You’ve read the Selection series – now what? If you’re anything like me then you probably had the worst book hangover after finishing the series. I fell down a rabbit hole of dystopian books. That’s why I’ve compiled the best books like The Selection. Here are 17 books Prince Maxon and America Singer fans will obsess over.
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17 of the best books like The Selection
Books like The Selection with Royalty
Her Royal Highness
Her Royal Highness is perfect for The Selection fans. It’s a YA Contemporary book with a wlw romance. Also, it uses many similar tropes such as the enemies-to-lovers trope. And I mean, who doesn’t love a good enemies-to-lovers?
Not only does it include the enemies-to-lovers trope. But it also features royalty, an ex-girlfriend and a posh boarding school.
Oh, and did I mention it’s all set in stunning Scottish highlands.
The book follows Millie who is heartbroken when she discovers that her kinda girlfriend has been kissing someone else. After getting into a super elusive boarding school, she moves to Scotland. And this is where she meets Princess Flora.
It’s a sweet, lighthearted and irresistibly charming book. You can easily binge-read it in one sitting. If you haven’t read it you absolutely need to.
Buy on Book Depository
See the Good Reads Summary
Red, White and Royal Blue
If you enjoy reading YA Books or LGBTQ+ books -chances are you’ve heard of Red, White and Royal Blue.
Red, White and Royal Blue is a bestselling, highly-reviewed book. With the most beautiful carnation pink cover.
It follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, first son in the USA. He causes an international scandal with Prince Henry. And they are forced to fake a friendship to cover it up. But it leads it much more.
This is a contemporary young adult classic. The romance is adorable and the writing is sublime.
Buy on Book depository
Good Reads
The Cruel Prince
If you’re fan of royalty and the enemies-to-lovers trope then you should read The Folk of Air Trilogy.
When she is seven, Jude’s parents are brutally murdered. And she is stolen away to live in the High Court of Faerie. Years later, Jude desperately wants to belong there. But that’s difficult because she’s a human. And the faerie hate humans.
Prince Cardan is more beautiful than most faerie. He also hates humans the most.
If you love an enemies to lovers romance and YA fantasy romance books then you will love this one. It has one of the best enemies to lovers romances.
Holly Black writes fantastic fantasy books. And here she creates a magical world full of bloodthirsty fae royals, court intrigue with a really twisty plot.
Buy The Cruel Prince here
Good reads
A Curse so Dark and Lonely
If you love a strong female lead and fantasy romance books you should definitely read A Curse So Dark and Lonely. This incredible YA fantasy book features a badass heroine with Cerebral Palsy
A Curse So Dark And Lonely is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Prince Rhen, Heir of Emberfall, needs to make a girl fall in love with him to break the curse.
Harper has cerebral palsy. And she struggles to look after her dying mother. She tries to save a stranger and is pulled into the world of Emberfall.
A Curse so Dark and Lonely includes an adorable romance. And it’s an excellent retelling that puts a modern spin on the original fairytale.
Read the Good Reads Summary here
Buy A Curse So Dark and Lonely here
The Red Queen
The plot and the twists in this book left me on the edge of my seat!
In this dystopian novel, blood defines your status. Reds are commoners. But silvers are the elite and have superpowers. The main character is red. But she has superpowers.
The Red Queen has received thousands of five stars reviews and was a #1 New York Times Bestseller. I can see why!
A thrilling read and an excellent choice for America Singer fans.
Read the Good Reads Summary here
Buy the Red Queen Here
Dystopian books like The Selection
Ruinsong
Ruinsong is an LGBTQ+ book set in a dystopian world. It has lush world-building, a twisty plot and feisty main characters.
In this world, singers have magic powers. And they are able to heal, cause pain and heat people with their magic
Cadence is an incredibly strong mage. She was born in poverty in an orphanage but rises to success. But she works for the evil Queen Elene. And Elene forces Cadence to use her power to torture others.
But when she is reunited with her childhood friend she must make a choice. Does she take a stand or follow the queen.
This book reminds me of a dystopian and queer phantom of the opera. Strong-willed women, wearing beautiful ball gowns and taking down evil. If you’re a Katniss or Johanna fan you’re guaranteed to love this underrated gem.
Buy Ruinsong here
Read the Good Reads Summary
We Set the dark on fire
I listened to the audiobook version of this YA Dystopian Book. And I was hooked instantly!
We Set The Dark On Fire follows Daniela Vargas. She lives in a dystopian world where each man is entitled to 2 wives. A Primera and a Segunda. The Primera is intelligent, calm and analytical. The Segunda is the mother figure.
Outside the wall, the people go hungry. Dani started life outside of the wall. And she must use her wits to survive illegally in the capital. She is also married to one of the most powerful men in the kingdom.
The premise was intriguing. And the main character was instantly likeable. It also features an adorable enemies-to-lovers f/f romance.
We set the Dark on Fire features an intriguing dystopian premise and a likeable, strong-minded main character. This YA LGBTQ+ Dystopian book explores immigration politics and feminism.
If you love The Selection you’re guaranteed to enjoy this one.
Read the Good Reads Summary
Buy We Set the Dark On Fire here
Uglies
Another series with a unique premise.
The world is divided into uglies and pretties. When you come of age, you get surgery to become pretty. And to make you physically perfect.
This book is different to anything else I’ve ever read. The series is excellent.
The main character is strong-minded and an excellent successor to America Singer.
