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Becoming
The Debut Fantasy novel by Kim Campbell. Book 1: Legend of the Last Danann Series
Skylar Rolf never had it easy. She lost both of her parents in a car accident, her grandparents want nothing to do with her, and the foster system has not been kind. Now a senior in a prestigious high school, she’s doing her best to stay in school, get into college, and navigate her first romantic relationship with the girl of her dreams.
Now Skylar finds herself in the middle of a world she thought did not exist and is learning about a past that will greatly impact her future in ways she never thought possible.
High school is hard enough without having to deal with faeries, yaksha, spirit guides, and unpredictable powers. The fight for her life and a world of magic hangs in the balance as Skylar starts the journey of becoming her true self.
Skylar Rolf never had it easy. She lost both of her parents in a car accident, her grandparents want nothing to do with her, and the foster system has not been kind. Now a senior in a prestigious high school, she’s doing her best to stay in school, get into college, and navigate her first romantic relationship with the girl of her dreams.
Now Skylar finds herself in the middle of a world she thought did not exist and is learning about a past that will greatly impact her future in ways she never thought possible.
High school is hard enough without having to deal with faeries, yaksha, spirit guides, and unpredictable powers. The fight for her life and a world of magic hangs in the balance as Skylar starts the journey of becoming her true self.
227 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2020
12 people want to read
About the author
Kim Campbell
2 books23 followersI'm just a small town girl from New Jersey. I've visited 13 US states, (driven through many more) and 4 European countries. Traveling is good for the soul and I plan to do more!
I'm happily married with two wonderful children under 5. My favourite things to do are spend time with my family, friends, as well as reading and writing.
My all time favourite Author is Ray Bradbury. Reading "The Illustrated Man" and "Fahrenheit 451" changed my life for the better. Some of the other authors that I enjoy reading include Cassandra Clare, Rin Chupeco, Dan Brown, and Tamara Rose Blodgett.
I'm happily married with two wonderful children under 5. My favourite things to do are spend time with my family, friends, as well as reading and writing.
My all time favourite Author is Ray Bradbury. Reading "The Illustrated Man" and "Fahrenheit 451" changed my life for the better. Some of the other authors that I enjoy reading include Cassandra Clare, Rin Chupeco, Dan Brown, and Tamara Rose Blodgett.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 9, 2022
Ok. So here's the thing... I really liked the book at first. I liked Sky. I liked that I was reading a book from the perspective of a young woman who was in foster care and was about to age out because I think that this is a voice that tends to be lacking from peoples' reading lists. And honestly, we as a society need to be supporting these kids who have been in care for most of their lives and then are just supposed to be on their own when they're 18... ridiculous... anyway, that's a side note, however, it underscores the excitement that I had when I started to read this book because I was thinking, finally! We've got an ally for these kids right here! If this is good, then this will be a book I'll put on my list to buy for my classroom library!
Sadly, it did not turn out this way, and I'm honestly pretty sad about that.
I could just end this review by saying that maybe I'm not the target audience for this book, however, I don't think it's just that. There were some pretty glaring things in this book that I found that really rubbed me the wrong way.
I liked Sky's voice at first. She was a bit mundane, to be honest, but I really don't expect all characters to be vibrant and exciting - that's just not realistic. But when Sky says that she has her Indian father's black hair and bone structure and her mom's green eyes, she says, "Basically, I fit in well in the US. Americans think I look Indian, and most Indians think I look American. So, it works."
What in the...?? Are you for real?
I have read numerous books (fiction and non-fiction) by biracial individuals who have never expressed that this is how they feel. It's often that they aren't white enough to be American or Indian enough to Indian. I have no idea about the author's racial identity or ethnicity, but this was a pretty glaringly privileged comment to make that completely undermines so many peoples' struggles with their own racial and ethnic identities.
Sigh. It didn't end there, unfortunately. I'm almost at a loss for words here because I don't understand why the author decided to jump on the tokenizing train. Sky has two black friends. How did the author deal with this? By integrating their identities with their resistance or embracing the black stereotype. Seriously.
"Tonya loves the theatre and enjoys playing up the black girl stereotype." I don't get it.
"Eli doesn't do stereotypes, which is really hard on a black guy. Rather than the typical gangster attire that seems to be the uniform of most black males in New York City, Eli prefers business casual."
There are so many things wrong with this. What is the author trying to do with this? What was the purpose of this? To try to be inclusive? To try to bring in BIPOC characters just so she could say that she had them? She gives Sky a Filipino American teacher, but then there's no more context. It feels like these non-white characters are there just to be there. This is tokenizing. It's damaging. It's dangerous. Be aware of your privilege. Get a sensitivity reader and look up how to be an antiracist. Write meaningful characters with meaningful integration. I could go on, believe me.
Sky is very openly gay and while I didn't notice anything nearly as offensive as what I wrote above, I did find her budding relationship with her girlfriend to be nauseating. Maybe some folk could say that it's cute, but as a witness to many teenagers and the beginning of new relationships, this is just not an accurate picture and it felt a little like there was too much dependency too soon. It would concern me as a teacher to see some of this behaviour.
I don't know. I'm giving this book 2 stars because I don't think it's so bad it only deserves 1 star - I was intrigued at the beginning, tokenizing details aside. I get that this is fantasy, but the things that were supposed to be realistic were so insanely not realistic and it made me roll my eyes and hate this book. Child Protective Services does not work as quickly as they were making it seem. Teachers and school counsellors do not speak to their students like that. I almost gave up on the book 50% in but then it felt like the real conflict in the story was starting so I kept on reading. I should have just stopped, this was a frustrating read for me.
Thank you to the author and Voracious Readers Only for gifting me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sadly, it did not turn out this way, and I'm honestly pretty sad about that.
I could just end this review by saying that maybe I'm not the target audience for this book, however, I don't think it's just that. There were some pretty glaring things in this book that I found that really rubbed me the wrong way.
I liked Sky's voice at first. She was a bit mundane, to be honest, but I really don't expect all characters to be vibrant and exciting - that's just not realistic. But when Sky says that she has her Indian father's black hair and bone structure and her mom's green eyes, she says, "Basically, I fit in well in the US. Americans think I look Indian, and most Indians think I look American. So, it works."
What in the...?? Are you for real?
I have read numerous books (fiction and non-fiction) by biracial individuals who have never expressed that this is how they feel. It's often that they aren't white enough to be American or Indian enough to Indian. I have no idea about the author's racial identity or ethnicity, but this was a pretty glaringly privileged comment to make that completely undermines so many peoples' struggles with their own racial and ethnic identities.
Sigh. It didn't end there, unfortunately. I'm almost at a loss for words here because I don't understand why the author decided to jump on the tokenizing train. Sky has two black friends. How did the author deal with this? By integrating their identities with their resistance or embracing the black stereotype. Seriously.
"Tonya loves the theatre and enjoys playing up the black girl stereotype." I don't get it.
"Eli doesn't do stereotypes, which is really hard on a black guy. Rather than the typical gangster attire that seems to be the uniform of most black males in New York City, Eli prefers business casual."
There are so many things wrong with this. What is the author trying to do with this? What was the purpose of this? To try to be inclusive? To try to bring in BIPOC characters just so she could say that she had them? She gives Sky a Filipino American teacher, but then there's no more context. It feels like these non-white characters are there just to be there. This is tokenizing. It's damaging. It's dangerous. Be aware of your privilege. Get a sensitivity reader and look up how to be an antiracist. Write meaningful characters with meaningful integration. I could go on, believe me.
Sky is very openly gay and while I didn't notice anything nearly as offensive as what I wrote above, I did find her budding relationship with her girlfriend to be nauseating. Maybe some folk could say that it's cute, but as a witness to many teenagers and the beginning of new relationships, this is just not an accurate picture and it felt a little like there was too much dependency too soon. It would concern me as a teacher to see some of this behaviour.
