Published: 2022
Author: Abdi Nazemian
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Queer, Romance, Fiction, Dark Academia, Mystery, Mental Health
Audience (Grade Levels): High School; Grades 9-12
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: The Chandler Legacies
Triggers: Bullying, hazing, culture of abuse, homophobic persecution, anxiety, trichotillomania, trauma
Review By: Nicole Nicosia
Publisher’s Summary
From the Stonewall Honor–winning author of Like a Love Story comes a revelatory novel about the enclosed world of privilege and silence at an elite boarding school and the unlikely group of friends who dare to challenge the status quo through their writing. Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart, Kathleen Glasgow, and Jandy Nelson, with crossover appeal for readers of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History and Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep.
Beth Kramer is a “townie” who returns to her sophomore year after having endured a year of tension with her roommate, Sarah.
But Sarah Brunson knows there’s more to that story.
Amanda Priya “Spence” Spencer is the privileged daughter of NYC elites, who is reeling from the realization that her family name shielded her from the same fate as Sarah.
Ramin Golafshar arrives at Chandler as a transfer student to escape the dangers of being gay in Iran, only to suffer brutal hazing under the guise of tradition in the boys’ dorms.
And Freddy Bello is the senior who’s no longer sure of his future but knows he has to stand up to his friends after what happened to Ramin.
At Chandler, the elite boarding school, these five teens are brought together in the Circle, a coveted writing group where life-changing friendships are born—and secrets are revealed. Their professor tells them to write their truths. But is the truth enough to change the long-standing culture of abuse at Chandler? And can their friendship survive the fallout?
Review
The Chandler Legacies is a boarding school story set in a fictional Connecticut town in 1999. The story is told in alternating first person point of view following Beth Kramer, a townie who attends Chandler on scholarship, lives with anxiety and trichotillomania (a condition sparked by her severe anxiety – she pulls out her hair one strand at a time); Indian American Amanda “Spence” Spencer who has a passion for acting; Ramin Golafshar recently immigrated from Iran to escape homophobic persecution and possible death, only to be targeted by bigoted classmates; high-achieving Sarah Brunson who is still traumatized by her mother’s cancer, now in remission; and Brazilian Cuban American Frederico “Freddy” Bello isn’t sure he wants to continue pursuing a future as an Olympic level pole vaulter. Beth and Sarah had shared a room during their freshman year, and that experience adds complexity and conflict to the story. All five students are selected to participate in the elite writing group “The Circle” where their professor encourages them to speak truths in their writing, and to get to know one another – they have to spend time together often and share their writing with one another. Through writing and socializing with one another, the characters reveal who they are, find out deep secrets – these revelations also reveal bullying, hazing and a dark legacy that has gone on at Chandler. The characters are able to establish their own legacy during their time in the Circle that also reveals who they really are – thoughtful and compassionate human beings who are able to make change and create their own destiny.
The Chandler Legacies is one of the most thoughtful boarding school novels I have read in a long time, and as thought provoking as Looking for Alaska by John Green. I was able to devour this YA novel in one day, as the story is compulsively readable with well-drawn, realistic characters who all carry personal trauma, concerns and hope for the future. This is on my Best of 2022 Young Adult Novels list. I consider this a must read, and will be purchasing this book for our school library. I loved the cast of characters, and feel that readers will relate to one or another. Although I found the characters diverse, I did not feel as though they were stereotypical caricatures – rather thoughtfully created people – teens may find themselves in the story. The story perfectly depicts how teenagers can come together to achieve their goals, find themselves, solve problems and effect change for their world while developing meaningful communication in relationships with one another.
Classroom & Curricular Connections
- ELA / Creative Writing & Voice: The novel offers a superb look at alternating first-person perspectives and serves as a mentor text on how creative writing (“The Circle”) can be used as a medium for teenagers to process trauma, speak truth to power, and find their unique voices.
- Social Studies / Modern History & Class Structures: Excellent for analyzing the social hierarchies, elitism, and institutional privileges of American boarding schools at the turn of the millennium (1999), as well as global perspectives like the realities of asylum seeking and homophobic persecution in late 90s Iran.
- SEL (Social-Emotional Learning): Connects heavily to lessons on navigating severe anxiety, coping with mental health conditions like trichotillomania, confronting institutional bullying or hazing, and dismantling cultures of silence through compassionate communication.
Diversity & Representation
The Chandler Legacies shines brightly in its intersectional representation. It features a beautifully diverse, non-stereotypical cast including an Iranian immigrant fleeing homophobic violence, an Indian American teen, a Brazilian Cuban American athlete, and a scholarship student navigating mental health challenges and class divides. The characters are written as layered, realistic human beings rather than caricatures, allowing teens to see their true lives reflected on the page.
Readalikes
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
- Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyámídé
