5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

5 to 1, by Holly Bodger, is a book whose premise I enjoyed much more than its execution.  We're in India, far into the future.  A culture that previously put so much emphasis on having boys rather than girls has produced a population that cannot continue.  Girls are in short supply, and therefore are a prime commodity.  Because there are 5 boys born for every 1 girl, the state has set up a series of tests designed to match the best boy to every girl, with the hopes that their marriage and subsequent offspring will produce more girls.  The winners are assured a life of comfort and riches, while the losers are sent to "the wall."  (You know nothing, Jon Snow...).

The story begins with Sudasa, 17, beginning the preparations for the contest where she will select her husband after a series of tests.  The boys are not given names and are simply referred to by number.  The book switches back and forth between Sudasa's point of view, told in verse, and "5," told in first person narrative.

If this book reminds anyone of Kiera Cass's The Selection, you're not alone.  I liked the idea that it was boys competing for the hand of the girl instead of the other way around.  However, 5 to 1 reminded me not just of The Selection, but so so so many other YA titles, that I felt there was very little here that was new.  We've seen the idea of arranged marriages in Matched.  Women who are valued for the reproductive role in The Handmaid's Tale.  Being told that life outside "the wall" is bad and therefore you know the main character(s) will end up outside of it: The Giver, Delirium, Divergent, etc...

This book was such a short, fast read, I felt that the author did not give us time to flesh out the characters enough for us to care about them.  The end is not surprising or suspenseful, even though it's clear there will probably be another title to come. 

Additional purchase recommended only where The Selection is constantly checked out and students want something else to tide them over.

Review given in exchange for a digital ARC from NetGalley.