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The Legacy (Wynter Chelsea #1)

by Becca Ritchie (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 33 ratings · 17 reviews

Amanda Chelsea vies to be a part of the Wynter Chelsea legacy where she'll fight the supernatural alongside the only two families that know of their existence. When the parents of both families go missing, Amanda is thrown into a world that she's not ready for. Hunting with her older brother and her best friend, she learns that the only thing harder than killing the supern...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published October 19th 2008 by Outskirts Press (first published October 18th 2008)

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Nov 24, 2011 Ivy added it · review of another edition

Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy by Becca Michelle Ritchie is an interesting read. At times I find myself wanting to put this book down, however, I picked it right back up.

This book is really interesting with a very old legend about the Wynter and Chelsea’s family. I find it intriguing to learn about their families’ legacy and what they do for a living. The way that the legacy and the story is described, it makes me feel like I know what exactly is happening and that I am part of the story too.

I kind...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Krista (NawandaFiles) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, original, addicting, 2008, kick-butt-females, swoon-worthy-boys

Wynter Chelsea was a fast-paced action-packed adventure. I was so invested in these characters and these families that I forgot about the demons and the paranormal elements in the book. At it's core, this book is about family...dysfunctional yes, but family nonetheless.

The romance between Amanda and Dustin isn't forced, which is the best kind. It feels real, which is very hard to come by with so many insta-love romances running around in the ya book world. In short...it was refreshing.

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Nov 26, 2011 Ivy rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Mar 23, 2011 Missy (Missy's Reads & Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I went into this book pretty much on blind faith because of the lack of reviews online, but I couldn't really say no when (1) the synopsis of the book was so intriguing, and (2) the author was so courteous and sweet. After reading the book, I was glad I decided to go with it.

This book was completely amazing. There's action from the very beginning and it doesn't let up until the very end. There's demons and other creatures around every bend, each different yet just as evil as the last. When the a...more I went into this book pretty much on blind faith because of the lack of reviews online, but I couldn't really say no when (1) the synopsis of the book was so intriguing, and (2) the author was so courteous and sweet. After reading the book, I was glad I decided to go with it.

This book was completely amazing. There's action from the very beginning and it doesn't let up until the very end. There's demons and other creatures around every bend, each different yet just as evil as the last. When the action lulls, you're still completely swept away learning about Amanda, her family, friends and the history of the Wynters and Chelseas. Throughout the entire story is the mystery behind the disappearance of the parents, which is never strayed from in any way. There's also a bit of a romantic interest sprinkled in there as well.

Every once in a while, I would get a little frustrated with Amanda and her choices. They seemed a little irrational to me. But as I was reading and saw the way she was raised and treated, I eventually came around to understanding why she reacts that way that she does. I can't say that I wouldn't do the exact same things if I was in her place. Her relationship with Dustin makes my heart swell so much. Both Amanda and Dustin love each other completely, depending on one another as much as they consider one another when making decisions. They complement each other perfectly. As a matter of fact, I think all four of the kids are very complementary of one another - though not as much as Amanda and Dustin. Jack is definitely the big brother type that has to juggle that with being a leader as well. Sometimes he struggles doing both at the same time, but his decisions are definitely leader-worthy. And Trevor is just ... Trevor. He's definitely the jokester, but can be more serious if the situation calls for it. I think he was one of my favorite characters, aside from the two leads. You don't see much of the parents, but you can feel their presence throughout in different ways.

I honestly can't tell you whether I thought this book was more character- or plot-driven when you have so much of both. "Chock full" doesn't even begin to describe how much action, history and intrigue there is in this book. Yet, it doesn't feel overwhelming at all. Becca did an incredible job at writing the story. You never feel frustrated by everything crammed into the book, nor do you feel confused because everything is explained in its own time in the book. I think the part that blows my mind the most is the age Becca was when she wrote this -- fourteen. Incredible, right?

This is a book that has flown under the radar for long enough. It's one of the most highly recommended YA paranormal books that I've read this year. Once you finish, you'll want more... and thankfully you won't have to wait because Wynter Chelsea: The Sublimity is already out and available for purchase!

- Originally Posted @ Missy's Reads & Reviews (less)

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Mar 07, 2011 Ellz Readz rated it 4 of 5 stars

My thoughts...Welcome to an original world complete with paranormal creatures, magical powers, and magical legends.

