The pacing for me was a little rushed towards the end but I really did enjoy Brielle as a character. I wish some of the side characters were a little more fleshed out .

This is an awesome book. I absolutely love the characters, especially Brielle. She is very intriguing and I can’t wait to see what happens to her character in the sequel.

"Tapped by legacy" is an electrifying young adult novel that seamlessly blends elements of science fiction, mystery, and coming-of-age drama. Author [insert author's name] takes readers on a thrilling journey through the eyes of Brielle, a brilliant science prodigy navigating her freshman year at Arceneaux Way University.

The vividly depicted university, with its futuristic technology and vibrant social scene, serves as the backdrop for a captivating plot that unfolds at a breakneck pace. Brielle's personal quest to uncover the truth behind her birth mother's mysterious death intertwines with her academic pursuits, friendships, and budding romance, creating a multidimensional narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

The author skillfully weaves together themes of identity, family secrets, and the pursuit of knowledge within a society that holds its own enigmatic secrets. As Brielle delves deeper into the investigation, she finds herself entangled with the enigmatic W.X Society, a clandestine organization linked to her mother's past. The initiation games she must undergo add an additional layer of tension and danger, raising the stakes and keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

One of the strengths of this novel is the diverse and well-developed cast of characters, each with their own unique voice and contribution to the story. Brielle's journey of self-discovery and her growth as a protagonist are beautifully portrayed, as she grapples with the weight of her newfound responsibilities and the risks involved in seeking the truth.
It is a page-turner that seamlessly combines sci-fi elements with relatable themes, making it a must-read for fans of suspenseful mysteries and futuristic settings. With its engaging plot, rich world-building, and a strong, dynamic protagonist, this novel delivers an exhilarating reading experience that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series.

This book honestly had such a promising premise but I really struggled to finish this and was close to DNF-ing.

The characters had no development and was pretty flat from start to finish. The main character was supposed to be smart but she keeps making wrong choices that just dragged the plot down. I also didn’t care very much for the other characters mainly because there is so much going on and so much to follow that I don’t get to know the characters.

There were also alot of repetition amidst the already choppy writing which made it even more of a chore to read. Overall, I didn’t enjoy this one and would probably pass on the sequel as well.

Thank you Netgalley and Brittaney Barfield for the arc.

⭐⭐ -- I adore the cover on this book.

I had high hopes for this one. The cover caught my eye. The synopsis peaked my interest. I was excited to dive in. Alas, it feel way short of my expectations. The writing wasn't great. It was very amateurish and repetitive (Girl this, and Girl that). The world building was non existent. Considering this appears to be a first book in a series a good portion of it should have been dedicated to setting the stage. In depth descriptions of the school. It's history. Teachers. Students, the secret society. At the end of this book I still know next to nothing about any of that. I'll just leave it at that, and hope as this is this author's debut (?) that things improve going forward.

**ARC Via Netgalley**

I tried to read this book a month ago and I had to put it down and since then, I haven’t been able to put it back up and get it into it. To me this book was a little boring. It wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be. It was and ok story it just wasn’t interesting enough for me to stay committed to finishing it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hmmm, not sure what to think of this. I kind of enjoyed the beginning. The mystery of what happened to Brielle's mom and what was going on with the secret societies was intriguing, though I didn't always connect with the writing.

But I didn't really like how everything played out. The last fourth or so of the book felt way too rushed, and I'm not entirely sure I understand what happened.

I also really didn't like how one-dimensionally evil the "bad guys" ended up being. I kept expecting there to be some reveal of nuance, but that never came. This was set up well for a second book, so maybe more depth with be added to the villainy in future books, but I personally don't think I'll be continuing the series.

2.5

I was attracted by the gorgeous cover and the blurb. Unfortunately I didn't care for the characters and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I have read a lot of good self published books. Unfortunately, this was not one of them. And it bites because I really wanted to like this book. The premise was great but it wasn’t able to be carried through.

