Legend
Ratings357
Average rating3.9
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm surprised I waited so long to read this. It was every bit as good as the hype surrounding it!
So, I picked up Legend after [b:The Young Elites 20821111 The Young Elites (The Young Elites, #1) Marie Lu https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407318399s/20821111.jpg 25217978] successfully roped me into reading more of Marie Lu's works. Some people warned me that Legend is “not as impressive” and that I might be disappointed if I expect it to charm me as much as The Young Elites did.It didn't disappoint.In terms of depth, Legend is rather light and has gradual world-building. There are no info dumps, and the details come in small bits and pieces. But it's fast-paced, action-packed, and comes with quite an intriguing mystery too—making it hard to put it down. I finished around 70% of this book in one sitting, that's how engrossing it was for me. Then again, I really like Marie Lu's writing style, so maybe this book matches my taste.I loved the two main leads, Day and June, right from the start. They're both perceptive, cautious, and think things through before making any decisions. Day is a very devoted person who would do anything for his family, while June is a bit judgmental at first—which is understandable due to her upbringing—but has a good heart. I didn't really feel their romance when it started, but it grew on me. While it's more on the subtle side because of all the things going on, the chemistry is definitely there.Insta-attraction? From the first sight.Insta-love? Not exactly.There are also complaints about how quickly Day and June, at the young age of 15, put the clues together in nearly every situation, but honestly? I don't see anything wrong with that. It's more refreshing than anything else to have sharp protagonists, actually. That, and they're both prodigies with perfect Trial score so that makes sense to me.So far I feel that there's still a lot more to explore as far as world-building goes, but it looks like the world will expand more in the next books. The story takes place entirely in the Republic here, so I'm looking forward to see what seems to be Day and June's next destination―the Colonies. Now that they're on the same side, I hope we get to see more interaction too.Well then, excuse me as I move on to [b:Prodigy 13414446 Prodigy (Legend, #2) Marie Lu https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336254717s/13414446.jpg 18712554].
This book is being told by two people from opposite sides: Day a wanted criminal and June, a prodigy being trained to become one of the best in the military.
There is a plague spreading in the poor section and day tries to steal some medicine for his family. Metias, Junes brother is part of the military who is trying to catch him but he gets muredred and the prime suspect is Day.Bent on revenge, June will try anything to get Day but she doesnt know the whole thruth and when she found out, will she be able to accept it?
I read that book so fast,the story was good. At first I really didn`t like the way June was written, but then something changed and I started to see her point of view. Day was a great character, sarcastic, strong and very loyal to his family.
It had a Hunger Games, Divergent fell to it, but since I loved both of those series, this one was on point.
4/5 stars
I've had Legend by Marie Lu sitting on my shelf for a good amount of time and every time I thought about starting a new book, Legend was on my mind but I kept putting it off. Probably because of the hype I already knew it had and I didn't want to be disappointed. I am quite happy I started this series because I have already gotten really into it.
There are two prospectives, Day and June. Day is a young boy that has been living off the streets after leaving his family. He helps bring in money and eventually tries to get some medicine to cure his younger brother of the plague. Day has committed many crimes to just be able to live in the poor society and bring in some money for his family. He travels with an orphaned girl named Tess and she helps him as much as she can. he
June lives in a high class society and is the prodigy of the world. She is the only one to have a perfect score on her trial. This has made her skip grades and is in her junior year of college at the age of 15. She is known all around as the girl with the perfect score. She has a brother that is a hacker and a solider in the Republic. One day, he is killed and the prime suspect is Day. June does everything she can to find Day and bring him in to the Republic.
I quite enjoyed this book. The world and the plot was thought through pretty intensely and the characters intertwined so easily. The history of the book is interesting to learn about as the characters learn as well. You get hints on the way to them learning about the past of the Republic. The writing is also done well because both of the main characters have their own personalities in her writing. I don't feel like I am reading the same person but their noun has just changed.
Something I really enjoyed about in the book was the differences in the text between the two main characters. Day's perspective was gold and in a different text where June's was black and in a different text. Throughout all three books, the color of the book is intertwined with the writing. Who ever's decision this was made reading the book really different and you could tell who is who. Sometimes when I am really into a book I barely even pay attention to the titles of each chapter and this can be a problem when there are different perspectives. That could just be only my opinion but it did help when I needed to tell the difference between each person.
The entire story pulls you into this world that Marie Lu has created and you want to know more about it. It is interesting and inciting where you don't want to put the book down. I think it was a good beginning to the series and I am going to get into the sequel almost immediately after finishing the first book. I would recommend this book to anyone that has enjoyed dystopian reads and wants another series to enjoy. It will pull you in and you can finish them all quickly since it is a finished trilogy!
