{Book Talk} The Ring and the Crown #1: Melissa De La Cruz

Rating: 8.9/10
Series: The Ring and the Crown
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magic, Romance,
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Page Count: 372
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve?

Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world's only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.

But even with the aid of Emrys' magic, Eleanor's extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen's Guard.

Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie's face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she's always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she's always dreamed of--the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor's court: trust no one.

Disclaimer: Here at Loving the Language of Literacy, the term "Book Talk" means that there will be spoilers, while the term "Book Review" refers to a review having NO spoilers. However, if you would like to still read a "Book Talk" without being spoiled, all questions answered are non-spoilery, and spoiler-filled paragraphs do have stars next to them. As a disclaimer on the disclaimer, I was trying out a new type of review where I discuss individual plot points, which is why this particular review has so many spoilers.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Fans of the Titanic, Turn-of-the-Century type stories
Shatter Me, The Selection,

Would I Buy It?

80%
So a few weeks ago, I had stumbled upon The Ring and the Crown where shopping in -of all places- Coscto. While there, I resisted the urge, knowing my wallet couldn't take it. You don't know HOW MUCH I freaking regret that decision now. I know that the next time I see it, for even a fraction off of normal price, that I would purchase it because of how much I loved this book.

Background & Backstory

So I've only read one other book by Melissa De La Cruz and that book was Blue Bloods. My friend was obsessed with the whole series, so I read it on her recommendation, and it was an okay book. I was pretty indifferent. But let me tell you, there was SOMETHING about The Ring and the Crown that made me want to read it, some "it" factor behind it that I'm still unaware to.

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

That's the end?!? *sniffles*

Something magical happened with The Ring and the Crown. I took detailed notes. I know a lot of book reviewers take notes and/or go back through the book to take notes, but I am usually too lazy to do that. Lately, I have been sticking Post-Its on the backs of my books so I can jot down all of my feels towards it without having to hunt down a piece of paper. Now, not only did I take notes, I took A LOT of notes. So I have a lot of individual plot points to discuss.

*P30 ~ So I know that Merlin is magical and has incredible powers beyond human imagination, but seriously. How the heck did the Queen get pregnant? Merlin waved a wand (or something like that), and presto, an a hundred or something woman is pregnant with two children, one from him and one from her long-dead husband? The questions I have as to how the magic in De La Cruz's world works are endless and I hope that she goes into more detail with that in the sequel.

P38 ~ It took until around page 38 of The Ring and the Crown for me to realize how amazing Melissa's writing is and the contrast between Blue Bloods and this was incredible. She created a new world with extremely detailed rules about how society and magic works. The descriptions were vivid and rich without distracting or boring the reader. And I felt transported to another universe while reading.

P43 ~ This is when we were first introduced to Ronan and I must say that she was my favorite character because of how much she was like me. She was witty, humorous, had a fiery spirit, and her motives weren't always pure. She knew how to work the system and play the game (you know, the one where you end up with a husband). 

P52 ~ Then we have Wolf was my favorite male character, probably because he seems like a guy I would want to date. (I'm sensing a pattern between liking/being like the character and having them be my favorite) He's strong and loyal and most certainly handsome, but he was so sweet and flirtatious when it came to Ronan, and his relationship with Marie -which we learn about later- was such a sincere one. 

P43 ~ Interestingly enough, De La Cruz made it so I wondered if technology could hold a candle to magic. I presume you have read a few fantasy novels where magic is so awe-inspiring and made you with it was in our world (come on, we've all read Harry Potter). Yet, in The Ring and the Crown, magic was only something of people of certain status were able to obtain, and therefore paled in comparison (at least in my opinion when it came to technology) to electricity and inventions like the steam engine.

P78 ~ Something I would want to warn people about is that the plot isn't too hard to follow, but the characters are. There were six main characters that each had their own third-person Point of View. Page 78 was where I was actually beginning to grasp and understand the complex interworkings and dynamics between all of them. So if you're a bit confused.... hang in there.

*P81 ~ I honestly want to know, did you guess that Gill was the bad guy? While I never suspected treachery from him, I was never a big fan of Gilrie (their ship name) and something felt off about them.