In this first book in the series, we meet some interesting characters. First, we get to know the heroine Amanda. Initally, readers experience her frustration. She is treated by her family like a porcelian doll, incapable of making decisions, or defending herself. This causes her to make some decisions that seem irrational and wreckless. Amanda posseses the gift of empathy and she o...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, paranormal, for-review, read-in-2011

3.5

Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy is one of those stories that are jam-packed with everything a reader could possibly want. There’s do-or-die action, some mystery involving a legacy and some odd tattoos, unique characters with powers, followed by an interesting plot, and even a little romance thrown in. Becca Ritchie’s take on the paranormal is refreshing. The legacy involving these two families – the Wynter’s and the Chelsea’s – is complex and shrouded in lies. The youngest generation of both famil...more 3.5

Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy is one of those stories that are jam-packed with everything a reader could possibly want. There’s do-or-die action, some mystery involving a legacy and some odd tattoos, unique characters with powers, followed by an interesting plot, and even a little romance thrown in. Becca Ritchie’s take on the paranormal is refreshing. The legacy involving these two families – the Wynter’s and the Chelsea’s – is complex and shrouded in lies. The youngest generation of both families don’t even understand their place in all of it. They think they do, but slowly, we realize they don’t.

Jack and Amanda Chelsea, with Dustin and Trevor Wynter, make up this group of rowdy young adults who yearn for a fight. Amanda is the main character of the story and while initially she’s very easy to like and understand, she can be a bit melodramatic; and for all her complaining about being considered weak, she doesn’t do much to disprove it. I was hoping for some huge show of her badassery, but it never happened. I did enjoy seeing how her empathic powers tied in closely to Dustin’s telepathy though.

Jack, Dustin, and Trevor are so different from one another and that’s a good thing, but most of the time, I could not stand Jack. He’s controlling and selfish and very destructive. He has very few, if any, redeeming qualities. On the plus side, Trevor is a riot. And Dustin’s a good guy for the most part. The slow reveal about the legacy is well done too. Each tidbit of information is punctuated with a killer action scene. And the romance feels very authentic and isn’t instant. I wanted to scream at Amanda that ‘the hot boy wants you, even if he won’t admit it!’ because she was not seeing it.

Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy is a thrill ride from first page to last. Ritchie’s storytelling is very well paced and while not all of the characters are all that desirous, their downfalls lend to the story. The book is self-published, so there are some grammatical issues, but it didn’t really take anything away from the story. My biggest problem was Amanda’s somewhat repetitive internal speech monologues at the ends of each chapter. Aside from that, the book was more than I had imagined and each small reveal left me eager for more. I’m so ready to pick up the sequel now.

Opening lines: Our family legacy is very simple. We hunt, kill, and destroy. ~ pg. 1

Favorite lines: “Fu-“ I tried again, but Dustin put his hand over my mouth.

“I think she was going to say something nice to me this time,” Trevor bantered. “Like funny Trevor or fun in the sun.” ~ pg. 268(less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons, magical, paranormal, ya

GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Paranormal/Legend
RECEIVED: Review Request for Book Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy is a young adult novel that tells an interesting tale about two families. I did really enjoy the beginning but as I went on it was very repetitive but I needed to know what would happen next.

Two families exists called the Wynter’s and Chelsea’s, they both pass down generation to generation a unique life of hunting harmful paranormal creatures. But...more GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Paranormal/Legend
RECEIVED: Review Request for Book Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy is a young adult novel that tells an interesting tale about two families. I did really enjoy the beginning but as I went on it was very repetitive but I needed to know what would happen next.

Two families exists called the Wynter’s and Chelsea’s, they both pass down generation to generation a unique life of hunting harmful paranormal creatures. But the legend of their family takes a twist when the latest generation having unusual abilities. I really got into the families legacy and felt it was the strongest pull in this novel.

Amanda is the only girl in the two families and treated as if she’s fragile which she despises. Her brother and their two best friends Dustin and Trevor are overprotective her and very good at hunting with their fathers. But when something goes wrong and their parents go missing the four young adults head off to track their parents and the being that has taken them.

