Selection Stories (4) - The Favorite by Kiera Cass
The last of the Selection Stories: The Favorite (Die Favoritin, La Favorite) I heard it in English, in the Happily Ever After Volume. Originally published 2015.
No. No no no no. Marlee Thames is caught in a waking nightmare. How is it possible that a palace so beautiful and life so wonderful, so rich and so safe can prove to be so crucial dangerous? Her life, and the life of the person she loves more than anything else in the world, lie entirely in the hands of the three Royals. The gentle but sickly queen, who won't ever cross her cruel and righteous husband. And Maxon, the man she betrayed…
This book again was unnecessary. You have various scenes from The One and The Elite in Marlee's PoV. It would have made lots more sense to simply write her story from the point when she sat in the plane to Angeles. How she put all her hopes on Maxon, how the first date was not enough and how she met and fell for her love. Her relationship with Mer – how she has to fight herself against all the other selected and how much insight she has on Mer's feelings. This would be far more interesting. The story could end after Maxon walks in after the parents' visit – or after they were caught.
This way, it's just plain, old boring. I can't even bring myself to write more than this on that subject!
In brief:
So. Stars for content, style and characters, minus one for ideas.