A review by marissasa
Legend by Marie Lu

mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

This YA novel based on a dystopian republic of the former America was one that while grabbed my attention enough to want to finish, definitely felt like something I would've enjoyed a lot more in middle school. I was interested in the world-building and political intrigue around the manufactured plagues and the idea that the government was hiding a lot of secrets, but I couldn't find myself caring about the main characters. June is very much the typical female YA protagonist who is super young (15) but somehow smarter, more skilled, and more experienced than everyone around her and although it makes sense for her characterization as someone who was born into wealth from government affiliation and was trained from a young age to be a solider like her brother, it also made for a very calculating and unemotional point of view to read from that I couldn't connect with. Day is also a typical male YA protagonist counterpart who is somehow cunning, charming, knowledgable, and a famous criminal despite also being super young (15) and I didn't find myself rooting for him nor believing in the connection between him and June as anything deeper than physical attraction. I will finish the series eventually simply because I want to see the fallout of their actions and see how they will challenge the government or uncover more about their secrets.
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