My biggest issue with the story was the love-hate relationship between Amanda and Dustin, her best friend. They have been side by side helping each other deal with their gifts but I felt I was thrown back and forth and side to side with what their relationship is or suppose to be. With the addition of Amanda being on the whiny side, it was tough to keep up with. Overall I want them together, I like the chemistry and how Dustin seems to be the only person who understands her.

Trevor and Jack, are great counterparts for Dustin and Amanda. They add comedic aspect and seriousness to the story line that keeps what the novel is about on the right path.

Wynter Chelsea is a novel about discovering the truth and taking the right path. The darkness that surrounds them is strong but together that can fight back. Amanda is the lead; she has a strong demeanor and determination to show she can as strong as the boys. Overall is a great start with lots of information and interesting surprises that build through out the story.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult fantasy novel that’s fits it the paranormal and mythology categories. Fans of Sharde Rochardson’s Watched and P.T. Michelle’s Brightest Kind of Darkness will enjoy this young adult novel.
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Mar 26, 2011 Melissa (i swim for oceans) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Amanda is the only girl in a legacy of demon hunters, two families destined to fight the dark forces in the world. She's consistently trying to prove to herself and to others that she is every bit a part of her family's history as her brother, but it almost seems to bring her further from that. But the forces of darkness are always there, and Amanda seems to be fighting both inside and out, and as much as she wants to fight and be someone, she's got a lot to live up to. Some of what the Wynter a...more Amanda is the only girl in a legacy of demon hunters, two families destined to fight the dark forces in the world. She's consistently trying to prove to herself and to others that she is every bit a part of her family's history as her brother, but it almost seems to bring her further from that. But the forces of darkness are always there, and Amanda seems to be fighting both inside and out, and as much as she wants to fight and be someone, she's got a lot to live up to. Some of what the Wynter and Chelsea families need to live up to is hidden in lies and mystery, and those mysteries are potentially and probably very dangerous.

Some people are born to be writers. Author Becca Ritchie, wrote Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy when she was just 14 years old. Cohesive, action-packed and with a touch of romance that defies the norm of YA fiction (read: this is NOT insta-love), Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy is a little bit of everything that makes the paranormal genre great. The full cast of characters complemented one another well, and each had specific character traits that set them apart from one another. Most of all though, each action had an equal and worthy reaction. If that doesn't equate to what a book should be, then colour me crazy.

The best part of the book was the background and history of the Wynter and Chelsea families. The younger generation of the demon hunting families which included Amanda, Jack, Dustin and Trevor was dynamic and engaging. Jack was a bit of a force to be reckoned with for me. He had a definite mean streak, and his emotions were so off-kilter that it kept the story moving, even when the battles lulled. Amanda, though I desperately wanted her to be a badass in Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy, fell a bit flat for me though, to be honest. Her internal monologues were a bit taxing, and while her power was awesome and really heightened her potential with Dustin, she whined a lot. I get why she did, but I wish she would be less talk and more action, if that makes sense. Either way, the non-stop plot made up for it.

All in all, Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy was a great supernatural read that kept me hooked from page one to the very end. I give it a very strong 4 out of 5, and I recommend it to all YA fans, especially those who enjoy paranormal stories. It's especially great for those fans of shows like Supernatural because, hey, we can never get enough hunters, right?

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.(less)

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Aug 18, 2011 Candace rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was definitely a book that sucks you in and brings out the emotions full force! It was a creative take on a supernatural story with many unique ideas. I like that the author wasn't afraid to create something new. What is hard for an author is making it believable. Yeah, we may know that these creatures aren't real, but an author needs to be able to convince us that it is real. And while I may have thought a few things far fetched for the most part I was sucked into the story enough that I c...more This was definitely a book that sucks you in and brings out the emotions full force! It was a creative take on a supernatural story with many unique ideas. I like that the author wasn't afraid to create something new. What is hard for an author is making it believable. Yeah, we may know that these creatures aren't real, but an author needs to be able to convince us that it is real. And while I may have thought a few things far fetched for the most part I was sucked into the story enough that I could go along with her ideas and the way this world was.

I liked Amanda, the main character, most of the time and I think I connected with her well enough through the majority of the story. There were a few things that irritated me though. She was a bit angsty. I mean, she had reason to be angsty, but I think she overdid it a bit. And at a certain point near the end of the book she just went a bit too far and that made me angry. I think I wasn't quite connecting with why she was feeling those extremes, but she's an empath, so she's feeling everyones feelings around her. So maybe I was just having a hard time understanding how hard it really was.

The boys in her life, her brother Jack, and their 'friends' Dustin and Trevor are interesting enough characters but I didn't really like Jack and Trevor. Jack was too full of anger and Trevor just didn't really have much compassion in him. And while he was the funny guy I just wasn't feeling him. But Dustin, I really liked him and liked the connection that him and Amanda have.

The parents weren't really around enough to like or dislike them but I can say I did NOT like Killian (the father of Dustin and Trevor). He's one person that really got my blood boiling. He was suppose to be that way, that was his character, and the author did a fabulous job getting me riled!

The story line was great and kept me pulled in and the overall feel of the book, even with the negative things that bothered me, was that I really liked it. Becca wrote this as a teen and she certainly did a fabulous job. I look forward to reading the next one, The Sublimity.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

This review was first posted on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com (less)

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Nov 17, 2011 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Why I read the book: I was sent an invitation to be on the blog tour and the description intrigued me.

What I liked: The concept of two families that have through generations fought the good fight against evil. I liked the secrecy of what they do being kept from the rest of the world. Having them live closely together, the 4 children growing up together felt like a family unit. It reminded me of the tv show Supernatural, but with more kids…and two families. I liked the uniqueness of one of the ma...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Chelseas and the Wynters are the last line of defense between humans and the paranormal creatures that roam the world seeking to overrun it. From the beginning of time, there have always been Wynters and Chelseas fighting against the evil forces in the world. But something is different in this generation. For the first time, a girl has been born to the Chelsea family. Amanda Chelsea. And this changes the game for everyone.

Amanda may be a Chelsea, but she's not allowed to be part of the legac...more

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Oct 12, 2011 The BookWhisperer rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Wynter’s and Chelsea’s are a long line of hunters that protected the world from the danger lurking in the shadows. Although, this generation is very different from those before them. Amanda, Jack, Dustin, and Trevor are trying to live as normal a life as possible; for four young adults with special powers. Amanda leads readers through this story from her perspective. Being the only girl she has lived a life of abandonment when the boys were trained skills to carry out their legacies. It is a...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Christy (TheReaderBee) added it

Shelves: read-in-2011, ya-series

The world Becca Ritchie created in Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy is filled with action, suspense, paranormal creatures, and a little bit of romance. She wrote this book when she was just fourteen, and I have to say, she did a pretty amazing job with it!

The characters are well thought out and written. The heroine, Amanda, is very interesting. She wants to be a demon hunter like the rest of the people in her family, but they won’t let her fight. All her family wants to do is keep her locked away, saf...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

An impressive debut from a young, talented author. Wynter Chelsea is full of action, mysteries, and just the right amount of humor. Becca Ritchie creates a vivid world where supernatural beings live in fear of the Wynters and the Chelseas. Two families whose legacy it is to destroy these creatures of the night. There has never been a female born into this legacy. That is, until now. Amanda has lived her whole life feeling left out because she's a girl and her family doesn't want her to fight. Li...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed, own

This book follows The Wynters and The Chelseas and how they kill all kinds of creatures. Amanda is the only girl of the four children. The three boys are Jack, Dustin, and Trevor. Amanda is protected and not allowed to fight. When the parents disappear the four of them go on a journey using their powers and their instincts to find them. The trip also uncovers a long hidden affection between Dustin and Amanda. Thet also find the hidden secrets that their parents have kept from them and the reason...more

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Dec 21, 2008 Dinogirl12495 added it

omg!!!! such a good book!!!!
it has romance drama and FIGHTING!!!!!! may be a tad bit ......bloody bruising dislocating of body parts colapsing celings & not survivin........my kind of book!!....lol :D

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Jul 02, 2011 Nickey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, ya-urban-fantasy

Amazing, loving this! Can't wait to get started on the 2nd book!
Full review to come

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About Becca Ritchie

Becca Ritchie is a carnivore of pop culture, television, film and of course YA and NA books. While in college, she worked at The CW television network affiliate in Atlanta and put her vampiric knowledge to good use, blogging about hit series and swooning over actors’ abs. When she’s not blogging, she writes novels and has teamed up with her twin sister. Their New Adult novel ADDICTED TO YOU comes...more

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