Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

27 reviews

arobear's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book wasn't perfect, but I still fell in love with it. The characters are a strong point, and this direction away from the university setting was an improvement from the last installment in terms of deeper characterization and fleshing out the lore. It does strike me a funny that
no one cares Bree (an unaccompanied minor) and a bunch of other students left the school with no warning, but I can let that slide lol.


In terms of what was not perfect, I continued to get new characters mixed up, and the ending also left me confused. The action leading up to it was interesting, but the resolution fell a bit fast and flat to me. I'm hoping we'll explore the emotional effects more in the next book.
I'm also pretty fucking salty about what happened to Alice. Please don't kill all my gays!! :'(


On a more personal note, as a queer person and leader I connected with Bree's struggle to be the "first" of everything and follow a legacy that she didn't have a hand in creating, but still felt beholden to. The themes explored helped me look at my situation in a new light and reflect on what my goals are not what they "should be" according to others. I think the author does a great job interweaving the complex themes and relationships with a strong narrative when in other books it can easily become disjointed. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hann_smc's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Man I was so disappointed in this book after reading Legendborn. I was so excited to see where Bree's story / character arc was going to go.

The plot went nowhere, and any character development that happened was backtracked.

The characters made a decision and started down a path, then they changed there minds, started on a new path, and so on and then the book ends. 

The tension between Bree and Sel felt so manufactured and nonsensical, just to keep the "who will she choose" alive. 

I loved Legendborn enough that I powered through, and will pick up book 3 when it comes out, but I'm nervous about it.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jenny_librarian's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

I want to throw this book at the wall so bad! Not because it’s bad, but because of that ending that both seems absolutely hopeless and calls for a third book.

I was rooting for a triad the whole freaking book, and I gotta say this author had me worrying multiple time this would be yet another cliché love “triangle”. I really hope wherever she decides to go next with the characters breaks that boundary and allows us to get the beautiful triad we deserve (all romantic or romance and QPR, I don’t care. As long as we *get* it!)

If you think book one delved into Black trauma, I got some news for you… Tracy Deonn took what she included in Legendborn and dialed it to 11. It is BRUTAL, so make sure to check the triggers.

I’m excited for the next book, but I’m worried about all the feelings she’ll make us go through 😵‍💫

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

iamsammie27's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

scrubsandbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging 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

Do I think my powers are worth the cost? The wound of grief from losing my mother sits open in my chest. It feels like it will never truly heal, no matter how much I acknowledge its presence. Then there are wounds my ancestors carried from one generation to the next. All the loss, multiplied and compounded and cumulative. All that running.
Don't be scared. Fight.

This was absolutely phenomenal. There's always this thing with second books in series where things don't live up to the hype of book one and it ends up being a filler between beginning and conclusion. It definitely was not the case here at. All. The stakes were high, much higher than they were at the end of Legendborn and this book surpassed all my expectations. Books where things are happening one right after another tend to be overwhelming for me and leaving me wondering if half of it was necessary and this was an exception. Every event, you learned something new, you met a new person who ended up being pivotal to the main character's story. Tracy Deonn has done an amazing job of bringing the pieces of the puzzle together. There is so much to love about this and nothing to hate (except for the obvious bigots and bad guys, of course). Tracy had even making me feel bad for
Jonas and his betrayal because of what he went through and what he thought would be brought on by doing what he did to Bree
.

The world-building in this book with the Order and the Rootcraft seems to only expand even further, and I absolutely loved that we got to see more characters involved in Rootcraft and learned more about the magic itself. And a former plantation become a safe haven for Rootcrafters called Volition? Chef's kiss, all of it, ESPECIALLY the title. I loved the inclusion of Alice and William in this journey, as well as seeing more of Selwyn outside of the Order, and how his friendship with Bree continued to grow and evolve. And Bree. Bree is the most beloved of all, faced with so much betrayal and pushback, but holds her head up and keeps fighting. I want nothing but the best for her and I cried so much for her in this book because of everything she went through at the hands of the Reagents. Oh, how I wanted to reach into the book so bad to give her a big hug. Or punch some racists. OR BOTH.

"You don't believe history is true. You won't even admit it's possible. That I am Arthur's heir not by choice or honor, but by violence." [...] "You won't say it out loud, but I will," [...] "I am the Scion of Arthur by rape. I am your proof."

This book, this series, is too important to not at least give it a chance. Eagerly awaiting book three!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bootsmom3's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kyladenae94's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.75

this one meandered a bit in the middle, and the end felt a little rushed (i think it was just the crammed exposition;
having a not-quite-there viewpoint character doesn’t lend itself to measured storytelling, but she did well with what she had
). but it was excellent despite that, and i’m excited for the next book!

i’m also giving a pass for the edward/bella vibes i got from too many of the sel/bree scenes, because like. they’re good tropes. But Also. let’s be real. that’s what they were.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

immovabletype's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

Not a perfect book but still so damn good. I care so much about these characters and their fates and cannot wait for the next book.

Note: How this book is classified as medium paced is beyond me. It is the definition of fast paced if I've ever seen one. These poor kids barely get to rest.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

destynee's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Tracy Deonn has done it again. I felt like I was on that rollercoaster again and each time the drops got higher and higher. I love when authors can make me feel things and this was amplified with BloodMarked. For the sequel to be just as compelling as the first book which also was a debut book??? Stunning. The stakes were higher and we even got introduced to new characters that really helped moved the story along. They had their own personalities and even were entertaining. Nothing seemed forced or out of place. It really was an experience to read this book, and I once again am speechless. Like mind blown. I am so glad Tracy wrote these books. She’s a real one.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings