The Crown by Kiera Cass

The Crown 

by Kiera Cass

Released: May 3, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Selection, Book 5
Preceded By: The Heir
Page Amount: 279, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Eadlyn)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-17/20
Characters-17/20

Creativity-17/20

Writing-18/20

Pace-9/10

Ending-9/10

= 87/100 B

★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone. Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
WARNING: May contain some vague spoilers about the plot of the novel.

Seeing as I loved The Selection trilogy and enjoyed The Heir, I made sure to pre-order The Crown so I could find out what guy Eadlyn would choose in her own selection the day the book was released. I devoured this book in one day because, like Cass' other novels, this book was quick, adorable, and fun. When you go into this series knowing that it is addictive fluff, it is incredibly enjoyable.

When I was reading this book, I was kind of surprised that there wasn't really any plot other than Eadlyn deciding which of the selected she will marry. This is because the original trilogy seemed to always have a political subplot to aid tension to the selection. However, in The Crown, I feel like Cass focused entirely on the selection while trying to add in little tidbits of political and social drama. This bothered me because it seemed like the drama with Marid and his family as well as the caste uproars were added as an afterthought. Both political events seemed to have no purpose other than eliciting drama and an ending. I wish Cass would have either introduced this political plot earlier and spent more time on it or instead focused on character development to drive this novel. I would have loved to see Eadlyn rush to choose her man because she was maturing and learning to love rather than her rushing to marry in order to avoid another proposal. This book just had too many things going on for a short 279 page book.

Even though I didn't get the exact transformation of Eadlyn that I had wanted to see, I was still happy with her growth. She was still annoying at times, but her voice was realistic and consistent. She really grew on me during the course of this book. I genuinely cared about what guy she wanted to marry and admired her for her ambition. However, I was really upset that Maxon and America relinquished nearly all of their power to their young, immature daughter without a second thought. I'm thoroughly shocked that they wouldn't even really help Eadlyn transition to regent. That seemed really out of character to me and really lessened my opinion of both America and Maxon. I understand that this is Eadlyn's story, but come on, most of us readers are only reading this book because we fell in love with America and Maxon. 

Anyway, as for the boys in the selection, oh how I loved them. I wish we could have spent more time in this novel exploring Eadlyn's relationships with each of them. I really could have used some more Kile action, but I was happy to see more of Hale. I was happy with who she picked, but I wish I could have seen more of how she started to fall for that particular guy because it seemed like instalove to me. For over half this novel, she barely seemed to consider this guy and then all of a sudden she was like "I love him." It seemed very abrupt to me. That being said, I wish I could have seen her relationships with all of the boys blossom more throughout this novel, but I was thoroughly happy with how it all ended.
The ending was cute. Although the book did not end the way I had originally had hoped, I am very happy about how everything concluded. By the end, I firmly believed that this was the only way that things could end for Eadlyn. However, I did wish that America and Maxon weren't pushed to the side. I know that this is Eadlyn's story, but I really wished to see the Schreave family interact more. Nevertheless, I closed this book feeling elated because of how cute and fun this series is. I know I stated a lot of things that I wish Cass would have done, but quite honestly, I did love this book. It was a sweet end to The Selection Series.

My Favorite Part: How everything wrapped up. I was pretty comfortable with the ending of this fun series.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, this book made me smile.

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass

Happily Ever After 

by Kiera Cass

Released: October 13, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Amount: 416, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person 
Series: Companion to The Selection
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-18/20

Creativity-16/20

Writing-18/20

Pace-9/10

Ending-8/10

= 87/100 B

★★★★/5

REViEW:
Happily Ever After contains the novellas The Queen, The Prince, The Guard, The Favorite, and The Maid as well as some scenes about Celeste and other girls from the Selection. Like many super fans of Kiera Cass' work, I had already purchased The Prince and The Guard when they were both released in 2014, so I wasn't too thrilled with them being repackaged into this fancy new hardback. I really had no intention of buying this book until I saw a signed copy, making me need to have it. I'm glad I did buy it because this book had so many really neat exclusives. I loved the illustrations scattered throughout the book as well as the detailed maps that make up the inside cover. They were really beautiful and added a special charm to the stories. The stories did not really add that much to The Selection Series but it was fun to find out some more about secondary characters like Aspen, Maxon, Amberly, Lucy, and Marlee. I felt very indifferent about most of the stories because not much happened in the novellas. I wish Cass would have focused more on the background of these characters instead of re-narrating events that we already know from the main series. All in all, this book wasn't special, but it was a nice way to go back into the palace.

My Favorite Part: Celeste's scenes.


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Only if you really want to spend some more time with the characters of The Selection.

