Legend (Legend, #1)

Aug 03, 2011 Marg K. rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-star-rating

Hmmm, where do I begin this review and how do I do it tactfully? Screw it! No sugar-coating here. Strap on some bubble wrap, people. This ride is gonna get bumpy.

So, the story is told from two alternating points-of-view: one belonging to June (the heroine) and the other belonging to Day (the hero). Unfortunately, a major problem arises with the fact that both June & Day come off sounding like the same exact person. Seriously. Their voices were pretty much indistinguishable throughout most of...more Hmmm, where do I begin this review and how do I do it tactfully? Screw it! No sugar-coating here. Strap on some bubble wrap, people. This ride is gonna get bumpy.

So, the story is told from two alternating points-of-view: one belonging to June (the heroine) and the other belonging to Day (the hero). Unfortunately, a major problem arises with the fact that both June & Day come off sounding like the same exact person. Seriously. Their voices were pretty much indistinguishable throughout most of the book. They had the same personality, the same way of thinking, the same special abilities, the same way of speaking (with the exception of Day’s annoying use of the terms ‘trot’ & ‘cousin’), and the same way of expressing the same emotions. Actually, at one point, Day makes the observation that June is essentially the female version of him, which made me break out into a fit of hyperactive-little-girl giggles because I started to picture Day caressing & making out with himself dressed in drag. Needless to say, this certainly didn’t help me buy into their already unbelievable, shallow, chemistry-deprived romance.

Sadly, my issues with the characters don’t end there.

Look, it makes sense for protagonists meant to be heroes to possess special qualities and abilities that set them apart from the general public. However, there is a max quotient of specialness that I’m able to tolerate. When it’s surpassed and topped off with a steaming pile of naturally-perfect-at-everything-without-even-trying bullshit, something I like to refer to as The Unicorn Effect happens. This basically means that I no longer view the characters as people but as entirely unreal mythical creatures that poop rainbows & fart glitter. Consequently, I can’t really relate to them or take them seriously.

Honestly, the things these 15-year-old kids were able to do and the roles they played in the story were just redonkulous. Day apparently became the society’s most wanted criminal because he was the Jedi Master of Parkour. The silliness of this was compounded by the fact that despite having a bum knee, he was still able to jump & climb like a juiced up monkey and single-handedly defeat numerous grown men who have been trained practically from birth to be super soldiers. Oh, and he could break into a high-security bank in mere seconds and walk away from a 2.5-story fall. Riiight.

June’s capabilities were no less unbelievable. What was even sillier was the notion that an über elite & controlling military government would promote a child to high-ranking officer and trust her to capture their most wanted criminal…by herself.

That brings me to the plot. It was predictable, clichéd, and had several gaps in logic. Nothing excited or surprised me about the story at all. The plot was so blatantly formulaic that it took no effort whatsoever to figure out what was going to happen next. And just in case you couldn’t guess on your own, the book dropped hints the size of Mt. Everest a couple of pages in advance.

Truth be told, there really wasn’t anything all that original about Legend. I sort of felt like I was reading Divergent & Enclave’s lovechild. I kept thinking to myself, “Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.” To be fair, though, the world-building was a bit more developed than in those two books. Nonetheless, there was still a lot of missing information and important details that prevented me from attaining a clear perspective & understanding of Legend’s dystopian society and why/how it existed as it did.

All in all, I just didn’t enjoy this book. It did absolutely nothing for me. I thought the protagonists were very one-dimensional, I couldn’t bring myself to care about either one of them, and there was just too much eye-roll inducing absurdity going on (e.g. the truth behind the plagues, the Cruella de Ville military leader, the botched execution, the secret message blog, etc.). Plus, the story was slow to unfold and quite superficial.(less)

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Aug 29, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: heroines-butt-kicking, dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian, read-2011, sci-fi-or-futuristic, young-adult, training-schools-supernaturals, 2011-publication, action-packed, asian

I like an action-packed adventure, don't you? Legend is a lot of fun to read, and follows two teens who are born into opposite sides of a war in a futuristic Los Angeles in the Republic of America.

15-year-old June is an exceptionally gifted prodigy who is being groomed to become a military star. But when her brother is senselessly murdered, she embarks upon a mission to find his killer--and discovers that all signs point towards Day, a notorious criminal who is already wanted by the Republic.

Th...more I like an action-packed adventure, don't you? Legend is a lot of fun to read, and follows two teens who are born into opposite sides of a war in a futuristic Los Angeles in the Republic of America.

15-year-old June is an exceptionally gifted prodigy who is being groomed to become a military star. But when her brother is senselessly murdered, she embarks upon a mission to find his killer--and discovers that all signs point towards Day, a notorious criminal who is already wanted by the Republic.

This is a cocktail of utopian YA, Romeo and Juliet, and various wronged imprisonment stories all blended together with liberal dashes of adventure and intrigue. I liked both June and Day, and I was eager to learn more about the big mystery behind why the government is so interested in Day's brother. The best thing about Legend, however, is the terrific action sequences that the author writes into the story: there are great chases, exciting escape scenes, girl on girl sparring, and lots more.

As with so many of these books that are stretched out to accommodate sequels, there really aren't enough answers unearthed in this first installment, so presumably we'll have to wait until book two to find out the details of government's involvement in biological experimentation.

What prevents this from being a truly excellent book, however, is that the book overall feels very slight. At 300 pages, it is surprisingly short and there isn't a great deal of complexity in the characters, the world-building, or the plot. It's also extremely predictable. While the story is certainly well-written, most readers will be able to anticipate pretty much every plot development and thought that crosses the characters' minds...and really, what's the fun in that?

Still, I liked this book and I think it's among the better dystopian YA books that have been released lately. It's definitely an entertaining read and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes next. I do wish, however, that it contained more depth and more originality and more...everything, really, in order to make it a truly outstanding and truly memorable book.

This review also appears in The Midnight Garden.(less)

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Sep 21, 2011 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic

Im such a sucker for dystopians. I love the energy; the rush I get from them. When I got a hold of an ARC of Legend I was thrilled. Now I know I had a good reason to. This is one of the good ones. A dystopian well worth reading!

We've got two narrators: the notorious criminal, Day, and the noble citizen, though a little rebellious, June.
Day has escaped death before, and he's only trying to survive while taking care of his family, especially his sick brother. June got a perfect score on her Trial...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Kira rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-heroine, awesome-ya, dystopian, favorites, ya, lolwut, awesome-romance, so-action-packed-i-peed

A little while ago I was cleaning all the dust and papers and shit out from under my bed, and I found a plastic box full of last year's Christmas presents and decs.

