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atnea's review
5.0
I'm too mad and tired to write a review! It'll have to be later :@ This fucking book.
bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
Prodigy kind of frustrates me because, while there are many elements to the story that I like--a lot, there are also a lot of elements that I find extremely problematic, to the point of making me almost dislike some of the characters. As with Legend, I think a big part of this stems from the fact that the characters are just so young. It's not their youth in and of itself that's a problem, it's the fact that they're so pivotal to the story. It makes it difficult to suspend disbelief at times, and it makes some of the situations they face very uncomfortable. Warning: there will be a MAJOR spoiler about the ending of this book, but I'll hide it in spoiler tags. Still, proceed with caution if you don't want major plot points spoiled.
The thing I found most unsettling about this book was Day. I was angry at him for most of the book. I understand that he's a fifteen-year-old boy, but he is just so immature that I kept hoping someone might knock some sense into him. Yes, his life was tough and, yes, I did think the Republic's treatment of people of his social strata was appalling, but he has no right to judge June as he does. While she was rather spoiled in the first book, in this one she's broken. She's lost her family, her standing, and the faith in her institutions that has sustained her throughout her life. But Day constantly berates her because she came from wealth. Yes, there are times when what she says come across as snobby, but Day never even tries to put himself in her shoes until the very end of the book. What's more, he kind of agrees with Tess that what happened to his family is June's fault when June did everything she could to stop it--including forsaking her position in society and risking her own life to save Day's. But none of that seems to count for much with Day and Tess. June has shown enormous character growth, but it felt to me like Day had regressed. I was also so annoyed with his blind faith in what Razor and the Patriots told him. I'd think someone like Day, who is supposed to possess street smarts in abundance, should have been a bit more canny. While I understand that he needed to believe in the Promised Land and actually liked that aspect of the story, that sense of disillusionment when he finds out things aren't quite what he thought, I thought he acted like a fool for most of the book.
This book also made me actively dislike Tess. I know she's jealous, and I understand that, but she acts like a spoiled brat for most of the book. She has a right to be mistrustful of June and to feel betrayed by Day, but she acts out rather than handling her wounded feelings in a more constructive manner. Again, she's young. I get that. But being young doesn't automatically mean you acted like a spoiled brat when you don't get what you want, which is precisely what Tess did.
Now, the thing that bothered me the most, though, was the dynamic between June and Anden. I like Anden as a character. He seems like a decent guy, and I liked the idea of him wanting to redeem the Republic, wanting to make up for his father's brutal and oppressive rule. I'm very curious about his progressive agenda, and I liked the book's central tension between the military and the Congress. It mirrors things that are happening in the world today. What I did not like was the hint of romance between Anden and June for two big reasons: 1) She's fifteen. He's twenty. Again, she's fifteen and he's twenty. The difference between fifteen and twenty is pretty huge. Had June been eighteen and Anden twenty-three, I might have felt differently but, as it was, I was disturbed by the age difference between them. 2) He's in a position of enormous power over her, and she's very confused about what she should believe. Now, he doesn't actively taken advantage of her, but there's a whiff of it here. I was extremely uncomfortable with a relationship dynamic in which one party has such enormous power over another. Their relationship tiptoes up to a line that makes me feel mildly ill. Anden doesn't need to physically take advantage of her as I thought the book crept right up to the edge of him psychologically taking advantage of her, and that I vehemently disliked. It also bothered me that he was so anxious to make her his Princeps because it smacked of his grooming her to be his wife and, given that he's twenty and she's only fifteen... I don't think this aspect of the plot was at all necessary. I don't see why Anden and June couldn't have worked together to bring about change without there being an element of romance. If the romance really had to be there, the characters should have been closer in age.
Still, there are things this book does so well. I loved the contrast between the two societies, the one militaristic, leaving the people at the mercy of the armed forces, and the other corporate, leaving the people at the mercy of their employers. Again, this felt very much like it mirrored some current events, and I'd love to see a deeper exploration of these two societies. Lu does a fantastic job of painting a vivid picture of the seedy underbelly of both forms of rule, and she does it in small, deft touches. I like books that are morally complex, where the good guys don't always turn out to be the good guys and the characters have to find a way to better the system of which they're part.
Lu excels at writing action scenes, and there are a lot of them in this book. I could picture them as I read them, but they add to the narrative of the story rather than feeling like set pieces designed to wow.