The characters were flat. The main character is supposed to be smart but makes decisions that show she’s lacking at least a little critical thinking skills. Also her relationship with her friend and roomie? That’s not her friend. The way she thinks about her, the things she judges her for, nah, they are not friends.

Example: her roomie is interested in the ghost story surrounding one of the buildings on campus. All ghost stories are morbid. When our MC Brielle hears her talk about how it interests her, she literally sees her in a new light over it.

Over being interested in a ghost story on the campus where they go to school.

It’s giving high and mighty.

Now, we’ve also got the writing. And it’s just mediocre at best. It’s weak, we’re told more than shown things. The pacing was a mess and the secret society thing just wasn’t done well. The entire thing was like reading something that needed to be edited a few more times with a focus on tightening up the writing and adding more detail instead of what we’ve got.

Also character voice. I don’t have a problem with AAVE being used in books by Black authors. It’s nice to actually see my people and the way we talk represented. But there was something about this. About the way it was the only way one of the girls talked. Also, that girl is just bossy and annoying. That might actually be my biggest issue with her as I think about it.

Either way, the book needs work. The worldbuilding wasn’t there either. We get told there’s advanced tech here but we only see it a few times. It’s like a throwaway. I can’t really recommend this to anyone. Maybe the author’s next book will be better but I’m not incline to read it when it comes out.

I’m giving this a one (1) star. Sorry to the author.

I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to them and the publisher.

I would like to thank Brittaney Barfield and NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for writing an honest review!

Unfortunately, I DNFed the book at @10%. 

I did not like the characters or the writing style. I feel like this book is more directed to the new generation and the younger audience (even though I am literally in my early 20s). I couldn't force myself into reading more because it wasn't something I enjoyed reading. I feel so deceived by the book cover and I am very disappointed. 

I know some people enjoyed this book but sadly, this book isn't made for me.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Oh my. I'm screaming while jumping up and down in my room.
This is just SO GOOD!!!

I really really wanted to love this book, and was so happy to get the arc, but it didn't totally work for me. Still, I think this book has a storyline worth exploring.

I'll list what I liked first:

- Brielle, she's the most developed character and can be smart on occasion. Like when she's threatened, there are scenes where she asks/accepts help from other characters and doesn't fall into the "I'm the main character so I must do everything myself" mentality.

- The diversity, everyone is black, we love to see it.

- The plot, to an extent, is entertaining, and to its credit I only guessed one major reveal, everything else was unexpected.

- The length (both liked and disliked this, I'll come back to it later), I like that it's on the shorter side and as a bonus it's very fast paced so you can get through it in no time.

- The spider scene was very funny, and in general Tapped By Legacy had some really funny moments.

Now what I disliked:

- As much as Brielle was developed, the other characters weren't which made it hard to care for them. The pacing (and length) are partially why, I think.

Because this book is very chaotic (sometimes in a good way, sometimes not) and so, so many things are going on, that we simply don't have time to get to know any of the characters.

- It's very repetitive, this one thing that I won't spoil keeps happening to Brielle and her friends over and over, it's like that's all this Secret Society does.

- The writing felt a bit juvenile, and this whole book did too, really. I think someone who's on the younger end of the ya spectrum would like this a lot more and I'd even recommend it to them.

Would I read the sequel, if there is one? I think so, especially since there's always room for improvement. So who knows, maybe the next book would be more fleshed out.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and Brittany Barfield for the access to an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I should start my review by saying that I unfortunately DNFed this book at around 15%. I did give this book a chance to progress and get me immersed into its story but sadly the contrary happened. I requested the book because if it’s great cover and interesting summary nur was sadly disappointed.
The reading style ist just very odd (and don’t get me wrong I do like ya) it just felt forced and repetitive and overall just not good to me.
The characters (from what I read) were also quite one-dimensional and I found the main character to be not loveable at all. And the love interest introduced unfortunately also seemed very forced to me.
I can imagine some readers still enjoying this book for what it is to some extent, but this book was definitely not for me.

