Review: Prodigy

Author: Marie Lu
Pages: 384
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: ARC

Synopsis: June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. 

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

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In case you were wondering, yes, Marie Lu's dystopia series is the real deal. It's such an exhilarating read and this series has already become one of my favourites. There's so much to love.

First, I love the plot pace. Strangely enough, I felt like the plot was paced very quickly although in reality not as much as I thought would happen actually happens. That just goes to show how it feels to read Prodigy -it's a blur with some incredible action scenes, crazy twists, and at some point near the end I almost exploded. Well, not really, but wow. I'm a little bit scared of Marie Lu right now.

The weird thing is that I didn't enter this book with any expectations. I'm fortunate enough to have an ARC and beyond what my friend told me after she read it (which wasn't much) I decided not to read the synopsis so everything would take me by surprise. A lot of it did, although some stuff was a little too easy to figure out. I didn't really care about that because I was entertained. This book had action, explosions, possible revolutions, and romance. This is so my type of book.

Before I even realized it, I loved the characters. June's way of describing and observing everything and the way she can be so cold compared to Day's more emotional perspective was a great contrast proving they belong together. What's even better is June and Day together. They're an unstoppable duo as they build trust for one another. They compliment each other so well and I love that while they're a couple, they're also independent and resourceful on their own. Simply, together they're better and there's really nothing I can imagine them incapable of. There were some new characters introduced and some old characters, or at least seldom seen ones, appeared here and there but in general June and Day totally stole the show.

Prodigy digs a little deeper into the ethics of the Republic as June and Day encounter the Patriots and one of the most fascinating scenes was when more information about the rest of the world was revealed. Part of the Legend series' allure is the setting that seems to be so realistically different and it was cool to see how the rest of the world was like. It's so diverse in many ways.

I feel like I've done an awful job conveying my thoughts, except that this is a great sequel to Legend. It has a lot of the same stuff that made you like Legend in the first place and in addition, you learn some more about the characters. This is a thrilling book with a killer ending that'll leave you desperate for more. 4 stars,

****

Review: Legend

Author: Marie Lu
Pages: 305
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: Library

Synopsis: 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.

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I really liked Legend! It was totally my kind of read and I couldn't help but find myself enchanted by the characters, thrilled by the plot, and addicted to the story. It's just that kind of read, the high action type similar to Divergent which I adore.

Warning: Kickass characters lie ahead. If you're tired of that you may not like June or Day. If you do like them like me, you'll love them. June herself is a prodigy. There's these things called Trials that every kid goes through in Legend and June scores a 1500 out of 1500. She's the only kid who has ever done that and her high school guarantees her a life of success. She's brought into the military from a young age and she's a bit arrogant. Some of the tricks she could do were so cool and I'm in total awe of her. She's still a real person though. June lost her parents when she was young and her brother Metias was the one to really raise her until he was killed too. That's where Day comes into the picture.

Day is like June but he failed his Trials and is a criminal. The most wanted boy in the Republic, in fact. I like Day a lot. He's a rebel with a cause. He cares about his family deeply and has this confidence that you can't help but admire. I was rooting for him completely and I think he and June are great together.

These two characters tell the story. They have similar voices but you can mostly tell them apart by the fact that in my copy, Day's part was in gold font while June's was in black. Can I say how much I adore colored font? It's a little touch that I appreciate. Anyways, these characters aren't really normal or ordinary. They are special people and yes, it's a bit amazing what they can do but if you just go with it you'll enjoy the story like I did.

World wise, I liked Legend. It's nothing that is completely new but it works with what it has very well. The Republic is creepy and needs to be stopped. I can't wait to learn more of it's secrets. I also like that there is evidence of a rebellion. People still care which is so refreshing when I think of other books where it seems like everyone just lets the government do anything they want.

I said before that I love this type of story. The kind with action and fighting. The kind where lives are on stake and it's up to our heroes to save the day. I like when characters have almost no chance of succeeding but they do. I like the adrenaline rush you get, the thrill of the fights. I especially love that I couldn't put Legend down at times. I had to force myself to slow down. That is the read I'm looking for.

All in all, Legend is perfect for me. I love the characters, the world is exciting, and the plot is filled with action. I really liked it! 4 stars,

****