Legend Review by Marie Lu

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.

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.

Synopsis and image from goodreads.com

Overall Review:
    I like this author and this book. JC and I were originally going to review together, but school is a pain. So you guys are stuck with just me. Back to the book, because I have an uncanny ability to go off topic (and spell peek wrong). This will be a short review and will only contain the overall review. Just a heads up, this review does not contain any major spoilers, but it does contain a predictable one.
    Before I get started on the book review, I want to say something about the author Marie Lu. Not only is she an amazing author, but she's a great artist as well. I look up to her as both an artist and a story writer. Now onto the book review itself.
    The story and setting itself are not anything that unique. Legend is set in an era where the people are ruled by their suppressive government. Only the best of the best (and the luckiest), like June get to live good lives. When I first read the synopsis of this book, I thought, "Oh, gee, another dystopian novel." The way the author presented the characters and the story made it worth reading. The little details that she added into the society made it seem very original. The story was very well done, too.
    Lu took the simple concept of a girl attempting to get revenge for her brother and a boy trying to keep away from the authorities to a whole new level. Inevitably, the two end up meeting, and I love how their relationship develops. (Very minor, but predictable spoiler) Day and June do end up getting together, but the relationship seems predictable given the circumstances. There are a few problems and ... issues that come up in later books though.
    I loved both Day and June. When the story was being told from their point of view, you could tell who was narrating. It was not just the color of the text was different either. There was no need to keep on flipping to the beginning of the chapter to see who was narrating the chapter. (Allegiant, anyone?) I don't know how the author did it, but she really effectively told the story through both of their eyes well. June is the girl who is too smart for her own good. She's a bit naïve, but well educated. Day is the tough guy who is not as cold-hearted as he seems. As the synopsis says, he has an underlying purpose and his purpose is, to say the least, understandable. If I had to choose a character out of the two, I'd have to say I like Day better.
   The side characters were nicely developed as well. It has a bit of everything. Each character introduced ends up have a bigger purpose in the story. Legend has many strong female characters, and none of the characters feel overpowered. I especially love Kaede, who is an (for lack of a better word) awesome character.
   I don't know how to write about the conclusion without spoiling it. All I will say is it felt very satisfying. It wrapped up the story all, but it still made me want to read more. This is definitely a book that you should check out and the rest of the series (although not superior to the first book) is also very good! Even my sister, who is not an avid reader, enjoyed this series. I did also hear rumors that there might be a movie in the works, but don't take my word for it. Thank you for reading!!

Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Kalee