Updated Review: 2/5
I’m honestly pretty conflicted about this novel. On the one hand, it was such a fast read for me. The prose (quite purple) took some time to grow accustomed to, but once I fell in step I got through quite quickly. However not much of consequence really happens until you pass the halfway point.

My feelings are so tangled it’s probably easier to break it down.

What I liked:
* the real thriller aspect was not knowing. You’re really immersed in the human experience of trauma and uncertainty
* the details sprinkled throughout that give you clues about what’s really happening. From the narrator we’re told the truth every so often, that the characters don’t know.
* the characterization. These people are undeniably human. Sometimes you hate them, sometimes you (kinda) love them.
* the gothic elements—claustrophobia, an expansive home, an unknowable force. I’m a sucker for gothic lit.

What I didn’t like:
* the often masturbatory prose. Literally and figuratively. Lots of odd references to genitals, as well as moments of writing that are just a little eye-rollingly self-important.
* the abruptness of the ending. I feel as though I understand what happens and will happen, that much was made clear. However I think that several chapters could be shaved off the front of the novel and serveral more tacked on to the end.
* how little happens until the end. I wouldn’t say I felt truly unsettled until ~redacted~. Up until that point I was continually hoping the point would become clear.
* the way we’re supposed to believe that the Washington’s don’t live there at the beginning. I wasn’t suspicious for a second, and actually hated that we were supposed to be side with Amanda and Clay on that one. The way it was written attempted to herd your thought in that “what-if” direction, but it just made me think even more poorly of Amanda/Clay. But I suppose that was also the point.

Review to come!

I loved everything about this book. I’ve lately been finding comfort in shows like Owl House, Kipo, She Ra, and Infinity Train. This has exactly the same vibe as these shows. Magical, colorful, charming, and funny—and it doesn’t shy away from deeper topics.

The art is stunning—it’s spooky and witchy and ethereal.

The characters are unforgettable, and the dialogue I sharp and quick-witted.

This could be a series, or a show, and my life would be complete. Regardless, I know this is one I’ll revisit when I need a mood boost.

And spoiler maybe...
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It’s gay and it slaps.

I did it. I followed the BookTok hype and read it. And I actually kinda liked it. I’m surprised not a single person who recommended it on the clock app put a TW, considering the SA happens right away, but otherwise it had a plot and some good characters.

Anyway. Monster dongs and men who just wanna eat pu**y

This book really has me in my feels

This is not my typical genre, but I had high hopes due to it being on a list dubbed: it’s gay and it slaps.

And indeed it does slap.

I really found myself hooked by this story, and the budding relationship between Alex and Harry.

Is the world-building idealistic? Yes, but that’s why I love it. It gave me a chance to escape into a world that just makes me feel happy. Less of the complicated, messy stuff and more of the cheese.

Is their relationship basically perfect the whole book? Yes, and I’m also okay with that. Sometimes you need a book where nothing really goes wrong.

I do want to say that I get that Alex can be jarring, however I think that a lot of his abrasiveness is received as affectionate and jokey, and that’s okay. Some people are like that—I love my friends and we call each other names. HOWEVER, I also recognize that it can quickly turn toxic, and can become verbal abuse.

This is my year to return to my Arthurian legend phase, apparently. (And we’re two for two on imaginative, feminist retellings so far.)

I could not put this book down!!!

I loved the exploration of magic, identity, heritage, culture, and grief in Legendborn. Bree is a character with grit and passion and a whole lot of unexplored grief and trauma that she has to learn how to unpack…while simultaneously making sense of what’s happening on campus, and how it connects to her mom’s death.

The book tackles A LOT of themes, and I think they’re handled incredibly well. As someone who has lost people close to me, the way Bree processes her grief is all too familiar and real.

Then of course, there’s the BRILLIANT way in which Deonn deftly weaves Arthurian legend into the modern day. I can’t get over how interesting the whole premise is, and it even manages to tie in my favorite trope of secret societies