“We would like to make you aware of an upcoming opportunity to honor the great nation of Illéa.”

The opening chapter announces an open call for all eligible young women between the ages of 16 and 20 to submit an application for the Selection. The contest is framed as a covetous and honorable opportunity, and the announcement kicks off the action of the novel. The call for a future princess is reminiscent of royal balls in fairy tales, which creates a sense of intrigue and romance.

“But I loved Aspen. I’d loved Aspen for nearly two years. And he loved me [...] I couldn’t imagine entering the Selection.”

In chapter 2, the reader learns why America is so resistant to the idea of signing up for the Selection. Her heart belongs to another, and she has already started to plan a future with her first love, Aspen. The prince of Illéa may be impressive, but in America’s eyes, no man can entice her to leave her home and her sweetheart.

“I stayed awake a little while longer, thinking of Aspen and how much I loved him, and how it felt to be loved by him. I felt special, priceless, irreplaceable. No queen on any throne could possibly feel more important than I did.” 

Cass uses these lines at the end of Chapter 2 to foreshadow a significant change that will come over America. Although she declares that no one could ever make her feel the same way that Aspen does, everything changes when she meets Prince Maxon and starts to develop warm feelings for him. Aspen might make America feel special for a while, but once he breaks up with her, she questions her value and her confidence, and this drives her right into the arms of Maxon.