Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Changed line(s) 3 (click to see context) from:
%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
to:
%% ZeroContextExample Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Has nothing to do with familiarity with in-universe fiction.
Changed line(s) 13,16 (click to see context) from:
Sepporinen, a young Ba’ren [[{{Asteroid Miners}} asteroid miner]], cares little about meeting humans. He seeks only riches and glory in prospecting the solar system’s asteroids, but the Ba’ren government inexplicably sends him to Earth to assist with the osterosarcoma research project.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions, [[{{Fantastic Racism}} anti-alien sentiment]] on Earth reaches a lethal pitch. The unlikely pair, determined not to be pawns in this complicated game of life and death, must risk everything to maintain the fragile peace between their two species.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions, [[{{Fantastic Racism}} anti-alien sentiment]] on Earth reaches a lethal pitch. The unlikely pair, determined not to be pawns in this complicated game of life and death, must risk everything to maintain the fragile peace between their two species.
to:
Sepporinen, a young Ba’ren [[{{Asteroid Miners}} [[AsteroidMiners asteroid miner]], cares little about meeting humans. He seeks only riches and glory in prospecting the solar system’s asteroids, but the Ba’ren government inexplicably sends him to Earth to assist with the osterosarcoma research project.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions,[[{{Fantastic Racism}} [[FantasticRacism anti-alien sentiment]] on Earth reaches a lethal pitch. The unlikely pair, determined not to be pawns in this complicated game of life and death, must risk everything to maintain the fragile peace between their two species.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions,
Changed line(s) 20 (click to see context) from:
* GenreSavvy: Emma and Liam Smith are huge {{science fiction}} fans. They regularly reference popular works such as {{Star Trek}} and use what they learned to deal with the Ba'ren, to various degrees of success.
to:
* GenreSavvy: Emma and Liam Smith are huge {{science fiction}} fans. They regularly reference popular works such as {{Star Trek}} Franchise/StarTrek and use what they learned to deal with the Ba'ren, to various degrees of success.
Changed line(s) 22 (click to see context) from:
* OminousFloatingSpaceship: Purposely subverted by the (mostly) GenreSavvy aliens. The Ba'ren has eight huge [[{{The Mothership}} starcrafts]] as part of their Earth Mission, along with countless smaller spacecrafts. However, their diplomats only allowed two of the starcrafts to come to Earth and limit them to orbit the planet at long distances so that they do not scare the humans.
to:
* OminousFloatingSpaceship: Purposely subverted by the (mostly) GenreSavvy aliens. The Ba'ren has eight huge [[{{The Mothership}} [[TheMothership} starcrafts]] as part of their Earth Mission, along with countless smaller spacecrafts. However, their diplomats only allowed two of the starcrafts to come to Earth and limit them to orbit the planet at long distances so that they do not scare the humans.
Changed line(s) 24 (click to see context) from:
** Ba'ren military [[{{Space Fighter}} fightercrafts]] are banned by the diplomats from even approaching Earth orbit. [[spoiler:In "The Test", the fact that the Guards violated this ban made their action suspicious to Sepporinen and his companions.]]
to:
** Ba'ren military [[{{Space Fighter}} [[SpaceFighter fightercrafts]] are banned by the diplomats from even approaching Earth orbit. [[spoiler:In "The Test", the fact that the Guards violated this ban made their action suspicious to Sepporinen and his companions.]]
Changed line(s) 26 (click to see context) from:
** Invoked by humans who are ignorant and/or [[{{Fantastic Racism}} hate the Ba'ren]].
to:
** Invoked by humans who are ignorant and/or [[{{Fantastic Racism}} [[FantasticRacism hate the Ba'ren]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
add Ominous Floating Spaceship
Changed line(s) 22 (click to see context) from:
* OminousFloatingSpaceship: Purposely subverted by the (mostly) GenreSavvy aliens. The Ba'ren has eight huge [[{{Mothership}}starcrafts]] as part of their Earth Mission, along with countless smaller spacecrafts. However, their diplomats only allowed two of the starcrafts to come to Earth and limit them to orbit the planet at long distances so that they do not scare the humans.
to:
* OminousFloatingSpaceship: Purposely subverted by the (mostly) GenreSavvy aliens. The Ba'ren has eight huge [[{{Mothership}}starcrafts]] [[{{The Mothership}} starcrafts]] as part of their Earth Mission, along with countless smaller spacecrafts. However, their diplomats only allowed two of the starcrafts to come to Earth and limit them to orbit the planet at long distances so that they do not scare the humans.
Changed line(s) 24,25 (click to see context) from:
** Ba'ren military fightercrafts
to:
** Ba'ren military fightercrafts
[[{{Space Fighter}} fightercrafts]] are banned by the diplomats from even approaching Earth orbit. [[spoiler:In "The Test", the fact that the Guards violated this ban made their action suspicious to Sepporinen and his companions.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 22,23 (click to see context) from:
* OminousFloatingSpaceship: Purposely subverted by the (mostly) [[GenreSavvy]] aliens. The Ba'ren has eight huge starcrafts as part of their Earth Mission, along with countless smaller spacecrafts. However, their diplomats only allowed two of the starcrafts to come to Earth
to:
* OminousFloatingSpaceship: Purposely subverted by the (mostly) [[GenreSavvy]] GenreSavvy aliens. The Ba'ren has eight huge starcrafts [[{{Mothership}}starcrafts]] as part of their Earth Mission, along with countless smaller spacecrafts. However, their diplomats only allowed two of the starcrafts to come to Earth
Earth and limit them to orbit the planet at long distances so that they do not scare the humans.
**Ba'ren scientists complain about this policy as they need to be closer to Earth to study the planet.
**Ba'ren military fightercrafts
**Ba'ren scientists complain about this policy as they need to be closer to Earth to study the planet.
**Ba'ren military fightercrafts
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* OminousFloatingSpaceship: Purposely subverted by the (mostly) [[GenreSavvy]] aliens. The Ba'ren has eight huge starcrafts as part of their Earth Mission, along with countless smaller spacecrafts. However, their diplomats only allowed two of the starcrafts to come to Earth
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 22 (click to see context) from:
* PlanetofHats: Very much subverted for the Ba'ren. They are very much a [[MulticulturalAlienPlanet multi-planet, multicultural species]].
to:
* PlanetofHats: PlanetOfHats: Very much subverted for the Ba'ren. They are very much a [[MulticulturalAlienPlanet multi-planet, multicultural species]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
add Planet of Hats
Added DiffLines:
* PlanetofHats: Very much subverted for the Ba'ren. They are very much a [[MulticulturalAlienPlanet multi-planet, multicultural species]].
** Invoked by humans who are ignorant and/or [[{{Fantastic Racism}} hate the Ba'ren]].
** Lampshaded in reverse by the Ba'ren. Their researchers complain that it's hard to translate Earth media because the humans do not have a [[CommonTongue common, culture-neutral language]], instead comprising of many different languages and cultures.