P97 ~ In my extremely messy handwriting, I say, "Romance in the olden days *SWOONS*" I actually remember trying to describe (and failing) what olden days romance was in my How to Say Goodbye book review. Things were done so much properly and politely, so when romance actually did flare up, it was made all the more exciting and special. The feels in The Ring and the Crown when it came to romance were unlimited. *squeals*

*P113 ~ That little sh*t known as Leopald. I hated his guts and character because of his pristine "good guy" reputation that proved to be so untrue and I was thoroughly exploding with glee when he died. End of story of my (not-so-high) opinion of him.

*P153 ~ My heart almost broke in two when Ronan rejected Wolf because she didn't think he was rich. I know it was all for plot's sake and it would have changed the entire story, but the tears ;(

*P169 ~ I still think the decision De La Cruz made, making Marie marry Wolf, was insane. They are waaaay too much like Laurie and Jo from Little Women. They are good friends and they should have stayed good friends. What did you think of that ending?

*Ending 5/10: The reason The Ring and the Crown was downgraded to a 4 out of 5 star book was because of the ending. The explanation of the last 40 or so pages was too rushed and I disliked it.

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

50%
I think I will have to re-read this book because the darn sequel isn't coming out until SEPTEMBER of 2015 *curses the world* I have a discussion post coming soon about how I hardly ever re-read books, which is why the percentages are always so low. So by the Sofia scale, 50% is pretty good for re-readability.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read The Sequel To This Book?

90%
Absolutely, YES! The Ring and the Crown is one of the best books I have read in 2014 and the fact that there is a sequel makes everything even better. 

Conclusion:

{ARC Review} Breaking Free: Winter Page

Rating: 9.5/10

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ+, Young Adult, Fiction,

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press

Publication Date: April 10, 2014

Page Count: 185

Format: eBook/eARC

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Synopsis: Raimi Carter is finally a girl, just like she always knew she was meant to be. At a new school where nobody knows she’s had gender reassignment surgery, she hopes to finally live the normal life she’s longed for, happy in her own skin. 

Life is great until she discovers a dangerous bully is blackmailing head cheerleader, Clare Strickland, threatening to reveal her secret: she’s gay. As Raimi fights to free Clare from his clutches, the two girls move beyond friendship. But secrets from their pasts and their own fears of coming out tear them apart—maybe forever. Baring their souls to each other could cost them everything. For two girls trapped and desperately in love, only strength, courage, and trust in each other will help them break free and claim their future.

*I received this book from Netgalley as an eARC which does not impact my honest review in any ways* 

This is the third book I have finished for Bout of Books, and it was my second 5 star book for this readathon, so I hope this great trend continues. (I'm actually reviewing this beforehand on Wednesday).  

Where do I begin? How do I even begin to express my opinions about this book? The first thing I would like to mention is that I rarely read the "About the Author" section of books, but I actually did this time, and was shocked to discover that Breaking Free is written by a high school freshman. To have a full length novel published by the time you are a high school freshman is a huge accomplishment I would have loved to achieve. The second part about Winter Page (which might be a pseudonym) that I loved was what she wants to do. "Her goal each year is to write something that makes her English teacher cry." I think this is so amazing, and I think she is a really cool person from her "About the Author", and of course her book itself.

I am actually trying out a new review type with Breaking Free, which I have sort of attempted to do before. Anyway, what I will be doing for particularly quote worthy books, such as this one, is basing my review around the quotes. I am a TOTAL quote nerd (Is that a thing?), and actually counted that I had highlighted 23 places in the book, so let's jump into the review.

