New Release Review: The Crown by Kiera Cass

*DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE SELECTION. THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILER. If you want to read this series, read my review about The Selection by clicking on the link: Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Crown (The Selection #5)

Author: Kiera Cass
1st Date of Publication: May 3, 2016

ISBN: 9780062392176
# of Pages: 279

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Society

Age Rating: 13

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Book Description:
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.

Setting: Illea (United States) in the future
Point of View: 1st person- Eadlyn Schreave

Goodreads Rating: 4.12

My Rating: 4.25

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: Eadlyn looks absolutely stunning again. It makes me jealous that I'm not her even though that dress seems like it would be hot and heavy. She looks even more determined and knows what she wants
View on Title: It's pretty obvious. She's going to become queen and she's going to have her future husband be the prince consort.

Pros:

• I absolutely love Eadlyn in this book. She has taken such a turn around from The Heir. The cliffhanger of The Heir made the year wait for this book excruciating, but well worth it. You can really see Eadlyn's growth as she goes from a spoiled princess with a "woe is me" attitude to a responsible royal who finds empathy and sympathy for her people through her mother's health scare. She quickly realizes it's time to put up the tiara and start wearing the crown like a true royal. Eadlyn learns what it takes to be a true royal while also staying true to herself and not giving into temptation. I feel like the story had some unexpected twists and turns that really elevated the storyline.
• Her epiphany of what true love looks like was inspiring as she watched her parents together as she truly sees her parents' love and realizes that their love is selfless. She sacrificially takes her father's role leading the country as regent just so her mother can heal and her father can sleep.
• The suitors all develop nicely and so does their relationships with Eadlyn. I personally like Kile. He's the childhood friend that had a falling out but became Eadlyn's best friend. I was rooting for him. Hale is sweet but I always felt off with his character. My suspicions about him are almost spot on. Henri is also very sweet but I have a hard time seeing him with Eadlyn. Then there's Erik who is Henri's translator and not a suitor. His character development is seen more as he helps Henri, and we learn that he comes from humble beginnings.
• The twists in the book were absolutely unexpected but perfect. It kept me reading as the novel continued. It made me love all the characters and fear the same uncertainty Eadlyn feels.
• All in all, this is an excellent conclusion to the entire series.

Cons:

• The only gripe I had with Eadlyn was she made me love one character and then changes her mind.
• I was never really a fan of Marid in The Heir, and my suspicions of him were right in The Crown. Even though he seemed to be a reliable character at the beginning of the novel, I couldn't stand him in this installment.
• The issue with Ahren bothered me. It's a cruel thing to up and leaves your family home without a single word, which causes his mother to have a heart attack. This forces Eadlyn to take control and lead her country early, but I feel this was also very necessary to happen. It also seemed somewhat out of character.

Critics' Reviews:

“An engrossing tale reminiscent of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy and Ally Condie’s Matched. Fairy-tale lovers will lose themselves in America’s alternate reality and wish that the next glamorous sequel were waiting for them.” --School Library Journal

Kiera Cass's Website:

http://www.kieracass.com/

 

Other Recommendations:
Eve by Anna Carey
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Entwined by Heather Dixon

Author Spotlight: Kiera Cass

Birthday: May 1981 (35)
From: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Currently Living: Christiansburg, Virginia
Family: Husband (Callaway Cass), Son, and Daughter
Education: BS in History from Radford University

Books:
The Selection (Buy it on Amazon)
The Elite (Buy it on Amazon)
The One (Buy it on Amazon)
The Heir (Buy it on Amazon)
The Crown (Buy it on Amazon)
The Siren (Buy it on Amazon)

Other Interests:
Being married. Cake. The smell of Autumn. Motherhood. Books. Elephants. Back rubs. On demand movies. Actually going out to movies. Faith. Cinnamon rolls. My family. Butterflies. When my kitchen is clean. Crayons. Pink. Tote bags. Dancing. Organizing via color coordination. That my wedding dress was tea length, not floor. Baking. My house. Writing utensils. Paper. India. The sound of water. Making videos. Buttons. The word Episcopalian. Making people laugh. Layering clothes. British accents. Pinterest. Animation. Fireworks. The smell of the Ocean. My wedding rings. Aprons. Reasons to get dressed up. Sex. Pop music. Stars. Taking walks. Daydreaming. Stickers. School Spirit. My friends. Living in a small town. Japan. Singing. Painting my toenails. Pranks/ practical jokes. Painting. Stretch canvas. Costumes. Dipping my fingers in melted wax. Style. Soda. Spending an hour typing at a coffee shop. Musicals. Back to school season. Mopeds. Good hair days. Naps. Not walking up but looking at a beautiful staircase. Driving alone. My ankles. Playlists. Spending entire days in pajamas. Holidays. Telling stories. Spontaneity. Theme parks. Bookshelves. The word copacetic. Boxes. Empty journals. Surprises. Doing things in groups. Doing things alone. Getting real mail. Decorating. Small forks. A good hug. Gift cards. New Years Goals. Going out to dinner. When someone else remembers some great story about me/us that I’ve forgotten. Toy stores. Fireplaces. Breakfast foods. Journaling. Crying for a good reason. Doorbells. Pointless adventures. Voting. My birthday. Reasons to make wishes. Recycling.
Where to Find Her Social Media:
Personal Website- http://www.kieracass.com/

Anticipation Friday: The Crown by Kiera Cass

Goodreads Description
Twenty years have passed since the events of The One, and America and Maxon’s daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own. Princess Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you... and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.

Preorder on Amazon

Other info
Expected Date of Publication: May 3, 2016
Stand-Alone or Series/Companion: Series- The Selection #5
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Society

Why Am I Anticipating This Book?

First off, the cover (like all the other covers) are beautiful and so aesthetically pleasing. Doesn't this cover make you want to be Eadlyn.

I also have loved the original trilogy about her mother and the first book to Eadlyn's duology so I am excited to see where Eadlyn's love will go. Based on the previous book, this has less of a love triangle than the first set of books.

I also love Eadlyn's character. She is strong, spunky, and stubborn like her mother but she knows the importance of running a country and finding the right man to become king to help her rule like her father.