** Invoked by humans who are ignorant and/or [[{{Fantastic Racism}} hate the Ba'ren]].
** Lampshaded in reverse by the Ba'ren. Their researchers complain that it's hard to translate Earth media because the humans do not have a [[CommonTongue common, culture-neutral language]], instead comprising of many different languages and cultures.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 19 (click to see context) from:
* AerithAndBob: Human characters usually have common, "normal" English names, such as Emma or Michael, while Ba'ren characters have bizarre "alien" names, i.e. Sepporinen or Ngizzida.
to:
* AerithAndBob: Human characters usually have common, "normal" English names, such as Emma or Michael, while Ba'ren characters have bizarre "alien" names, i.e.g. Sepporinen or Ngizzida.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 21 (click to see context) from:
* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: Most Ba'ren on their Earth Mission are obsessed with, or at least want to learn more, about human cultures.
to:
* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: Most Ba'ren on their Earth Mission are obsessed with, or at least want to learn more, about more about, human cultures.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: Most Ba'ren on their Earth Mission are obsessed with, or at least want to learn more, about human cultures.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 20,22 (click to see context) from:
* Genre Savvy: Emma and Liam Smith are huge {{science fiction}} fans. They regularly reference popular works such as {{Star Trek}} and use what they learned to deal with the Ba'ren, to various degrees of success.
to:
* Genre Savvy: GenreSavvy: Emma and Liam Smith are huge {{science fiction}} fans. They regularly reference popular works such as {{Star Trek}} and use what they learned to deal with the Ba'ren, to various degrees of success.
success.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 13,16 (click to see context) from:
Sepporinen, a young Ba’ren [[{{Asteroid Miners}} asteroid miner]], cares little about meeting humans. He seeks only riches and glory in prospecting the solar system’s asteroids, but the Ba’ren government inexplicably sends him to Earth to assist with the research project, and to work with a young Earth girl.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions, anti-alien sentiment on Earth reaches a lethal pitch. The unlikely pair, determined not to be pawns in this complicated game of life and death, must risk everything to help maintain the fragile peace between their two species.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions, anti-alien sentiment on Earth reaches a lethal pitch. The unlikely pair, determined not to be pawns in this complicated game of life and death, must risk everything to help maintain the fragile peace between their two species.
to:
Sepporinen, a young Ba’ren [[{{Asteroid Miners}} asteroid miner]], cares little about meeting humans. He seeks only riches and glory in prospecting the solar system’s asteroids, but the Ba’ren government inexplicably sends him to Earth to assist with the osterosarcoma research project, and to work with a young Earth girl.
project.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions, [[{{Fantastic Racism}} anti-aliensentiment sentiment]] on Earth reaches a lethal pitch. The unlikely pair, determined not to be pawns in this complicated game of life and death, must risk everything to help maintain the fragile peace between their two species.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions, [[{{Fantastic Racism}} anti-alien
Changed line(s) 19,23 (click to see context) from:
* AerithAndBob: Human character names are Ashley and Lucy to Gavril and Amberly.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: ''The Queen'' paints Clarkson and Amberly’s relationship as this. It’s easy to read Clarkson’s reasons for choosing Amberly as ‘you do what I say without question.’
* AlphaBitch: Celeste, until she mellows out - but only slightly.
** Queen Abby, who physically assaults some of the girls in Clarkson's selection.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: ''The Queen'' paints Clarkson and Amberly’s relationship as this. It’s easy to read Clarkson’s reasons for choosing Amberly as ‘you do what I say without question.’
* AlphaBitch: Celeste, until she mellows out - but only slightly.
** Queen Abby, who physically assaults some of the girls in Clarkson's selection.
to:
* AerithAndBob: Human character names characters usually have common, "normal" English names, such as Emma or Michael, while Ba'ren characters have bizarre "alien" names, i.e. Sepporinen or Ngizzida.
* Genre Savvy: Emma and Liam Smith areAshley huge {{science fiction}} fans. They regularly reference popular works such as {{Star Trek}} and Lucy to Gavril and Amberly.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: ''The Queen'' paints Clarkson and Amberly’s relationship as this. It’s easy to read Clarkson’s reasons for choosing Amberly as ‘you douse what I say without question.’
* AlphaBitch: Celeste, until she mellows out - but only slightly.
** Queen Abby, who physically assaults some ofthey learned to deal with the girls in Clarkson's selection.
Ba'ren, to various degrees of success.
* Genre Savvy: Emma and Liam Smith are
* AllTakeAndNoGive: ''The Queen'' paints Clarkson and Amberly’s relationship as this. It’s easy to read Clarkson’s reasons for choosing Amberly as ‘you do
* AlphaBitch: Celeste, until she mellows out - but only slightly.
** Queen Abby, who physically assaults some of
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 9,14 (click to see context) from:
Star City is a YoungAdult [[{{science fiction}} science fiction]] trilogy by Edwin Peng, consisting of ''The Selection'', ''The Elite'', and ''The One''. There are also four companion novellas, ''The Prince'' (told from Prince Maxon's point of view), ''The Guard'' (told from Aspen Leger's point of view), ''The Queen'' (told from Queen Amberly's point of view) and ''The Favourite'' (told from Marlee's point of view).
In the present day
In the present day
to:
Star City is a YoungAdult [[{{science fiction}} science fiction]] trilogy series by Edwin Peng, Peng. It consisting of ''Star City (2017)'', ''Friendship Village (2018)'', and ''Embassy Town (2019)''. There are currently three companion short stories, all of which take place just before ''Star City'': ''The Selection'', ''The Elite'', and ''The One''. There are also four companion novellas, ''The Prince'' (told from Prince Maxon's Announcement'' (Emma's point of view), ''The Guard'' (told from Aspen Leger's Test'' (Sepporinen's point of view), ''The Queen'' (told from Queen Amberly's point of view) and ''The Favourite'' (told from Marlee's Meeting'' (Ngizzida's point of view).
In After the present day
alien race known as the Ba'ren make {{first contact}} with Earth, eighteen-year-old Emma Smith is ready to capitalize on this historic opportunity, beats thousands of applicants for the position of student ambassador. She knows helping the Ba’ren cure osteosarcoma will kick-start her biomedical engineering career, not to mention allow her to learn more about the mysterious aliens.
Sepporinen, a young Ba’ren [[{{Asteroid Miners}} asteroid miner]], cares little about meeting humans. He seeks only riches and glory in prospecting the solar system’s asteroids, but the Ba’ren government inexplicably sends him to Earth to assist with the research project, and to work with a young Earth girl.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions, anti-alien sentiment on Earth reaches a lethal pitch. The unlikely pair, determined not to be pawns in this complicated game of life and death, must risk everything to help maintain the fragile peace between their two species.
Sepporinen, a young Ba’ren [[{{Asteroid Miners}} asteroid miner]], cares little about meeting humans. He seeks only riches and glory in prospecting the solar system’s asteroids, but the Ba’ren government inexplicably sends him to Earth to assist with the research project, and to work with a young Earth girl.
Emma and Sepporinen draw closer as they work together, and discover far more is at stake than what their respective governments have let on. As political struggles intensify between feuding human and Ba’ren factions, anti-alien sentiment on Earth reaches a lethal pitch. The unlikely pair, determined not to be pawns in this complicated game of life and death, must risk everything to help maintain the fragile peace between their two species.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 9,16 (click to see context) from:
Star City is a YoungAdult [[{{science fiction}} science fiction]] romance trilogy by Kiera Cass, consisting of ''The Selection'', ''The Elite'', and ''The One''. There are also four companion novellas, ''The Prince'' (told from Prince Maxon's point of view), ''The Guard'' (told from Aspen Leger's point of view), ''The Queen'' (told from Queen Amberly's point of view) and ''The Favourite'' (told from Marlee's point of view).
In the country of Illea (formerly America) your caste determines everything from your job to your quality of life, and there's little chance for moving upward. Except for The Selection: when the crown prince comes of age, thirty-five girls are picked in a random draw to compete for the chance at winning his heart becoming Illea's future queen.
For America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means leaving behind the love of her life, Aspen, and entering a strange new world where her every action is watched and judged. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself - and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
In the country of Illea (formerly America) your caste determines everything from your job to your quality of life, and there's little chance for moving upward. Except for The Selection: when the crown prince comes of age, thirty-five girls are picked in a random draw to compete for the chance at winning his heart becoming Illea's future queen.
