The novel Legendborn, written by Tracy Deonn, is a fantasy novel about a young black woman taking on Arthurian magic in a mostly white social setting while navigating the grief of losing her mother. There is a lot of emphasis placed on her own self doubt in her place in this society while also doubting who she is. It is a beautifully written book, with tones of empowerment and self-discovery. Because of the minority perspective, some could argue that it is an offensive book, and should be banned for its taboo topics of anti-racism and mental illness. However, the empathetic point of view that you get immersed into with this differing experience is an opportunity to learn and introduce our young adults to diversity. Going through this story in Bree’s eyes keeps us grounded to her story and allows us to better understand a life that is different than ours; a chance to erase the “otherness” that is still so prevalent in our society.
There are many racial tones and mental illness references in this book, something that many parents are worried about their children getting exposed to. It’s understandable to be worried about your child experiencing something that has the potential to invite harm (although that is not necessarily the case). Often there are discussions from concerned parents attempting to remove these different perspectives, but almost any story can be learned from. “In the United States, the hidden curriculum has been determined by the cultural values and expectations of the dominant White, middle and upper class, English-speaking, heterosexual majority (Giroux & Penna, Citation1979; Rahman, Citation2013). Anyone who falls outside of those groups has historically been defined as different and, therefore, deficient, needing to assimilate with the dominant perspective (Gutierrez et al., Citation2009; Nieto & Bode, Citation2018)” (Savitz et al.). Bree Matthews is the opposite of this “dominant group,” making her story unique and an opportunity to change the narrative. White supremacy is something to be wary of, not quiet about. There are a lot of young adults that can learn about someone who is different than themselves and learn these disruptive yet necessary skills to create a more educated and diverse social system.
Why wouldn’t we want the young adults of this world to learn what they can and ask questions? To be able to talk openly about different people’s experiences? Legendborn is the perfect opportunity for this discussion that needs to take place. It is well within the appropriate content for that age range, and it should be encouraged to explore outside of your own culture. Building deeper bonds between those who are different from us with help the eliminate the “otherness” – the microaggressions and straight oppression of minority groups. Someone who fits into the dominant group is never going to fully know what it is to be an “other,” but being educated can help us confront the problems and be able to do something about it.
There was a study done that looks at the correlation between discrimination and mental health, which plays into the extreme grief that Bree must get through and it is affected by her head. “Black women are uniquely located at the intersection of two marginalized identities which puts them at risk of experiencing a combined discrimination known as gendered racism. Among Black Women, experiencing increased gendered racism is associated with higher poorer mental health which includes higher levels of anxiety and depression” (Jones et al.). This quote summarizes both the grounds and the findings of the report and shows us that the mental struggles Bree is going through are influenced and enhanced by her race and gender. There are multiple stereotypes talked about for black women, including “jezebels” and “angry black woman.” Many of them are present in this book, which calls out the need to put a black female character into a certain box in order to fit into a white agenda.
In Legendborn, Bree is accused of being both aforementioned stereotypes during the page’s dinner, even though she was more controlled over her rage than the white man accusing her. When she contemplates what to do, she states that she has “Two faults. My race and my gender. But they are not faults. They are strength. And I am more than this man can comprehend” (Deonn). In this part of the book, Bree is angry at being treated differently and less than, and she chooses to show the attacker just exactly who she is by her response. She keeps her temper under control while causing him to lose his, creating a shift in the power dynamic between the two, and therefore placing the minority in the place of the majority.
One of the other characters says that “Bree is something new. Something powerful” (Deonn). I have to agree and say that her character and her story are something new and powerful for the status of our social settings. A random, young, black woman gets plucked from the masses to share her story and share what’s different about her. In fact, that difference is what ends up putting her in a position of power and fighting against the intolerance within the society that she is called to save. This book has the opportunity to provide an education on the experiences of young adults in the experiences that differ from the experiences of the dominant group and therefore accentuate the diversity in our society.
Even aside from the potential influence that the plot could have on young adults and their view on social hierarchies, the writing itself is very good, and the demand for books with this sort of personal impact are high in the Young Adult Fantasy world, especially as the acceptance of minority cultures has grown over time. It won the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award for New Talent and has won multiple awards on a website named Booklist, which is made for people to leave their opinions on the books they read as a warning for other readers looking to explore and try new categories. Legendborn won Editor’s Choice for Youth and Best Fiction for Young Adults awards. People have liked this book enough that it is high in reviews, and relatively high in demand. This, mixed with the important inspiration and education that the plot and characters offer, makes a novel that is too good, and too relative, to be banned from public and young adult access.
All things considered, Legendborn is a story of a minority shifting power to her story and teaching the people around her how it feels to live through her shoes, which can be applied also to the audience. Readers of this story can take the qualities that some people want to ban and use them to educate themselves on racism and the problems in our society that need to be addressed. It helps us understand how that group sees the world and how they interact with their surroundings. The differing perspectives open us to the possibility of higher diversity in our understanding of social groups, and a less harsh contrast between the minority cultures and the dominant one. The more diversity present in the education and public literature of young adults, the more they will learn about the people around them. In conclusion, the differing perspective in this story presents an opportunity to learn and diversify the cultural experiences of a young adult.
Works Cited
Deonn, Tracy. Legendborn. vol. 1, Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, New York, 2020.
Jones, Maria S., et al. "Gendered Racism and Mental Health among Young Adult U.S. Black Women: The Moderating Roles of Gendered Racial Identity Centrality and Identity Shifting." Sex Roles, vol. 85, no. 3-4, 2021, pp. 221-231.
Savitz, Rachelle S., Leslie Roberts, and Daniel Stockwell. "The Impact of Analyzing Young Adult Literature for Racial Identity / Social Justice Orientation with Interdisciplinary Students." Journal of College Reading and Learning, vol. 52, no. 4, 2022, pp. 264-289.
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