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

The Heir by Kiera Cass

The Heir 

by Kiera Cass

Released: May 5, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Selection, Book 4
Preceded By: The One
Followed By: TBA
Page Amount: 352, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Eadlyn)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-16/20
Characters-12/20

Creativity-15/20

Writing-16/20

Pace-8/10

Ending-7/10

=74/100 C

★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible. But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests. Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought. -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
First of all, I loved The Selection series. I fell in love with Maxon and the palace that Cass created. I even liked America and her evolving characterization. The Heir is more of a companion novel to The Selection than a sequel. You really do not have to read The Selection series prior to reading this book. However, it makes The Heir more entertaining once you know America and Maxon's backstories. The Heir focuses on Eadlyn, Queen America's daughter, as she goes through her own selection to appease her parents and to settle unrest among the country.  

Contrary to a lot of reviewers, I enjoyed America's character. Sure, she was whiny and annoying at times mainly in The Elite, but all in all, I was able to witness her grow as a person and as a leader. Eadlyn is kind of the same in that way but not quite. To be honest, I hate Eadlyn's character. She is a whiny, spoiled, rude brat. She annoyed me to no end with her cruel swipes at the selected boys. She believes she has it so hard even though one of the only things she worries about throughout the book is which tiara to wear. Anyway, just because I didn't like Eadlyn does not mean that her voice wasn't consistent. Cass did do an amazing job at capturing Eadlyn's voice. Her point of view was consistent throughout every page, which is a difficult task to complete with such eloquence as Cass does. I believe that Cass did an excellent job at maintaining Eadlyn's voice and creating a memorable, district point of view. Although I personally didn't like Eadlyn as a character, I still appreciate the risk that Cass took in creating a character drastically different from America.

As for the other characters, they made this book for me. I am absolutely in love with Kile. The scenes between him and Eadlyn were so beautifully captured. I was swooning anytime he came into the scene. I can tell he has a lot of depth to his character that I hope will be explored in the next novel. Not only Kile, but all of the selection boys were developed. I loved getting to read about so many of the boys' pasts and interests. Each of them were very thoughtfully created. Henri was another favorite of mine. His overwhelming joy was adorable. I also loved Henri's translator, Erik. How I wish he was one of the selected. I have a feeling Cass has a great plan for him though in the next book, which I am extremely excited about. It was also nice to see America, Maxon, Aspen, Lucy, and Marlee incorporated into the book. However, I miss heartthrob Maxon. I don't like fatherly Maxon as much; he's a lot less fun.

The plot of this book was interesting, but not really unique. It's basically the same story as The Selection with a more annoying narrator. I would have rather had a book detailing The Selection from Maxon's point of view. However, I still very much enjoyed this book. I stayed up until 3AM reading it last night, only stopping once I realized I had to get up early this morning. Once dates started happening in this book, I couldn't put it down. The boys in this book are reason enough to read it. Even though I didn't rate this book very highly, I still loved it and think that it is worth the read. 

The ending was a tad disappointing. It was very abrupt and felt rushed. Part of it was very shocking, but it felt out of place. I wish Cass would've spent more time building up to this point instead of cramming it all in on the last two pages. If it was elaborated more, I would've had more of a emotional response. I also was kind of bummed Cass didn't even really hint to which boy Eadlyn would choose or even narrow it down. The ending was just a little too open for my liking. I need the promise of more Kile to convince me to read the last book. All in all, I did very much enjoying reading this book, and I hope that you give it a try! Do it for the boys. Do it for Kile. 

My Favorite Part: Kile. Kile. Kile.


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, Kile made this book amazing. Actually, all of the swoon-worthy interesting boys made this book riveting. 
Will I be reading the next book? I have to. I need more Kile in my life.

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection 

by Kiera Cass

Released: April 15, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Selection, Book 1
Followed By: The Elite
Page Amount: 327, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (America)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-19/20
Characters-18/20

Creativity-18/20

Writing-20/20

Pace-10/10

Ending-9/10

=94/100 A

★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined. -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
This book blew away my expectations, in a good way! I'll admit I was a little leery to read this book because of all of the mixed reviews and controversy involving such reviews. Let me begin this review by saying that my opinion on this book was not in any way swayed by the author or other reviewers. This is my honest opinion. I wasn't expecting much when I picked up this book. I thought it would be an average love triangle tale with some overused dystopian elements. As soon as I began reading this book, however,  I realized that that was not the case. This book is way more unique than it sounds. It shares the basic premise of The Bachelor, but this book goes so much more in depth as to the society of Illea as a whole and how it runs with castes, which are levels that classify a person's ranking. It's a very interesting dystopian view of the world, one that hasn't been told before. I also really loved that this book encompasses a competition between 35 girls to win over the handsome Prince Maxon's heart. Every girl has a distinct personality and motive for being there. This made drama unfold and interesting friendships to form. 

The characters were amazing! America as the narrator had a very honest and appealing voice. Every emotion that a girl would experience in her given situation was documented, giving this book a realist feel to it. Her relationship to Maxon was quite adorable. Maxon is definitely not what she or I thought he was going to be like. Maxon is an amazing guy with a good and pure heart, not egotistical at all. I'm really excited to see what's in store for these two, as long as America's old sweetheart, Aspen, doesn't get in the way. Aspen is a major jerk and heartbreaker. I'm still pretty angry and what he did to America. Sometimes good intentions just aren't enough. Not a fan of love triangles? Don't worry, there isn't much of one in this book because Maxon is the only hottie in the castle and Aspen screwed up big time. It's fairly obvious who has America's attention very early on. (Team Maxon all the way.)