For America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means leaving behind the love of her life, Aspen, and entering a strange new world where her every action is watched and judged. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself - and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
to:
Star City is a YoungAdult [[{{science fiction}} science fiction]] romance trilogy by Kiera Cass, Edwin Peng, consisting of ''The Selection'', ''The Elite'', and ''The One''. There are also four companion novellas, ''The Prince'' (told from Prince Maxon's point of view), ''The Guard'' (told from Aspen Leger's point of view), ''The Queen'' (told from Queen Amberly's point of view) and ''The Favourite'' (told from Marlee's point of view).
In thecountry of Illea (formerly America) your caste determines everything from your job to your quality of life, and there's little chance for moving upward. Except for The Selection: when the crown prince comes of age, thirty-five girls are picked in a random draw to compete for the chance at winning his heart becoming Illea's future queen.
For America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means leaving behind the love of her life, Aspen, and entering a strange new world where her every action is watched and judged. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself - and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
present day
In the
For America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means leaving behind the love of her life, Aspen, and entering a strange new world where her every action is watched and judged. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself - and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
Changed line(s) 19,21 (click to see context) from:
* AbusiveParents: Maxon's father (Clarkson) is emotionally abusive, and ''his'' parents (Porter and Abby) were at the very least abusive to each other.
** [[spoiler:Maxon's father is revealed to be physically abusive as well.]]
* AerithAndBob: Character names range from Ashley and Lucy to Gavril and Amberly.
** [[spoiler:Maxon's father is revealed to be physically abusive as well.]]
* AerithAndBob: Character names range from Ashley and Lucy to Gavril and Amberly.
to:
** [[spoiler:Maxon's father is revealed to be physically abusive as well.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 6,9 (click to see context) from:
[[quoteright:265:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_selection_cover_candy_5332.jpg]]
Star City is a YoungAdult [[{{Dystopia}} dystopian]] romance trilogy by Kiera Cass, consisting of ''The Selection'', ''The Elite'', and ''The One''. There are also four companion novellas, ''The Prince'' (told from Prince Maxon's point of view), ''The Guard'' (told from Aspen Leger's point of view), ''The Queen'' (told from Queen Amberly's point of view) and ''The Favourite'' (told from Marlee's point of view).
Star City is a YoungAdult [[{{Dystopia}} dystopian]] romance trilogy by Kiera Cass, consisting of ''The Selection'', ''The Elite'', and ''The One''. There are also four companion novellas, ''The Prince'' (told from Prince Maxon's point of view), ''The Guard'' (told from Aspen Leger's point of view), ''The Queen'' (told from Queen Amberly's point of view) and ''The Favourite'' (told from Marlee's point of view).
to:
%% [[caption-width-right:317:some caption text]]
Star City is a YoungAdult
Changed line(s) 24,94 (click to see context) from:
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Amberly and [[spoiler:Eadlyn]], who are both mentioned to have olive toned skin.
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Josie is one to Eadlyn despite them not actually being sisters. She is also one to her real sibling, Kile.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler: It's revealed Lucy, one of America's maids, was grabbed by a southern rebel during a massive raid on the palace. It's unclear how far he got before getting shot dead by a palace guard.]]
* BabiesEverAfter:
** Maxon and America have four in the upcoming books, twins Eadlyn and Ahren and sons Kaden and Osten. Eadlyn is the elder of the twins by seven minutes - which means ''she's'' the heir to the throne.
** [[spoiler: A bonus epilogue in ''The Crown'' reveals Eadlyn and Eikko (Erik) have a daughter and another child on the way.]]
%%* BetaCouple: [[spoiler: Aspen/Lucy and Carter/Marlee.]]
%%** [[spoiler:America and Maxon become this in The Heir.]]
%%* BettyAndVeronica: Maxon (Betty) vs. Aspen (Veronica). [[spoiler:Maxon wins.]]
* BlackSheep: America's brother Gerad isn't artistic. Too bad he's a Five, so it's the only career path he can take.
* DarkerAndEdgier: What the TV series wanted to be. The pilot aged everyone up and gave it a more "adult" tone, made Maxon into a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, Illea a more obviously oppressive nation, and added a subplot about Celeste's family wanting to usurp the monarchy.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Marlee is a fan favorite amongst the people to win the Selection. [[spoiler:That quickly changes after she's revealed to be having an affair with Carter (one of the guards).]]
* EverythingIsBetterWithPrincesses: Dystopia - with princesses!
** In-universe the Selection is regarded this way.
** In-universe, Princess Camille is so beloved by her people that once there was spontaneous party in her honor that lasted for three days. It's notably averted by Eadlyn, who is not very popular with the people.
** Josie ''very'' much believes this.
* {{Expy}}: Aspen is basically [[Literature/TheHungerGames Gale]] and Gavril Fadaye is [[Literature/TheHungerGames Caesar Flickerman]].
* FantasticCasteSystem: In Illea your entire life is determined by which caste you're born into. Women automatically assume their husband's caste upon marriage, much like how traditional surnames work. It's possible to move up through marriage, being drafted into the army (automatic Two), and the Selection (Three when drawn from the lottery, Two if you make it to the Elite, One if you win), but these are all rare.
** One - royalty or equal to it.
** Two - celebrities, socialites, professional athletes.
** Three - Unknown, presumably intellectuals and the educated, such as teachers, professors and doctors.
** Four - shopkeepers and business owners.
** Five - artists, craftsmen and musicians.
** Six - indoor workers and domestic servants.
** Seven - outdoor workers, manual laborers.
** Eight - the homeless and those who have committed serious crimes, also those born out of wedlock to mixed castes.
* FollowTheLeader: ''The Selection'' was one of the many books published following the massive success of Literature/TheHungerGames. Because of that, many people have taken to calling it a THG ripoff, although there aren't that many similarities (at least no more than any other recently published dystopian book).
** The CW pilot was trying to play this up. It frames the Selection as a distraction to keep the lower castes from uprising, as well as having a rebel group attempt to kidnap America and make her a symbol of their cause.
*** Amusingly, America [[spoiler:does end up helping the Northern rebels, which ends up saving her life (along with the lives of several others).]]
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The final four again. Celeste (Choleric/Melancholic), America (Sanguine/Choleric), Kriss (Sanguine/Phlegmatic) and Elise (Phlegmatic/Melancholic).
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceDoorSlam: Celeste.]]
* HeroesWantRedheads: Maxon takes a liking to America, the only redhead in The Selection. [[spoiler:He eventually chooses her as his bride.]]
* HiddenDepths: Kriss [[spoiler:is a member of the Northern rebels - and so was America's father.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: America gets upset when Maxon sees Kirss or Celeste, but she’s been seeing Aspen behind his back whenever things get too difficult for her.
* IllGirl: Queen Amberly, who [[spoiler:is discovered to have unknowingly ingested so many toxins while growing up in her home province that she has been rendered almost sterile and left with debilitating headaches and other physical ailments that she suffers from for the rest of her life.]]
* JerkAss: America's brother Kota and King Clarkson.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Celeste, after her CharacterDevelopment in ''The One''.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Both Maxon and his mother make them to protect America and the King respectively. Maxon lives. His mother doesn't.]]
* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: [[spoiler:Celeste warns Maxon that if he hurts America, she'll make him cry.]]
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Henri does it for both Eadlyn and Eikko/Erik in ''The Crown''. He loves Eadlyn and is best friends with Eikko and steps aside for the two to be together.]]
* LadyInRed: The other contestants and their stylists notice that America, who is quickly becoming Maxon's favorite, has a preference for blue, and so they all request a blue dress for a television broadcast. America's maids notice this and create a crimson red dress for her instead, making her stand out. Said dress can be seen on the cover of ''The Elite.''
** Queen Amberly was also known for favoring red dresses during her selection, although she goes for a darker, more wine-like shade.
* LoveAtFirstSight: [[spoiler: ''The Prince'' strongly implies this was the case for Maxon towards America.]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The Selection alone has 35 contestants in it.
* MeaningfulName:
** America, because she is a fighter, and Singer because [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin she's a musician]].
