Jason J. Nugent

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.… (més)