Read The Good Reads Summary here
Buy Uglies Here
The Divergent
Divergent is wildly popular, successful and slightly ridiculous. But it’s also entertaining so I’m including it.
If you enjoy books like The Selection chances are you’ll love this one.
In Divergent the world is divided into 5 factions. Each faction is based on a personality trait which that faction embodies – Candor (honesty), Dauntless (bravery), Amity (peaceful), Erudite (intelligent) and abnegation (selfless).
Each sixteen year old must choose a faction. To help them decide, they take a test telling them which faction they belong to. Those who don’t fit into one faction are divergent.
Divergent seems to divide fans a lot. But it’s a fun premise and fast-paced book.
I would take this as a standalone. The rest of the series just isn’t as good as the original.
Buy Divergent here
Read the Good Reads Summary
The Maze Runner
The Maze Runner is awesome. Please don’t judge the books by the movies.
Thomas wakes up in a lift. All his memories are gone. Teenage boys greet him and welcome him to the glade. Outside the glade is a dangerous maze.
And it’s the only escape.
The book took so many twists and turns. I genuinely didn’t expect them and it kept me hooked.
A fast-paced adventure that The Selection, Hunger Games and Divergent fans will love.
Buy The Maze Runner here
Read The Good Reads Summary
Unwind
Unwind is a bit older. But I had to include it. This YA Dystopian book is perfect for Hunger Games fans.
The book takes place in a future dystopian world. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen parents can have their child “unwound”. Essentially all the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors.
This dystopian book for teens was published before the original dystopian craze. The premise is really intriguing. And it keeps you hooked throughout.
A creepy, gripping and excellent book like The Selection.
Read the Good Reads Summary
Buy Unwind Here
YA Fantasy books like The Selection
Cinderella is dead
Yes – another Cinderella retelling. This is another twist on the classic story. It features BIPOC characters and a f/f romance.
Teen girls must appear at an annual ball where men select wives. However, Sophia wants to marry her childhood best friend Erin and isn’t a fan of the whole parade in front of suitors thing.
She decides to flee and take down the king once and for all.
This book does take a bit of suspension of belief. And some of the messages were a tad heavy handed. However, it’s a really enjoyable read. I particularly loved the relationship in this book. And I felt like there was really natural chemistry.
Buy Cinderella is Dead
Good Reads
Dark and Hollow Star
If you’re a fan of Sarah J Maas, YA Fantasy or YA Dystopian fiction then you will absolutely love a Dark and Hollow Star.
It’s an urban fantasy, with fae, queer main characters and a wlw romance.
A series of gruesome murders threatens to expose the faerie world to humans. Four queer teens – Nausicaä, Arlo, Vehan, and Aurelian – each hold a piece of the truth. And they must track down the mysterious killer.
I love urban fantasy novels- I find the world easy to imagine. Shuttleworth’s writing was perfect. And it really bought the world to life.
But the characters are what makes this book. Nausicaä is a very sarcastic and chaotic lesbian. And I loved her instantly. Many will also find Arlo very relatable.
Buy A Dark and Hollow Star
Good Reads
Lore
Greek Mythology meets The Hunger games. Lore features Greek mythology, an urban setting and a strong female lead.
In the book, every seven years Greek Gods are hunted by descendents of ancient bloodlines. If the hunters succeed they seize their immortality. It follows Lore Persueus who has turned her back on this world. But as the next hunt dawns, two participants seek out her help.
The plot of Lore is quite complex but it’s executed perfectly. Bracken did a great job of building the concept. I was intrigued and hooked from the first chapter.
If you like the Percy Jackson series or the Hunger Games you will absolutely love this one.
Buy Lore here
Good Reads
Science fiction books like the selection
War girls
War Girls is another underrated gem. The world-building, characters and plot are sublime.
War girls is a post-apocalyptic book set in Nigeria in the year 2172. Two girls sisters live in a country torn apart by war. Soldiers are given Artificial limbs that turn them into deadly soldiers. But Ify and Onyii both dream of more.
The book draws from horrific real-world events. It was hard to read at times. But it kept me on the edge of my seat.
The strongly developed female characters are what made me fall in love with this book. And I highly recommend this for America Singer fans.
Buy War Girls here
Cinder
Cinder is one of the most unique retellings I’ve read.
The main character Cinder is an android. She had an accident when she was younger. And she now has a cyborg hand and ankle. She lives in a world where androids are shunned. There is also a deadly plague that is affecting the world (sound familiar…heh).
She meets and falls in love with the Prince. But she can’t tell him that she’s an android.
The pace was perfect and I couldn’t put this one down. It opens straight away. And you gradually learn more about the world.
An excellent dystopian book like the hunger games and divergent
Buy Cinder here
Read Good Reads Summary
Shatter me
The writing style in Shatter me is unlike anything else I’ve ever read.
It’s very prose heavy. And consequently, it seems to be a book people either love or hate. I love it.
Shatter me opens with the main character locked up for murder. She is unable to touch anyone. We gradually learn why throughout the book.
The plot behind the series is excellent. And it particularly picks up towards the end.
An excellent post-apocalyptic and dystopian book for teens.
Buy Shatter Me – with free shipping
Read the Good Reads Description
Conclusion
One can never help being born into perfection.
Whether you’re an avid bookworm, Keira Cass fan or just someone looking for book recommendations –I sincerely hope you found a new book to read!
What are your thoughts? What books like The Selection would you recommend?
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