A review by hmogie
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

adventurous dark 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

3.5

I can see why there is so much hype around this book! Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read. I loved how the book explored grief, loss, and longing through an adventurous plot. I also loved the exploration of borrowing versus taking something that is sacred. As a YA novel, I thought it did a great job capturing the teenage experience, particularly through the relationship between Bree and Alice. I can remember being a teenager and wanting to be there for a friend who can't express/share what is happening to them. I thought the exploration of race dynamics and racism was done well for a YA audience, and I loved the author's note adding some history to the Root magic system. 

As for some weaker areas, I did find the magic system to be a little confusing. I also had a little bit of trouble keeping up with the minor characters and where they fit into the magic system. This lessened some of the emotional impact that the book could have had. I also wasn't a fan. of a straight up villain monologue that was in the book. I thought Patricia was great as a character, but I couldn't help laughing at how poor she was as a therapist in terms of confidentiality (which was fun to have a chuckle at). Although this is being very picky, I also thought all the characters having the first syllable of their names as nicknames to get a little tiresome (Tor, Sar, Sel, etc)

I am very excited to read the next book in the series!
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