** Tiny's appearance and demeanor live up to her name.
** [[ShapedLikeItself Anna Farmer is a farmer]].
* NiceToTheWaiter: America is kind to her maids, Anne, Lucy and Mary, because she comes from a low caste herself and understands what it's like. Most notably, when there is a rebel raid on the palace she insists they come with her to the safe room that's supposed to be reserved for royalty, Selection girls, and high ranking officials - then tells their superior where to shove it when the woman demands they start serving drinks.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn is very kind to servants and treats her maid Neena very well. It's an early sign that despite some of Eadlyn's more snobbish qualities she is in fact a good person.]]
* NoSexAllowed: Sex before marriage is a serious enough crime to put you in prison. And since there's no birth control for the lower castes, most people marry young.
* NotLikeOtherGirls: America is particularly bad about this in the early stages of the Selection, thinking she's the only girl who doesn't want to be there, she's not "over-the-top" like all the others -- even thinking she might be the only candidate who had to be warned not to turn the prince down, because all the others aren't just interested in dating him, but happy to make themselves sexually available any time he asks. And apparently America is the only one out of thirty-four other girls who did not want her looks changed.
* PrinceCharming: Maxon is a more realistic version of this.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Maxon and Aspen.
** The contestants in The Selection are this too. America herself is a poor suitor to Maxon, especially compared to rich contestants like Celeste.
* RichBitch: Celeste.
** She gets better in ''The One'', where she admits that [[spoiler: she's worried about the fact that she only really has her looks to rely on, and she knows she'll eventually lose them and fade into the background. After bonding with America, she apologizes to the other girls, and although Elise has a moment where it looks like she'll ruin Celeste, they all forgive her and become friends.]]
* RomanticRunnerUp: [[spoiler:Aspen, who ends up with Lucy.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The royal family is consistently shown actively running the country. Maxon - on the advice of America - even diverts some of the money from the Selection to start a food program for the lower castes.
* ShelteredAristocrat: Maxon, initially. He gets better, mainly thanks to America.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn in the sequels. She too gets better.]]
* ShipTease: ''The Crown'' hints at Kaden/Josie, meaning she might become a princess after all.
* ShowDontTell: The books ''tell'' us that things can, and have gotten bad for the Singers due to money issues. But whenever we see them they're doing just fine, well enough to afford chicken with spices, tea and popcorn, and America to binge on sweets when she has her own paycheck... which comes from half the family's pay per job. And even before they were apparently well off enough that America can sneak her leftovers to Aspen. This is ''before'' America is chosen for the Selection and her family gets compensation.
* SpoiledSweet: Maxon.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Aspen.
* TheWisePrince: Maxon.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Daphne for Maxon, and [[spoiler:Aspen for America]].
** [[spoiler: Kile and Eadlyn. Subverted in that they had no interest as children and later neither is that upset that it didn't work out.]]
* UnwantedHarem: A majority of girls in The Selection.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Maxon and America. [[spoiler:They do.]]
* WorldWarIII: There's been a Fourth World War.
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Josie is one to Eadlyn despite them not actually being sisters. She is also one to her real sibling, Kile.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler: It's revealed Lucy, one of America's maids, was grabbed by a southern rebel during a massive raid on the palace. It's unclear how far he got before getting shot dead by a palace guard.]]
* BabiesEverAfter:
** Maxon and America have four in the upcoming books, twins Eadlyn and Ahren and sons Kaden and Osten. Eadlyn is the elder of the twins by seven minutes - which means ''she's'' the heir to the throne.
** [[spoiler: A bonus epilogue in ''The Crown'' reveals Eadlyn and Eikko (Erik) have a daughter and another child on the way.]]
%%* BetaCouple: [[spoiler: Aspen/Lucy and Carter/Marlee.]]
%%** [[spoiler:America and Maxon become this in The Heir.]]
%%* BettyAndVeronica: Maxon (Betty) vs. Aspen (Veronica). [[spoiler:Maxon wins.]]
* BlackSheep: America's brother Gerad isn't artistic. Too bad he's a Five, so it's the only career path he can take.
* DarkerAndEdgier: What the TV series wanted to be. The pilot aged everyone up and gave it a more "adult" tone, made Maxon into a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, Illea a more obviously oppressive nation, and added a subplot about Celeste's family wanting to usurp the monarchy.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Marlee is a fan favorite amongst the people to win the Selection. [[spoiler:That quickly changes after she's revealed to be having an affair with Carter (one of the guards).]]
* EverythingIsBetterWithPrincesses: Dystopia - with princesses!
** In-universe the Selection is regarded this way.
** In-universe, Princess Camille is so beloved by her people that once there was spontaneous party in her honor that lasted for three days. It's notably averted by Eadlyn, who is not very popular with the people.
** Josie ''very'' much believes this.
* {{Expy}}: Aspen is basically [[Literature/TheHungerGames Gale]] and Gavril Fadaye is [[Literature/TheHungerGames Caesar Flickerman]].
* FantasticCasteSystem: In Illea your entire life is determined by which caste you're born into. Women automatically assume their husband's caste upon marriage, much like how traditional surnames work. It's possible to move up through marriage, being drafted into the army (automatic Two), and the Selection (Three when drawn from the lottery, Two if you make it to the Elite, One if you win), but these are all rare.
** One - royalty or equal to it.
** Two - celebrities, socialites, professional athletes.
** Three - Unknown, presumably intellectuals and the educated, such as teachers, professors and doctors.
** Four - shopkeepers and business owners.
** Five - artists, craftsmen and musicians.
** Six - indoor workers and domestic servants.
** Seven - outdoor workers, manual laborers.
** Eight - the homeless and those who have committed serious crimes, also those born out of wedlock to mixed castes.
* FollowTheLeader: ''The Selection'' was one of the many books published following the massive success of Literature/TheHungerGames. Because of that, many people have taken to calling it a THG ripoff, although there aren't that many similarities (at least no more than any other recently published dystopian book).
** The CW pilot was trying to play this up. It frames the Selection as a distraction to keep the lower castes from uprising, as well as having a rebel group attempt to kidnap America and make her a symbol of their cause.
*** Amusingly, America [[spoiler:does end up helping the Northern rebels, which ends up saving her life (along with the lives of several others).]]
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The final four again. Celeste (Choleric/Melancholic), America (Sanguine/Choleric), Kriss (Sanguine/Phlegmatic) and Elise (Phlegmatic/Melancholic).
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceDoorSlam: Celeste.]]
* HeroesWantRedheads: Maxon takes a liking to America, the only redhead in The Selection. [[spoiler:He eventually chooses her as his bride.]]
* HiddenDepths: Kriss [[spoiler:is a member of the Northern rebels - and so was America's father.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: America gets upset when Maxon sees Kirss or Celeste, but she’s been seeing Aspen behind his back whenever things get too difficult for her.
* IllGirl: Queen Amberly, who [[spoiler:is discovered to have unknowingly ingested so many toxins while growing up in her home province that she has been rendered almost sterile and left with debilitating headaches and other physical ailments that she suffers from for the rest of her life.]]
* JerkAss: America's brother Kota and King Clarkson.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Celeste, after her CharacterDevelopment in ''The One''.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Both Maxon and his mother make them to protect America and the King respectively. Maxon lives. His mother doesn't.]]
* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: [[spoiler:Celeste warns Maxon that if he hurts America, she'll make him cry.]]
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Henri does it for both Eadlyn and Eikko/Erik in ''The Crown''. He loves Eadlyn and is best friends with Eikko and steps aside for the two to be together.]]
* LadyInRed: The other contestants and their stylists notice that America, who is quickly becoming Maxon's favorite, has a preference for blue, and so they all request a blue dress for a television broadcast. America's maids notice this and create a crimson red dress for her instead, making her stand out. Said dress can be seen on the cover of ''The Elite.''
