came to this) and/or a sequel (to show where things go from here). All said and done, I'd recommend this to anyone Young Adult or otherwise who enjoys dystopian type fiction with some sci-fi and fantasy elements.
May 20, 2018
The first time I read this it hit very hard.
I was dealing with some seemingly insurmountable issues. Despite the very different life circumstances in the story. I felt connected to the emotional impacts the character faced. Unfortunately I failed to review. I am now excited to move on with the story. There are so many profound understandings brought to light at end of this one. Can't wait to see where it goes from here.
I was dealing with some seemingly insurmountable issues. Despite the very different life circumstances in the story. I felt connected to the emotional impacts the character faced. Unfortunately I failed to review. I am now excited to move on with the story. There are so many profound understandings brought to light at end of this one. Can't wait to see where it goes from here.
September 15, 2017
Coming of age meets dystopian fiction
The Selection was a great sci-fi coming of age story, based in a world where rule #1 is survival. There were some good twist and I didn't see the ending coming. It was a fun read and a great example of what can go wrong when colonizing an alien world. Looking forward to the next one.
The Selection was a great sci-fi coming of age story, based in a world where rule #1 is survival. There were some good twist and I didn't see the ending coming. It was a fun read and a great example of what can go wrong when colonizing an alien world. Looking forward to the next one.
March 7, 2018
An engaging dystopian YA sci-fi tale along the vein of The Hunger Games! It takes a little bit for the action to get going but once it does it doesn't let up. I like how the author easily wove the planetary environment and history into the story rather than long passages of explanation to keep the story flowing. A really great start to the series and I'm very curious to see where it goes.
August 18, 2018
good story but...
Good story with likable character. I kept reading to find out if he would make it and what the explanation for everythinf was. Surprise! It is evil women and an evil queen to blame for everything. Many ebooks written in 2018 seem to have a negative attitude towards women.
Good story with likable character. I kept reading to find out if he would make it and what the explanation for everythinf was. Surprise! It is evil women and an evil queen to blame for everything. Many ebooks written in 2018 seem to have a negative attitude towards women.
December 25, 2018
I was given this book for free at my request however the review is of my own. Eron is now having to deal with the selection a process where all boys have to try to survive in order to keep going. Definitely has some of the same feel as hunger games and maze runner but with enough differences to make this just as intriguing. Definitely want to read more.
February 21, 2018
If you took Maze Runner, The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies - mixed them all together - you end up with The selection.
An amazing young adult story you don't want to miss! 5 stars
An amazing young adult story you don't want to miss! 5 stars
August 16, 2018
This was an enjoyable read by an author local to me. Some of the writing could use more polish, but overall it’s engaging and the page count slips by quickly.
April 16, 2022
I loved this book. The story reminded a bit of "The Hunger Games" mixed with "The Maze Runner". Very exciting and a bit gory. Ending made me want to read book 2.
January 2, 2022
Interesting premise, medium story
This is book 1 in The Forgotten Chronicles, which, with what I now know after listening to the first book, seems like an interesting overall theme for a series.
The premise as laid out in book 1, The Selection, is intriguing: what if human males had to go through a brutal selection process to gain sexual access, just like a lot of animal species. This first book focusses on one such month of Selection, following 18-year old Eron on his way through it.
As I stated above, an interesting premise. However, I had some issues with the story, and I'll mention four of them:
For one, it was not explained why several of the teen boys engaged in brutal and deadly fights against eachother voluntarily, since there was no need for it. The story makes it clear that there is room for everyone strong enough to survive their 30 days of the Selection trial. So why fight eachother and not help eachother against, for instance, the wild and ferocious predators roaming the forest they're travelling. I think I would have liked it better if they'd all banded together (with internal conflicts between them) fighting against a hostile environment that culled them one by one throughout the story. Or else, that there was an internally consistent reason to fight eachother, like a limited number of survivors allowed.
Second, it was not clear why the main character didn't remember anything about his training. Only near the end this gets some explanation, but that felt very unsatisfactory, it left me with the feeling that his lack of memories was purely a plot device.
Third, there is a lot of repetition in the dialogues. People keep repeating and repeating themselves, which I found quite annoying.
And lastly, the main antagonist was so one-dimensional I wanted to skip every part he was in. Literally nothing was explained about his motivations, about who he was, etc. etc. And he too seemed to have about three sentences he kept repeating over and over, with a vocabulary of less than ten words. I mean, come on.