"It's not about what body you're in or what body you're attracted to. It's about what's in your head. So, your genetics could say one thing, but how you act, how you think, how you were supposed to be, might say something different." 60%

Raimi Carter is hit with a double whammy in life. She's a transgender lesbian. So not only does she believe she is the wrong gender, but she likes the gender that she wants to be. Basically, Raimi used to be a boy, but took the hormonal treatments to become a girl, but instead of liking boys (who she used to be), she likes girls. The Raimi we are allowed to get to know and love is one that is finally completely comfortable in her skin, and because of what she has had to go through, is even more understanding, compassionate, and empathetic than who she would have been if her situation had been different. The Raimi she used to be was very different. The old Raimi was uncomfortable in her own skin, but thank god she had a loving, supporting mother who got her the treatment she needed.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't give birth to you in the right body. But we're going to take care of it, and don't you ever date think this is something bad or to be ashamed of. We are who we are, and it doesn't matter what anyone else says." 59%

Because of Raimi's unique situation, she has given me new perception on what it means to be a girl. I myself am a girl and perfectly comfortable and happy being a girl. I know looks are so not everything (the moral of every Disney Channel 'Original' Movie), but for Raimi, they are a huge part of her individual everything. Mentally, she is a girl, but she needed to change her outward appearance so others would see her as such, While some girls had body image and weight issues, she thought they should be happy and proud for what the hips and curves because that's what made them girls.

"Back at my old school in Texas, I used to watch girls literally starve themselves, and it made me so angry. The only thing I could think was, don't you know that's what makes you a girl, for God's sake!" 6%

What I liked most about Breaking Free was that it was so raw, real, and honest, the way only someone going through the throes of high school can represent and describe something. What I also enjoyed was that it was gritty, but beautiful at the same time. In a bullying sense, it reminded me of the book Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose, which I didn't like very much. Yet, Breaking Free was different, like it had the 'IT' factor that some books and authors only dream about. Something about it -whether it was the dry humor, somewhat painful truth of today's society, or portrayal of young love- positively sucked me in.

"Everyone has monsters, demons, they don't want to face. We as teenagers live in hormonal hell right now. And it doesn't help that we're surrounded by a bunch of people living in the same hell, too wrapped up in their own problems to really think about anyone else." 23%

You know those really cute wall hangings you can get from online stores like Etsy? Well I would LOVE to have one of those made specifically for this quote. I myself, am a teenager, and this could not ring any more true. The day I just had wasn't the best, old memories I would rather keep buried resurfaced, self doubt was inflicted by others, a test didn't go as well as I had hoped it would. People, I myself am guilty as well, get caught up in their own issues because they think its the end of the world when you can point to anyone else and say they are going through the same thing or more, which should bring you out of the "I'm the only one going through this" mood. Being a teenager is hard, there's school, social pressure, home problems, emotions, history, all and everything that happens, and this quote sums everything up.

"Life is just one big game of picking sides.... one long string of consecutive decisions we're forced to make, or that we make on our own. And then, from the decisions we make, we're sorted onto the side we play for. Kind of like Harry Potter. Except that there's not good house, no house that's a compilation of bad eggs. We're just flawed people making decisions best we can. We're not good or bad. We're just humans." 31%

This quote is just amazing and it speaks the truth. Either we make decisions, consciously, being forced, or make them without a thought. Any and either way, they're decisions, and half of the time we don't make the "right" ones. This quote also shows how much wisdom Winter Page has, and just increases my respect for her because she has figured it out.

"She was his living blow-up doll, a toy he had complete control over. It was sick. It honestly was a miracle that the AP Spanish class didn't witness its first homicide." 30%

There are three things I like about this quote. First of all, it accurately portrays how Clare was being treated by Brian a.k.a. the worst boyfriend anyone could ever have. Two, is shows how Raimi is the kind of person to stand up and speak out for what she believes in, and will not stay complacent with the way things are now. Three, the last sentence is really funny (at least in my opinion) in terms of wording.

"Sometimes the worst crime of all was inaction." 33%

The quote above is important to the story, because it gives me a chance to put the spotlight on Clare. Clare Strickland has a flawless reputation to protect, but when a little picture gets sent out by way if social media, everything changes. She is ostracized, criticized, publicly shunned, and so much more in inflicted upon her. Her case is the kind where the (annoying) school psychologist tells everyone that the bystanders are just as much at fault as the bullies themselves for staying silent.