You all know how it is. You start off tidying up but then you find something you forgot you had like a Katie Morag book or a recorder and you spend like a half an hour just fucking around with it and by the time you get back down to business, you can't be bothered cleaning any more and it all gets kicked right back under the bed beca...more

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May 08, 2012 Ariana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternating-pov, dystopia, bad-boy-good-girl, series

I am always afraid to read a book that I’ve been holding my breath for it to come out. Legend is one of those.
I had high hopes and I am glad to say that my expectations have been met.

I was really eager to meet Day.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about him and I was pretty much intrigued, for lack of a better word.
Even though in the last half of the book he was more or less absent, I got to care more for him and to understand him better (compared to June).
He was an interesting character – he was...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: poc, 2011-reads, arc, young-adult, favorites, exceeded-expectations, own

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

Out of all the YA dystopian novels I've read so far this year, Legend is my favorite. The writing,the plot, the setting, and the characters were all great! It had a nice balance of action and development and even a bit romance. I was never underwhelmed by the story. The action had me on the edge of my seat. Some parts were pretty intense, and there were shocking revelations and heartbreaking moments throughout the book. I was left feeling anxiou...more
My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

Out of all the YA dystopian novels I've read so far this year, Legend is my favorite. The writing, the plot, the setting, and the characters were all great! It had a nice balance of action and development and even a bit romance. I was never underwhelmed by the story. The action had me on the edge of my seat. Some parts were pretty intense, and there were shocking revelations and heartbreaking moments throughout the book. I was left feeling anxious at times because I didn't know what to expect next. I just loved everything about it and wish it didn't have to end.

I adored the main characters Day and June. I found them both to be extremely likable. Day has lived a rough life growing up in the slums of the Republic, and he risks his life every day to make sure his family has enough food and the other necessities needed to survive. It would be easy to become a cruel and uncaring criminal, but Day never loses his kindness and compassion. It's what I really admire about him. June has grown up in a rich district to an elite family. While she is loyal to the military and the government, her older brother Metias is the one she would do anything for. Because of their different upbringings, June doesn't have the same experiences and views of the world as Day. June isn't lacking compassion, but she is naive and ends up placing her trust with people she has always believed in, never excepting the cruelty they are capable of. I can't fault her for the decisions she makes in the beginning because she truly believes the right thing would be done. What I like about her is that once she realizes her mistake she makes sure it doesn't ever happen again.

Although they grew up differently, Day and June are similar in many ways. Like June said in the book, they do almost seem like the same person just born into different worlds. I believe that's why they are attracted to each other when they first meet. They share some of the same traits and qualities. They know what it's like to suffer the lost of loved ones, and neither has ever known anyone who can match their intelligence or survival and fighting skills. (Day may not have June's military training, but if they were to ever fight seriously in either a mental or physical battle, I have no idea who would win! I imagine it would be epic though.) They acknowledge the fact that they haven't known each other that long, but there's a connection between them that has been there since the moment they met. And after what they go through together in the book, that connection continues to grow deeper and stronger. I loved their moments together, and I thought their relationship was done really well.

What I also loved about Legend was that I actually felt something for the secondary characters like Metias, Day's family, and Tess. From the synopsis, Metias's fate is known, but his presence is still there in the book. He was a loving brother to June, and I wish his life didn't have to end that way. Tess is a young girl who Day took under his wings two years ago. She's a great person, and I really hope we get more of her in the next book. Day's caring personality definitely comes from his family. The situation Day's family is put through is horrible and broke my heart, and I hope justice is served out to those people who caused their suffering.

By the time I got to the end of Legend, all I wanted was more. I really loved the last few pages. I cannot wait to revisit this world and find out what happens next with Day and June and the rest of the characters. (I believe the sequel will be released over a year from now, which is too far!) Legend is a thrilling and awesome start to this trilogy; it's the first YA dystopian novel I've read this year that I actually loved. Highly recommend it to YA dystopian fans!(less)

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Jan 28, 2012 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

so i did, i almost gave this book four stars. but then i said to myself, "self - you have to stop giving these YA dystopias your knee-jerk four star ratings just because you like the genre and you like to see teens in peril, you sick twist." and it's true. these things are pure candy for me to read. and i don't even care so much that the majority of them lack that believability factor. i tend to star-rate within this genre based on enjoyability rather than literary value, because i am neither a...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: YA Dystopic Fans; Hunger Games Fans

Recommended to Arlene by: Street Corner Book Tour - ARC Flannery

Shelves: favorites, arc, read-2011, ya-dystopic, gifted-to-me, young-adult

Are you kidding me!?!? What just happened?!?

This book is ABSOLUTELY UNPUTDOWNABLE!! Yes, I realize that’s not a word, but I have to admit I’m a bit sleep deprived seeing as I stayed up all night reading this FRICKEN AMAZING book!! Okay let me just tell you now, this review is going to be an absolute, incoherent gush-fest. I haven’t felt this pumped about a YA dystopic novel since the The Hunger Games came to town. Mind you, I’ve read some pretty awesome stories since, such as Divergent, Blood R ...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Reynje rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, held-me-captive, read-2012, young-adult, hype-o-rama, dual-or-multiple-pov

Okay, hypothetical scenario time. Let’s suppose I had the madness, the power ("You ever tried going mad without power? It's boring! No one listens to you!" - Russ Cargill), and the inclination to pit several recently published YA dystopian novels against each other in a brutal and bloody fight to the death a la The Hunger Games. (Please, just roll with my craziness).

Now let’s suppose one of these ~~tributes~~ novels is Legend. How, in my mind at least, does it fare in the arena?

Without a doubt, at...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Phoebe added it · review of another edition

Shelves: intergalactic-academy-reviews, dystopian, sci-fi, romance

Full review at the Intergalactic Academy.

Hot on the heels of YA action/dystopians of yore like The Hunger Games and Divergent, Legend arrives next week to try to fill a niche I’m not entirely certain needed filling.

It’s the story of Day, a supergenius criminal who can fall off buildings and stuff with nary a bruise, and June, the supergenius soldier tasked to find him. Told in their alternating voices, we’re taken on an exploration of a near-future Los Angeles while Day deals with his family’s i...more Full review at the Intergalactic Academy.

Hot on the heels of YA action/dystopians of yore like The Hunger Games and Divergent, Legend arrives next week to try to fill a niche I’m not entirely certain needed filling.

It’s the story of Day, a supergenius criminal who can fall off buildings and stuff with nary a bruise, and June, the supergenius soldier tasked to find him. Told in their alternating voices, we’re taken on an exploration of a near-future Los Angeles while Day deals with his family’s increasing illness and June works to track him down. Eventually, these star-crossed teenagers fall in love, of course, though the action here is solidly focused on street fights, riots, and bank heists, rather than the couple’s scant kisses.

Marie Lu’s voice is strong, and the downright breezy nature of Legend is one of its most redeeming features. It’s an easy novel to get wrapped up in, and the plot moves fast enough that most readers won’t notice the places where the story is stretched a bit thin.

And there are several places where that happens. Let’s face it: the premise of Legend is, in and of itself, fairly implausible. Both Day and June are superspecial, supergifted, superbrilliant fifteen-year-olds. One is his nation’s most wanted criminal; the other, the top soldier. But they’re fifteen, and I never quite bought the premise that a totalitarian military outfit would trust a young recruit with the degree of power that June is granted.

The characters are also not-terribly deep. They’re not poorly written, or offensive, and we get bright flashes of their home lives that make both June and Day a little more real. But the family members who provide Day’s primary motivations are never more than sketchily developed. They’re plot devices, not people, meant to conveniently raise the stakes when needed without getting in the way of the narrative’s dual focus.

There were also several plot twists that felt convenient, or development that happened suddenly, without sufficient foreshadowing. And the universe never quite felt real enough to me–I wanted more grit, and deeper description.

I’m not sure if any of the above matters, really. This is a pulpy, action-oriented book, and it’s really not meant for a nit-picker like me. And for an action narrative, it’s pretty decent. More True Lies than Transformers.

I do wonder, though, what it adds to the dystopian canon. The characters were better realized in Divergent; the setting better described in The Hunger Games. Heck, back in 2007, Nancy Farmer was doing the whole military dystopian thing to much more terrifying effect. in House of the Scorpion. When it comes down to it, I’d recommend Legend strictly for action junkies and the dystopian-obsessed. Other readers can probably give this one a pass.(less)

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Dec 30, 2011 Steph Sinclair rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who enjoy fast paced dystopian novels

Shelves: dystopian, action-packed, alternating-povs, strong-heroine, 2-am-or-later, 2011-reads, could-have-been-better, i-really-enjoyed-it, i-totally-saw-that-coming, original-and-creative, poor-world-building, smart-heroine, serve-me-up-insta-love

I'm a dystopian book fanatic. I collect them like the Cookie Monster collects his cookies. So when I first heard of Legend earlier this year I knew I had to get a hold of it ASAP. And I wasn't entirely disappointed because Legend features a strong, kick-ass heroine, a disturbing future world, multi-cultural characters, and tons of action.

Legend tells the story of a two remarkable 15-year-olds, Day and June, living on West cost of the United States now known as The Republic. This book instantly...more
I'm a dystopian book fanatic. I collect them like the Cookie Monster collects his cookies. So when I first heard of Legend earlier this year I knew I had to get a hold of it ASAP. And I wasn't entirely disappointed because Legend features a strong, kick-ass heroine, a disturbing future world, multi-cultural characters, and tons of action.

Legend tells the story of a two remarkable 15-year-olds, Day and June, living on West cost of the United States now known as The Republic. This book instantly reminded me of Aladdin because Day is from a very poor area of The Republic and steals from the rich to help out his family and community. June on the other hand, has grown up in one of the wealthiest areas and has everything she could ask for and a secure future. Their paths suddenly cross after June's brother is murdered during a hospital break-in attempt by Day. The Republic's military uses June's thirst for revenge and has her track Day and bring him to justice. However, June soon finds out her safe world has not been what it appeared to be at all.

I loved all the characters in Legend. I felt they were well developed and very likable. Even June's brother, Metais, who dies very early in the story, was likable. Both protagonists were strong and resourceful, though, at times, a little too resourceful. I enjoyed the alternate POVs allowing the reader to get a chance to really understand the backgrounds of both characters. But there were times when I got a little irritated with June for not being able to see the bigger picture of the evils of the Republic. She just seemed entirely too loyal for her to be portrayed as a rule breaker in the beginning. Contrastingly, I really liked Day, who struggles to provide for his family throughout the novel. There were a few scenes that managed to pull at my heartstrings.

However, I did have a few issues with the world building. We are led to believe the rest of the US are considered the Rebels and a few natural disasters destroyed most of the East coast. There isn't any real mention of what the outside world is doing either. I know it may seem like I'm nitpicking, but hear me out. If the US were to suffer that bad of a natural disaster, resulting in the crumbling of our government and the extinction of the dollar bill, this would have a huge negative effect on the world's economy. You cannot expect me to believe the rest of the world is chillin' while the US is under a civil war. Where is the United Nations? What side of the war are our ally countries on? For this book to be so focused on military and civil war, I expected to have these answers. Sadly, I did not and for that this book felt a little incomplete.

I also had trouble with Day and June being so...unstoppable. Yes, let's use that term. Day breaking into a hospital guarded by armed and trained gun men with just a disguise and two knives? When the soldiers open fire on him only one bullet manages to graze him? Whoever trained these soldiers needs to send them straight back to the boot camp they came from. This is one of those situations where you have to just let all sense of logic float out the window if you are to remotely enjoy the novel. And for June to be so smart I'm not sure how she never guessed the Republic's true intentions from the start. Even when the evidence was sitting there screaming, "Look at me! Look at me!" she just...looked the other way. It was very obvious. (view spoiler)

And of course, my biggest pet peeve was the semi-insta-love between June and Day. I say semi because it wasn't like they met and they were instantly proclaiming their love for one another. It was more of I just didn't believe their romance had enough time to become anything, let alone love. I would have preferred if the romance was left out completely in this book and instead introduced in the second. You know, because usually you become friends before lovers.

Despite those issues I was still able to enjoy the book and I'm looking forward to the sequel. My only hope is that the world building is tightened up a bit and possibly a map is thrown in.

