Novel Melodies: Landry Park - Bethany Hagen

Title: Landry Park
Author: Bethany Hagen
Pub Date: February 4th, 2014
Publisher: Dial
Page Count: 384

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.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Chapters Indigo

Pairing with...

Title: Team
Artist: Lorde
Album: Pure Heroine
Release Date: September 27, 2013
Record Label: Universal Music NZ
iTunes

My Thoughts

May include spoilers, read at your own risk! (I'm really bad at going spoiler-free as much as I try.)

HAPPY RELEASE DAY! (Today is Landry Park's release day!!! YAY!!!)
 
Landry Park was really Victorian and dealing with issues of upperclass vs. lower. I found the perfect song for that instantly: Team by Lorde. Team describes a place that isn't all glitzy and glamorous, but at the same time, run better that the place that is.

Hope you enjoy my take on this book!

"Team"

INTRO
Wait 'til you’re announced
We’ve not yet lost all our graces
The "Gentry" are born with manners, unless the "Rootless" are involved. And in the book, there's a big show of MC Madeline "debuting."

The hounds will stay in chains
Look upon your greatness
That you’ll send the call out
(Send the call out [15x]) 
I'm assuming Madeline is queen or someone in charge as this is in her perspective. The "hounds" are basically her rule and power because she's not going to be like every other Rootless hating ancestor she's ever had.

FIRST VERSE
Call all the ladies out
They’re in their finery
A hundred jewels on throats
A hundred jewels between teeth
The Gentry are filthy rich. Like they've got so much money they have parties and throw out food... And all the ladies are superficial, stick figures in dresses.

Now bring my boys in
Their skin in craters like the moon
The moon we love like a brother, while he glows through the room
Here we have The Rootless. They've got acne, aren't perfect, barely have healthcare. And they're Madeline's "boys". 

PRE-CHORUS
Dancin' around the lies we tell
Dancin' around big eyes as well
Even the comatose they don’t dance and tell
The major lie in this book is that The Rootless deserve all the dump that they're getting. And because all the Gentry do is dance, they're living under their own delusion (lie) by partying and throwing their money around.

CHORUS

SECOND VERSE
So all the cups got broke shards beneath our feet but it wasn’t my fault
And everyone’s competing for a love they won't receive
'Cause what this palace wants is release 
This part reminds me of all the drama "Landry Park" (which is a palace/home) actually has. On the outside, it looks perfect and on the inside, there's competition and broken shards everywhere. The second line talks about how Cara and Madeline had to fight for the love of a guy, when it wasn't even important.

CHORUS
We live in cities you'll never see on screen
Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things
The Rootless know how to run things because they have so little. They know how to spend less and still use the same amount. Sure, they're place is a dump but the people there are better than any Gentry. 

Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams
And you know, we're on each other's team
Despite having dreams of the beautiful Landry Park as a kid, when Madeline grows up, she realizes what she's living in is just a ruin of her perfect image of this place. And despite being very high up in society, she's on the same team as the poor.

I’m kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air
So there
I’m kinda older than I was when I revelled without a care
So there 
Their version of "hands up in the air" is dancing and idle gossip. This is Madeline saying that she's over partying for no reason and ready to do something with her life. (Which is a really huge theme in the book!)

CHORUS

I really liked this read. It was very fresh for me and I found it quite empowering. As you can see, I have a LOT to say about this book! It blew me away with the concepts and now, I just can't stop pairing it with this song! Hope you enjoyed the Novel Melodies! Tell me what you think :D

Author Info

Bethany's Goodreads | Twitter | Website |

I'm a born and bred Kansas Citian, meaning I can tolerate jazz for brief amounts of time and I'm offended by dry rub barbecue. I grew up reading Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, and all things King Arthur. When I’m not working at the library or running around with the kids and the husband, I’m writing or thinking about writing.