I loved this book. I liked how the 2 narrators had different color type. Very action packed and I liked the romance side story as well. I can't wait to start Prodigy next. I have already recommended this book to a friend and he is borrowing it right now.
This review might contain some minor spoilers, I'll try to make it as light as possible. :D
This book. This book is what I've been looking for in a long time. It was a dystopian, but I didn't get bored, it had some romance, but it was well carried and it had well-crafted, action-packed scenes. I can't believe it took me so long to read this. What have I been doing?
Legend takes place in a dystopian America where we find “groups” that go by the Colonies, the Republic and the Patriots. Apparently, the Republic has the mayor power, then the Colonies and last the Patriots. I did not exactly understood what was happening all around this theme, which was a problem for me. One of the only flaws in this book that I expect will be solved in the second and third book.
We find ourselves in the lives of the Republicans, where they are divided in sectors, I believe. They do this test, called the Trial, where they test your physical and mental abilities, scoring from 0 being the lowest and 1500 the highest. You have to take this test at the age of ten, where depending of your results you will be placed in different levels of society. There is also a plague running around that frightens every one who can't pay for the vaccines. And, of course, those are the lowest sectors. Here, we meet Day, one of the most wanted criminals of the Republic. who's Legend runs around telling incredible tales about his adventures as a rebel. Then we find June, the only girl who got a score of 1500 on the Trial test, who then got immediately sent to college and is about to graduate at the age of 15.
With this premise I was already sparkling with excitement and with all the glowing reviews I've read I was even more excited. As I went reading, I couldn't help but picture it as a movie rolling on my mind. It was perfect. I feel really happy about that aspect.
As for the characters, June, was bad-ass. She is the most accurate definition of bad-ass that I have ever found on a book. She kicks ass. She's a prodigy. She's super smart. She knows how to defend herself pretty damn well. She's clever. And she's pretty as well. And she's fifteen. Day was so cute, as in, he's amazing. He's just as bad-ass as June (maybe a little less) and he has done this incredible things and I can't help but love him. He has this cocky personality that you can help but smile at. And as what I pictured, he's pretty handsome. The rest of the characters were very-well crafted and very believable. I even got to hate a few of them!
I think the best of this book was the action scenes. I literally felt my heart rate speeding up so fast and thumping like a hammer in my chest reading a few of the scenes. Specially the last scene (if you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about). That scene had me trembling and shaking in my seat. I read it while at school and I was throwing this little screams every now and then and people were looking at me weird. But I didn't care. The scene was so amazing.
The romance was perfect, at least for me. I'm not one of those people who like sugar-coated loves, I like though love better. And this book had romance, but it they didn't waver around each other, nor did they launch themselves to the other with instant-love. They were hesitant at first, but it wasn't as annoying as some other books I've read. It made sense. And they weren't so insecure about stupid things. It was perfect.
The only major problem I had with this book was that I pretty much guessed everything that was going to happen. It was very predictable, at least for me. I had the whole plot figured out by half the book. And I also think I have the second book's plot figured out as well, or at least and idea. And that is a big problem for me. I really don't like when that happens. That's why I'm not giving it five stars.
But in general this book was really good, and a lot of people have told me that all of the problems listed before get better in the second book, so I'm not going too hard on this book. It was very entertaining and I can't wait to read the whole trilogy.
**4.5** I would have rated it higher but I feel like it was lacking in world building. In general it was a really good fast-paced book.
A really great, quick read. Read this in about two and a half hours. The story is simple, but promises more depth as the next novels are published. I'm looking forward to reading Prodigy, and the rest of the Legend books.
I don't get why Day likes June -.- she was the one who indirectly got most of his remaining family members killed
Whaaaat? A future government manipulates its population and trains its children to be soldiers? And this used to be AMERICA you say?! Well I never.
OK so maybe we've seen variations on this theme once or twice before. This is a solid effort with two strong characters. I also give it props for having more or less an actual ending and not a super abrupt “bet you can't wait for book 2 of the trilogy!” cliffhanger.
The audiobook was solid. It was nice to have two different voices for June and Day, and the story is fast-paced enough that it was great for my boring drive.
The synopsis given is pretty much on point. We have alternating pov's going back and forth between June and Day and LOTS of action. If you like action you definitely won't be disappointed.
I liked all the characters well enough. I thought both Day and June were especially strong. The author took care to develop this world well. I did feel that the plot was kind of predictable though. Midway through the book I had figured out most of the O.M.G. scenes to come. Again, what didn't disappoint were all the action scenes included in this book that were written so well. The very last action scene in the book was ridiculous and I often found myself panting with excitement checking my own watch knowing I was running out of time right along with the heroes of the book.
