The art is quite pretty, the world and the characters seem quite interesting and the plot is fun to read. Overall, I enjoyed this manga but was too turned off by Elias and Chise's massive age difference to love it. One whole star away for that... Seriously, the "adult (nearly) immortal man takes in a vulnerable teen girl" trope is already problematic enough when the girl is 17-19 yrs old. So why does Chise have to be 15? I hope a better reason than "for the sake of humor, of course" will be revealed later on.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Go to review page

adventurous 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

5.0

When I was reading the first quarter of Legendborn, I couldn't understand the hype at all. It was alright, of course, but nothing so unprecedented or spectacular that I could have imagined giving it over 4 stars. And then, after I got hang of the magic system, it stole my heart.

Legendborn uses typical YA fantasy tropes and elements, e.g. the chosen one trope and instalove, something about it is simply refreshing. The use of magic varies between cultures, and I find the inspiration from Arthurian legends awesome. The characters were overall well-written and enjoyable and formed relationships that were fun to read. If I had any complains about the plot or the characters during the reading process, they weren't big enough to be worth remembering.

Deonn also managed to address real issues (mental health, racism, etc.) in a way that didn't feel out of place or forced. In fact, it gave the characters and the story itself the kind of depth that is rarely seen in fantasy.

In all honesty, Legendborn must be one of the best YA contemporary fantasy novels I've ever read. Can't wait to pick up the second book!

Jack (Not Jackie) by Erica Silverman, Holly Hatam

Go to review page

emotional informative medium-paced

4.0

I'm a cis woman and therefore unqualified to say how good representation this book is. However, if I had a kid who was struggling to understand their sibling's or friend's trans identity, this is the kind of book I'd likely read to them.

The only issue I have with this book is that the feminine and masculine things are divided very stereotypically. While constructs like that are present in most people's everyday life and can have a strong effect on even the youngest of trans kids, I feel like at least some of it could have been replaced with something more reasonably gendered. For example, "I'm not a princess!" would have been way better than implying that Jack likes mud because it's boyish and he's a boy. A kid with short hair shouldn't equal a boy and playing fairies shouldn't be exclusively for girls, and I don't think such gender roles should be taught to impressionable kids.

More...

ilonasuntila's reviews 112 reviews

ilonasuntila's reviews
112 reviews