More reviews and more at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
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Sep 01, 2011 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Janina by: Olivia

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, dystopian-apocalyptic, cliffhanger, mystery-thriller-suspense, pure-entertainment, read-in-2011, alternating-pov, given-away, for-review, series-in-progress

On the verge of four stars

June and Day stand on opposite sides of things – she is the government's most favoured prodigy; he is the government's most wanted criminal. When their paths cross, secrets are revealed, alliances shift, one of them has to question everything …

With YA dystopias swamping the market right now, I think it's definitely safe to say that it's worth giving Marie Lu's Legend a try. It is fast-paced, action-packed and utterly captivating - the pages just fly by. At the same time...more On the verge of four stars

June and Day stand on opposite sides of things – she is the government's most favoured prodigy; he is the government's most wanted criminal. When their paths cross, secrets are revealed, alliances shift, one of them has to question everything …

With YA dystopias swamping the market right now, I think it's definitely safe to say that it's worth giving Marie Lu's Legend a try. It is fast-paced, action-packed and utterly captivating - the pages just fly by. At the same time, though, it doesn't neglect the quiet moments, the relationships between the characters, their family ties. It has its sad moments that made me tear up a little. It features two extremely likable protagonists whose voices really got to me. They are both smarter and stronger than others, but they are not immune to making mistakes. They both have a strong sense of honour, and their families are the most important thing to them. And: their forbidden romance luckily takes up just the right amount of screen time and does not venture into painful "true love" areas, but stays true to what it is: an attraction that slowly develops into something more.

On the other hand, the world-building is a little flimsy. We only get glimpses into the society and at no more than 300 pages the book is just too short to go into depth. We get a good feeling for the setting (futuristic ruins of what used to be Los Angeles) and the big gap that runs through the society, separating the rich and the poor. But we don't really get anything on why this society has developed that way, and what the reasons are the officials fight so hard to keep it as it is.

Also, I have to say that the outcome of the story was a little too predictable and the manner in which some secrets were unveiled bordered on ridiculous. Additionally, the novel lost a bit of its steam for me about three chapters before the end (aka the climax) because it was just too clear how things would turn out.

All in all, I think this is the book for you if you like your dystopian fantasy action- and character-driven and are willing to overlook smaller world-building issues for the sake of a fun ride. I was able to do that – although I am normally more on the nitpicking side of things, and had lots of fun and also some sad moments with this book. I will definitely keep my eyes out for the sequel (which probably is not coming out anytime soon).

(view spoiler)(less)

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, dystopia-utopia, 2012, insta-love

So I finally decided to pick this up after sifting through all the reviews and reading positive after negative after positive after negative, sometimes I guess you just have to see for yourself. And Legend was all right, pretty good when compared to some of the crap I've read recently, it just wasn't anything particularly spectacular either. That being said, I'm still probably going to read the sequel because I seem to have come down with that annoying disease known as "caringaboutthecharacters...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Meg ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, z-2012-reads

I don't honestly know what made me pick up "Legend" recently and start it while I have so many other books I wanted to get to first. I was in the mood for something like this, I guess.

From the synopsis I learned that this book was going to be about a little rich girl named June, and a poor bad-boy named Day. At first they have the wrong idea about each other based on where they come from, but eventually overcome those prejudices. They must decide if they can trust each other in a world where no...more I don't honestly know what made me pick up "Legend" recently and start it while I have so many other books I wanted to get to first. I was in the mood for something like this, I guess.

From the synopsis I learned that this book was going to be about a little rich girl named June, and a poor bad-boy named Day. At first they have the wrong idea about each other based on where they come from, but eventually overcome those prejudices. They must decide if they can trust each other in a world where no one can really be trusted. We've seen this scenario and how it turns out so many times, so I just wanted to see if this story would bring something new to the table. Sadly, as far as the romance goes, it does not. I honestly felt like I've read their exact "will they, won't they"/"I love you, but I know I shouldn't" tale countless times with very few details changed in the slightest.

I understand that this book is not about the romance, however, so let's get into world building. It was mediocre. I could never imagine myself in this world, and couldn't feel it like you truly can when an author brings their world to life. Some of this may be because she hid all of the horrible things The Republic did until the last 50 pages. I never felt the danger or anything, and by the time I could have I just wasn't feeling very connected to either main character.

The characters I liked, but they seemed to blend together. The story is told from the POV of both Day and June, and it flows well, but the characters thoughts and feelings are so similar it was hard for me to know June was a spoiled privileged girl at all. In a way that's good, because I wouldn't have wanted to read about another cliche stuck up rich girl, but I think there could have been a better middle ground.

Now that I've discussed everything I didn't like you probably are assuming that I hated this book, but that is definitely wrong. I enjoyed this book quite a lot actually, and the story was interesting. It had a nice quick pace and I didn't want to stop reading it. It's just that there are so many other dystopias out there, and I don't always compare them to one another. I actually rarely do that, but I'm looking for one that will really wow me, and this was nothing special. It was an entertaining read, but I felt no emotions at all, and felt nothing for the characters. It wasn't overly predictable, but there was nothing really shocking happening or any good plot twists. It was simply an okay book.

This book could have been the end of the series and I would have been content with how it ended, but since it has more books coming I can say I honestly don't know if I will continue this series or not. I probably will, though, because it seems like this author and the series has potential if she steps up her world building and character development skills.

Recommended to those who love action packed dystopias, but aren't too picky about plot or characters.

3.5/5 stars

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Oct 12, 2012 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: animals, annoying-protagonist, california, depressing, dystopian, own, post-apocalyptic, young-adult

First of all, I need to apologize in advance for this review. I should have written this immediately upon finishing because I lost a lot of the details my brain was holding on to and that really sucks. I had a ton of things I wanted to say, but I didn't have the time to write the review and now this is what we are left with. So...once again, I'm sorry.

Legend started off with a bang. A really big one. The opening sentence is "My mother thinks I'm dead." Right away I was pulled into this story of...more First of all, I need to apologize in advance for this review. I should have written this immediately upon finishing because I lost a lot of the details my brain was holding on to and that really sucks. I had a ton of things I wanted to say, but I didn't have the time to write the review and now this is what we are left with. So...once again, I'm sorry.

Legend started off with a bang. A really big one. The opening sentence is "My mother thinks I'm dead." Right away I was pulled into this story of Day and his quest to heal his family from the plague. For a few chapters, I was hooked. But one thing I really found with this book was how much the pacing really fluctuated. I don't know, I've read a lot of reviews and they all say how suspenseful and fast-paced this book was. But there were times when I actually felt nothing was happening.

