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LEGEND by Marie Lu


copyright date: November 2011
primarily marketed for:  young adults (12 and up)

I finally, reluctantly picked this book up after hearing lots of talk about how awesome it is.  I have to admit, I just couldn’t believe that ANOTHER post-apocalyptic-book-for-the-fans-of-Hunger-Games could really be that good. 

Well, let me tell you, Legend by Marie Lu is really that good.  I think I might even like this one a little bit better than Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Legend is told in alternating viewpoints and follows two protagonists: June and Day. June is one of the elite.  She is following in the footsteps of her esteemed older brother Metias by working her way up the military ranks with the speed only a prodigy could manage.  She is fully determined to do whatever it takes to defend the Republic’s honor.  Day is the Republic’s most wanted criminal.  He is a devious mastermind, but is driven by a love for his family and fierce belief in his own brand of justice. 

It is clear that their paths will cross and when they do, their stories explode with intense intrigue, violence, romance, and deceit.  Both June and Day discover truths about the Republic in which they live and the true motives behind the government’s actions.  Until, ultimately, they are each faced with the decision of what to do in response.

This is a story filled with action, suspense, and satisfying twists and turns.  However, for as action-packed as it is, this is a story that is also filled with heart.  I found myself rooting for both June and Day even when their goals contradict one another’s. 

After the first two chapters, I was hooked.  The switch between viewpoints is well marked by character names and clarified by a shift in font style and color.  Aside from the somewhat meaningless cover art (unless I am missing something obvious), I loved everything about this book.

Reading Threads:
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Starters by Lissa Price
Memory Boy by Will Weaver
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Limit by Kristen Landon
Empty by Suzanne Weyn
The Giver by Lois Lowry

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  1. Linda BJuly 1, 2012 at 11:07 PM

    I can't believe there is another one too! I still have Ashes on my TBR list, & it got good reviews, too! Thanks for this, Christy. I'll at least put it on the list, too, but it'll be a while. I just got Insurgent from the library, so that's next. Happy reading!

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