Legend

Legend by Marie Lu Steph’s Rating: 5 stars Dani’s Rating: 5 stars Overall Rating: 5 stars Steph’s Thoughts: Legend is a somewhat typical, cliche dystopian novel, but somehow Marie Lu was able to get it across in a way that just makes it deserve every one of these 5 stars! Usually I’m not a fan of cliche stories, but I found Legend very engrossing. Lu’s writing creates a distinct air of suspense and forebodement, and I could not put this book down! While I say Legend is cliche, I really mean its plot does not have the most original ideas. It has your typical secretive society that is trying to brainwash its citizens into thinking that it is the best and ultimate nation. There is a class system, and the law isn’t just or fair. The aristocrats get everything, and the poor get dirt. In Legend, this state is called the Republic, or the west side of the former U.S.(which had split into the Republic and the Colonies after an environmental disaster) The Republic is at war with the Colonies, and much like the government in 1984, they seem to be in perpetual war with their neighbors. What made this book stand out to me were the stellar characters, and their dual POV’s from two flip sides of the Republic: June and Day. The near-nobility, and the criminal. From completely different worlds and situations, these two are thrown together and must uncover the truth of the Republic that has deceived not only them, but everyone. June is a prodigy, a girl who is in a prestigious college at just 15 years old. She’s the only one who has ever got a perfect score on the Republic’s Trial, the test given to sort you into a class. She’s smarter than anyone in her age group, and excels even beyond her upperclassman. Her life is set: she will be an officer in the military, where all intelligent people go. Another one of those strong heroines who don’t need to depend on anyone to get things accomplished. Day is the most wanted criminal in the Republic. He failed his Trial, but is a prodigy in his own way at the same time: he’s never been caught, and nobody knows what he looks like. He steals, but his motives aren’t as bad as you may think. He’s from the slums, and money means the world to him. I think I need to dedicate another paragraph to Day. I love him, like seriously. He earned a spot on my boyfriend list. He is just 100% H-O-T. While the Republic calls him a terrible person, he’s actually funny and flirtatious. I was all giggly while reading his POV’s! When Day is framed for killing June’s brother Metias, the two who were really never supposed to meet or even have contact with each other suddenly find each other in a mad and desperate chase. June swears that she will get revenge for her brother, but she doesn’t know the truth. She realizes the Republic might not have been so forthcoming, and with an uneasy alliance with Day, they must find out what the Republic has been hiding the whole time. While it is a little predictable on what the Republics hidden secrets are, it was great to see June and Day find out for themselves because it was like a splash of water surprise moment that I just truly enjoyed reading. I love both of the character voices. They are two completely different perspectives of the same world, and I loved how the reader knew what was coming up when the characters themselves didn’t. It created a very good sense of foreshadowing and I found myself reading Legend deep into the night, because I just had to make sure everything was going to be okay! I was so nervous the entire time because June and Day both got a soft spot in me and I just didn’t want anything bad to happen to either of them while they were hunting each other down! Legend makes your heart pound faster and takes your breath away. A must-read! Dani’s Commentary: Dystopian novels all have common traits that give them the label “dystopia”: A protagonist living a sheltered life in society,and the second protagonist and also love interest living a not-so-good life. Thus, Legend was dubbed a “dystopia”. I didn’t think Legend was very cliche compared to some other dystopias I have read. What made Legend an amazing novel is Marie Lu’s writing and, as Steph said, the characters June and Day. This isn’t one of those YA dystopian books where the two protagonists experience “love at first sight”. Hatred, fear, and revenge somehow morph into trust and...love. In the second half of Legend, the action really starts to build up. Secrets are revealed about the Republic, the antagonist Commander Jameson, and a not-so-innocent side character named Thomas. The readers’s questions are still not completely answered at the end of Legend, but that’s where the sequel, Prodigy, comes in! I agree with Steph, truly a MUST-READ! --Steph and Dani @ A Walk on Words

