Legend by Marie Lu
So you’ve read the Hunger
Games series in a day, watched the movie a thousand times and braid your hair
on the regular to emulate the fierce Katniss Everdeen but it still isn’t
enough? You are shaking and craving yet another dystopian novel. Get your fix
with Legend by Marie Lu.
I, like every other
person on earth, loved the Hunger Games and I, like everyone else on earth, have
fallen in love with dystopian fiction. Give me a world crumbling and I am
there. This is Marie Lu’s debut novel and she has created a phenomenal world
that will envelop you.
One hundred years
into the future, the United States has been split into two warring nations: the
Colonies and the Republic. Natural disasters have ravaged the landscape,
biological warfare is creating plagues that are diminishing the population, and
the Republic’s biggest hero is a fifteen year old girl named June. June is,
indeed, a legend. Though she is young, she is top of her class, rich,
intelligent, and (of course) beautiful. Her brother, Metias, is a high ranking
solider with a heart of gold. That is until his heart stops beating because of
murder (supposedly) in cold blood by the Republic’s most notorious criminals:
Day. Day is from the poorest sector of the Republic and has suffered greatly at
the regime of his government. His father has been killed and now his youngest
brother is suffering from the latest mutation of deadly plague. He is a Robin
Hood like figure, stealing and gambling with the rich to give back to the poor.
And he is, of course, very good looking and a total flirt. He also, did not
actually kill June’s brother.
What I enjoyed about
this book was the alternating first person point of view: one chapter by the
fiercely intelligent June and the next by the witty and charming Day. Both of
these characters have distinct voices and undeniable chemistry. I love
the action, adventure, espionage, betrayal, and romance in this story. However,
if you are looking for anything groundbreaking in terms of dystopian young
adult novels, you are sniffing the wrong book. Though this book doesn’t hold
the originality of Hunger Games or Divergent, it is still worth a read. Frankly, it’s worth reading so you can read
the sequel Prodigy. It’s even more
kickin’ than this one.
Special note: Legend was inspired by Les Miserables! After reading that fact,
you can clearly see the connections. Day is the hot teenage version of Jean
Valjean and June a teenage female version of Javert. Can they please write a
scene in with the two of them singing “Confrontation”?
Even more special:
Marie Lu’s website has her original art work and sketches of her characters. It
also has great games and playlists she personally made for each book. Awesome!
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