Review: Children of Blood and Bone

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes I get a little worried when I read a book that has gotten a lot of hype. If I don’t like it, does that mean there’s something wrong with me? Will the praise heaped on it raise my expectations to unattainable levels? Will my hold ever come in?

Children of Blood and Bone by Tom Adeyemi was one of the hottest YA books of 2018. It won a number of awards, including the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Debut and was the Audie Audiobook of the Year. Entertainment Weekly even called Adeyemi “the new J. K. Rowling.” With all the excitement, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I wanted to find out!

Right away, I was drawn into the story of Zélie Adebola. When magic disappeared from the last of Orïsha, the king took the opportunity to murder all the maji. He also implemented ruthless new laws that punished all who had inherited the maji traits, even though they no longer had the possibility of doing magic.

When the opportunity to restore magic to the land lands in Zélie’s lap, she knows she has to take it. Even with the odds stacked against her, she will do whatever it takes to regain her magical inheritance and restore power to those who have been oppressed for so long.

Believe the hype. This was a fun, action-packed read full of well-drawn characters that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I listened to the audiobook, and Bahni Turpin's narration was amazing. Check out the book in the teen room or the audiobook through Overdrive.

View all my reviews