Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 305

Summary: 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.

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

Books with hype. I find that they rarely live up to them.

And this book had lots of hype. I’m talking huge displays at ALA and BEA and Comic Con. Big media campaign. And everyone’s been talking about it.

Which is the main reason why this book has been sitting on my shelf since I went to ALA a few months ago. I tend to not love the books that have all the hype. But, I knew I had a copy to give away to you guise, so I grabbed this on the way out the door on Sunday morning.

And now, I can’t decide whether to slap myself or pat myself on the back. Slap myself because it’s so damned good, I can’t believe that I went so long with this treasure gathering dust on my shelf. Congratulate myself because I got to go all that time without wanting to hop on a plane to go stalk Marie Lu and beg her to give me more of this story rtfn. Seriously.

Instead of going on and on about how much I love this book (which, trust me, I really want to), I’m going to give you the top six reasons why I love it. Because, you know, I couldn’t cut it down to just five.

Genre.

I love dystopian books. I love the alternate universes authors create for us to get lost in. I love thinking about how society has allowed themselves to lead the lives they have. And in this society, there are so many questions–so much mystery.

Action Packed Thriller.

Legend is 301 pages long, and I never–not one time–found myself skimming or skipping to the next scene. There’s drama. There’s a mystery. There’s fighting and fleeing and just omgwhatisgoingtohappen. I just wanted more, more, more, even when I got to the end.

Well Developed Characters.

Lu didn’t go on and on about any of the characters, their histories, or their beliefs, but I felt like I knew so many of them, even the (seemingly minor) supporting characters. I love that about this book.

Forbidden Romance with tons of Swoon.

You know me and the forbidden love. The summary kind of sets it up to sound like a Romeo and Juliet situation, but it’s much more than that. Both of them know that it’s not a great idea to fall in love, but they can’t help it.

She’s pretty in a way that distracts me just like she did in the Skiz ring. No, pretty’s not the right word. Beautiful. And not only that, but she reminds me of someone. Maybe it’s the expression in her eyes, something at once coolly logical and fiercely defiant…. I feel my cheeks growing warm and suddenly look away, glad for the coming darkness. …Way too distracting. At this moment all I’m thinking about is what I’d give up for the chance to kiss her or to run my fingers through her dark hair.

As much as I love the swoon (and trust–there’s lots of it), it’s secondary to what’s happening in the story. While June and Day are motivated in part by the way they inexplicably feel for each other, it doesn’t stop either one of them for doing what they feel is right.

June.

The fact that I could hardly decide if I loved Day or June more should tell you something. This girl is kick-ass all. the. way. The only known person to ever achieve a perfect score on the Trials that determine the future of this society’s youth, she’s a military and intellectual prodigy. The thing I love about her the most is that she’s so multi-faceted. Even though she’s only 15 and is at times moody and a little petulant, she feels a myriad of emotions. And when she lets them get the best of her, she does everything she can to fix it.

She’s not much taller than Tess and definitely lighter than Kaede. For a second it seems like the crowd’s attention has made her uncomfortable and I’m ready to dismiss her as a real contender until I study her again. No, this girl is nothing like the last one. She’s hesitating not because she’s afraid to fight, or because she fears losing, but because she’s thinking. Calculating. She has dark hair tied back in a high ponytail and a lean, athletic build. She stands deliberately, with a hand resting on her hip, as if nothing in the world can catch her off guard. I find myself pausing to admire her face.

For a brief moment, I’m lost to my surroundings.

…

Something about this girl…I don’t know what it is. But her eyes burn in the light, and although it’s hot and might be my imagination, I think I see a small smile on the girl’s face.

… the instant [she] steps into the circle and I see her stance…I know I’ve made a big mistake. Kaede strikes like a bull, a battering ram.

This girl strikes like a viper.

Day.

*sigh* I don’t even know what I can say about this guy. He’s totally swoonworthy.

When I look to my side, I see a boy holding out his hand to me. He has bright blue eyes, dirt on his face and a beat-up old cap on, and at this moment, I think he might be the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen.

He’s tough, yet sensitive. He confident, but sometimes vulnerable. He brings his mom flowers, and kicks everyone’s asses. And he winks. He’s just…yeah. I love him.

I do have to mention what I didn’t like, which honestly isn’t much. If I could, I’d give this book 4-1/2 stars because it really is awesome. But here’s what I didn’t love. There are some numbers throughout the book that didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. They’re pretty darn important too. I’m guessing that there will be more about that in the future book(s), but I would have liked a little more explanation now. There’s also mention of a website, that I wanted to to be able to go to and find out more. It’s pretty significant in the book, and I wanted to “live” it for myself as well. haha Trust me, Day makes up for these things.

One of the other things that I want to say that I love about this book isn’t really at all about the content–it’s about the aesthetics of the book itself. This story is told from both June’s and Day’s POVs. Day’s POV is shown in a beautiful gold typeface. Normally, I wouldn’t even mention it, but I was so impressed, I had to. The book that I have is an ARC, so I can only imagine how pretty the actual book is. I want a signed copy bad lol

Which brings me to …our giveaway. I’m telling you, Fictionees. This is one that I’m having a hard time letting go of. I make fun of Christina all the time for buying hardcovers when she already has an ARC and the nook-version, but I think I get it this time. No matter how much I want to keep my copy, though, I’m willing to give it up to one of you lucky ladies (or gentlemen). All you have to do to win it is leave a comment, telling us who your favorite swoony boy is and why. Tweet, tumbl, or blog about our giveaway for an extra entry–just come back and leave a link to your post. You have until Monday night at 11:59pm EST to enter. If I find it, I have a button to throw in, too

Good luck, Fictionees. I know that you’re going to love this one. With its hot romance, kick ass plot, and a mystery woven throughout, this dystopian thriller lives up to the hype–and then some!

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