But all in all, I really enjoyed this book. But for me, it felt like everything in this book was "just enough." There was "just enough" world-building. There was "just enough" character development. There was "just enough" imagery. See where I am going with this? I really wanted to give this book 4 stars but I couldn't because I felt that in a lot of areas, this one was just mediocre. I've said this before and I'll say it again: if you are publishing a dystopian now when every other book published is dystopian-like, it better be f*cking special. And this one was just decent.

But my major issue was with one of the protagonists. June. Who I guess you could say was more of an antagonist for much of the book. Which was fine and I actually like when characters go through major transformations. Thing is, I HATED June so much that by the time she did make that transformation, it was too late for her to redeem herself in my eyes. So I guess what I am saying is that I think the author went too far in her writing of June as a villain. She made her too mean and too vile to the point that I could not picture her as one of the good guys. I cannot ever like her now. There was a point when I thought, well maybe, but then she did something horrible. I put it underneath a spoiler tag in case you haven't read it. (view spoiler) After that, it was never going to happen for us. She could have arranged something with a neighbor or a friend. But she didn't. She can suck it.

Normally, a book that was full of emotion and deaths and so much tragedy like this one would have me sobbing. But to be honest with you, I barely even teared up. And as someone who is extremely emotional and knows I should have cried during a couple of dramatic scenes, that is a big indicator to me that these characters weren't written as well as they could have been. My emotions are like a dowsing rod. I liked Day very much. But Day's family was not developed enough. So obviously I'm not gonna care about them if the author doesn't make them focal points of the story. And they should have been.

The other issue I had was with some of the world-building. WHERE WAS IT? I liked the ideas, but I could not picture the settings like I wanted to. Some things weren't explained well and the writing was kind of vague and abrupt. I liked the tone and I think the author writes well but it's a dystopian and I need details! How did the lake come to be? Explain the different districts. Explain how the Republic and the Colonies are divided. And so on and so forth. I am very big on mental pictures. If I cannot picture a setting and create it in my brain with the information I am given, something is wrong!

Thing is, I did like this book though. I know it doesn't sound like it, but I did. I liked the plot. I LOVED Day. I liked Tess quite a bit too. But again, I wanted more of her. I hope we get that in the next book. Legend was VERY suspenseful, aside from a few pacing issues, and it kept me turning the pages. It was a very dark book. Almost as dark as Pure by Julianna Baggott. But when all was said and done, it just kind of felt generic. Not special. Like it was missing something. I am still looking for that one dystopian novel that makes me jump up and down and lose my shit. I ALMOST found it with a few of the books I've read this year. But we can do better still. Someday I'll find it.(less)

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Jan 25, 2012 Nomes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, faves-of-2011, i-own, kick-arsery-abounds, lived-up-to-the-hype, post-apocalyptic-dystopia, read-it-in-a-page-flipping-frenzy, swoon-worthy-crushes, alternating-m-f-pov

First and foremost: I had an awesome time reading Legend. Which is, after all, why I love to read (to bask in the awesomeness). It was unputdownable (I felt increasing anticipation throughout), immensely enjoyable, completely absorbing and just plain GOOD.

I loved the blend of action with the dystopian society. I appreciated how there were dark and sinister things being hinted at, yet it was never melodramatic or crazily climatic.

I did not anticipate how much I would care for the characters. Th...more First and foremost: I had an awesome time reading Legend. Which is, after all, why I love to read (to bask in the awesomeness). It was unputdownable (I felt increasing anticipation throughout), immensely enjoyable, completely absorbing and just plain GOOD.

I loved the blend of action with the dystopian society. I appreciated how there were dark and sinister things being hinted at, yet it was never melodramatic or crazily climatic.

I did not anticipate how much I would care for the characters. The dual POV was perfectly balanced and I never confused the voices. While I can appreciate fab plots, tension and twists, it is the characters that always resonate beyond the book for me, and I fell in love with June and Day*. I liked them separately, and also loved watching the tension between them ~ and for those who like to swoon, there's some swooning as well <3

NOW FOR EVEN MORE AWESOME: Did you know that Legend is loosely based on Les Miserables? Like a post-apocalyptic YA version. You can find snatches of themes running through the novel, subtly done. Of course, Day is like the notorious criminal Jean Valjean, and June is a female version of Javert... (anyone here a fan of Les Mis? Such a brilliant story)

While the world building wasn't nonsensical/ridiculous (like some other YA dystopias I have attempted) I did feel rather vague on a lot of the political history, which was pertinent to the present plot. Yet that didn't detract from me having a fab time with this.

Also, some of the way in which clues/mysteries are revealed > LOL. Always in movies and books are answers so perfectly coded and easily deduced (if it was left to me, I never would have found and interpreted the obscure/absurd clues on which crucial plot points relied on).

I have already happily, enthusiastically been shoving my copy of Legend into the hands of family members (teens and adults) for a guaranteed good read. I am not sure my review is shining enough for this book, which I so loved and crazily, completely recommend for fans of YA fiction, especially for all the dystopian nuts out there.

* Day was my fave. The little Robin Hood ninja genius that he is. (less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Keertana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: why-the-hype

Legend is one of those books that simply demands to be read, not so much because of its original premises, intriguing characters, or fast-paced plot, but rather because everyone seems to have such a varied opinion about it. I always make it a point to read the reviews of my most trusted reviewers - those whose opinions are similar to my own - but when it came to this book, the ratings ranged from amazement, to indifference, to like, to hate. Thus, I knew I had to read this and give it a shot for...more Legend is one of those books that simply demands to be read, not so much because of its original premises, intriguing characters, or fast-paced plot, but rather because everyone seems to have such a varied opinion about it. I always make it a point to read the reviews of my most trusted reviewers - those whose opinions are similar to my own - but when it came to this book, the ratings ranged from amazement, to indifference, to like, to hate. Thus, I knew I had to read this and give it a shot for myself to see what the hype really is all about. Well, if you're anything like me and if you've read your fair share of dystopians, I can tell you now that Legend offers nothing new to this over-wrought genre and, frankly speaking, you aren't missing much if you skip it. If, however, you're nothing like me (or you're just wondering why I couldn't finish one of your favorite books), you might as well stick around. I doubt it'll be a long haul anyway.

