Book Review: The Heir

The Heir
by  Kierra Cass
Date Read:  6/3/15
Rating: ★ ★ ★

When the Selection series ended, I was satisfied.  It wasn't the best series I've ever read; it definitely had some problems - mainly with not really having much conflict - but it was a decent read nevertheless.  When I saw there was going to be a 4th book, I wasn't sure how I felt.  But I figured it'd be fun to read because it was going to be from America and Maxon's daughter, and watch her go through the Selection like her parents.  Ok. That sounds like a decent enough follow up, right?

Well, the book was slow.  Hardly ANYTHING happens.  Eadlyn is actually snobby and I didn't really like her at the beginning. Though I did really like the first paragraphs about "7 minutes".  That was probably the best written thing in the book.

I didn't like the reason that they held a Selection, and I wasn't impressed with the conflict that Cass tried to create - she was probably even less successful than she was originally with the rebels.  I'm not really sure why her editors don't sit her down and make her develop these conflicts better.  It was just mentioned in passing almost.  She doesn't do build up well. I understand she wants that to be the big conflict at the end of the series, but there are ways to build it up and still have decent conflict in the earlier books as well.  I feel like even Stephanie Meyer, with Twilight, did this better.

So basically the only thing that happens in this book is that Eadlyn has to participate in a Selection and a bunch of boys show up to try to win her heart.  That's it!  And honestly, I wouldn't have even been friends with her because she has such an attitude.  Something big happens RIGHT at the very end.  It helped change Eadlyn's view but it was almost too drastic of a change ..Cass didn't really build up to this either and it just felt like a hooker to make you read the next book...

...that's right, alas, it is NOT a solo follow up.  Seriously???  How did this turn in to 2 books???  If she cut a bunch of fluff, she could have told this story in one book and been done.  And honestly, I probably would have really liked it.  But this just feels like milking it..

There were some characters that I liked in the book though, like Kile, Erik, and Henri.  It was fun to see all the characters from the original series all grown up - Aspen, Maxon, America, Marlee, Lucy...  even America's sister, May.  Though it was a little hard because the last we saw them they were still teenagers, and now they're mid-life...so they felt pretty different to me.  Which makes sense because everyone changes as they grow older...but since I didn't see them change, it just felt weird.

Anyway, I wasn't really satisfied with the ending - it felt very abrupt, and the conflict (or lack there of) was terrible.  Now that I'm 4 books in, I'll read the final book to finish the series out...but this didn't do anything to make me want to read more books by Cass in the future.  And am I supposed to really believe this is the last book this time??  The author who cried wolf....