Legend by Marie Lu. Release date: Nov. 29th, 2011 (ARC copy)
Disheartened by the fact that there will not be another Hunger Games book out this fall, I immediately perked up when this title came across my desk. It has all the makings of a great dystopian novel: an over-controlling government, a rebel causing trouble, and a girl who finally learns the truth about the society she’s trusted in her whole life.
June is a prodigy of the Republic. The only person to ever receive a perfect score on her trial exams, she’s on the fast track straight to the top of military ranks. But when her brother is murdered, June will stop at nothing to catch his murderer and see that justice is served.
Day is the number one enemy of the Republic. Escaping the labor camps as a child, he’s made a career out of causing trouble, from robbing banks to setting fire to fighter jets. The Republic wants nothing more than to make an example of him by public execution.
When June and Day meet, it turns both their worlds upside down.
In a word, this book rocked! I gave a copy of it to one of the boys in our youth program, and one week later, three other teens had read it and all asked me the same thing: “When’s the next one coming out?” I share their pain knowing I’m forced to wait over a year to read the next installment. That’s how amazing this book is.
Marie Lu has created a world that rivals Suzanne Collin’s. I love how Lu changes the point of view back and forth between June and Day. It gives the reader a chance to sympathize with each character’s plight. June is one of my favorite female leads. She’s smart, strong, and loyal but not afraid to question the world around her. Once she realizes the truth behind her society, she’s determined to set things right no matter the cost. The relationship Lu sets up between Day and June is intriguing because they’re both head strong and determined, but both know that there’s a connection between them. It all makes for a fantastic read you won’t be able to put down until you’re finished…and asking impatiently, “When’s the next one coming out?”
Give this to fans of the Hunger Games series.
Lindsey L.
Lori C.
Mackin Books In Bloom
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Lindsey’s Top 10* of 2011 « Books in Bloom said,
December 22, 2011 @ 7:21 am
[...] Legend by Marie Lu. I thought I was tired of dystopias, but Legend has me craving for more! This book is so good that it went through four of my teens from church in one week! And they all asked me the same question…when’s the next one coming out?! June and Day create wonderful tension as they meet and discover secrets of the Republic. To read more about this fantastic title, click here. [...]
Books with covers that BOYS will actually pick up… « Books in Bloom said,
June 11, 2012 @ 7:00 am
[...] the truth about the society in which she lives. To read more about this title, check out my full review. Give this to any fans of The Hunger Games and dystopian [...]