See, the thing about Legend is that it is exactly like every other post-apocalyptic novel out there. We have our utopian-like society, we have two vastly different characters, we have the slow uncovering of betrayal, that all is not as perfect as it seems. Very, very typical. Now, it isn't that I have an aversion to typical plots - because everyone knows I read more than just a few dystopian series - but the qualities that I needed to make this novel interesting, engaging, and something worth reading were simply lacking. Well, that and I suspect I'm growing tired of this genre...is there really anything new left to explore?

One of the first things that stands out about Legend is the unique formatting of the book itself. It is told from the dual narration of June, a prodigy in her society, and Day, a thief who is accused of murdering June's brother. As such, you can imagine that June sets out to find and kill him. Well, another unique aspect of this formatting is that Day's perspective is told in gold lettering while June's is in regular black. At first, I was a little annoyed by this - the gold is, I warn you, hard on the eyes. As the story progressed though, I found myself relying on the font to help me distinguish who was speaking. Yes, the two perspectives in this are really that interchangeable. Not only are June and Day similar individuals, both being extremely smart, calculating, and tough, but their thoughts mirror each other almost exactly. So, really, Legend is about one character named Jay or Dune whose thoughts are shown in two different colors. =.=

In addition to the utter lack of characterization, the world-building in this novel was nothing new and I was unable to form much of a connection with the characters. Day, to some extent, is an easier person to get to know, merely because he has feeling. June, however, is distant from everyone but her older brother, who, once dead, makes her just plain unfeeling. So, really, can you blame me for not wanting to continue this? Unoriginal plot lines, characters that lacked distinct personalities, and an attachment that failed to occur. By the time I passed the half-way point of this story, I was done. I can't even say that Marie Lu is a good writer because, really, her writing was nothing special either. Legend is a tiny bit better than Article 5, but not a whole lot much. In fact, Enclave, another DNF for me, is far better, so maybe check that out instead? Or, you know, just give this a shot, because even if it's not for you, it's a quick read and you won't feel as if you wasted your time. At least, not too much.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.(less)

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Mar 26, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, owned-ebooks, all-time-faves, amazing-authors, heroes-i-adore, heroines-i-adore, faves, books-i-want-to-marry, badass-heroines, deserves-the-hype

Holy mother of penguins, this book was badass.

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I tried to come up with a review for this, I really did. But all I can do is gush and fangirl squeal my ass off.

Just read it. You'll understand.

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Apr 28, 2013 Kristalia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, me-likey-mucho, best-couple-award, be-my-hero-plz, young-adult

Final rating: ★★★★/★★★★★

Officially 400th book i have read. Wow. Anyway, i excepted Legend to disappoint me because i have seen so many mixed reviews about this one. But i stay with those who say this book is awesome. I enjoyed reading it, and i loved the characters. Oh, i adored the fact that Marie Lu has a deviant art and that she took time to draw her characters!

“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the mome
...more

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May 08, 2013 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity by: Buddy read w/Diane and Kristina in Rated YA-MA

Shelves: young-adult

She said : I will hunt you down. I will scour the streets of Los Angeles for you. Search every street in the Republic if I have to. I will trick you and deceive you, lie cheat and steal to find you, tempt you out of your hiding place, and chase you until you have nowhere else to run. I make you this promise : your life is mine.

He said : If I did not wish she were dead, I would find her absolutely breathtaking.

The above artwork (minus the crappy text I added from a book quote) was drawn by the au...more

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Aug 19, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, signed-by-author, favorites

4.5 Stars

Legend is set in a futuristic Los Angeles, part of the Western states that is now at war with “the colonies” or the Eastern states of what was formally the United States. This world has been ravaged by climatic disasters and plagues. This world is one of rigid social classes and brutality.

Fifteen year-old, June and Day come from very different worlds; June is the darling prodigy of the Republic and part of the elite that live in Los Angeles. Day is The Republic’s most wanted criminal....more 4.5 Stars

Legend is set in a futuristic Los Angeles, part of the Western states that is now at war with “the colonies” or the Eastern states of what was formally the United States. This world has been ravaged by climatic disasters and plagues. This world is one of rigid social classes and brutality.

Fifteen year-old, June and Day come from very different worlds; June is the darling prodigy of the Republic and part of the elite that live in Los Angeles. Day is The Republic’s most wanted criminal. This doesn’t stop June from admiring the antics and stunts pulled by Day as statements against the Republic’s rule. He’s sort of the people’s hero, and June wants to be just as good so she can catch him when she becomes one of the elite guards of the Republic. No one knows Day’s true identity because according to The Republic, he’s dead.

At age ten all have to submit to a Trial. The score you receive determines your place in society. Ones with high scores have access to higher education and opportunities for wealth and station. The ones who score below that are not so fortunate, and work in menial jobs of service. If you score really low, the Republic carts you off immediately to “labor camps” (at least that’s what they say) and you never see your family again. June had a perfect trial score and Day scored very low.

June and Day’s worlds collide when her brother, Metias is found murdered and Day is fingered as the prime suspect. June makes it her prime goal to catch Day and bring him to justice, making him pay for the hurt he’s caused her and the life he took. But all is not what it seems and June’s world and beliefs are about to be shaken.

I was surprised by the brutality of this story. The way the Republic and guard treated the people gave me shivers of fear. The common people are looked upon as dirt. June holds the same opinion of the people, at first. Easy to make judgments when you live in a world far removed from the lower classes. Her opinion starts to change when she goes undercover and “walks a mile in their moccasins,” so to speak. When June first meets Day, she’s unaware of who he is, and Day is also in the dark regarding her identity. This allows them to form an attachment to each other before they figure things out. I loved the slow build of their connection which made the romance, even though a small part to the story, really good. I must share a swoony quote:

He kisses me gently at first and then, as if he’s reaching for something more, he pushes me against the wall and kisses me harder. His lips are warm and so soft—his hair brushes against my face. I try to focus. (Not his first time. He’s definitely kissed other girls before, and quite a few at that. He’s—he seems like he’s short of breath….)

This story is told in both June and Day’s POVs, therefore it was easy to connect to each of them. It’s a good thing it was told like this, because if I didn’t get in June’s head, I probably wouldn’t have cared for her. She was so biased in the beginning, but you can see why it was so through her POV. I loved Day’s character and his loyalty to his family, even at great cost to himself. I felt horrible for Day and all that he and his family had to endure. It’s truly heartbreaking some of the things that happen. I was thoroughly disgusted by one of the characters actions. I hope they pay in the next book! The pacing in the story keeps you glued to the pages and I read late into the night to finish! My only complaint with this story is that June and Day didn’t feel like fifteen-year olds. They came across as much older, but maybe this is due to their environment; growing up fast in a harsh world.

