Reviews

The Chosen One: A First-Generation Ivy League Odyssey by Echo Brown, Echo Brown

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karlynrose's review

challenging emotional mysterious 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

2.75

The had some good points to make about BIPOC and first generation college students. I liked the inclusion of EMDR, but I wish it was explained a little more. I felt like the story was very confusing at first and then in the end has no real goal. Things happened, but I was also like, what did I just read?

miariinfinityreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

yikesdude's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-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

drweezy's review against another edition

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1.0

Book # 37 of 2023: This book was all over the place and really unclear about the plot. I tried to finish it and got to page 199 but I had to DNF because it was just too bad. There are too many good books out there to waste your time on a bad one ✌

caylieratzlaff's review against another edition

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2.0

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this. 1.5/5 stars.

I really, really, really wanted to like this. I like the higher concepts of blackness, discussions on racism, family trauma, mental illness, etc., but it felt out of place in a novel touted as magical realism. The whole keeper/chosen plot line was confusing, and over half the time I couldn't follow what I was reading. I was even beginning to wonder if I was reading something similar to challenger deep where the character was having schizophrenic episodes that interrupted the story.

I think the story and ideas at the core are good, but I was expecting a solid plot and magical realism element. I really considered DNFing this at 25%, 50%, and even at 80% through the book. I'm sure this book will resonate with others since I'm not a first gen nor POC, but I didn't feel like this was a window either.

jhurl's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative inspiring 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? No

Interesting perspective of a Black Freshmen at Dartmouth. Dealing with academic deficiencies and her pride in not seeking tutors or counseling initially. Her connection with "Spirits" to bolster herself. Finding she has the power to change things. A bit of Breakfast Club in her relationships BUT through it all she succeeds.

cassmills's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

cinderthemoon25's review against another edition

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I don’t think this was for me. I didn’t like how the characters were written, especially the main character. On top of that, what I read was written confusingly.