Landry Park by Bethany Hagan Book Review [Landry Park #1]

This is a spoiler free review!

Landry Park

Written by Bethany Hagan

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia/Romance

Publisher: Speak

Release Date: February 4, 2014

Pages: 400

Source: Bought

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 12 and up!

Summary:

“Downton Abbey” meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal

Sixteen-year-old Madeline Landry is practically Gentry royalty. Her ancestor developed the nuclear energy that has replaced electricity, and her parents exemplify the glamour of the upper class. As for Madeline, she would much rather read a book than attend yet another debutante ball. But when she learns about the devastating impact the Gentry lifestyle—her lifestyle—is having on those less fortunate, her whole world is turned upside down.  As Madeline begins to question everything she has been told, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana, who seems to be hiding secrets of his own. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty—her family and the estate she loves dearly—and desire.

Review:

My sister recommended this book to me and I had very high expectations for this book as I usually trust my sister’s opinions on books. I am very happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. This had the right amount of everything and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I would say that this is a mix of Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, The Selection and The Hunger Games. And I highly recommend it.

COVER

When I saw this book in the bookstore about two years ago, I couldn’t resist picking it up and ultimately buying it. Now, I have finally decided to read it. [I know, I am a terrible person and a terrible reader] I really like how they don’t show us the model’s face as that would skew our thoughts about the main character. Overall the cover is beautiful and so is the spine which looks gorgeous on my bookshelf.

WORLD-BUILDING

The world that the author managed to create was really interesting. It is set in the United States but years in the future. There are the gentry and the rootless. The gentry are the wealthy and the rootless are the poor and sick. The gentry are always waiting for something bad to happen in order to blame the rootless for it, thus starting a sort of war. I really like the world which was interesting and exciting like most dystopian worlds.

Then there are the characters.

MADELINE

We first meet Madeline when she wakes up after a long night of reading. I love Madeline so so much. She has quickly become one of my favorite characters. She’s intelligent, beautiful and strong. She knows what she wants and doesn’t stop until she gets it. She also loves King Arthur and Camelot which was a plus. Her relationships with other characters have a lot of depth. We get to know more about her interaction with other characters and why rather than just telling us, “Ah yes. He is my friend.”

DANIEL

I was very suspicious of David in the beginning, given that our female protagonist meets him in the dark where he is lurking. Yes, I just said lurking. He escaped from a party and seemed really sketchy. But I grew to like him and he eventually seemed like a really sweet guy who really cared about people.

JUDE

I am still very suspicious of this character. He basically swoops in and tries to get Madeline to like him which did not sit that well with me. I am so obviously a David and Madeline shipper. But I feel like Jude would work with a different character. He does seem like he has good intentions but I’m still a little unsure.

CARA

She seemed like she didn’t care about anyone. She was like a typical mean girl placed into a dystopian novel. But as the novel progressed, I noticed how different she was. She didn’t have evil intentions. She was having her own problems and that just changed her a lot. I actually really liked her by the end.

ROMANCE

The romance did not seem insta-lovey at all. Insta-love bothers me a lot as I have said before. The romance in this book was sweet and sort of slow-burning. Like at some point we knew they had feelings for each other but they never really did anything about until way later. The searing looks absolutely killed me. I love them so much! <3

WRITING

The writing was very smooth and easy to read. It is also in first person which I really enjoyed.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. The plot was wonderful, the characters were three dimensional and the writing was beautiful.  I am totally up for a re-read!

Quotes from the Book:

“I wanted to bathe myself in that burn, to let the radiation take my skin and flesh and bones until I was nothing but charged particles dancing in space.”

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns

Weekly Update: 5/9-5/15

I have decided to start doing a weekly post called weekly recap where I update you on my life, reading and watching. Plus any posts I have done or will do. 

This week,  I finally saw Captain America Civil War which was amazing but the ending was really weird. I expected something better for that kick ass movie. Come on Marvel...  Review will be up this weekend!

I also ordered three books from Book Depository last week but none of them have come yet. Do any of you know how long it takes for books to arrive? I ordered Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas and The Crown by Kiera Cass and I want all of them right now!

New Books

Purchased:

Library:

 

In Case You Missed It

I was a horrible blogger this week and didn't post at all! 

This Week I Read

  

Next Week I'm Reading

Upcoming Reviews

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski Review [The Winner's Curse #1]

This is a spoiler free review! Was supposed to go up yesterday but it apparently didn't post...

The Winner’s Curse

Written by Marie Rutkoski

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/High Fantasy/Dystopian

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Pages: 355

Source: Library

Places to Get this Book: Amazon  Barnes and Noble  Book Depository

Recommended Age: 13 and up!

Summary:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love...

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Review:

I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book because many people have said that there was a lot of politics and I am not that good with politics. But I ended up being blown away by this fantastic book. It did take me a week or so to read it but it was so worth it. I have never read a book by this author so I didn’t know anything about her writing or style or any of that jazz.

Let’s start with the cover!

The cover is gorgeous and needs an award. No, I am not kidding. Part of the reason I picked this book up was because the cover was gorgeous. At first I thought it was a fairytale retelling because the cover looks so much like one but it isn’t.

WORLD-BUILDING

This is a fantasy novel with no magic, mythical creatures or Game of Thrones things. That being said, the world building aspect of this book was done really well. The author introduced us to the way the characters lived and which sort of ‘castes’ each person belonged to. A lot of the world-building had to do with politics however because the main character was the daughter of a general.

Then there are the characters.

KESTREL:

We first meet Kestrel when she is visiting the marketplace where shortly after she buys a slave for an outrageous price. She’s strong and independent which are characteristics I adore in a female character. She proves her usefulness countless times and even rejects a man more than once. Kestrel also isn’t the type of person to back down when she really wants something and she knows what she wants.  I really liked her and can’t wait to see what happens to her in the next few books.

ARIN

We first meet him being sold in the marketplace. My first impression of him wasn’t that great. I didn’t like his attitude. He was cold and not kind which led me to question what Kestrel could possibly see in him. Later on, though I realized how much he cared about others and how he’s so loyal to people. Ugh and the ending just slightly killed me.

There are a lot of other characters but I’m not going to talk about any of the others.

PLOT

The plot was really unique and I really enjoyed it. I don’t normally go into a book without knowing at least a little bit about it and I didn’t know too much for this one but I knew enough to know I wouldn’t DNF the book. Okay, who doesn’t love a good conspiracy? Am I right? Everything slowly came together though and it was beautiful! I am so ready for the next book which I will be reading in the next couple of weeks.

ROMANCE

There was no love triangle. That alone made me so so happy! You have no idea.

The romance wasn’t insta love which made me so happy. If you know anything about me is that I don’t like books where the romance is insta love. *shudders* Like, sometimes the two characters meet and then suddenly they are in love or something. That isn’t how life works.  

Arin and Kestrel did not like each other from the beginning and it was made very clear.  Then slowly, they began to tolerate each other and it finally developed into something a little more than friendship. I really don’t think it is love however as they both betray each other.

WRITING

I really like her writing. Except for the part when she changes POVs. That gets a tiny bit confusing. There were some times when I wasn’t sure whose point of view it was in at the time.  

Final Thoughts:

Some of you might be confused at this point as to why I rated it five crowns. The answer to that is that I loved it a lot but there are always minor things I have problems with. If I was really picky, I might have rated it a four but I think this book deserves a five. This is a fantasy without magic or magical lands. I highly recommend it!

Quotes from the Book:

“Isn't that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?”

“Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.”

“The truth can deceive as well as a lie.”

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns

Weekly Recap: 5/1-5/7

I have decided to start doing a weekly post called weekly recap where I update you on my life, reading and watching. Plus any posts I have done or will do. 

This week, Captain America Civil War came out but I sadly did not see it because I'm going with a friend next weekend. I will be trying so hard not to get spoilers, so we shall see how that turns out. 

More Exciting News: So many books that I have been anticipating came out this week. I ordered The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan and received it yesterday. I am putting off reading it until I finish the three books I have to read by next week. But then I am free to delve in.  I have to order some other books such as A Court of Mist and Fury which I am so excited about!

New Books

Purchased:

Library:

In Case You Missed It

Book review of Of Pens and Swords

This Week I Read

  

Next Week I'm Reading

 

Upcoming Reviews

Of Pens and Swords by Rena Rocford ARC Review!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is also spoiler free!

Of Pens and Swords

Written by Rena Rocford

Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Release Date: March 21, 2016

Pages: 174

Source: NetGalley

Places to Get this Book: Amazon

Recommended Age: 12 and up!

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Cyra Berque wants two things in life: a date with Rochan and a chance to fence at the Olympics. But people with one hand don’t normally fence, and girls with big thighs don’t get the boy. Knowing that she wants to make the Olympics, Cyra’s coach sets her up with another coach, one who could take her all the way to the top, but the new coach costs more. Feeling her dreams slipping out of reach, Cyra agrees to tutor a ballerina with a rich father and a D minus in English. It’s triple the pay and triple the pain. The ballerina isn’t interested in passing classes―she wants Rochan, and she’s promised she’ll turn her D minus into a full-fledged F if Cyra doesn’t help her win the heart of Rochan

Review:

When I first requested this book from NetGalley, I assumed it would be a typical Teen Fiction romance that would bore me to death. But what I got was a whole lot more than that.

COVER

I really like the cover. It is simple but beautiful and the font was amazing. I really enjoyed reading this book on the bus to and from school.