ARC courtesy of Brittaney Barfield via NetGalley

Rating: 3/5⭐️

Freshman college student, Brielle, has started her college career at the HBCU Arceneaux Way University, a high-tech campus filled with holograms and mind blowing technology. Much like her late birth mother, who also attended the same school, Brielle is the best of the best. When she’s invited to join the same secret society her birth mother was once a member of, Brielle jumps at the chance to join with the hopes of learning more about her mom, and the mystery surrounding her death. What Brielle learns is that the initiation games aren’t the only thing out to get her.

I had really high hopes for this book. Since I work at a college, I was really excited to read something that takes place at an HBCU. Sadly, I found the characters to be mostly flat, except for Brielle. I really loved her character. The last initiation game was a let down. The other two were so intense that it made me excited to see what the last one could possibly be. But then it was just meh. If I were the author, I would have switched the first and the last games. The plot was great, but predictable. At times, it almost felt like so much was going on that the author didn’t have time to fully develop all of the storylines she wanted to. With this being book one, I would be interested in reading the second to see if there’s any improvement to the series. But it’s not something I’ll be running to the shelves for, unfortunately.

Huge thanks to Brittaney Barfield and NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for a review! I was especially happy that my first ARC took place at an HBCU.

Unfortunately, this didn't work for me.

The plot felt rushed and the characters, while interesting, also came off as poorly developed. There were elements of the setting and twists that could have benefitted from more explanation, and the pop culture references fell flat.

I really wanted to love this, and I think the premise could make for a great story. However, this needed to be longer, and the plot and character elements could have used some deeper exploration. The plot twist at the end especially did not make sense, and there were a lot of loose ends (not in a cliffhanger way) in the conclusion.

Unfortunately, It read life a draft.

I am so sad to give this book a one star. I had to DNF due to the writing style. I absolutely adored the premise, the setting, and the all black cast of characters (it's so rare and I am dying for more of this aspect).

"Eighteen-year-old science genius and college freshman Brielle attends the illustrious Arceneaux Way University, an illustrious HBCU. The high-tech school with holograms, state-of-the-art hangout spots, and the dopest events - not to mention, the finest guys-happens to be where her birth mother died under mysterious circumstances. There's been no time to investigate, not while her twerk-loving roomie insists she party. So when her crush invites her to a kickback, she agrees. But her romantic night is interrupted by a hospital patient on the loose spewing out sticky black goo, taken away and never seen again.

Soon she's on a quest to learn about the strange substance. But the more she learns, the more she's watched...and then tapped for the W.X Society - a secret organization for Black elite somehow connected to her mother. Brielle must join them to uncover the truth, but not before facing a series of deadly initiation games. Is finding out the truth worth risking her own life?"

Sometimes the truth is worth your life. Sometimes.

Although the plot is good, there was not much else that I enjoyed.
Rylee was an annoying character, there were way to many mistakes in the book (names changes halfway through the page, using I say when someone else is talking, forgetting a lot of “).
So many repetitive words.

For me 3 stars, but I can see a younger reader giving at least a 4 star rating. Brielle is following her mothers legacy and path enrolling at high tech Arceneaux University trying to find out about her and how she died. There she finds adventure, excitement and danger as she settles into University life, along with many secrets which may point to what happened to her mum. This book finishes part way through Brielle’s story Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

My very first book in the Dark Academia genre. Unfortunately, for me this book was just okay, I wanted more and I expected more of the author.
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I just feel like the mystery was undeveloped, I was disappointed reading it.
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But, the book was still okay and readable unfortunately, it was not enough.
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Since this book was the first of the author, I'll definitely try another of her and the second in the series because I'm still very curious about what happened to her mother and the W.X society.
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Although this book, had some holes, it's still okay and it kept me turning the pages, I just wanted more. I'd say you can still read it, it might be more to your liking than mine