Happily Ever After: Companion to the Selection Series (The Selection Novella)

This book by Kiera Cass is very helpful in understanding what really happened in the points-of-view of characters that are talked about in less depth. The entry on Maxon’s mother answered many questions about her, but it would have been much better if there was a chapter from Maxon’s father, the king’s, side of the story. I am afraid that it only opened up more questions than answered them. Marlee’s chapter was very entertaining and highlighted her feelings and emotions very well. You could really understand how she felt trapped between her desisions and why she did what she did for America in the last two books of the series: The Heir and The Crown. Maxon’s story was a good addition to the book and really cleared up exactly what his role was in the beginning and how he felt with his interactions with America. Aspen’s point-of-view helped the reader really understand what he thought about America and her situation at the castle, it also showed his “letting go” of the situation America had, showing his love for the main character. Lucy’s story was quite interesting. It showed her loyalty to America, but also the lingering pain of her past. When she finally lets go of the pain with the help of someone special, it all really connects. Celeste also had a chapter that demonstrated her true colors, and how she didn’t want to do what she was doing. It shows how she lets go and forgives herself for her actions, and apologizes to the people she’s effected, even thigh it’s not explicit. America’s chapter was the last one, and it summarized what happens at the end, or the beginning rather, of her happily ever after. This book is very helpful for people who have read the series and want to understand its character’s in better detail. I highly recommend reading this book, but if you have not read the Selection series first, I would say you should read the series first, as this book contains many spoilers that will make the plot to the books less interesting. All in all, great book and should definitely read.

Happily Ever After: Companion to the Selection Series (HarperTeen, 2015) is a compilation of previously published novellas and new bonus material, all pertaining to The Selection series by Kiera Cass. *See my full reviews of The Queen, The Prince, The Guard, and The Favorite on the Royally Reviewed blog* The bonus material was a nice touch. I loved the scenes from Celeste’s point of view; those were definitely the highlight. I feel like I could read the whole series from her perspective, as she was certainly one of the most surprising and lovable characters with her arc in the final book. We also get some scenes from Lucy’s point of view, although I still would’ve hoped for more for her and Aspen. They both deserved so much more passion than what we ever get to see. This compilation also includes a bonus epilogue to The One, a “Where Are They Now” of the surviving Elite, as well as original sketches of the main characters, and a very neat map of Illéa which would’ve been helpful if inserted in the previous books. If you haven’t read any of the novellas yet, this book is well worth the money. You get four full novellas, plus the artwork and bonus content. The bonus content is probably not worth a full-price purchase on its own, but like I said, if you’re new to the novellas and want to grab all four in one fell swoop, then this is definitely the way to do it. Overall, from cover to cover, a very enjoyable read!

Great companion book to the series. I really enjoyed all of the novellas. I will be finishing the series. Can't wait.

This is such a great collection of short stories! They’re written by Kiera Cass and are related to her series “The Selection” and are such a great read! I read this series the first time by borrowing the books from my local library and I just had to have my own personal copies as well! This is a series I will read time and time again because I loved it that much!

I can't even begin to describe the excellence of this book! You got to take a look into so many characters points of view, which is very interesting as the audience. We were able to see one scene in three different perspectives, which doesn't happen as much. We were also able to view Amberley's flaws and why she fell in love with such a horrible man, the true devotion Aspen had towards America, and why Marlee and Carter first fell in love. Those are just a few stories of many in this collection, which you will have to read for yourself if you want to know them all! Note: If you are not into romance in the slightest you will not be happy with any books in this series. I would one-hundred percent advise someone who just came across this book to read the selection series- at least the first three ( the selection, the elite , and the one)- before reading "Happily Ever After" so you know what's going on and can truly enjoy it. Hope you love it as much as I did (and do).

This book is so good I could never put it down. I love the diffent point of views In it and it so good I read it on one long car ride and it keeps me busy and was sooooo good

I really loved the art work that came with it. I loved getting a visual of what the characters could look like. I LOVED reading about the queen and how she started. I wish I could read more about her life and up to (spoiler) where she sadly passed. The other stories were interesting as well. I liked reading about Marlee and I wanted to see more of that too. These are all really short stories, so I think buying the bundle was the best bet money wise.

I was so excited when I saw this "prequel"/companion novel was releasing. Of course, I thought it was just the Prince, the Guard, and then the Queen and the Favorite in it with some extra pages with maps of Illea and author notes back then. Nevertheless, I still bought it because, um, hello!--it's still a Selection book! I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed (read: loved) this a lot more than I thought I would. It gives so much more insight to Marlee, Carter, Maxon, Aspen, Lucy, Celeste, Clarkson, and Amberly. You get to see scenes taking place that America never saw and what the other characters seemed to think about certain events and America, which is really cool. There's also a lot more to it than I gave it credit for! I mean, I think it's the biggest book of the series yet. It truly is a "must have companion"!! And besides... the bonus epilogue to The One is so sweet that it's worth buying just to read that part. I mean, c'mon, we all don't mind reading a bit more from America's perspective! ;)

El libro llegó en perfectas condiciones, me encantó la edición por que tiene muchas ilustraciones y la cubierta interior un mapa de Illéa que lo hace aún mas bonito! El empaque super bien, se retrasó un día en llegar a México pero fuera de eso no hay más, solo cosas buenas tengo para decir. Pd: LO NECESITAN EN SU LIBRERO.

Achei interessante ter contos para vermos o ponto de vista de outros personagens. No entanto, não acho tão "obrigatório" a leitura dele, só se vc quiser esse extra acerca da história principal.

Idéal pour compléter la collection de ma fille

I am a H U G E fan of The Selection series. Kiera has completely entranced me with these books. I'm completely invested in every single one of her characters, and the story constantly has me on tenterhooks. America, Maxon, Marlee & Aspen have a very special place in my heart, and I will always treasure these books and the happiness they bring me. So, as you can already tell, my opinion of this collection of novellas is a rather biased one. As I mentioned before, this is an enchanting collection of novellas that serve as a complement to The Selection series. If you had read The Prince, The Guard, and The Queen, then you might be hesitant to buy this collection, but if you're a big fan like myself, it is completely worth it! As well as those three novellas, this collection contains: 2 bonus chapters of Maxon's novella - The Prince The Favorite (Marlee's novella) 3 scenes from Celeste's P.O.V Lucy's scene (this is a bonus scene from The One), An epilogue A few pages entitled "Where Are They Now?" which focus on Kriss, Natalie & Elise. A Map Charming Illustrations in each of the novellas/scenes. Kiera also introduces each of the novellas, giving her perspective on the writing process, as well as her opinion on characters & the storylines. I thought it was a wonderful addition to the book, it was really lovely to learn more about Kiera and how deeply invested she is in her characters - just like me! It was wonderful to see Maxon (The Prince), Aspen (The Guard) & Marlee's (The Favorite) perspective of the events in books 1-3, although I was already emotionally attached to each of these characters, I felt like I was falling in love with them all over again while I was reading their P.O.V of things. The Queen was probably my favourite to read. Amberly is just a kind, compassionate & gentle soul, that you instantly fall in her love with her. It was wonderful to learn about her Selection process, and how she won the heart of her husband, King Clarkson. I wont comment on the rest of the scenes in this collection, as I'm afraid of giving anything away. However, I will tell you that they were fantastic! Celeste's scenes are my favourite (maybe in the whole book!), it was wonderful to understand her character more and how she felt about certain events in the books. The illustrations that accompany all of these stories are beautiful! I felt like I was a little kid reading a fairy tale book! They really complemented the stories, and I am secretly hoping that there will be illustrations in The Crown! All in all, I absolutely loved this book, and when I revisit the series I'll definitely be re-reading this collection! If you are a big fan of The Selection series, this is an absolute must-have! It'll really wet your appetite for The Crown (which is a sequel to The Heir) which is going to be in May 2016.

Arrived in very good condition. Love this series.