​Synopsis from goodreads.com​

   "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.

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   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’s 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.

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   Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills."

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  To be completley honest, I bought this book back in December, when it first came out. I put it away in that "safe" place so I would remember to take it on vacation in January to read. Long story short, I found the book again last week when I was tiddying up on my room. It was about 11 p.m when I began to read it, intending to wind down with it before going to bed.

   When I finished reading it, it was 3 a.m., that morning. I hadn't even stopped to realize I was reading through the night until I flipped the last page and looked up at my clock. While I was shocked I had read that much in only four hours, I was more thrilled with what I had just read.

  Legend by Marie Lu is an amazing book, to say the least. It was a refreshing read that was quite unique. So many aspects make a great novel great.  The plot, the writing, the characters, and the world they take place in. So for this review, I'll touch down on each of them. 

 

   The Plot: As mentioned in the synopsis above, Legend is about two teenagers, who are both prodigies in two very different ways. June, is a military progidy who follows every rule the Republic has ever made. She is the only person ever to score perfect on the Test everyone must take at the age of ten which determines how you live the rest of your life. Day, on the other hand, is Republic's most notorious and most wanted criminal. He tries his hardest not only to survive himself but to keep the one's he cares for from meeting an unfavourable fate. 

   

When June's brother, Metais is murdered and Day is the prime suspect, she vows to avenge her brother by doing what has been impossible for the Republic all along - finding Day and bringing him to his well justified death. While she's granted a chance to do it with the highest honor, no one actually believes she can do it but with her beyond average mind, she formulates a plan.  Their path's interwine at one of the most unexpected moments and they begin to discover the truth behind each other's internal motives and their 'oh-so-loyal' Goverment.



   The Writing: As someone that dreams to become a published author, for me, the quality of writing in a novel has to be one of the most important things. The plot ideas and the characters can be great but if the writing isn't up to my standards, it won't even make it to my 'barely decent' pile of books.  Thankfuly, the writing in Legend is superb. 

  When you first begin reading a break-out novel (the author's first) you're always a bit hesitant but you still know that all great authors have to start somewhere, or at least, that's the case with me. However, after reading the first chapter, I knew I had nothing to worry about. Marie Lu's writing was amazing. 



  The other thing I'm a bit hestitant about when it comes to books is when the book has multiple point of views. When reading these types of books, I usually tend to favour one person's point of few over the other(s). That was not the case with this one. While we got to hear about the story from both Day's point of view and June's, I found I loved their portions of the story equally. It was really refreshing to have that.



  The Characters: The character development in this story great. While reading you get to learn and grow with all the characters, not only just Day and June. The characters are well-rounded and have more than one personality trait. They all have a past that has made them who they are in the story, which really counts for a lot. June and Day are very relatable - I know, if I was placed into their lives, I would like to think I would do things the same way.  Not to mention, Day is a real hottie with a great personality. 



Their World: While at first you may think they live in the cliche post-apocolyptic world, soon you discover that it's unique in it's own way. While life is difficult and the government is not the most pleasant, you get to see two completely different sides of it. You get to live through the socialite aspect of their world through June and get to witness the not-so-nice of it with Day. 



  Not to mention, the World they live in has been riddled with a plague that's threatening to take over. While it's mostly confined to the poorer Districts, everyone knows of it and everyone fears it. 

 

  My only complaint is that in a few areas, the writing feels either rushed or seems to drag on for a little bit longer than I would of cared for. It's safe to say though that the positives definitely outweight the negatives.

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  Hopefully after reading my long review, you'll be inclined to read it as well. I strongly recommend it to everyone and anyone. It's a great read with a great adventure.  I truly hope that if you haven't read Legend yet, that you make it a top priority.



P.S. The next book in this series, Prodigy, hits the shelves on five months - January 29th, 2012, to be exact.

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My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Goodreads Rating: 4.07

Series & Book #: Legend, #1
Genre(s): Young Adult, Dysptian, Science-Fiction, Adventure, Fiction, and Romance.
Edition: Hard Cover, North American Edition
Pages: 305
Published On: November 29th 2011
Publishing Company: Putnam Juvenile
ISBN: 039925675X



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