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Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite
Legend in La La Land by Jesse Reiss is a unique urban fantasy that dips in and out of time, weaving through different characters. Angelina never could have predicted that when she encountered an owl, it would lead her on a journey that would unlock knowledge and shake up her life. The California Live Oak draws the eye with its beauty, but the knowledge within its rings makes it truly special. Holding the record as the oldest living thing in the city, the tree has a collection of souls it has obtained as it saw the incredible change that has grown Los Angeles into a bustling metropolis. The history surrounding the tree comes to life and pulls Angelina into the middle of a dangerous adventure. Hollywood Hills sets the tone of a modern-day setting. This is a unique way to show how much the city and the area have changed over time by giving you different points to compare.
Angelina is the catalyst that brings out the fantasy elements as the owl chooses her to engage with the knowledge of the tree. She’s a realistic character who turns to her mother for support and guidance as she wraps her mind around what she has learned. As you’re working through this knowledge, you watch as her life shifts into danger and adventure, especially when a coin garners the wrong type of attention. This creates a nice amount of suspense that works well with the forays into the past and never feels out of place. The past scenes take you back to different periods, including two friends in 1942 and a young woman in 1967. Each scene is set during a poignant or horrific time in history, using the perspective of characters to explore various themes, hardships, and dreams. This includes war, exploration, and the Gold Rush. By using these characters, Jesse Reiss shows the humanity in history, which enables you to understand it differently. Legend in La La Land integrates everything with each thread intricately pulling together moments from the past and the adventure of the present to create an engaging foray throughout time.