At any rate, this was an amazing debut for Marie Lu, truly impressive! I can’t wait to read Prodigy to see what happens next!

You can find this review and more at The Readers Den.(less)

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Mar 30, 2012 Marielle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: great-books-read-in-2012

SO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

Now for my real review:
Legend by Marie Lu has officially become a legend in my mind. From the very first page I was drawn into this story. First, a brief explanation of the setting:

It is the future. The United States is long gone and most suspect that it never even existed at all. Instead, it is broken up into two sections: The Republic and The Colonies. These two sections are at war and each side is determined that they will win. The Republic is ruled by the Elector Primo,...more SO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

Now for my real review:
Legend by Marie Lu has officially become a legend in my mind. From the very first page I was drawn into this story. First, a brief explanation of the setting:

It is the future. The United States is long gone and most suspect that it never even existed at all. Instead, it is broken up into two sections: The Republic and The Colonies. These two sections are at war and each side is determined that they will win. The Republic is ruled by the Elector Primo, who is all-powerful and does not need to run in order to get elected. Yes, people, he can self-elect himself. Craziness. Anyway, all the children of The Republic must take a test called The Trial,which consists of an interview portion, a written portion, and a physical test, when they turn ten. Those who fail are doomed to poverty while those who pass are destined for greatness. Because many don't pass, the majority of the "sectors" are riddled with poverty-stricken hobos. There is another thing that haunts this "great nation" too: A horrible plague that infects many of those in the poor sectors that can't afford medicine or vaccinations. It's just a coincidence that the plague is only in the poor areas, isn't it? Maybe this Republic isn't as great as it seems...

Now, a summary of some of the main characters. Actually, only Day and June because they're the coolest:

Enter Day, the Republic's most notorious criminal. He steals, gambles, and is an overall badass. Enter June, the Republic's greatest prodigy, their perfect little soldier. She is bathed in riches, attention, and a good education. But she's not exactly content. Her courses are never hard enough and when she tries to perform at her highest level, she gets in trouble. She, too, is an awesome badass.

Now, why this book was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING:

First, let's start off with the two point of views. One chapter was told in Day's point of view, then the next was told in June's point of view. Doing this allows the reader to see all sides of the story and to really see what June and Day are like. I'm very glad she did this. On the outside, Day seems like a no-good criminal who is not to be trusted and should be killed immediately. Seeing inside of his mind, we get to experience the way he is thinking and see that he is not only what he appears to be. June would be another completely misunderstood character if this story was not told from her point of view. On the outside, she seems to be a rich, bratty, snotty girl with no regard for the rules and a cold human being. Being able to see inside her mind, we can see how smart and lovely she really is. Everything she thinks makes sense, unlike some of the other YA heroines that I can think of...*cough, cough Hush, Hush* Also, there are times when June and Day aren't together that are necessary to the story line and we would not get to see that if it were not double sided.

The heroine really made this book spectacular. June, the military prodigy, is said to be a genius and she follows through. Yes, people, she really is smart, just like people say she is. They don't praise her and build her up just to have a wimpy, stupid girl. She's actually smart, strong, and awesome.

Day also made this book amazing. He was good-looking (always a good thing, right?) and he was smart, sweet, and tough. He wasn't some wimpy guy who was afraid to take risks. His entire life was a risk and he tried to do the best that he could. He tried to help his brother when he could barely help himself. Just an all-around good guy if you ignore all of the crime and dirt.

From the first page, I could not put this book down. Literally. I just stayed up pretty much all night (even though I had school the next day) and read it until I fell asleep reading it. The story line is so awesome and the mystery is good. I also waited in anticipation for the moment where June and Day meet, the moment they talk, the moment they kiss. Everything between them was so precious, whether it was in the middle of a battle or just sitting there.

In most books with dual points of views, I always like one of them better. I skim through the part that I didn't like until I came to the section of the character that I like. In Legend, I gobbled up every word of both points of view and loved every minute of it. This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time.(less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Ferdy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian

Legend is told in alternating 1st person POV's - the main characters are June and Day. The few books I've read written in alternate 1st person POV's tend to have narrators with similar voices. I was pleased to find that the alternate POV's worked well in Legend and that Day and June had fairly distinct voices.
June and Day live in the Republic, the Republic is at war with the Colonies - it was disappointing that that was pretty much all there was to the worldbuilding.
June and Day lead very diffe...more Legend is told in alternating 1st person POV's - the main characters are June and Day. The few books I've read written in alternate 1st person POV's tend to have narrators with similar voices. I was pleased to find that the alternate POV's worked well in Legend and that Day and June had fairly distinct voices.
June and Day live in the Republic, the Republic is at war with the Colonies - it was disappointing that that was pretty much all there was to the worldbuilding.
June and Day lead very different lives to each other - June is a young prodigy with perfect test scores, excellent skills and a bright future. Day is the Republic's most-wanted criminal — for 5 years he has evaded the Republic using his street smarts and has survived by stealing food, medicines and money, he's also managed to disrupt the Republic's military efforts against the Colonies.
June is an orphan but is looked after by her much loved elder brother Metias who has a high ranking job at the military, when Metias is murdered she is recruited by Metias's Commander to hunt the murderer which turns out to be none other than Day.
June sets off to hunt Day down and get revenge. Upon meeting Day, June begins to question his involvement in her brother's death and starts to realise that the Republic is not what she believed it was.
I've read countless books where the heroine is supposedly a genius/powerful/brave — sometimes other characters will think it, other times the heroine will think this of herself and I'm left grinding my teeth because the heroine constantly does stupid things or acts weak and whiny. It was refreshing to find that June was actually pretty smart and logical. She does meet her match in Day and I could see what they both saw in each other. There is a touch of romance but it's more or less in the background.
It was great to see two young characters that weren't thinking about love/romance or what boy/girl they like 24/7 but instead were thinking of family, survival and truth. I suspect that the romance will play a larger part in the next book, but I'm hoping it won't destroy the main characters. I'm looking forward to the next book but I'm not getting my hopes up since sequels are rarely good.

(less)

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Dec 10, 2011 Amy (Amy's Book Den) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopias

I probably stared at a blank page for some minutes before I could come up with the words to describe how incredible this book is. The truth is that there are no words! But I’ll try to describe its awesomeness anyways.

