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mol212's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, and War
fujo_cat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was such a FUN book! The world is hecka interesting, the cast is amazing, the protagonist grew on me and if I DON'T GET A POLY ROMANCE BETWEEN NICK, SEL AND BREE I WILL RAGE- ahem, anyways, this was such a refreshing easy to read story! I was flying through it <3
P.S.: The last few chapters destroyed me emotionally tho aaaa
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Medical content, Racism, Rape, and Slavery
Minor: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Sexism
nxs06's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Rape, Slavery, and Violence
coolbeancat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Slavery
Minor: Rape, Cursing, Vomit, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Transphobia, Sexism, and Pregnancy
cbuchanan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, and Cursing
Minor: Slavery, Rape, and Racial slurs
roseamillerg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a bit too much (very confusing and complex) lore for me.
almost DNF’d multiple times, but I am happy that I finished the book.
P.s. William is *chef’s kiss* 😌
P.p.s the cover is so pretty 🥺🥵
Also can I just say SEL🦋🦋🦋💀
I didn’t like how the deaths of Evan, Whitty and Russ were written because they happened so fast and so close to each other that I feel like they lost their impact, which is really such a shame (especially bc they were TEENAGERS!! :(
almost DNF’d multiple times, but I am happy that I finished the book.
P.s. William is *chef’s kiss* 😌
P.p.s the cover is so pretty 🥺🥵
Also can I just say SEL🦋🦋🦋💀
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Rape, and Stalking
cerilouisereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Violence, Slavery, Racism, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Sexism
leahlovesloslibros's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Tracy Deonn knocked it out of the park.
In an absolutely stunning YA fantasy debut, all I can say is, this is one book that I will absolutely recommend to everyone. The world building, the familial connections, the magic system, the history, the grief....it was just truly incredible.
The first thing that I really have to discuss is the grief. We see Bree attempting to navigate through her grief following the unexpected loss of her mother. Deonn writes this grief in such a painfully beautiful way that you know the experience had to be somewhat personal for her (which it was, as her mother also died when she was around Bree's age). The character's feelings and raw and visceral, and while reading it seemed as though I was feeling Bree's pain along with her.
World building is something that I typically either really enjoy or it totally bores me, often I experience the latter. This book, however, did it in such a way that it kept my attention and actually left me wanting more. The history of UNC - Chapel Hill was thorough without being dry; the Legendborn story woven right into it seemed to fit like a glove. I could easily paint a picture in my mind of the locations on campus, thanks to Deonn's detailed descriptions. While there was a lot of world building in the earlier parts of the book, I enjoyed that it continued throughout the book as layers were added to the plot.
The familial connection was something that I could really relate to, since I am close with some of my extended family. I loved that Bree's connection not only with her mother but with her ancestors was a focal point in the story. I can't say more than that without getting into spoilers, but it was done so well.
While I am not Black, I really appreciated the Black history and the focus on everyday struggles Bree faced due to her race, because I feel it gave non-BIPOC a small but significant view into the struggles, microaggressions, and endless race-related issues that BIPOC regularly face. I am actively seeking out books that will present views other than my own in a genuine way so that I can learn more about others' everyday struggles, and this one absolutely delivered in that respect.
The magic system in this book is complicated, and I can't say much about it without giving a lot away, but trust me when I say it's impressive as hell, an so unique.
Honestly, I was very nervous to read this book, as I was worried it wouldn't live up to all of the hype it has been getting in recent months. I was not disappointed in the slightest. The only thing that was missing for me was that I really think the reader would benefit from a glossary, as there is a lot to keep track of and personally I like to have reference information all in one place. Only because there were multiple points throughout the story where I wished for a glossary, I am taking off .5 star; otherwise, this would hands-down be a 5-star read for me.
In an absolutely stunning YA fantasy debut, all I can say is, this is one book that I will absolutely recommend to everyone. The world building, the familial connections, the magic system, the history, the grief....it was just truly incredible.
The first thing that I really have to discuss is the grief. We see Bree attempting to navigate through her grief following the unexpected loss of her mother. Deonn writes this grief in such a painfully beautiful way that you know the experience had to be somewhat personal for her (which it was, as her mother also died when she was around Bree's age). The character's feelings and raw and visceral, and while reading it seemed as though I was feeling Bree's pain along with her.
World building is something that I typically either really enjoy or it totally bores me, often I experience the latter. This book, however, did it in such a way that it kept my attention and actually left me wanting more. The history of UNC - Chapel Hill was thorough without being dry; the Legendborn story woven right into it seemed to fit like a glove. I could easily paint a picture in my mind of the locations on campus, thanks to Deonn's detailed descriptions. While there was a lot of world building in the earlier parts of the book, I enjoyed that it continued throughout the book as layers were added to the plot.
The familial connection was something that I could really relate to, since I am close with some of my extended family. I loved that Bree's connection not only with her mother but with her ancestors was a focal point in the story. I can't say more than that without getting into spoilers, but it was done so well.
While I am not Black, I really appreciated the Black history and the focus on everyday struggles Bree faced due to her race, because I feel it gave non-BIPOC a small but significant view into the struggles, microaggressions, and endless race-related issues that BIPOC regularly face. I am actively seeking out books that will present views other than my own in a genuine way so that I can learn more about others' everyday struggles, and this one absolutely delivered in that respect.
The magic system in this book is complicated, and I can't say much about it without giving a lot away, but trust me when I say it's impressive as hell, an so unique.
Honestly, I was very nervous to read this book, as I was worried it wouldn't live up to all of the hype it has been getting in recent months. I was not disappointed in the slightest. The only thing that was missing for me was that I really think the reader would benefit from a glossary, as there is a lot to keep track of and personally I like to have reference information all in one place. Only because there were multiple points throughout the story where I wished for a glossary, I am taking off .5 star; otherwise, this would hands-down be a 5-star read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Blood, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, and Slavery
Minor: Cursing and Rape
puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Racism, Murder, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Slavery, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Infidelity
blakethebookeater's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Death is not a thread. It is the sharp cut that severs us. Death separates us from one another, and yet it holds us close. As deeply as we hate it, it loves us more.”
Legendborn is a revelation of a novel. I’ve just been coming back to reading YA and this is the kind of story I want to read more of in YA.
Bree Matthews is a 16 year old black girl who is attending the Early College program at UNC Chapel Hill after her mother dies in a car accident. During her first night, she witnesses something magical and slightly terrifying...and come to realize there may be more to her mother’s death then she thought. Her only way forward? Infiltrating a secret organization with ties to the legend of King Arthur in order to find out the truth about et mother and who she really is.
While this journey includes magic and monsters, this is a book deeply about grief. This is not a typical YA novel where the main character has offscreen dead parents and they’re barely affected. Everything Bree does is colored by her loss. We feel the immense love she had for her mother and how much it hurts that she’s no longer in her life. While reading this novel, I lost my dog (the first real loss in my life) and while also throwing me into a hell of a reading slump, it also made me deeply connect to Bree and those emotions of wanting everything to be different.
Moving to college (even though it’s not *technically* college) also puts a strain on her longtime friendship with her bestie Alice. And much like their strained relationship, I had a similar experience when I moved to college. Tracy Deonn I think has perfectly captured some of the feelings and emotion that goes with these big life changes and distilled it in a way that young reader will really be able to connect to them. This series will be important a lot of readers in a huge way, I believe.
All of the intrigue about the Order was just awesome and I LOVED that the protagonist in a YA novel was skeptical of the magical society instead of just automatically over the moon. And that I think is intrinsically tied to Bree’s identity as a black girl on a mostly white campus. The entire Order is white (or white passing) and it places her as even more of an outsider as she tries to infiltrate the organization to discover the truth. Bree was such a brave (and vulnerable) lead and it was so empowering to see her push through every single obstacle thrown at her in order to pursue her goal.
There is SO much more I could get into, but then this would turn into an essay, but I’ll say this. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is a MUST read and I can easily see this becoming The Next Big Thing™️ because it truly truly deserves it!
Legendborn is a revelation of a novel. I’ve just been coming back to reading YA and this is the kind of story I want to read more of in YA.
Bree Matthews is a 16 year old black girl who is attending the Early College program at UNC Chapel Hill after her mother dies in a car accident. During her first night, she witnesses something magical and slightly terrifying...and come to realize there may be more to her mother’s death then she thought. Her only way forward? Infiltrating a secret organization with ties to the legend of King Arthur in order to find out the truth about et mother and who she really is.
While this journey includes magic and monsters, this is a book deeply about grief. This is not a typical YA novel where the main character has offscreen dead parents and they’re barely affected. Everything Bree does is colored by her loss. We feel the immense love she had for her mother and how much it hurts that she’s no longer in her life. While reading this novel, I lost my dog (the first real loss in my life) and while also throwing me into a hell of a reading slump, it also made me deeply connect to Bree and those emotions of wanting everything to be different.
Moving to college (even though it’s not *technically* college) also puts a strain on her longtime friendship with her bestie Alice. And much like their strained relationship, I had a similar experience when I moved to college. Tracy Deonn I think has perfectly captured some of the feelings and emotion that goes with these big life changes and distilled it in a way that young reader will really be able to connect to them. This series will be important a lot of readers in a huge way, I believe.
All of the intrigue about the Order was just awesome and I LOVED that the protagonist in a YA novel was skeptical of the magical society instead of just automatically over the moon. And that I think is intrinsically tied to Bree’s identity as a black girl on a mostly white campus. The entire Order is white (or white passing) and it places her as even more of an outsider as she tries to infiltrate the organization to discover the truth. Bree was such a brave (and vulnerable) lead and it was so empowering to see her push through every single obstacle thrown at her in order to pursue her goal.
There is SO much more I could get into, but then this would turn into an essay, but I’ll say this. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is a MUST read and I can easily see this becoming The Next Big Thing™️ because it truly truly deserves it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Slavery, Blood, Misogyny, and Car accident