** Queen Amberly was also known for favoring red dresses during her selection, although she goes for a darker, more wine-like shade.
* LoveAtFirstSight: [[spoiler: ''The Prince'' strongly implies this was the case for Maxon towards America.]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The Selection alone has 35 contestants in it.
* MeaningfulName:
** America, because she is a fighter, and Singer because [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin she's a musician]].
** Tiny's appearance and demeanor live up to her name.
** [[ShapedLikeItself Anna Farmer is a farmer]].
* NiceToTheWaiter: America is kind to her maids, Anne, Lucy and Mary, because she comes from a low caste herself and understands what it's like. Most notably, when there is a rebel raid on the palace she insists they come with her to the safe room that's supposed to be reserved for royalty, Selection girls, and high ranking officials - then tells their superior where to shove it when the woman demands they start serving drinks.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn is very kind to servants and treats her maid Neena very well. It's an early sign that despite some of Eadlyn's more snobbish qualities she is in fact a good person.]]
* NoSexAllowed: Sex before marriage is a serious enough crime to put you in prison. And since there's no birth control for the lower castes, most people marry young.
* NotLikeOtherGirls: America is particularly bad about this in the early stages of the Selection, thinking she's the only girl who doesn't want to be there, she's not "over-the-top" like all the others -- even thinking she might be the only candidate who had to be warned not to turn the prince down, because all the others aren't just interested in dating him, but happy to make themselves sexually available any time he asks. And apparently America is the only one out of thirty-four other girls who did not want her looks changed.
* PrinceCharming: Maxon is a more realistic version of this.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Maxon and Aspen.
** The contestants in The Selection are this too. America herself is a poor suitor to Maxon, especially compared to rich contestants like Celeste.
* RichBitch: Celeste.
** She gets better in ''The One'', where she admits that [[spoiler: she's worried about the fact that she only really has her looks to rely on, and she knows she'll eventually lose them and fade into the background. After bonding with America, she apologizes to the other girls, and although Elise has a moment where it looks like she'll ruin Celeste, they all forgive her and become friends.]]
* RomanticRunnerUp: [[spoiler:Aspen, who ends up with Lucy.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The royal family is consistently shown actively running the country. Maxon - on the advice of America - even diverts some of the money from the Selection to start a food program for the lower castes.
* ShelteredAristocrat: Maxon, initially. He gets better, mainly thanks to America.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn in the sequels. She too gets better.]]
* ShipTease: ''The Crown'' hints at Kaden/Josie, meaning she might become a princess after all.
* ShowDontTell: The books ''tell'' us that things can, and have gotten bad for the Singers due to money issues. But whenever we see them they're doing just fine, well enough to afford chicken with spices, tea and popcorn, and America to binge on sweets when she has her own paycheck... which comes from half the family's pay per job. And even before they were apparently well off enough that America can sneak her leftovers to Aspen. This is ''before'' America is chosen for the Selection and her family gets compensation.
* SpoiledSweet: Maxon.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Aspen.
* TheWisePrince: Maxon.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Daphne for Maxon, and [[spoiler:Aspen for America]].
** [[spoiler: Kile and Eadlyn. Subverted in that they had no interest as children and later neither is that upset that it didn't work out.]]
* UnwantedHarem: A majority of girls in The Selection.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Maxon and America. [[spoiler:They do.]]
* WorldWarIII: There's been a Fourth World War.
to:
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Josie is one to Eadlyn despite them not actually being sisters. She is also one to her real sibling, Kile.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler: It's revealed Lucy, one of America's maids, was grabbed by a southern rebel during a massive raid on the palace. It's unclear how far he got before getting shot dead by a palace guard.]]
* BabiesEverAfter:
** Maxon and America have four in the upcoming books, twins Eadlyn and Ahren and sons Kaden and Osten. Eadlyn is the elder of the twins by seven minutes - which means ''she's'' the heir to the throne.
** [[spoiler: A bonus epilogue in ''The Crown'' reveals Eadlyn and Eikko (Erik) have a daughter and another child on the way.]]
%%* BetaCouple: [[spoiler: Aspen/Lucy and Carter/Marlee.]]
%%** [[spoiler:America and Maxon become this in The Heir.]]
%%* BettyAndVeronica: Maxon (Betty) vs. Aspen (Veronica). [[spoiler:Maxon wins.]]
* BlackSheep: America's brother Gerad isn't artistic. Too bad he's a Five, so it's the only career path he can take.
* DarkerAndEdgier: What the TV series wanted to be. The pilot aged everyone up and gave it a more "adult" tone, made Maxon into a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, Illea a more obviously oppressive nation, and added a subplot about Celeste's family wanting to usurp the monarchy.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Marlee is a fan favorite amongst the people to win the Selection. [[spoiler:That quickly changes after she's revealed to be having an affair with Carter (one of the guards).]]
* EverythingIsBetterWithPrincesses: Dystopia - with princesses!
** In-universe the Selection is regarded this way.
** In-universe, Princess Camille is so beloved by her people that once there was spontaneous party in her honor that lasted for three days. It's notably averted by Eadlyn, who is not very popular with the people.
** Josie ''very'' much believes this.
* {{Expy}}: Aspen is basically [[Literature/TheHungerGames Gale]] and Gavril Fadaye is [[Literature/TheHungerGames Caesar Flickerman]].
* FantasticCasteSystem: In Illea your entire life is determined by which caste you're born into. Women automatically assume their husband's caste upon marriage, much like how traditional surnames work. It's possible to move up through marriage, being drafted into the army (automatic Two), and the Selection (Three when drawn from the lottery, Two if you make it to the Elite, One if you win), but these are all rare.
** One - royalty or equal to it.
** Two - celebrities, socialites, professional athletes.
** Three - Unknown, presumably intellectuals and the educated, such as teachers, professors and doctors.
** Four - shopkeepers and business owners.
** Five - artists, craftsmen and musicians.
** Six - indoor workers and domestic servants.
** Seven - outdoor workers, manual laborers.
** Eight - the homeless and those who have committed serious crimes, also those born out of wedlock to mixed castes.
* FollowTheLeader: ''The Selection'' was one of the many books published following the massive success of Literature/TheHungerGames. Because of that, many people have taken to calling it a THG ripoff, although there aren't that many similarities (at least no more than any other recently published dystopian book).
** The CW pilot was trying to play this up. It frames the Selection as a distraction to keep the lower castes from uprising, as well as having a rebel group attempt to kidnap America and make her a symbol of their cause.
*** Amusingly, America [[spoiler:does end up helping the Northern rebels, which ends up saving her life (along with the lives of several others).]]
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The final four again. Celeste (Choleric/Melancholic), America (Sanguine/Choleric), Kriss (Sanguine/Phlegmatic) and Elise (Phlegmatic/Melancholic).
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceDoorSlam: Celeste.]]
* HeroesWantRedheads: Maxon takes a liking to America, the only redhead in The Selection. [[spoiler:He eventually chooses her as his bride.]]
* HiddenDepths: Kriss [[spoiler:is a member of the Northern rebels - and so was America's father.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: America gets upset when Maxon sees Kirss or Celeste, but she’s been seeing Aspen behind his back whenever things get too difficult for her.
* IllGirl: Queen Amberly, who [[spoiler:is discovered to have unknowingly ingested so many toxins while growing up in her home province that she has been rendered almost sterile and left with debilitating headaches and other physical ailments that she suffers from for the rest of her life.]]
* JerkAss: America's brother Kota and King Clarkson.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Celeste, after her CharacterDevelopment in ''The One''.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Both Maxon and his mother make them to protect America and the King respectively. Maxon lives. His mother doesn't.]]
* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: [[spoiler:Celeste warns Maxon that if he hurts America, she'll make him cry.]]