I don't know. I'm giving this book 2 stars because I don't think it's so bad it only deserves 1 star - I was intrigued at the beginning, tokenizing details aside. I get that this is fantasy, but the things that were supposed to be realistic were so insanely not realistic and it made me roll my eyes and hate this book. Child Protective Services does not work as quickly as they were making it seem. Teachers and school counsellors do not speak to their students like that. I almost gave up on the book 50% in but then it felt like the real conflict in the story was starting so I kept on reading. I should have just stopped, this was a frustrating read for me.
Thank you to the author and Voracious Readers Only for gifting me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2021
I was so pleased to read Kim's debut novel. Skylar has had it tough, and that's putting it mildly. The book opens with her life in a rather unpleasant foster home, and the only thing that gets her through are her friends, and one friend, in particular, Mia, who she has a crush on. Despite a pretty rough time at school, facing bullies and daily torment, she's smart and soon manages to get away and that's when the magic begins. Skylar learns there's more to her past than meets the eye, she has a magical and mysterious family history.
What Kim does brilliantly, is character development and their natural, flowing dialogue, it always felt punchy and sharp and totally age-appropriate for the characters. Skylar is a good, strong MC and I loved the development of her relationship with Mia, which was so sweet. This ended on a high note, leaving me looking forward to the next book!
What Kim does brilliantly, is character development and their natural, flowing dialogue, it always felt punchy and sharp and totally age-appropriate for the characters. Skylar is a good, strong MC and I loved the development of her relationship with Mia, which was so sweet. This ended on a high note, leaving me looking forward to the next book!
July 6, 2021
Kim is the type of author that will complete hours upon hours of research before putting pen to paper in order for her story to find a truth to it most others wouldn't. She takes the time to introduce you to each character, especially Sky, creating a bond between her and the reader which draws you in even more. There are an array of complications, struggles and realizations throughout "Becoming" that offer an immense sense of growth in Sky, a simple teenager at first. By the end, she is a strong, determined and self sufficient character with what I'm sure will be more to offer in the next book of this series. I look forward to reading more and hope you enjoy the first of what will hopefully be many!
May 28, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
I have said it before, and I will probably say it many more times, that I am not a fan of the first-person narrative, but I have now read two such books in a row and found the stories well suited to the style.
This one, BECOMING, is the first in a series called Legend of the Last Danann and opens with a troubled, near-adult teen having strange dreams and living in a bad foster home system that gets worse for her from there.
However, her home and dreams are the least of her problems as this coming-of-age story includes bullying at school, new friendships, and an uncertain family history that unfolds to create an inexperienced heroine in the wrong place with burgeoning powers as the untested tools she needs.
I will be looking for the next book in the series with anticipation.
I have said it before, and I will probably say it many more times, that I am not a fan of the first-person narrative, but I have now read two such books in a row and found the stories well suited to the style.
This one, BECOMING, is the first in a series called Legend of the Last Danann and opens with a troubled, near-adult teen having strange dreams and living in a bad foster home system that gets worse for her from there.
However, her home and dreams are the least of her problems as this coming-of-age story includes bullying at school, new friendships, and an uncertain family history that unfolds to create an inexperienced heroine in the wrong place with burgeoning powers as the untested tools she needs.
I will be looking for the next book in the series with anticipation.
July 9, 2021
Becoming is a brilliant book, Sky's parents both died when she was younger and her grandparents refused to take her in. Sky spent years of unhappiness in different foster homes but Sky is a strong character and she attends a good school paid for by her parents and is able to get through her problems with her close friends. Sky suffers from strange dreams and the truth of who is she comes out which takes on the fantasy part of this book. I loved this book and I can highly recommend it. I received this free copy from Voracious Readers Only.
December 23, 2021
A Magical Page Turner!
I didn’t get to read many books this year, but I’m sure glad this was one of the few I made time for! First, the first-person point of view telling of this story really pulled me into Skylar’s world. The story is so well written and the dialog feels natural and believable, making the characters easy to fall in love with. Okay, but selfishly, my son’s name is Skylar and we call him Sky, so for me, that made this extra special.
If you enjoy immersive coming-of-age stories full of diverse characters and contemporary settings… oh, and lots of magic! Well, then look no further! You should get this book! Hopefully, the next in series is coming soon!
