Teen Book Review – Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 10 out of 10

Recently I read Shadow and Bone. This book is the first installment of the Grish book series by Leigh Bardugo and after reading it I’m so excited to continue on to the next one. The story follows a girl named Alina, a solider in Ravaka, who learns after and attack on her regiment she is a Grisha, one with one of a kind powers. These power may be to key to stopping the shadow fold, a darkness that has torn the country apart. As Alina is taken to a magical new place to learn how to control her gifts she meets the Darkling, a man who may have dark secrets that would change everything for Ravaka. After reading this book I fell in love with the world. Leigh Bardugo set up an amazing land filled with amazing magic, intriguing royals and elites, and adventure. She was able to create a hierarchy of magical people the Grisha that felt fresh and exciting. The characters are all very well written with interesting backstories and personalities making it so none of them feel flat. The main character was well written as well. What could’ve been a boring Mary-Sue turned into a complex character who was very relatable. My favorite part of the book was the romance. The writing during Alina’s internal conflict when she realized she was in love with someone she couldn’t be with had me just as sad as she was while being very fun to read. I would definitely recommend this book to any teen or young adult who enjoys reading about fantasy, adventure, and romance.

-Lily