Book Review: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Introduction

One of my favporite books I read in 2024 has been Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. It was a relatable capitivaing read. Even though I am a slow reader, I didn’t want to put it down. Legendborn is a young adult contemporary fantasy novel. It follows Bree a 16-year old early college student at UNC-Chapel Hil. She attends the program with her best Alice. After the deatrh of her mother, Bree hopes to get a fresh start. She meets Nick, her student advisor and stumbles into the world of the legendborn. One quote that stands out in the book to is ‘Don’t make your life about the loss. Make it about the love.’ This perfectly ecompases the theme of the book. Overall, the book has great characters, setting, and relatable themes.

Summary

On the first night of college, Bree is invited to the annual cliff jumping and bonfire. On this night she witnesses a magical attack. Selwyen realizes this and attempts to erase her memory. It fails and she is left with the memory of the events. Bree is determined to uncover the truth behind the Legendborn. She also discovers she has her own magical abilities called root which is practiced by her ancestors. This discovery leads her to dig deeper into her heritage and her mothers death.​This story grapples with grief, self-discovery, self-identity, and resilience and more.

Analysis

There are so many great aspects to this novel. I don’t know where to start. I loved all the characters. Bree is relatable to me. Even though I haven’t experienced the death of a parent, her grief can be felt through the pages. Like Bree I am also a North Carolininan. The setting of UNC-Chapel Hill felt so familiar, even though I never been on that campus. I could also relate to being in environments where you feel like you don’t belong. Bree’s character development is amazing. In the beginning she is struggling with her grief. SHe realizes she has a Bree before her mothers death and after. She emerges from the other side of her grief and realizes to ‘make her life not about the loss but love.’ She connects to her heritage and finds out she does belong. I also love the side characters such as Alice, Nick, and William. It was fun to see how they interacted and their dynamics. It was interesting to see Alice and Bree’s friendship become stronger.

Deonn’s writing style, tone, and language was great in this novel. The figurative language she used painted a vivid imagery. It has inspired me to be a better writer. She does a great job connecting ua with the characters and their emotions. The action scenes are well written and keep readers entertained. The magical elements are seamlessly written intot he contemporary setting. There is also a mix of other genres such as coming of age, romance, and mystery.

Conclusion

Overall, this was a great read and I can’t wait to dive into the 2nd book in the trilogy. I would recommend this novel to anyone jus getting into fantasy or young adults. I’m also excited that there is a livee action adaptation in the making. I give this book a 5 out of 5.