I’ll start with our badass heroes. And I really do mean scale-a-building, gun-wielding, kick-your-face-in, defy-a-nation badass heroes. Day is the most wanted criminal in The Republic. He has set fire to police stations, robbed a bank, and exploded some military jets among other th...more I probably stared at a blank page for some minutes before I could come up with the words to describe how incredible this book is. The truth is that there are no words! But I’ll try to describe its awesomeness anyways.

I’ll start with our badass heroes. And I really do mean scale-a-building, gun-wielding, kick-your-face-in, defy-a-nation badass heroes. Day is the most wanted criminal in The Republic. He has set fire to police stations, robbed a bank, and exploded some military jets among other things, but he has never killed. Then when his family catches a new mutation of the plague, he breaks into a hospital to steal the cure. But things go wrong! Day’s forced to attack a soldier during his escape, barely making it out with his life.

June is a prodigy of The Republic and the perfect soldier. She got a perfect score on the Trials, she is super smart, extremely athletic, and has attitude. Then she receives the terrible news that her brother has been killed by Day. June vows to catch him and devices the perfect plan to do it. She goes undercover! But after getting to know Day, and seeing the terrible things done to civilians by her fellow soldiers, June begins to question the system. What she’ll uncover is bigger than her brother’s murder. Following orders blindly is no longer an option.

Day and June are such great characters to read, and both POVs managed to keep my eyes glued to the action, the suspense, and the romance. They’re both very precise, noticing every little details of everything they see, especially June (we get her details in parentheses). Their thoughts are always running a mile per minute, and keep you wondering what they will do next. The other characters were also very well written. I loved Metias from the short scene he got. Quiet Tess, was lovable too. I grew to hate Commander Jameson and Character X (named so by me to avoid spoilers) with a passion!

There isn’t one boring page to this book and I will be pushing everyone I meet on the street to read it! This is one exciting and not-to-be-missed debut! And if the book is not enough, go and check out the amazing artwork and games Marie Lu has created for her novel on her DeviantArt page!
(less)

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Jan 13, 2012 Yarethzia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wished-i-owned, favorites

Oh. My. Gosh.

Review: http://yarebookreviews.blogspot.com/2...

If you like forbidden love mixed with alot of action and are obssesed with dystopian, you'll love this book. I literary felt like I was in the story because of the details. Marie Lu, you are a genious, I hope you know that. This book is written with such detail that if it were to be made into a movie, which I believe it's going to be.. since the movie rights have been sold, it would be perfeeeect. I have to admit, me being me, wanted...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Joanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, dystopia, all-time-faves, stpatricks-challenge-2013

WHOA! I don't know about you or how this novel affected you but this somehow made me burst into my emotions - the feeling of sympathy, excitement and fear got into me while flipping through its chapters. Freaking AWESOME! It deserves my 5 stars!
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Upon finishing, I realized why the title was called Legend. It's not like in any myths we've learned in elementary about how a fruit or tree has sprouted from something out of nowhere but it's quite relevant in a way that June and...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Idunsses rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, dystopian

It is impossible to describe how much I loved Legend!! The writing, the pace, the story, the characters – OH GOD THE CHARACTERS! Marie Lu, you make meh so happeh!

description

Have you ever heard the term ”sapiosexual”? If you are sapiosexual, like I am, you are attracted to intelligence. And Legend is a story about the two most intelligent people in the country! So yeah, there was quite a lot of drooling going on from my part.

June is… amazing! This is not some awkward little girl struggling to ”find hersel...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Sophie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bad-case-of-insta-love, badass-main-character, oh-no-the-world-is-ending, don-t-love-don-t-hate, lacking-something-crucial

"Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time." He looks toward the railway car's open door, where streaks of dark water blanket the world. "You try to walk in the light."

While Legend is one of the better books of the YA dystopian market, it doesn't really introduce anything new to the genre. Sure, it has intense action sequences and two kickass main characters. But they're la...more "Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time." He looks toward the railway car's open door, where streaks of dark water blanket the world. "You try to walk in the light."

While Legend is one of the better books of the YA dystopian market, it doesn't really introduce anything new to the genre. Sure, it has intense action sequences and two kickass main characters. But they're lacking something. I felt removed from the book as I was reading it, probably because everything seemed too simple. The characters, Day and June, were pretty two-dimensional, driven by the same old impulses to protect family. Not that I'm saying dystopian characters should ditch their families and shoot up on drugs in the streets, but as someone who likes reading so many books, things get old pretty fast. However, props to Lu for writing some awesome action. There are oodles of punching, shooting, slapping around with gun handles, and even some biting(!!!). The plot is relatively simplistic, and you can guess a lot of what will happen.

This is going to sound extremely weird, but I respect Lu's integration of death in her book. She manages to make the deaths in the book meaningful, and I'm so glad she doesn't engineer a bloodbath in the end. Despite the detachment I felt from Day and June, I did develop an affection for their family members.

Regarding the "love" in this book, I honestly feel that it happened way too fast. One minute June and Day are distrusting each other, and the next they're kissing each other. It just felt extremely unrealistic, given that Day was supposed to have street smarts. I would have expected him to be a little slow about trusting June, but he was remarkably naive about it. Legend, I think, is more a setup for the next two books. I learned about the world that June and Day live in, met some of the characters, got to see some blood fly. But in the end, I didn't take much from it. There's no great message, and the book never really engaged me completely. Otherwise, it's decent. I'll definitely be reading Prodigy. (less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy, post-apocalyptic-dystopian

I thought a bit about this one and it came very close to being a 4 star read for me. While I feel a little ambivalent about dropping it down to a 3 when in many ways I like it, it's still not as good as many 4 star books.

We have here another Young Adult (YA) Dystopian (view spoiler) post apocalyptic adventure. The book has some big shoes to fill as it's been compared to...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 kelllsify rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, dystopian-postapocalyptic, from-the-library, definitely-swoonable, really-liked-impressed-yes

Day <3

5 likes · like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Legend by Marie Lu --> start May 1	36	50	11 hours, 20 min ago
Legend movie update from Marie Lu!	28	451	May 20, 2013 05:43pm
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Possible movie rejection rumor	4	50	May 19, 2013 12:57pm
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title link	preview: Legend
avg rating	preview: Legend Goodreads rating: 4.11 (46383 ratings)
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Legend (Legend #1)

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