Characters:

CYRA

I loved Cyra. She’s the girl who is a kind of outcast just because she isn’t as pretty as everyone else and happens to only have one hand. But she excels at everything she puts her heart and mind to which made me happy. She is a really level-headed teenage girl which is rare in the realm of YA. They don’t always think before they do something and they are often not experiencing internal struggles. Cyra is very intelligent but also worries about her appearance which is something many girls can relate to. I also love how she is willing to help Christine even though, she wants the guy for herself.

ROCHAN

Meet Rochan. The typical teenage boy. Clueless about girls and their thoughts. I’m not kidding. He was totally clueless about how people felt about him and the fact that Cyra was practically in love with him but helping her friend get the guy.  

CHRISTINE

I loved her. I feel like at some times you were supposed to hate her but she was amazing. She was the typical ‘popular’ girl who supposedly had no brains. She was portrayed in such a good way, and she was super sweet. I was in tears at the end. And yes, I did read it on the school bus.

PLOT

The plot was typical for a YA contemporary but we also dealt with disabilities which was unique and clever. I really liked how it managed to surprise me with every page. I thought the main character would be obsessed with the boy which was typical in a YA book but instead she wasn’t and was willing to help her friend. There were twists and turns and an unexpected one near the end of the book which left me in tears.

WRITING

The writing was very smooth and easy to read which made me happy.

ROMANCE

I liked the romance between Rochan and Christine but I didn’t feel as if it was perfect. They did have problems communicating and it wasn’t perfect. But then the romance between Rochan and Cyra was also cute. It developed and then was a main focus at the very end which made me happy.

Final Thoughts:

This book didn’t quite make it to 5 Crowns with me because of some minor details. I am being a lot pickier with how I rate books now as I realized how many books I rate 4.5 Crowns and higher. I really enjoyed it though. It was a cute short book that I highly recommend. But bring tissues, you’re going to need them.

Quotes from the Book:

Coming Soon!

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Crowns

MAY BOOKS ON MY SHELF!

April Books on my Shelf!

I got this idea to call it Books on my Shelf from http://cornucopiaofreviews.blogspot.com/

Today I am going to be doing my May To Be Read (TBR). I have fewer books on this list than I have in past months. Part of that reason is I am not sure how much time I'll have to read this month and part of that reason is I'd rather focus on my writing and doing blogposts. Plus, I need to work on my school-work. And this is also a very loose TBR. Some of the books on here I don't have to read but they are all books I want to read. We shall see how this month goes.

My TBR challenge is: Read a Book Someone Recommended. For this challenge I chose Landry Park by Bethany Hagen. My sister recommended this book to me as she read it almost two years ago. I am really excited for this book and I am already about one hundred pages in and it is amazing!

Downton Abbey meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal

In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty - her family and the estate she loves dearly - and desire.

The second book I have on this list is The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker. I started reading this last month but I didn't finish it. So many people have enjoyed it but thought it was rather slow-going at times and that is what I am having trouble with. I hope to finish it this month though.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

The third book I have on this list is Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I have heard so many good things about this book and I really want to read it. Plus, it is another Contemporary which I am starting to enjoy a lot. 

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? 

The fourth book I have on this list is The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. I have heard so many good things about this book. I am almost done with this book already and it is amazing. Will probably end up rating this five crowns. 

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart. 

The fifth book I have on this list is Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman. I have started this book and it is amazing. I really like the whole concept and I can't wait to read more. 

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

The sixth book I have on this list is A Thousand Salt Kisses by Josie Demuth. I have finished this book and I really enjoyed it. Going to be rating it a Four out of Five Crowns. I received it from NetGalley so I will be putting up a review sometime soon. I have about six books I need to review and I am falling behind. 

Seventeen-year-old Crystal White is the new girl on Starfish Island. Dragged to the remote community by her environmental activist father, she is eager to find fun that doesn’t involve touching fish guts or listening to local folklore.

During a midnight swim with some new friends, Crystal is pulled out to sea by the waves. Convinced she’s going to drown, Crystal is rescued by Llyr, a handsome stranger. As she searches for him in the following weeks, she finds there may be more truth to the Starfish legends than she thought.

Over a sizzling roller-coaster summer, Llyr introduces Crystal to magic she’d only ever dreamed of. But as Crystal comes to love Starfish Island, it begins to drive her family apart. A nearby power plant is devastating local marine life, and her parents are stuck in the middle. As the magic and mundane parts of Crystal’s life converge, she finds herself risking everything to save Llyr, her family, and herself.

The seventh book I have on this list is the Persutopia Book of the Month. It is The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan. I love Rick Riordan's books so so much and I can not wait for this book. I am so so excited. I ordered it on the day it came out and I need it to get here. NOW!

How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

AND that is it. I told you I had less on this TBR. Well, I will see you all soon for my haul, book review, and movie review!! :)