If it's not obvious by now, I also loved June's character. I was intrigued by her in Legend, but I didn't always like her. In this book, though, I found her so compelling. She's so nuanced, and I could really sympathize with her confuse, with her struggle to try to decide what she should do. Unlike Day, June sees the shades of gray, she gathers information, and she analyzes it. Of course, maybe this is more in keeping with her character than it would have been with Day's, but June matures in this book. She doesn't just accept things at face value. If she's going to give up on everything she's believed in, she wants evidence that it's worth it, whereas Day leaps in with blind faith. The portrayal of June's grief over the death of her brother continues to be both compelling and convincing, and it's fascinating how Lu creates such a vivid sense of a character who's already dead.
And then there's the ending.
In the end, this book didn't entirely wow me because the things I loved were weakened by the things I disliked. Still, I'm eager to see how this series will end. Where Legend was a very entertaining read, this one adds an extra layer of emotional resonance that makes me very anxious to see how things turn out.
The thing I found most unsettling about this book was Day. I was angry at him for most of the book. I understand that he's a fifteen-year-old boy, but he is just so immature that I kept hoping someone might knock some sense into him. Yes, his life was tough and, yes, I did think the Republic's treatment of people of his social strata was appalling, but he has no right to judge June as he does. While she was rather spoiled in the first book, in this one she's broken. She's lost her family, her standing, and the faith in her institutions that has sustained her throughout her life. But Day constantly berates her because she came from wealth. Yes, there are times when what she says come across as snobby, but Day never even tries to put himself in her shoes until the very end of the book. What's more, he kind of agrees with Tess that what happened to his family is June's fault when June did everything she could to stop it--including forsaking her position in society and risking her own life to save Day's. But none of that seems to count for much with Day and Tess. June has shown enormous character growth, but it felt to me like Day had regressed. I was also so annoyed with his blind faith in what Razor and the Patriots told him. I'd think someone like Day, who is supposed to possess street smarts in abundance, should have been a bit more canny. While I understand that he needed to believe in the Promised Land and actually liked that aspect of the story, that sense of disillusionment when he finds out things aren't quite what he thought, I thought he acted like a fool for most of the book.
This book also made me actively dislike Tess. I know she's jealous, and I understand that, but she acts like a spoiled brat for most of the book. She has a right to be mistrustful of June and to feel betrayed by Day, but she acts out rather than handling her wounded feelings in a more constructive manner. Again, she's young. I get that. But being young doesn't automatically mean you acted like a spoiled brat when you don't get what you want, which is precisely what Tess did.
Now, the thing that bothered me the most, though, was the dynamic between June and Anden. I like Anden as a character. He seems like a decent guy, and I liked the idea of him wanting to redeem the Republic, wanting to make up for his father's brutal and oppressive rule. I'm very curious about his progressive agenda, and I liked the book's central tension between the military and the Congress. It mirrors things that are happening in the world today. What I did not like was the hint of romance between Anden and June for two big reasons: 1) She's fifteen. He's twenty. Again, she's fifteen and he's twenty. The difference between fifteen and twenty is pretty huge. Had June been eighteen and Anden twenty-three, I might have felt differently but, as it was, I was disturbed by the age difference between them. 2) He's in a position of enormous power over her, and she's very confused about what she should believe. Now, he doesn't actively taken advantage of her, but there's a whiff of it here. I was extremely uncomfortable with a relationship dynamic in which one party has such enormous power over another. Their relationship tiptoes up to a line that makes me feel mildly ill. Anden doesn't need to physically take advantage of her as I thought the book crept right up to the edge of him psychologically taking advantage of her, and that I vehemently disliked. It also bothered me that he was so anxious to make her his Princeps because it smacked of his grooming her to be his wife and, given that he's twenty and she's only fifteen... I don't think this aspect of the plot was at all necessary. I don't see why Anden and June couldn't have worked together to bring about change without there being an element of romance. If the romance really had to be there, the characters should have been closer in age.
Still, there are things this book does so well. I loved the contrast between the two societies, the one militaristic, leaving the people at the mercy of the armed forces, and the other corporate, leaving the people at the mercy of their employers. Again, this felt very much like it mirrored some current events, and I'd love to see a deeper exploration of these two societies. Lu does a fantastic job of painting a vivid picture of the seedy underbelly of both forms of rule, and she does it in small, deft touches. I like books that are morally complex, where the good guys don't always turn out to be the good guys and the characters have to find a way to better the system of which they're part.