"It should say something about you, considering it's permanent. It has to be something that's going to be in you for the rest of your life and not just a whim." 89%

I'm not going to tell you why, how, or explain so I don't spoil the story for you, but Raimi gets a tattoo (don't freak out, she was in Colorado where it's legal) for personal reasons and because of Clare. You are probably thinking "So.... what is so profound about this?" but once you read the book you will understand. The tattoo is not just a tattoo, it a permanent part of Raimi's body (as your moms and dads have reminded you every time you voice your desire for one), and it needed to make a statements to others. So she gets it on her shoulder, not so she can see it, but so others can.

"The word Free was spelled out in the trademark rainbow of gay pride. The script was outlined in black, making it stand out against my skin. The letters were beautiful, the font not big enough to look garish, but not so small that you couldn't see it." 91%

Ending: The feels hit me so hard here. At a time that I truly should have been in bed, I couldn't help myself but read. It is a page turning shocker and some truths about Clare's controlling ex-boyfriend Brian are revealed. While they may seem a tad unbelievable to some, it is a true WTF moment in the story, and provides a good resolution to his character.

Quotes 10/10: These are some quotes I couldn't find a way to weave into this (extremely long, rambling) review that I felt needed to be inserted into this blog post.

A humorous light to a serious situation.

"Oldest child supplies middle child's bad habit. Middle child gets youngest child into a party where oldest child then gives him access to what the youngest child uses to overdoes. This is why America is failing as a country." 71%

A downright hilarious quote which served that waiter right. 

"The waiter scowled, his lips pressed into an angry white line. It was evident that she had just dealt a major blow to his ego. The poor guy just got cockblocked by a girl that didn't like cock." 46%

Something a bit more.... deep.

"Sometimes, it's not about the cards we're dealt.... it's about how well we bluff." 47%

Conclusion: Breaking Free is a stunning debut novel that captivated me and showed the power of acceptance to people who are different

Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose: Gillian McCain Legs McNeil

Rating: 5/10
Series: Standalone

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult Non-Fiction
Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Page Count: 336
Format: eARC

Source: Netgalley

Check out the Dear Nobody website for the trailer and actual scans of Mary Rose's diary.

Goodreads Synopsis: Go Ask Alice was a hoax. But Dear Nobody is a true teen diary so raw and so edgy its authenticity rings off every page

"I am a freak."The words and drawings of Mary Rose present a gritty, powerful, no-holds-barred true experience of a teen girl so desperate to be loved, so eager to fit in that she'll go to extremes that could cost her her life.This is not a story about addiction. Or sexual promiscuity. Or cystic fibrosis. It's the story of a young woman with a powerful will to live, who more than anything wants to be heard...and loved.This compelling, emotional account ensures her voice will not be forgotten

*I received this book from Netgalley for review purposes which does not in the slightest affect my honest review of the book*
*I am sincerely sorry to my street team for not posting this review earlier, I had personal/school matters that needed to be prioritized first, which is why I was unable previously to post this review*

My Initial Thoughts: One word -WOW. This book could go down in history. This book could make it onto the 'banned books' list. This book could do a lot of things, and impact modern society, in terms of subject matter and writing style. My first point is that this book is not for the faint of heart, and not for people that can't bare to hear about the 'tough stuff' which covers a wide array of topics from rape, underage drinking, abuse, drugs, depression, illness, and more. The whole nine yards are in this novel, all Mary Rose needed to do was add gun control, abortion, religion, and LGBTQ+ to make her story contain every single controversial topic nowadays. 

I can just picture my language arts teacher (any many others across the country) beating the story to death with interpretations, discussions, essays, and everything else this story evokes/has the potential to evoke. Personally, I think that it shouldn't. Dear Nobody is so rich, and sometimes overbearing to the senses. Readers should really sit down for four hours and finish the book cover to cover in order to let all of the emotions soak in and impact them. 

One of my issues is that I started this book with the expectation that it would be THE next contemporary young adult novel. What does that mean to me? Well, it means there are meaningful quotes I could write whole discussions on, and there would be passages/phrases that unearthed the whole character to myself, so that I sympathized with them, and truly got to know them. I know I am saying what a majority of the readers have said -This book is gritty. A classic contemporary novel in Sofiaworld has a cookie-cutter beginning, middle, and end, and -while subjects may be depicted in a gory and/or graphic manner- pretty. 