I didn’t get to read many books this year, but I’m sure glad this was one of the few I made time for! First, the first-person point of view telling of this story really pulled me into Skylar’s world. The story is so well written and the dialog feels natural and believable, making the characters easy to fall in love with. Okay, but selfishly, my son’s name is Skylar and we call him Sky, so for me, that made this extra special.
If you enjoy immersive coming-of-age stories full of diverse characters and contemporary settings… oh, and lots of magic! Well, then look no further! You should get this book! Hopefully, the next in series is coming soon!
June 23, 2021
I received a complimentary copy of Becoming from the author via Voracious Readers Only. What a fun book! I knew it had supernatural themes but Kim Campbell spent time to build the character and her backstory before slowly introducing the other worldly aspects of the story! Good strong characters and an engrossing story.
June 7, 2022
An original fantasy with powerful messages for real life.
Besides the originality of this well-written fantasy, this story is really about using whatever cards life gave you as a starting point, and then focusing on what it means for you to become, using whatever inner force you’ve been gifted. As beautifully written in the book: “We cannot control who we are. The creator made all of us a certain way and that’s what we’ve got to live with.” And then “…Focus on the path you seek or your destination will be bleak.”
The exceptional power by Skylar is elegantly and mysteriously exemplified through spiritual-like training sessions, and later on, through the introduction of the elusive evil. The story is told from the first-person point of view, and I like the way the author uses this mechanism to tell us the background and those fantasy dreams of Skylar as if we are integral parts of the scenes. And such a crucial background helps us understand what drives this character and makes her deep and round - brilliant. The first one-third part of the book is a bit slow and could be shortened, but then it becomes dynamic and engaging, which made me think the author structured it on purpose.
Connecting the ability to gain power with the use of dreams is a creative idea that would attract teens, YA and adults to read and absorb the take-home messages. Really, all you need is to widen your immigration the moment the story becomes imaginative and adventurous. Moreover, the minor characters in the imaginary different dimensional world were well crafted and easily and enjoyably followed, like in a perfect fantasy movie. The sectioning of the other world into Lower, Middle, and Upper worlds nicely connects the well-known idea that what one does and behaves in the current life may impact one in the next world, whatever it is. For all these factors, this book deserves a 5-star rating.
What are dreams if not hinting at your own psychic conditions based on your past, and perhaps dictate your destiny!? Indeed as the title of this book hints, here Skylar is BECOMING, and therefore, one has to find out what's next in the sequel.
Besides the originality of this well-written fantasy, this story is really about using whatever cards life gave you as a starting point, and then focusing on what it means for you to become, using whatever inner force you’ve been gifted. As beautifully written in the book: “We cannot control who we are. The creator made all of us a certain way and that’s what we’ve got to live with.” And then “…Focus on the path you seek or your destination will be bleak.”
The exceptional power by Skylar is elegantly and mysteriously exemplified through spiritual-like training sessions, and later on, through the introduction of the elusive evil. The story is told from the first-person point of view, and I like the way the author uses this mechanism to tell us the background and those fantasy dreams of Skylar as if we are integral parts of the scenes. And such a crucial background helps us understand what drives this character and makes her deep and round - brilliant. The first one-third part of the book is a bit slow and could be shortened, but then it becomes dynamic and engaging, which made me think the author structured it on purpose.
Connecting the ability to gain power with the use of dreams is a creative idea that would attract teens, YA and adults to read and absorb the take-home messages. Really, all you need is to widen your immigration the moment the story becomes imaginative and adventurous. Moreover, the minor characters in the imaginary different dimensional world were well crafted and easily and enjoyably followed, like in a perfect fantasy movie. The sectioning of the other world into Lower, Middle, and Upper worlds nicely connects the well-known idea that what one does and behaves in the current life may impact one in the next world, whatever it is. For all these factors, this book deserves a 5-star rating.
What are dreams if not hinting at your own psychic conditions based on your past, and perhaps dictate your destiny!? Indeed as the title of this book hints, here Skylar is BECOMING, and therefore, one has to find out what's next in the sequel.
June 29, 2021
Interesting book. It haven’t my attention from the first page.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews