Nowadays, it's nearly impossible to miss a well-known young adult (YA) book. Many people are searching for more books like The Selection, regardless of how they feel about the genre itself, because of the huge impact it continues to have on popular culture.

On the surface, The Selection by Kiera Kass is just another Cinderella-esque story about a poor girl finding her way to true love in an unequal society. However, the story is far more complex than that.

In contrast, the character of 'America' by Kass offers young readers the opportunity to begin questioning their own place in a system that is often rigged to benefit a select few over the majority.

After reading Kass's novel, you may want to look into books that are similar to The Selection.

Books like The Selection

Delirium, by Lauren Oliver

In terms of books like The Selection, Delirium is just the beginning. First published in 2011, Delirium is the first novel to examine whether or not love is an illness that philosophers have been debating for millennia.

According to the ruling totalitarian government of Oliver's dystopian future, the term "the deliria" has been coined to describe love. When a person reaches the age of 18, they are legally entitled to a cure. It's fun to follow protagonist Lena on her journey from eagerly anticipating the cure to her eventual destination.

While it may appear that Lena's interactions are predictable with Alex, a "valid" who hasn't taken the cure and lives outside of society, they are far from it.

However, when Oliver moves the story beyond merely 'romantic' love, things start to get interesting. "Love" in the YA genre is often associated with romance, and while that is true here, it does not override the question we all ask ourselves at some point: What does love mean to different people?

Have you already finished reading it? Find more books like Delirium on our list of recommended titles!

Wither, by Lauren Destefano

Themes of rebellion and love abound in books like The Selection, but tragedy and the impact it has on people are rarely discussed. a year before The Selection was published, Wither asks the reader to imagine a world in which everyone dies by the age of 20 or 25.

Males only live to the age of 25, while females only live to the age of 20 thanks to a virus that was supposed to eliminate genetic imperfections.

You might as well be talking about two different species if you were to compare the gap between the rich and the poor in our society. Girls are targeted for exploitation as prostitutes or as test subjects in government-sponsored studies.

Rhine, the protagonist, is an endearing character to follow from the moment she is sold as a bride to the moment she successfully escapes her gilded mansion prison.

Novels like The Selection tend to rehash the popular trope of'rebellion against a totalitarian regime,' but the ones that stand out focus on the characters. Rhine's character alone is worth reading this novel for.

Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard

If you're expecting something along the lines of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, prepare to be disappointed. 'Silvers,' the dominant class, rule over the weaker, but more numerous 'Reds,' the rest of society.

To keep her best friend from being forced to fight against their northern enemies, protagonist Mare, a 'Red,' goes to great lengths to keep her from being conscripted. Secrets, love, and betrayal are all part of her journey, which is typical of fantasy epics.

The rapid pace of Aveyard's story makes it easy for a reader to get sucked into Mare's adventure.

It's more like Pierce Brown's Red Rising series than The Selection, but there are strong parallels between the two. The main character in each novel must deal with lies, self-discovery, and rebellion against an unfair society. Popularity endures because of the quality of these works.

Have you already finished reading it? We've compiled a list of books similar to Red Queen for you to peruse.

Numbers Game, by Rebecca Rode

Despite the fact that books like The Selection are available at a buck a pop, many of them are well-written and feature strong characters.

Numbers Game comes the closest in terms of style and tone. It's a familiar story for anyone who has ever entered a profession they believed they were destined to do, only to discover that it wasn't.

Treena's struggle to regain the life she thought she wanted, only to discover that there is much more at stake, resembles Katniss's in The Hunger Games. Readers will be enthralled by a gripping story that features a well-liked protagonist and a dark conspiracy.

The UnTied Kingdom, by Kate Johnson

It's not the first time a dystopian novel like The Selection has been written, but it's not the only one. The 'alternate world' premise of The UnTied Kingdom makes it stand out.

She lands in the Thames with a thud, but this isn't London or England she's ever seen before The original blurb on the back cover of the book piques a reader's interest with just one sentence.

Imagining a world without computers or where people don't even know what a phone is like? How about knowing if Princess Diana is still alive? It's easy to envision a large number of people already glued to their phones, running for their lives at the very thought of it.

"Alternate" romance novel The UnTied Kingdom stars Eve as a lovable "fish out of water" who navigates a world that is both similar to and distinct from our own. Unlike other titles in the same vein as The Selection, the tone veers between darkly humorous and thrillingly serious. If you have the time, I highly recommend reading it.

XVI, by Julia Karr

Before the film adaptation of The Hunger Games hit theaters, XVI snuck into bookstores, taking the dystopian genre one step further.

At first glance, the protagonist Nina's existence appears to be quite routine. She's just your average 15-year-old hanging out with Sandy. When they get home from school, Nina spends time with her younger sibling.

A government tattoo 'XVI' on Nina's wrist (for the uninitiated, the Roman numerals for '16' are "XVI") is the problem.

What's wrong with this picture? Nina's tattoo is a public declaration that she's ready for sex, so why?

XVI is a much more daring novel than most of its YA contemporaries because it deals with issues such as sex trafficking, murder, rape, and toxic masculinity. Teenagers are frequently regarded as clueless when it comes to the realities of the world and the challenges they will face in it.

In addition to shedding light on our own patriarchal society, this well-told tale challenges young men to reexamine harmful gender stereotypes.

In light of the fact that some of your friends or partners are constantly on the lookout for danger, would you continue to behave in the same manner as men are encouraged to by the media? Even though it is often overlooked in favor of more well-known works, this book is still well worth reading, even if the conclusion isn't quite as satisfying as I had hoped.

Pawn, by Aimee Carter

The selection and similar books have a lot in common, but they also have a lot of differences. The question posed by Pawn is one that many young women face on a daily basis, and it's a nice twist on an old trope. Suppose you had the option of becoming someone else and believed that doing so would grant you access to anything and everything you ever desired.

When Kitty Doe is offered the opportunity to become a powerfully influential 'VII' in a class-based society divided by number, she must decide whether or not to accept.

Kitty soon finds herself in the middle of a rebellion sparked by the person she's impersonating, and she has no choice but to intervene. Pawn touches on familiar themes, but never falls too far behind in pace or quality in its explorations.

In spite of Kitty's struggle with identity and shame, the story never becomes overly sentimental. This is the first in a series, and it's one that I think you should check out.

Chains of Gold, by Nancy Springer

With themes similar to those found in books like The Selection, Nancy Springer's Chains of Gold is a fine example of contemporary epic fantasy.

When Cerilla's first child is born, she will be sacrificed along with her husband Arlen, a king. Cerilla is desperate to flee her dreadful situation, but she meets the king by chance and the two fall in love.

They flee to avoid a bloodbath, leaving Arlen's friend Lonn in charge. Life isn't as idyllic as they had hoped. 'True love' is depicted in this novel as a stark contrast to people's conceptions of what it really is. A well-crafted story.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of books that are similar to The Selection. The books listed above are the ones I think are most similar in tone, style, and readability. That said, there should be at least one recommendation on this list that you'll find enjoyable.

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