Most diaries are written in diary-form, but they still have the classic exposition, rising, action, climax, falling action, resolution, etc. The format might be different and at times, unconventional, but it would still tell a coherent story. Instead, Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose is just that, the true diary of hers. The handy little disclaimer in the beginning of the book states that not a single word was changed, everything is directly from her. There is no introductory, "My name is Mary Rose. I am 16 years old. I live in...." kind of passage. While it was arranged so that readers would get a general idea of who she is in the beginning, this book is still not of the normal variety by any means. 

Everything is EXACTLY as she wrote it. Every last cuss word, gruesome description, and more was directly from her mouth. The reason this praise is considered "raw and gritty" is because there are some pretty 'hush, hush' topics discussed that don't normally debut in a young adult novel. I'm not just saying that there is a topic like sex that is graphically described. I am saying that this girl, Mary Rose's inner soul was unsheathed in this book. 

And that is what might trip readers up.

I personally did not like this book as much as I thought I would. The structure and order of events tripped me up. I'm all for authors trying to be unique, but that's just it, authors make up these events and stories. Even if they are 'based on a true story' the author still has the freedom to guess what it's like inside their main characters head. All Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil could do was rearrange the order of entries, and choose to exclude certain ones. I know people are sure to disagree with me, but I think a minute amount of editing might have made this story more enjoyable. There were a few jumps from chapter to chapter that felt like someone had just gotten up and walked away that made it very  perplexing at times. Even if there was a single entry written by McCain or McNeil, it might have impacted the story. Mary Rose did not write this for other people's eyes. She did not write this to make sense. She did not write this to make herself likable or relatable. She wrote this to tell the truth.

I would also like to add that a reader, such as myself a few years ago at a younger, more innocent stage, would be horrified and shocked at Dear Nobody. Booze is being drank, and drugs are being done practically more than dialogue is being said. Mary Rose is drinking and getting high so much, that if this wasn't a true story, and I felt sympathy for her, I would say the author was terrible for putting in so much substance abuse. I know I sound malicious for saying this, but I am extremely surprised she hadn't killed herself before with the amount of alcohol and drugs -that I hadn't even previously heard of- that she had consumed. 

Then there's the cystic fibrosis act to the story that makes your sympathy for her dip down even lower. Being sick and in the hospital has become such a normal experience for her, and she even says how people got tired of hearing she was there, and it had become a daily part of their lives similar to going to dance class or playing in the park. 

Next, there was the romantic aspect to think of. I can hardly remember how many guys she thought she was "in love" with, who she thought was "cute", and wanted to make out with or date. 

Then, there was the fact she was raped multiple times, which is horrible in and of itself, but she got so high, and passed out so much, that it made it (I hate to say this) easy for people to do it. 

Lastly (and I know there is probably more I am forgetting), there was the fact that her mother was staying in an abusive relationship. Both Mary Rose and her mom got beat on a daily basis by her mom's (lets be honest here) good for nothing boyfriend that she even intended to marry. 

There is just issue after issue here that all made up Mary Rose's life that had truly become hell. On the outside, people will probably look at her, feel sorry, then try to pin the blame on someone.  Instead, we get to see how none of if=t was her fault, and merely a defense mechanism, although not the best one.

Because of all of this, I did not like Dear Nobody that much if you are judging a book by it's plot and characters. If you are judging by subject matter and premise only, it would get the full 5 stars. I know that the two star rating might be off-putting and negative, but my readers of this blog have to understand, Dear Nobody was not as easy book. "true teen diary so raw and so edgy its authenticity rings off every page" is what the synopsis says. I personally, had problems with the book in terms of structure and voice, but I hope that does not deter you from buying it. I was touched deeply, but it was still not completely to my liking. I know it seems hypocritical, and conflicting but as the same time I think it was extraordinary, wonderful, and stunning, it was also confusing, hard to follow at times, and not enough background was given. 

Conclusion: This is one messed up book that should not be read by people with a tender stomach because of the horrible events Mary Rose has to go through. My own feelings are conflicted to say the least, but this book has the ability to be stunning, breathtaking, yet horrible, and confusing simultaneously.