Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - Bloodmarked

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

46 reviews

midnacine's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

"Not here, not today. But somewhere, someday."

I started my book club in February this year, and Legendborn had been the first book we read together. It feels poetic that I'm closing out the year with its sequel.

I'd been waiting with baited breath for this book to be published, and lemme tell you: it did not disappoint. It was everything I wanted it to be, and then some more. I loved seeing Bree fight for who she is and who she wants to be, loved seeing the true colors of some characters because of it. I especially loved the hardcore flirting - absolutely no smut in this book whatsoever, but I was still blushing.

Overall, I am incredibly in love with this story and these characters. I can already tell this will be a series passed on for generations. And though I know masterpieces need time, I really need Tracy Deonn to come out with the third book like... now.

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lucy_shanners's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.25

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soniajoy98's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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books4bee's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging 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

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abbyschalupa's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Enjoyed while reading, but afterwards the issues stuck with me. The plot is trying to do too many things at once and feels convoluted. A large theme has to do with mesmer and torture, gaslighting, and Bree not being able to trust herself. This was difficult for me to read. Many areas had Bree making choices that made no sense, and while the characters are lovable, they can also be insufferable and wind up in entirely avoidable situations. That said, it was still a fun read that I flew through and I'm hoping all the loose ends get tied together in the 3rd installment.

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maregred's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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quirkykayleetam's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense 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

I tried to rate this book lower than a 5 and I could not. This is a true sequel to Legendborn.

As the heir of two magical bloodlines, the descendants of King Arthur and the daughters of Vera, black women who have sacrificed themselves since slavery so their daughters could stand when they had to run, Bree Mathews may be the most powerful human on the planet. Now she has to deal with the expectations that power comes with. How does she supposed to rule as King over a racist institution with manipulative adults working their own schemes that she never fit into? How does she rescue her boyfriend from demons and white supremacists who think he is the heir to the throne? How does she control her power as her different strains of magic interact with each other in unprecedented ways? How does she chose her own destiny?

Bloodmarked has many of the same flaws as Legendborn: Just when you get a handle on the magic system, the novel throws you for a loop, changing the rules at play for Bree again. Playing to YA tropes, the book focuses too much on the tension within the "Love Triangle," when the characters interact beautifully when all three all together. Additionally, Bloodmarked sidelines many beloved characters from the first book. While the sequel introduces incredibly new characters in their place, a part of me wanted more of the minor Legendborn Scions we fell in love with in book one.

However, Bloodmarked also has all the strengths of the first book. I am whiter than a country club golf ball and I connect to the way Deonn illustrates the lived experience of black women living in the South today. One scene shows how white women will stand up to the patriarchy about rape, but will bury the issue of race when a white man rapes a black woman. The entire concept of Volition beautifully, beautifully shows why African Americans need safe spaces.

This book is imperfect, but important. I cannot stop thinking about it and I do not think I ever will.

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