Lu excels at writing action scenes, and there are a lot of them in this book. I could picture them as I read them, but they add to the narrative of the story rather than feeling like set pieces designed to wow.
If it's not obvious by now, I also loved June's character. I was intrigued by her in Legend, but I didn't always like her. In this book, though, I found her so compelling. She's so nuanced, and I could really sympathize with her confuse, with her struggle to try to decide what she should do. Unlike Day, June sees the shades of gray, she gathers information, and she analyzes it. Of course, maybe this is more in keeping with her character than it would have been with Day's, but June matures in this book. She doesn't just accept things at face value. If she's going to give up on everything she's believed in, she wants evidence that it's worth it, whereas Day leaps in with blind faith. The portrayal of June's grief over the death of her brother continues to be both compelling and convincing, and it's fascinating how Lu creates such a vivid sense of a character who's already dead.
And then there's the ending.
Spoiler
It didn't surprise me that Day is dying. I had a feeling something like that was coming. But I was irked to the limits of my patience by his stereotypical reaction: "Oh, I'm dying. I won't tell June. I'll just break it off with her because that's so much better, and why should I let her be the one to choose what she'll do with her life anyway?" Sorry, but I just *really* hate when authors do this. It feels so tired and worn out to me, and it drives me crazy when one character deprives another of the right to choose how they want to behave in a time of crisis. Plus, I just can't help but suspect some miracle cure is coming down the pike, which will allow June and Day to be together in the end. It's bad enough that Day does that stupid macho thing, but if it turns out that this brain growth is just a way to put some further distance between them and make their romance that much more angsty, I will be seriously annoyed.In the end, this book didn't entirely wow me because the things I loved were weakened by the things I disliked. Still, I'm eager to see how this series will end. Where Legend was a very entertaining read, this one adds an extra layer of emotional resonance that makes me very anxious to see how things turn out.
mirandacasteel's review against another edition
4.0
This one was definitely better than the first, but I think it was just because there was more story for it to BE better. Seems to me the first and second books should have been combined into one.
callieju's review
5.0
FIRST, WHAT THE HELL MARIE LU WAS THAT FREAKING ENDING!!! YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THIS TO ME
kaulhilo's review
4.0
I'm too much of an emotional mess to write a proper review. WHAT THE FUCK WHO THE FUCK ENDS A BOOK LIKE THAT I AM SO FUCKING DONE WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT I HATE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING WHY AM I EVEN ALIVE I DON'T WANT THIS I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS????!!!!!???11!!???
Now that that's out of the way; okay. Hi.
Prodigy was better than Legend, in my opinion. I loved it. Both books had really good writing, but Prodigy's plot was oh my god GOOD. The beginning started out gradually, thickening into such a good captivator that I couldn't put it down. The Patriots planning was amazing, I could see how reluctantly and beautifully June slowly falls in love with Day. The plot twist was, in the end the best. I love Anden (maybe even more than Day). He was/is wonderful. W o n d e r f u l. I kinda ship June x Anden so I have hopes about them in Champion. I was expecting an evil, manipulative, son of a bitch, kind of guy; but wow, no. I got the unexpected. Anden was amazing. The part where June tries to stop the assassination was amazing, their escape into the Colonies was described so, so good. The glittering skies as from Day's father's dream to an awful slum with no basic human rights. Eh. The journey back to the Republic, the plot twist about Razor, Kaede's death, Day's speech to support the young glorious Elector; it was all A+.
The ending. I HATE HATE HATE HATE EVERYTHING. WHAT WAS UP WITH THE ENDING? I'm legit CRYING. I didn't think I shipped JuneDay; I assumed I like Anden x June more anyway, and boy, was I wrong. I didn't think I'd ship them. Honestly, I didn't until the very last moment when Day comes over at her house. I knew it was going downhill when he found out he was dying. I knew it was, and I was trying to prepare myself but no dice. It still hurt so hard, when he told her to take the job. He didn't tell her why, that he was dying and she assumed it was because she killed his family. THAT hurt.
Fictional characters think they have it hard. Huh, try reading a book.
Overall, a very good book. Deserved every single pixel in the four red-colored stars on your screen I just gave it.
Now that that's out of the way; okay. Hi.
Prodigy was better than Legend, in my opinion. I loved it. Both books had really good writing, but Prodigy's plot was oh my god GOOD. The beginning started out gradually, thickening into such a good captivator that I couldn't put it down. The Patriots planning was amazing, I could see how reluctantly and beautifully June slowly falls in love with Day. The plot twist was, in the end the best. I love Anden (maybe even more than Day). He was/is wonderful. W o n d e r f u l. I kinda ship June x Anden so I have hopes about them in Champion. I was expecting an evil, manipulative, son of a bitch, kind of guy; but wow, no. I got the unexpected. Anden was amazing. The part where June tries to stop the assassination was amazing, their escape into the Colonies was described so, so good. The glittering skies as from Day's father's dream to an awful slum with no basic human rights. Eh. The journey back to the Republic, the plot twist about Razor, Kaede's death, Day's speech to support the young glorious Elector; it was all A+.
The ending. I HATE HATE HATE HATE EVERYTHING. WHAT WAS UP WITH THE ENDING? I'm legit CRYING. I didn't think I shipped JuneDay; I assumed I like Anden x June more anyway, and boy, was I wrong. I didn't think I'd ship them. Honestly, I didn't until the very last moment when Day comes over at her house. I knew it was going downhill when he found out he was dying. I knew it was, and I was trying to prepare myself but no dice. It still hurt so hard, when he told her to take the job. He didn't tell her why, that he was dying and she assumed it was because she killed his family. THAT hurt.
Fictional characters think they have it hard. Huh, try reading a book.
Overall, a very good book. Deserved every single pixel in the four red-colored stars on your screen I just gave it.
heathenwitch_iateach's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Gender switch of the hunger games!
ianalso's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
so much more relationship focused than the last book and many more little fakeouts. def better than the first one though
eliover's review
5.0
I would give this more than 5 stars because it's that good.
HOLY FUCKING SHITT. I was not expecting THIS! I'm soo glad I read this!!
Soo much action. No fucking Cliche. Believable romance.
It was obvious the author wanted to do anime type of story. The first few chapters were like that. I can actually imagine those chapters in anime form.
Now, the PLOT.... WOWWW OKAY.
This was different from othe dystopian novels. Took a very different turn.
The Characters!
The author finally showed how intelligent June is unlike in the last book.
Day is...well, Day.
They both are like.... really emotionally stable, intelligent, trust when trust is needed, even when everyone is opposing.
Tess.... Woww she finally grew a pair and started speaking her mind. We actually understand what she's saying, given her circumstances, her thoughts are logical.
Anden's was great. He was the reason this book is different from others.
The new characters are... Well I wish there was more of them. Their intros were good, but they didn't have much of a job after like 60% of the book.
The action scenes!! God! I finally understand what the hype was all about.
I was anxious!! My heart was pounding alongside Day during the train scenes. The patriot missions. I was anxious with June too during her missing. Woww.
I don't remember the last time I felt this way about a book.
The author did bring bigger plot twists and fights for this book.
***Definitely recommends for everyone***
I am IMMEDIATELY starting the last book!
HOLY FUCKING SHITT. I was not expecting THIS! I'm soo glad I read this!!
Soo much action. No fucking Cliche. Believable romance.
It was obvious the author wanted to do anime type of story. The first few chapters were like that. I can actually imagine those chapters in anime form.
Now, the PLOT.... WOWWW OKAY.
This was different from othe dystopian novels. Took a very different turn.
The Characters!
The author finally showed how intelligent June is unlike in the last book.
Day is...well, Day.
They both are like.... really emotionally stable, intelligent, trust when trust is needed, even when everyone is opposing.
Tess.... Woww she finally grew a pair and started speaking her mind. We actually understand what she's saying, given her circumstances, her thoughts are logical.
Anden's was great. He was the reason this book is different from others.
The new characters are... Well I wish there was more of them. Their intros were good, but they didn't have much of a job after like 60% of the book.
The action scenes!! God! I finally understand what the hype was all about.
I was anxious!! My heart was pounding alongside Day during the train scenes. The patriot missions. I was anxious with June too during her missing. Woww.
I don't remember the last time I felt this way about a book.
The author did bring bigger plot twists and fights for this book.
***Definitely recommends for everyone***
I am IMMEDIATELY starting the last book!
ariaunarae's review
5.0
*SPOILERS*
I am so angry at day OHMYGOD!!!!!! WHY DIDN'T TRY? he left before he even gave june a chance!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i hope they can overcome their differences in the final book.
I am so angry at day OHMYGOD!!!!!! WHY DIDN'T TRY? he left before he even gave june a chance!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i hope they can overcome their differences in the final book.