I was glad that the ending, although very predictable to the experienced reader, was what it was and I tip my hat to the author for that.
As for narration, I was quite underwhelmed by Jenkins' soft tone and rather monotonous way of narrating this story. For me, this made especially the main character seem as weak as he was constantly accused of being. The narrator's voice range seemed limited, and when the text states "deep voice" for The Forgotten, he actually chooses a higher tone instead of deeper.
In conclusion, in my opinion this may be a nice story for very young teens, of say 10-12 years old. The main 'lesson' of the story as revealed in the last chapters also seems to accomodate this age group best. But for it to entertain adult readers, it needs a lot more fleshing out and far more complexity.
I do maintain that the overall premise is interesting, and I would find a (better fleshed out) series about the Forgotten, as the series title promises, enjoyable.
I'll keep an eye out for part two and see where it leads.
~ I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I was not required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work. ~
This is book 1 in The Forgotten Chronicles, which, with what I now know after listening to the first book, seems like an interesting overall theme for a series.
The premise as laid out in book 1, The Selection, is intriguing: what if human males had to go through a brutal selection process to gain sexual access, just like a lot of animal species. This first book focusses on one such month of Selection, following 18-year old Eron on his way through it.
As I stated above, an interesting premise. However, I had some issues with the story, and I'll mention four of them:
For one, it was not explained why several of the teen boys engaged in brutal and deadly fights against eachother voluntarily, since there was no need for it. The story makes it clear that there is room for everyone strong enough to survive their 30 days of the Selection trial. So why fight eachother and not help eachother against, for instance, the wild and ferocious predators roaming the forest they're travelling. I think I would have liked it better if they'd all banded together (with internal conflicts between them) fighting against a hostile environment that culled them one by one throughout the story. Or else, that there was an internally consistent reason to fight eachother, like a limited number of survivors allowed.
Second, it was not clear why the main character didn't remember anything about his training. Only near the end this gets some explanation, but that felt very unsatisfactory, it left me with the feeling that his lack of memories was purely a plot device.
Third, there is a lot of repetition in the dialogues. People keep repeating and repeating themselves, which I found quite annoying.
And lastly, the main antagonist was so one-dimensional I wanted to skip every part he was in. Literally nothing was explained about his motivations, about who he was, etc. etc. And he too seemed to have about three sentences he kept repeating over and over, with a vocabulary of less than ten words. I mean, come on.
I was glad that the ending, although very predictable to the experienced reader, was what it was and I tip my hat to the author for that.
As for narration, I was quite underwhelmed by Jenkins' soft tone and rather monotonous way of narrating this story. For me, this made especially the main character seem as weak as he was constantly accused of being. The narrator's voice range seemed limited, and when the text states "deep voice" for The Forgotten, he actually chooses a higher tone instead of deeper.
In conclusion, in my opinion this may be a nice story for very young teens, of say 10-12 years old. The main 'lesson' of the story as revealed in the last chapters also seems to accomodate this age group best. But for it to entertain adult readers, it needs a lot more fleshing out and far more complexity.
I do maintain that the overall premise is interesting, and I would find a (better fleshed out) series about the Forgotten, as the series title promises, enjoyable.
I'll keep an eye out for part two and see where it leads.
~ I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I was not required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work. ~
July 29, 2017
The Selection is a fast paced story. Interesting characters. Violent, but with a purpose. This dystopian work reminds me of the Hunger Games.
Told from the boy's POV we follow his journey to survive the Selection. All boys must undertake a survival course, at a certain age, on their colonial planet. The rugged, dangerous, backstabbing trip is familiar. In addition, his eyes will be open to the extreme cruelty of this test, and he must decide how he will react to this new knowledge.
As others have said, it is a hard book to put down, and a quick read. I recommend it to all who are interested in primitive survival and dystopian societies. I think middle grade on up will enjoy this. It is an interesting question of where the character will go, what he will do in a sequel.
Told from the boy's POV we follow his journey to survive the Selection. All boys must undertake a survival course, at a certain age, on their colonial planet. The rugged, dangerous, backstabbing trip is familiar. In addition, his eyes will be open to the extreme cruelty of this test, and he must decide how he will react to this new knowledge.
As others have said, it is a hard book to put down, and a quick read. I recommend it to all who are interested in primitive survival and dystopian societies. I think middle grade on up will enjoy this. It is an interesting question of where the character will go, what he will do in a sequel.
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