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Henri does it for both Eadlyn and Eikko/Erik in ''The Crown''. He loves Eadlyn and is best friends with Eikko and steps aside for the two to be together.]]
* LadyInRed: The other contestants and their stylists notice that America, who is quickly becoming Maxon's favorite, has a preference for blue, and so they all request a blue dress for a television broadcast. America's maids notice this and create a crimson red dress for her instead, making her stand out. Said dress can be seen on the cover of ''The Elite.''
** Queen Amberly was also known for favoring red dresses during her selection, although she goes for a darker, more wine-like shade.
* LoveAtFirstSight: [[spoiler: ''The Prince'' strongly implies this was the case for Maxon towards America.]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The Selection alone has 35 contestants in it.
* MeaningfulName:
** America, because she is a fighter, and Singer because [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin she's a musician]].
** Tiny's appearance and demeanor live up to her name.
** [[ShapedLikeItself Anna Farmer is a farmer]].
* NiceToTheWaiter: America is kind to her maids, Anne, Lucy and Mary, because she comes from a low caste herself and understands what it's like. Most notably, when there is a rebel raid on the palace she insists they come with her to the safe room that's supposed to be reserved for royalty, Selection girls, and high ranking officials - then tells their superior where to shove it when the woman demands they start serving drinks.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn is very kind to servants and treats her maid Neena very well. It's an early sign that despite some of Eadlyn's more snobbish qualities she is in fact a good person.]]
* NoSexAllowed: Sex before marriage is a serious enough crime to put you in prison. And since there's no birth control for the lower castes, most people marry young.
* NotLikeOtherGirls: America is particularly bad about this in the early stages of the Selection, thinking she's the only girl who doesn't want to be there, she's not "over-the-top" like all the others -- even thinking she might be the only candidate who had to be warned not to turn the prince down, because all the others aren't just interested in dating him, but happy to make themselves sexually available any time he asks. And apparently America is the only one out of thirty-four other girls who did not want her looks changed.
* PrinceCharming: Maxon is a more realistic version of this.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Maxon and Aspen.
** The contestants in The Selection are this too. America herself is a poor suitor to Maxon, especially compared to rich contestants like Celeste.
* RichBitch: Celeste.
** She gets better in ''The One'', where she admits that [[spoiler: she's worried about the fact that she only really has her looks to rely on, and she knows she'll eventually lose them and fade into the background. After bonding with America, she apologizes to the other girls, and although Elise has a moment where it looks like she'll ruin Celeste, they all forgive her and become friends.]]
* RomanticRunnerUp: [[spoiler:Aspen, who ends up with Lucy.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The royal family is consistently shown actively running the country. Maxon - on the advice of America - even diverts some of the money from the Selection to start a food program for the lower castes.
* ShelteredAristocrat: Maxon, initially. He gets better, mainly thanks to America.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn in the sequels. She too gets better.]]
* ShipTease: ''The Crown'' hints at Kaden/Josie, meaning she might become a princess after all.
* ShowDontTell: The books ''tell'' us that things can, and have gotten bad for the Singers due to money issues. But whenever we see them they're doing just fine, well enough to afford chicken with spices, tea and popcorn, and America to binge on sweets when she has her own paycheck... which comes from half the family's pay per job. And even before they were apparently well off enough that America can sneak her leftovers to Aspen. This is ''before'' America is chosen for the Selection and her family gets compensation.
* SpoiledSweet: Maxon.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Aspen.
* TheWisePrince: Maxon.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Daphne for Maxon, and [[spoiler:Aspen for America]].
** [[spoiler: Kile and Eadlyn. Subverted in that they had no interest as children and later neither is that upset that it didn't work out.]]
* UnwantedHarem: A majority of girls in The Selection.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Maxon and America. [[spoiler:They do.]]
* WorldWarIII: There's been a Fourth World War.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
%%
%%
%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
%%
%%
[[quoteright:265:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_selection_cover_candy_5332.jpg]]
Star City is a YoungAdult [[{{Dystopia}} dystopian]] romance trilogy by Kiera Cass, consisting of ''The Selection'', ''The Elite'', and ''The One''. There are also four companion novellas, ''The Prince'' (told from Prince Maxon's point of view), ''The Guard'' (told from Aspen Leger's point of view), ''The Queen'' (told from Queen Amberly's point of view) and ''The Favourite'' (told from Marlee's point of view).
In the country of Illea (formerly America) your caste determines everything from your job to your quality of life, and there's little chance for moving upward. Except for The Selection: when the crown prince comes of age, thirty-five girls are picked in a random draw to compete for the chance at winning his heart becoming Illea's future queen.
For America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means leaving behind the love of her life, Aspen, and entering a strange new world where her every action is watched and judged. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself - and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
----
!!The books provide examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Maxon's father (Clarkson) is emotionally abusive, and ''his'' parents (Porter and Abby) were at the very least abusive to each other.
** [[spoiler:Maxon's father is revealed to be physically abusive as well.]]
* AerithAndBob: Character names range from Ashley and Lucy to Gavril and Amberly.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: ''The Queen'' paints Clarkson and Amberly’s relationship as this. It’s easy to read Clarkson’s reasons for choosing Amberly as ‘you do what I say without question.’
* AlphaBitch: Celeste, until she mellows out - but only slightly.
** Queen Abby, who physically assaults some of the girls in Clarkson's selection.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Amberly and [[spoiler:Eadlyn]], who are both mentioned to have olive toned skin.
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Josie is one to Eadlyn despite them not actually being sisters. She is also one to her real sibling, Kile.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler: It's revealed Lucy, one of America's maids, was grabbed by a southern rebel during a massive raid on the palace. It's unclear how far he got before getting shot dead by a palace guard.]]
* BabiesEverAfter:
** Maxon and America have four in the upcoming books, twins Eadlyn and Ahren and sons Kaden and Osten. Eadlyn is the elder of the twins by seven minutes - which means ''she's'' the heir to the throne.
** [[spoiler: A bonus epilogue in ''The Crown'' reveals Eadlyn and Eikko (Erik) have a daughter and another child on the way.]]
%%* BetaCouple: [[spoiler: Aspen/Lucy and Carter/Marlee.]]
%%** [[spoiler:America and Maxon become this in The Heir.]]
%%* BettyAndVeronica: Maxon (Betty) vs. Aspen (Veronica). [[spoiler:Maxon wins.]]
* BlackSheep: America's brother Gerad isn't artistic. Too bad he's a Five, so it's the only career path he can take.
* DarkerAndEdgier: What the TV series wanted to be. The pilot aged everyone up and gave it a more "adult" tone, made Maxon into a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, Illea a more obviously oppressive nation, and added a subplot about Celeste's family wanting to usurp the monarchy.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Marlee is a fan favorite amongst the people to win the Selection. [[spoiler:That quickly changes after she's revealed to be having an affair with Carter (one of the guards).]]
* EverythingIsBetterWithPrincesses: Dystopia - with princesses!
** In-universe the Selection is regarded this way.
** In-universe, Princess Camille is so beloved by her people that once there was spontaneous party in her honor that lasted for three days. It's notably averted by Eadlyn, who is not very popular with the people.
** Josie ''very'' much believes this.
* {{Expy}}: Aspen is basically [[Literature/TheHungerGames Gale]] and Gavril Fadaye is [[Literature/TheHungerGames Caesar Flickerman]].
* FantasticCasteSystem: In Illea your entire life is determined by which caste you're born into. Women automatically assume their husband's caste upon marriage, much like how traditional surnames work. It's possible to move up through marriage, being drafted into the army (automatic Two), and the Selection (Three when drawn from the lottery, Two if you make it to the Elite, One if you win), but these are all rare.
