Book Review: The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

 

Genre: YA Dystopian

You’ll like this if you like: Gentle Heroes, Forbidden Love, and an Inspiring Inner Journey.

Cleanliness: The heroine is kissed a few times. One time, two men attack her, but guess who comes to the rescue?

Hero type: Protector/Beta Male

Favorite profound quote:

“What if you could abandon all of the labels the world has placed on you? Who would you be then?”

Favorite descriptive quote:

“Carrington could feel her own hope stirring, building a soft orchestra filled with lovely tones that could at any moment burst into a thunderous crescendo.”

 

From Amazon

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—to end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. Though the whispers contradict everything she’s been told, they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, yet she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

 

I loved the opening of the story, and the entire concept of the Choosing. In the story, it’s said that every woman gets value and worth from her husband, so the girls spend their entire lives being trained and groomed to be the perfect wives, hoping men will chose them at a ball, called the Choosing. Those not chosen are deemed failures and sent to work the rest of their lives in a factory. Carrington has obeyed every, single rule and is the top student, yet she’s not chosen.

I loved Carrington’s inner journey, because I think it’s one we can all relate to. Carrington has to learn that her worth isn’t determined by others, or what she does, or being chosen by a man, because the most powerful Being in existence has already chosen her. Frankly, it’s hard to think of your worth as inherent and God-given—at least for me. I constantly compare myself to others and determine my worth by how hard I work. Quite frankly, my love for myself is conditional.

This story has a slight thread of romance between Carrington and a really sweet, gentle guard, Remko. Sometimes, sections of the world’s history and flashbacks interrupted the story. It was interesting, but I wish these could have been integrated into the story. Overall, I loved how the plot and mystery weave together, and I’d definitely recommend this.

 

 

Get a Free Sample of The Choosing

 

Is your love for yourself ever conditional? Do you ever link your worth to what others say of to what you’re able to do, like Carrington does in The Choosing?

Recent Comments

  • Hannah
    October 2, 2016 - 1:47 pm · Reply

    This sounds like a neat story! The themes seems very strong and is one I bet many teenage girls can relate to. I know I can – it isn’t that I want to perform for the men around me but rather my parents. I feel like I lose my value if I disappoint them or don’t meet the expectations of people around me. Especially if it is an area I am supposed to be good at – schoolwork, for example. I feel like I should be perfect but naturally that is impossible.

    • Elizabeth Newsom
      October 3, 2016 - 12:29 pm · Reply

      I would think many teen girls could understand that theme too. 😛 I know what you mean! I can be a bit of a perfectionist sometimes. Does it ever seem like it’s easier to be kinder to others rather than yourself?

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.