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A review by nuin_giliath
Legend by Marie Lu
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
I'm about 10 years late to the party, but I finally decided to give this series a try and I'm so glad I did! There are obvious parallels between this book and other YA dystopian novels published around the same time - The Hunger Games and Divergent for example. Despite the now well-worn tropes, I feel like Legend provides a solid addition to the genre.
I enjoyed the dual perspectives and how the chapters dovetailed nicely. Each narrator had a distinct voice and provided a clear view into that character's thoughts and experiences. The writing style was easy to read despite the fact that the story included intense and tragic moments. (Thankfully there were some quieter and more tender scenes to balance things out.) For the most part, I liked the mysteries that were introduced here. Even if they were kind of predictable at times, I still found myself wanting to receive confirmation that my assumptions were correct. While it did suffer from some insta-love, the romance was ultimately sweet and pretty on par with similar books aimed at this age group.
The world building was decent, but not phenomenal. I liked the tension resulting from having a military government, but the setting didn't feel as futuristic as I expected it might. The way that natural disasters have not only changed the landscape, but also some cultural practices (such as wearing white to a funeral) was a neat touch. Right now, I'm still not 100% sure how the whole Republic vs Colonies conflict started or why they're such mortal enemies with each other. Hopefully this will become clearer in the following books. It also took me a while to figure out who the Patriots are and where they fit into the conflict.
Of course it's the characters that really make or break a story for me. I connected with Day almost immediately. I liked how his need to care for others led him to engage in many of his reckless and dangerous acts. He had such a gentle nature when it came to how he interacted with the people who mattered most to him. It was quite endearing. It took some time for me to warm to June as I initially found her a bit bratty. She became a much more enjoyable character as the story progressed and her eyes were opened to the truth. At first, I was rather unimpressed with how these two teens were so immensely gifted that they were able to consistently outwit the adults in charge. However, things didn't always work out so smoothly for them later on so this wasn't as big of an issue by the end.
I can certainly see now why this series has received high praise. I really enjoyed my time reading it and am anxious to find out what lies ahead for these characters.
I enjoyed the dual perspectives and how the chapters dovetailed nicely. Each narrator had a distinct voice and provided a clear view into that character's thoughts and experiences. The writing style was easy to read despite the fact that the story included intense and tragic moments. (Thankfully there were some quieter and more tender scenes to balance things out.) For the most part, I liked the mysteries that were introduced here. Even if they were kind of predictable at times, I still found myself wanting to receive confirmation that my assumptions were correct. While it did suffer from some insta-love, the romance was ultimately sweet and pretty on par with similar books aimed at this age group.
The world building was decent, but not phenomenal. I liked the tension resulting from having a military government, but the setting didn't feel as futuristic as I expected it might. The way that natural disasters have not only changed the landscape, but also some cultural practices (such as wearing white to a funeral) was a neat touch. Right now, I'm still not 100% sure how the whole Republic vs Colonies conflict started or why they're such mortal enemies with each other. Hopefully this will become clearer in the following books. It also took me a while to figure out who the Patriots are and where they fit into the conflict.
Of course it's the characters that really make or break a story for me. I connected with Day almost immediately. I liked how his need to care for others led him to engage in many of his reckless and dangerous acts. He had such a gentle nature when it came to how he interacted with the people who mattered most to him. It was quite endearing. It took some time for me to warm to June as I initially found her a bit bratty. She became a much more enjoyable character as the story progressed and her eyes were opened to the truth. At first, I was rather unimpressed with how these two teens were so immensely gifted that they were able to consistently outwit the adults in charge. However, things didn't always work out so smoothly for them later on so this wasn't as big of an issue by the end.
I can certainly see now why this series has received high praise. I really enjoyed my time reading it and am anxious to find out what lies ahead for these characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Murder and Police brutality