Book Review - Legend

Legend
by Marie Lu

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias' death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Why I Picked This Book: The cover was everywhere in the blogging world.  While there was nowhere near as much hype for it as other recent releases, it still flooded sites.  I had to pick it up!

My Thoughts:
I don't even know what just happened.  I swear I picked up a book to read.  But it is already over and barely any time has passed.  Did I really just devour that thing?  Yes, yes I did.

That was my original thought when finishing Legend.  This book pulled me in and I literally couldn't stop reading until it was over.  And over all too soon.  Did it really just get released?  Do I really have to wait around for book two to come out?

Legend takes place in a ravaged future.  The U.S. has split in half and is at war with itself.  Poverty is everywhere.  Day is a wanted criminal, only 15 and already has caused enough vandalism and chaos to land him on the most wanted list.  The problem?  No one even knows what he looks like.  He lives in the slums, only coming out when it is time to stage another protest against the ruling government.

The very government that June works for.  She is the top of the top.  She scored a perfect score on her trial... a test every ten year old must go through to determine what they will do with their lives.  Did I mention that Day failed his?  Yup, completely.  Then June's brother is killed... by Day... and she will stop at nothing for revenge.

One thing I loved about this book is how Lu handled the alternating POV.  When written in 1st person, two POVs can get confusing at times.  Not in Legend.  The font color, even the font type, differs for the two.  I loved it!  Bouncing back and forth between Day and June was easy and fluid, and I never complained.  Day and June were very similar in personality, which does make sense as the book goes on.  The differing font colors really helped to keep me in line.

Now, the overall plot was sort of predictable.  It runs along the lines of a very basic, classic story: One character is the bad guy, one is the good guy.  Bad guy kills good guy's someone-special.  Good guy seeks revenge, only to find that more is going on than previous stated crime.  Bad guy just might not be all that bad.

There were many twists and changes I completely saw coming.  But honestly?  I didn't bug me.  At all.  It was like watching a movie you have seen a million times, but love so much it feels like the first time.  Lu paints an amazing picture, and I was pulled in.  The world was believable, the characters just deep enough to care about but not so deep that they seem unreal.  There was action and violence.  Humor and kissing.  Character growth and betrayal.

Yes, I do have a few complaints.  A few that just might have pulled my rating down to a 4-star.  But I enjoyed the story too much to give it anything less than 5.  I am hoping that my few complaints (spoilers withholding) will be answered in the next book.  If they are, I will be a happy reader.  If not... okay, then I might start complaining.

All in all, I loved Legend.  It was such a great break from the super detailed, out-there books.  It was simply a dystopian, ruined world and all, with a plot line that kept me wanting more.  Lu is an amazing author, and I cannot wait to read more of her work in the very, very near future.

My Rating:

(5 out of 5 stars)