Legend was a really great book! I had already heard great things about it so I was expecting to enjoy it, and I was not disappointed. Its also been a while since I’ve read a good dystopian book so I’m glad I picked up this one. The story follows main characters June and Day in a futuristic United States known as the Republic. When a child is of age in the Republic, they go through their trial, which is essentially a test to see where they will be placed in society. If you do well, you are given a well-paying job and you have a nice, cushy life. If you do poorly or even fail, things don’t go quite so well. Early on, we learn that June not only passed her trial, but she got a perfect score of 1500. She is considered a prodigy and is a dedicated soldier to the Republic. Day, on the other hand, failed his trial and should have been killed but instead is now considered a criminal of the republic. Day’s family lives in one of the poorer sectors of the Republic, and we also learn that there is a plague that ravages these areas. Told through alternating points of view between June and Day, Lu creates an exciting adventure with elements of conspiracy, betrayal, friendship and romance. Once I got over the fact that Day is only fifteen but he is the most notorious criminal in the Republic, I really enjoyed this book. I know its YA so the protagonists have to be a little younger, but fifteen just seemed a little too young to have such a well-known reputation. That being said, while Legend is certainly an exciting story, the alternating points of view really make it special. We intimately get to know June and Day as characters even before they meet. June and Day were very different characters, both in their nature and upbringing, so it was refreshing to learn about them in each chapter. June is a strong female heroine, but it took me a while to connect with her. She comes across as very cold and calculating, but I liked her more as the story went on. Her interactions with Day and her brother Metias (mostly through memories) helped me warm up to her. In contrast, Day is nothing but sweet throughout the entire story. Ironically, he is supposed to be this notorious criminal, but we quickly learn that he is only concerned with keeping his family safe. I thought June’s character development throughout the story was excellent. June was raised as a soldier of the Republic, so I’m glad she didn’t immediately get on board with some of the ‘rebel’ ideas. She was raised by her older brother Metias, who was her only family and they loved each other very much. June’s discovery of her government’s deceit and corruption is a slow-burning realization, and her actions are very believable. While I thoroughly enjoyed each of the main characters, Lu also created well-developed supporting characters. Even though June’s brother Metias dies very early, I mourned his death along with June. We also get to know him through June’s memories, and it was obvious that he loved June and took care of her. Tess, John and Thomas were also great characters and all added to the story in their own way. There is some romance in this story, but I was very happy to see that the romance does not dominate the story. Yes, June and Day are attracted to each other, but I did not feel as if their moments took away from the greater story. They have the beginnings of a relationship and I found it very sweet! There were some familiar YA tropes in Legend, such as the corrupted government and prodigy children but I didn’t really mind these because the story was still engaging. I overall thoroughly enjoyed Legend. While it had a great plot and world-building, the most unique aspect of this book was the alternating point of view between June and Day! I would definitely recommend and I will be starting Prodigy and Champion soon :)

Couverture très belle, format sympa et écriture bien lisible. Les romans de Marie Lu sont de qualité, simples et efficaces. Une série magnifique, futuriste, militaire, très bonne suggestion de l'avenir des Etats-Unis... Des personnages incroyablement touchants et une vraie histoire d'amour mais surtout d'action, que j'ai dévorée ; une dystopie incroyable (dans un anglais frais et assez simple), une perle du genre.

Normalmente soy una lectora un tanto lenta, pero este libro lo he leído en 2-3 días. Me resultaba imposible dejar d leer. Tenía ganas d llegar a casa para seguir leyendo y siempre me dejaba intrigada y con ganas d más. Me he sumergido de lleno en el mundo que ha creado la autora, visto además desde dos puntos d vista opuestos, lo cual te da mayor perspectiva y le da mayor riqueza a la historia. Los personajes están muy bien construidos y me encanta la evolución d la prota, una prota inteligente y valiente. Las escenas del pasado d Day me han calado hondo, su familia, y sobre todo John. La autora sabe mostrar tan bien a los personajes q con poquita cosa les he cogido mucho cariño. Este libro no me ha dejado ni un momento d descanso, ha sido todo un viaje al mundo d las emociones. ¡Necesito saber tantas cosas! Sólo me queda decir q, por si no lo habéis deducido, os lo recomiendo "muy mucho".

I totally love this book.It is one of my favourite dystopian books.and I like the dual perspective

"You're brilliant," he says. "But you're a fool to stay with someone like me." I close my eyes at the touch of his hand. "Then we're both fools." < This is the second dystopian book I've read this week that has completely surpassed my expectations and I have to say, Legend is a powerful, addictive and fast paced novel that is action packed, with an explosive storyline and a love story that will leave you begging for more. June and Day are both 15 years old who both live in completely different worlds and both will do anything for the ones they love. The only thing is, Day is the worlds most wanted criminal and June is the super intelligent girl working for the Republic. When Day breaks into a hospital to try to find medicine for his sick brother, he is accused of murdering June's brother, Metias. So June makes it her mission to hunt down Day and capture him so he can no longer run around the streets of Los Angeles'. However, when June finally meets Day for the first time, he's not like how the Republic have made him out to be - he's kind, sweet and not at all a monster but who is the real monster in this story.....Day or the Republic? I'm so thrilled to have loved this book as much as everyone else because I'd heard a few mixed reviews recently but after reading the first two chapters, I was hooked. Marie Lu captivated me from start to finish and made me want to continue reading about the story and characters even when I finished the book. Now I have a long and painful wait until September for the next instalment. What I noticed and loved about this book was how very unique the characters were. Both June and Day are portrayed as very different characters but if anything they are more alike than anyone else. They are very smart, very brave and very loyal and even with everything going on in their crazy world; they manage to stay true to themselves. What I had to keep reminding myself through-out this book, was that they are only 15 years old. Sometimes they appear to much older and I personally think 15 is a little young for this book but with June being a super smart kid and Day being Day, I guess it fits with the story and it's something I can overlook. Now the romance in the book isn't the main focus of the story, it's the back story and something you know is there but doesn't truly reveal itself until the very last moment. I have to say, I wished for more romance BUT the ending did leave me very content and satisfied, so I have very high hopes for the next book. Overall, Marie Lu has created a fascinating, dangerous and thrilling world with Legend, one full of exciting twists and turns, full of betrayal and full of hidden secrets that will have you sitting on the edge of your sit until the very last page. A must read for any dystopian fan! I loved it!

Great story, loved the pace and extremes of the journey we are taken on. Looking forward to the rest of the series.