klsreads 's review for:

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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: Complicated

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God-tier. An absolutely perfect debut. This book made me cry so hard, and I loved every minute of it. I loved the characters and their relationships (don't talk to me about Bree and her mom). There are non-tokenized queer and nonbinary characters and a bisexual male love interest (!!!!!!!). It reckons with grief, racial trauma, colonization, and the premature deaths of Black folks in America. It meditates on history, who is remembered, and what it means to be cut off from ancestral knowledge and power (literally and figuratively). It mythologizes and reckons with real racial struggles and white supremacy.The magic system is so unique and fun. Sprint to get this book. Tracy Deonn is unbelievably talented, and I will read whatever she writes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Hate crime, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Stalking