I say try it. I think you'll enjoy all of the government conspiracies, the jail breaks, the futuristic Robin Hood “thang” Day has going on and the very mature way these 15 year olds approach everything! Upon finishing this read I felt satisfied. It didn't necessarily invoke strong feelings for a 5 star rating but I walked away wanting to read the next book right away. Obviously I can't since it won't come out for another 6 months BUT I did want to continue the adventure.
On to the next!
Feels like the story is just getting started! Lots of action with some tender moments in between. The love story feels a little cliche, but I love the society Lu has created.
Bad. Cashing on dystopia-mania in YA lit.
Felt nothing for the characters, kept wondering when the action would start and finally just gave up.
Life is short, there are far better books to read.
Pros: dystopian/postapocalyptic America, complex world building, intelligent characters, minor romantic elements, fast paced, real concequences for actions, clear POV
Cons:
For Parents: some violence, no language, kissing
Day is 15, from a poor sector, and the Republic's most wanted criminal: for acts of terrorism and because they can't identify him. He breaks into a hospital to steal plague medicine for a family member and has a run-in with military Captain Metias while trying to escape.
June is also 15, the only person to score a perfect 1500 in the Trials. She's being training for a job in the military. When her brother - and only living relative - Metias is killed by the fugitive Day, she's given the job of hunting him down.
Legend takes place in a future where the U.S. has broken up into the Republic and the Colonies. Electricity is intermittent outside the richer sectors and, due to the war, sometimes even within it. Lu has crafted an intricate world but only shows what the characters would notice or care about, so there's a lot of information regarding class distinctions (especially pointed out by June) but little history or politics outside Los Angeles, where the story takes place. Hopefully later books will add more of such information.
The two teen protagonists tell the story in alternating chapters, with Day's side in a brown font so it's impossible to mix up whose point of view it is. And while both teens are super smart, noticing details and getting into adult problems/situations, they're not angsty at all. The characters face very real consequences for their actions even as they develop feelings for each other.
The pacing is fast and the plot is compelling. If you like dystopian YA, read this.
I really want to give this one four and a half stars!
In the Republic, children are sorted by a trial that they either pass and go on to lead productive Republican lives or fail and go to work camps.
June is the daughter of a proud Republic family. She is the best of the best, even entering high school three years early due to her perfect score in the trial. She is 15.
Day is a criminal mastermind who has brought nothing but trouble to the Republic-disrupting supplies, breaking into government facilities, and taking his spoils and giving them to the poor. This futuristic Robin Hood is also 15.
Now, things have gone horribly wrong and it's the best of the best vs the worst of the worst. June vs Day.
I loved this book. It was like reading manga that had been converted to novel form. The action is solid, the conflict between the two solid characters is even and perfect. It reminded me very much of Death Note.
The world building is excellent, although I have never been to California, so I'm sure my imagination's version of the Republic will differ from someone who lives there now. Landmarks mentioned in the story, for example, do not mean anything to me.
So, why not a perfect score? Well because the book is a great deal of fun but never really dips into that lower level of introspection of the situation. It does not go deep. It is a high action, fun read.
Highly recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, Dark Life, Black Hole Sun, and manga.
I should start this review by saying that all in all, I am not a big reader of dystopian novels (future or otherwise). Sure, I love a good Sci-Fi epic like any other bred and raised on Star Wars geek, but all in all I'm not usually interested in near future sci-fi, calamitous or not.
Which made it all the more fascinating to me that Marie Lu's debut novel and first volume in her Legend series, “Legend,” was so mesmerizing. “Legend” is a near future story set in a future Los Angeles following the collapse of the United States. Told from the first person perspective of Day, a wanted criminal, and June, a rising law enforcement officer, the novel flips back and forth each chapter as we see the world through their eyes, waiting for the two world views to mesh together. June and Day have no reason to interact with each other until the day June's brother is murdered and Day is fingered as the prime suspect. As the facts are shed to reveal the truth beneath, we learn that there is more to this story than we realized, and interesting tidbits that seemed spurious take on new meaning and context.
The novel wasn't perfect, though. It was never clear to me how Day, a rebellious street punk with a definite antiestablishment agenda, became the most wanted criminal in the Republic. Before being accused of murder, none of the crimes we are told about involved anything more than vandalism and disrespect for authority. Yet even before we see the paths of these two characters cross, it is plainly telegraphed that Day is the Republic's most wanted. I understand that in a tyranny, anyone that speaks out against the establishment must be silenced, but Day, who is only his late teens, seems to have earned a disproportionate amount of attention.
Lu gets away with this, though, by giving us an engaging story that deftly intertwines two disparate views into a single, cohesive story that has us both rooting for resolution and disappointed when it all comes to a conclusion. I look forward to seeing where Lu takes this series in her next novel, and would recommend it as a good read to YA and up looking for a quick escape to a darker future.