** One - royalty or equal to it.
** Two - celebrities, socialites, professional athletes.
** Three - Unknown, presumably intellectuals and the educated, such as teachers, professors and doctors.
** Four - shopkeepers and business owners.
** Five - artists, craftsmen and musicians.
** Six - indoor workers and domestic servants.
** Seven - outdoor workers, manual laborers.
** Eight - the homeless and those who have committed serious crimes, also those born out of wedlock to mixed castes.
* FollowTheLeader: ''The Selection'' was one of the many books published following the massive success of Literature/TheHungerGames. Because of that, many people have taken to calling it a THG ripoff, although there aren't that many similarities (at least no more than any other recently published dystopian book).
** The CW pilot was trying to play this up. It frames the Selection as a distraction to keep the lower castes from uprising, as well as having a rebel group attempt to kidnap America and make her a symbol of their cause.
*** Amusingly, America [[spoiler:does end up helping the Northern rebels, which ends up saving her life (along with the lives of several others).]]
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The final four again. Celeste (Choleric/Melancholic), America (Sanguine/Choleric), Kriss (Sanguine/Phlegmatic) and Elise (Phlegmatic/Melancholic).
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceDoorSlam: Celeste.]]
* HeroesWantRedheads: Maxon takes a liking to America, the only redhead in The Selection. [[spoiler:He eventually chooses her as his bride.]]
* HiddenDepths: Kriss [[spoiler:is a member of the Northern rebels - and so was America's father.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: America gets upset when Maxon sees Kirss or Celeste, but she’s been seeing Aspen behind his back whenever things get too difficult for her.
* IllGirl: Queen Amberly, who [[spoiler:is discovered to have unknowingly ingested so many toxins while growing up in her home province that she has been rendered almost sterile and left with debilitating headaches and other physical ailments that she suffers from for the rest of her life.]]
* JerkAss: America's brother Kota and King Clarkson.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Celeste, after her CharacterDevelopment in ''The One''.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Both Maxon and his mother make them to protect America and the King respectively. Maxon lives. His mother doesn't.]]
* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: [[spoiler:Celeste warns Maxon that if he hurts America, she'll make him cry.]]
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Henri does it for both Eadlyn and Eikko/Erik in ''The Crown''. He loves Eadlyn and is best friends with Eikko and steps aside for the two to be together.]]
* LadyInRed: The other contestants and their stylists notice that America, who is quickly becoming Maxon's favorite, has a preference for blue, and so they all request a blue dress for a television broadcast. America's maids notice this and create a crimson red dress for her instead, making her stand out. Said dress can be seen on the cover of ''The Elite.''
** Queen Amberly was also known for favoring red dresses during her selection, although she goes for a darker, more wine-like shade.
* LoveAtFirstSight: [[spoiler: ''The Prince'' strongly implies this was the case for Maxon towards America.]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The Selection alone has 35 contestants in it.
* MeaningfulName:
** America, because she is a fighter, and Singer because [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin she's a musician]].
** Tiny's appearance and demeanor live up to her name.
** [[ShapedLikeItself Anna Farmer is a farmer]].
* NiceToTheWaiter: America is kind to her maids, Anne, Lucy and Mary, because she comes from a low caste herself and understands what it's like. Most notably, when there is a rebel raid on the palace she insists they come with her to the safe room that's supposed to be reserved for royalty, Selection girls, and high ranking officials - then tells their superior where to shove it when the woman demands they start serving drinks.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn is very kind to servants and treats her maid Neena very well. It's an early sign that despite some of Eadlyn's more snobbish qualities she is in fact a good person.]]
* NoSexAllowed: Sex before marriage is a serious enough crime to put you in prison. And since there's no birth control for the lower castes, most people marry young.
* NotLikeOtherGirls: America is particularly bad about this in the early stages of the Selection, thinking she's the only girl who doesn't want to be there, she's not "over-the-top" like all the others -- even thinking she might be the only candidate who had to be warned not to turn the prince down, because all the others aren't just interested in dating him, but happy to make themselves sexually available any time he asks. And apparently America is the only one out of thirty-four other girls who did not want her looks changed.
* PrinceCharming: Maxon is a more realistic version of this.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Maxon and Aspen.
** The contestants in The Selection are this too. America herself is a poor suitor to Maxon, especially compared to rich contestants like Celeste.
* RichBitch: Celeste.
** She gets better in ''The One'', where she admits that [[spoiler: she's worried about the fact that she only really has her looks to rely on, and she knows she'll eventually lose them and fade into the background. After bonding with America, she apologizes to the other girls, and although Elise has a moment where it looks like she'll ruin Celeste, they all forgive her and become friends.]]
* RomanticRunnerUp: [[spoiler:Aspen, who ends up with Lucy.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The royal family is consistently shown actively running the country. Maxon - on the advice of America - even diverts some of the money from the Selection to start a food program for the lower castes.
* ShelteredAristocrat: Maxon, initially. He gets better, mainly thanks to America.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn in the sequels. She too gets better.]]
* ShipTease: ''The Crown'' hints at Kaden/Josie, meaning she might become a princess after all.
* ShowDontTell: The books ''tell'' us that things can, and have gotten bad for the Singers due to money issues. But whenever we see them they're doing just fine, well enough to afford chicken with spices, tea and popcorn, and America to binge on sweets when she has her own paycheck... which comes from half the family's pay per job. And even before they were apparently well off enough that America can sneak her leftovers to Aspen. This is ''before'' America is chosen for the Selection and her family gets compensation.
* SpoiledSweet: Maxon.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Aspen.
* TheWisePrince: Maxon.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Daphne for Maxon, and [[spoiler:Aspen for America]].
** [[spoiler: Kile and Eadlyn. Subverted in that they had no interest as children and later neither is that upset that it didn't work out.]]
* UnwantedHarem: A majority of girls in The Selection.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Maxon and America. [[spoiler:They do.]]
* WorldWarIII: There's been a Fourth World War.
----
%%
%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
%%
%%
[[quoteright:265:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_selection_cover_candy_5332.jpg]]
Star City is a YoungAdult [[{{Dystopia}} dystopian]] romance trilogy by Kiera Cass, consisting of ''The Selection'', ''The Elite'', and ''The One''. There are also four companion novellas, ''The Prince'' (told from Prince Maxon's point of view), ''The Guard'' (told from Aspen Leger's point of view), ''The Queen'' (told from Queen Amberly's point of view) and ''The Favourite'' (told from Marlee's point of view).
In the country of Illea (formerly America) your caste determines everything from your job to your quality of life, and there's little chance for moving upward. Except for The Selection: when the crown prince comes of age, thirty-five girls are picked in a random draw to compete for the chance at winning his heart becoming Illea's future queen.
For America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means leaving behind the love of her life, Aspen, and entering a strange new world where her every action is watched and judged. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself - and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
----
!!The books provide examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Maxon's father (Clarkson) is emotionally abusive, and ''his'' parents (Porter and Abby) were at the very least abusive to each other.
** [[spoiler:Maxon's father is revealed to be physically abusive as well.]]
* AerithAndBob: Character names range from Ashley and Lucy to Gavril and Amberly.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: ''The Queen'' paints Clarkson and Amberly’s relationship as this. It’s easy to read Clarkson’s reasons for choosing Amberly as ‘you do what I say without question.’
* AlphaBitch: Celeste, until she mellows out - but only slightly.
** Queen Abby, who physically assaults some of the girls in Clarkson's selection.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Amberly and [[spoiler:Eadlyn]], who are both mentioned to have olive toned skin.
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Josie is one to Eadlyn despite them not actually being sisters. She is also one to her real sibling, Kile.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler: It's revealed Lucy, one of America's maids, was grabbed by a southern rebel during a massive raid on the palace. It's unclear how far he got before getting shot dead by a palace guard.]]
* BabiesEverAfter:
** Maxon and America have four in the upcoming books, twins Eadlyn and Ahren and sons Kaden and Osten. Eadlyn is the elder of the twins by seven minutes - which means ''she's'' the heir to the throne.
** [[spoiler: A bonus epilogue in ''The Crown'' reveals Eadlyn and Eikko (Erik) have a daughter and another child on the way.]]
%%* BetaCouple: [[spoiler: Aspen/Lucy and Carter/Marlee.]]
%%** [[spoiler:America and Maxon become this in The Heir.]]
%%* BettyAndVeronica: Maxon (Betty) vs. Aspen (Veronica). [[spoiler:Maxon wins.]]
* BlackSheep: America's brother Gerad isn't artistic. Too bad he's a Five, so it's the only career path he can take.
* DarkerAndEdgier: What the TV series wanted to be. The pilot aged everyone up and gave it a more "adult" tone, made Maxon into a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, Illea a more obviously oppressive nation, and added a subplot about Celeste's family wanting to usurp the monarchy.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Marlee is a fan favorite amongst the people to win the Selection. [[spoiler:That quickly changes after she's revealed to be having an affair with Carter (one of the guards).]]
* EverythingIsBetterWithPrincesses: Dystopia - with princesses!
** In-universe the Selection is regarded this way.
** In-universe, Princess Camille is so beloved by her people that once there was spontaneous party in her honor that lasted for three days. It's notably averted by Eadlyn, who is not very popular with the people.
** Josie ''very'' much believes this.
* {{Expy}}: Aspen is basically [[Literature/TheHungerGames Gale]] and Gavril Fadaye is [[Literature/TheHungerGames Caesar Flickerman]].
* FantasticCasteSystem: In Illea your entire life is determined by which caste you're born into. Women automatically assume their husband's caste upon marriage, much like how traditional surnames work. It's possible to move up through marriage, being drafted into the army (automatic Two), and the Selection (Three when drawn from the lottery, Two if you make it to the Elite, One if you win), but these are all rare.
** One - royalty or equal to it.
** Two - celebrities, socialites, professional athletes.
** Three - Unknown, presumably intellectuals and the educated, such as teachers, professors and doctors.
** Four - shopkeepers and business owners.
** Five - artists, craftsmen and musicians.
** Six - indoor workers and domestic servants.
** Seven - outdoor workers, manual laborers.
** Eight - the homeless and those who have committed serious crimes, also those born out of wedlock to mixed castes.
* FollowTheLeader: ''The Selection'' was one of the many books published following the massive success of Literature/TheHungerGames. Because of that, many people have taken to calling it a THG ripoff, although there aren't that many similarities (at least no more than any other recently published dystopian book).
** The CW pilot was trying to play this up. It frames the Selection as a distraction to keep the lower castes from uprising, as well as having a rebel group attempt to kidnap America and make her a symbol of their cause.
*** Amusingly, America [[spoiler:does end up helping the Northern rebels, which ends up saving her life (along with the lives of several others).]]
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The final four again. Celeste (Choleric/Melancholic), America (Sanguine/Choleric), Kriss (Sanguine/Phlegmatic) and Elise (Phlegmatic/Melancholic).
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceDoorSlam: Celeste.]]
* HeroesWantRedheads: Maxon takes a liking to America, the only redhead in The Selection. [[spoiler:He eventually chooses her as his bride.]]
* HiddenDepths: Kriss [[spoiler:is a member of the Northern rebels - and so was America's father.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: America gets upset when Maxon sees Kirss or Celeste, but she’s been seeing Aspen behind his back whenever things get too difficult for her.
* IllGirl: Queen Amberly, who [[spoiler:is discovered to have unknowingly ingested so many toxins while growing up in her home province that she has been rendered almost sterile and left with debilitating headaches and other physical ailments that she suffers from for the rest of her life.]]
* JerkAss: America's brother Kota and King Clarkson.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Celeste, after her CharacterDevelopment in ''The One''.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Both Maxon and his mother make them to protect America and the King respectively. Maxon lives. His mother doesn't.]]
* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: [[spoiler:Celeste warns Maxon that if he hurts America, she'll make him cry.]]
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Henri does it for both Eadlyn and Eikko/Erik in ''The Crown''. He loves Eadlyn and is best friends with Eikko and steps aside for the two to be together.]]
* LadyInRed: The other contestants and their stylists notice that America, who is quickly becoming Maxon's favorite, has a preference for blue, and so they all request a blue dress for a television broadcast. America's maids notice this and create a crimson red dress for her instead, making her stand out. Said dress can be seen on the cover of ''The Elite.''
** Queen Amberly was also known for favoring red dresses during her selection, although she goes for a darker, more wine-like shade.
* LoveAtFirstSight: [[spoiler: ''The Prince'' strongly implies this was the case for Maxon towards America.]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The Selection alone has 35 contestants in it.
* MeaningfulName:
** America, because she is a fighter, and Singer because [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin she's a musician]].
** Tiny's appearance and demeanor live up to her name.
** [[ShapedLikeItself Anna Farmer is a farmer]].
* NiceToTheWaiter: America is kind to her maids, Anne, Lucy and Mary, because she comes from a low caste herself and understands what it's like. Most notably, when there is a rebel raid on the palace she insists they come with her to the safe room that's supposed to be reserved for royalty, Selection girls, and high ranking officials - then tells their superior where to shove it when the woman demands they start serving drinks.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn is very kind to servants and treats her maid Neena very well. It's an early sign that despite some of Eadlyn's more snobbish qualities she is in fact a good person.]]
* NoSexAllowed: Sex before marriage is a serious enough crime to put you in prison. And since there's no birth control for the lower castes, most people marry young.
* NotLikeOtherGirls: America is particularly bad about this in the early stages of the Selection, thinking she's the only girl who doesn't want to be there, she's not "over-the-top" like all the others -- even thinking she might be the only candidate who had to be warned not to turn the prince down, because all the others aren't just interested in dating him, but happy to make themselves sexually available any time he asks. And apparently America is the only one out of thirty-four other girls who did not want her looks changed.
* PrinceCharming: Maxon is a more realistic version of this.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Maxon and Aspen.
** The contestants in The Selection are this too. America herself is a poor suitor to Maxon, especially compared to rich contestants like Celeste.
* RichBitch: Celeste.
** She gets better in ''The One'', where she admits that [[spoiler: she's worried about the fact that she only really has her looks to rely on, and she knows she'll eventually lose them and fade into the background. After bonding with America, she apologizes to the other girls, and although Elise has a moment where it looks like she'll ruin Celeste, they all forgive her and become friends.]]
* RomanticRunnerUp: [[spoiler:Aspen, who ends up with Lucy.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The royal family is consistently shown actively running the country. Maxon - on the advice of America - even diverts some of the money from the Selection to start a food program for the lower castes.
* ShelteredAristocrat: Maxon, initially. He gets better, mainly thanks to America.
** [[spoiler: Eadlyn in the sequels. She too gets better.]]
* ShipTease: ''The Crown'' hints at Kaden/Josie, meaning she might become a princess after all.
* ShowDontTell: The books ''tell'' us that things can, and have gotten bad for the Singers due to money issues. But whenever we see them they're doing just fine, well enough to afford chicken with spices, tea and popcorn, and America to binge on sweets when she has her own paycheck... which comes from half the family's pay per job. And even before they were apparently well off enough that America can sneak her leftovers to Aspen. This is ''before'' America is chosen for the Selection and her family gets compensation.
* SpoiledSweet: Maxon.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Aspen.
* TheWisePrince: Maxon.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Daphne for Maxon, and [[spoiler:Aspen for America]].
** [[spoiler: Kile and Eadlyn. Subverted in that they had no interest as children and later neither is that upset that it didn't work out.]]
* UnwantedHarem: A majority of girls in The Selection.
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Maxon and America. [[spoiler:They do.]]
* WorldWarIII: There's been a Fourth World War.
----