The ending made me really happy and ready to dive into the next installment. It gave me enough information to be content with the conclusion of the first book yet withheld enough to keep me at the edge of my seat. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about Illea and the ending of the competition, which I'm sure will be answered in the next two books. All in all, give this book a try. It's truly enjoyable and unique. I can definitely say it's one of the best books I've read this year. I just wish I read it sooner. 

My Favorite Part: Maxon and America's characterization.


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a fun, romantic tale!
Will I be reading the next book? Absolutely! Already have haha! :D
Thanks for reading! Spread the word that It's a Book Thing is back and better than ever!

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Ten Things We Did 

(And Probably Shouldn't Have)

 by Sarah Mlynowski 

Released: June 7, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Amount: 345, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (April)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-14/20

Characters-13/20

Creativity-15/20

Writing-16/20

Pace-5/10

Ending-4/10

=67/100 D

★★/5

SUMMARY:
2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them. In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I'm not going to lie, I was really excited to pick up this book. Why? Well, I thought it would be a fun, romantic, care-free read. After trudging through this book, I think it is safe to say that someone, or rather many someones, acted care-free with this book. First off, the writing was not the best. The way the book skipped back into random flashbacks bored and confused me the majority of the time. Even worse than that is the fact that this book has zero plot whatsoever. This could have been so easily avoided if Mlynowski just moved up the "big realization" to the middle of the book, ya know, where the climax should actually be. This book had a lot more potential than it showed. I read a short story by Mlynowski that demonstrated a zillion times more talent than this book. 

From the summary, I thought this was going to be a fan story about friendship and love. Just look at the cover! There was no romance in this book until the last page, which by that point I was already so ticked off at April and Noah that I didn't even think she deserved romance. 

The characters were the worst part about this book. I did not relate to April at all. I felt no connection with her. I thought that her friendships seemed strained and that Vi seemed two-dimensional. Even the Hudson brothers seemed out of place. But still, the worst character was by far Noah. I hate him. Like I want to track him down and punch him. I know guys like Noah, so I was very emotionally charged when he was revealed to be an unattached jerk. There must be something with guys with names that start with N... Anyway, I do believe that Mlynowski did a good job at making her message clear and by showing how jerky guys can be. Girls should hear that message and take it to heart, I just with she, or her publisher, didn't give this book its false romantic appearance. 

The ending was certainly crazy. Whether it was crazy in a good or a bad way, I still don't know. The ending, like the rest of the book, made me shake my head in dismay. I just feel as though April made her own decisions and knew of all of the possible repercussions. I do, however, understand how she was unaware of what scum Noah is. He ticked me off so much throughout the entire book. All in all, jerks like Noah make me hate humanity. Basically, if you want a fun book to read for like an hour, then this is the book for you. If you prefer deep, character and plot driven book, I'd steer clear of this title. 

My Favorite Part: The great debate about redheads either being evil or hot. My vote is that they are hot, but I am a teeny tiny bit biased.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Umm...

Thanks for reading!

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard 
Released: July 24, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Something Strange and Deadly, Book 1
Followed By: A Darkness Strange and Lovely
Page Amount: 388, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Eleanor)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-16/20

Creativity-18/20

Writing-16/20

Pace-7/10

Ending-8/10

=83/100 B

★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia, Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—The Dead are rising in Philadelphia. And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother. Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Meeting Susan Dennard was great, but meeting her 3 times? That was positively epic! Dennard is an amazing person with such a fun and upbeat personality. That was what initially drew me to Something Strange and Deadly. When I first started reading it, I couldn't really get into the time era. Because of my hatred to history and everything historical, it was hard for me to fall in love with this book at first. At about the halfway mark though I really got into the story. I couldn't get enough of the story or the characters from that point on. Once I got used to the historical setting of the story, I really enjoyed the premise. The action scenes were pulsating and very well written. I loved the twists involving the Dead and the Spirit-Hunters and how they related to her family and her missing brother. The little pieces of mysteries really kept this book moving.  

The characters were interesting. Eleanor grew a lot throughout the book and became much stronger. In a time where the culture was very much about class, Eleanor really stood up to that and wanted to be involved. I loved that. I really didn't get the whole Daniel/Eleanor relationship though. I felt like I missed all of that. I do love Daniel a lot more after reading the last half of the book. All of the characters had so many connections with other ones it was like a puzzle trying to get the full story for each of these characters.

The ending was pretty crazy. So much action and a lot of twists. I hated the last chapter when the Spirit-Hunters had to go, but it was beautiful. I love Eleanor and I know that she won't let them get away that easily! All in all, I am excited to pick up the next book. I think that it will be even more amazing than this installment.

My Favorite Part: How Eleanor became so strong throughout the book.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a very intriguing zombie read.
Will I be reading the next book? I think I may have to!

Thanks for reading!

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