Legend - Marie Lu

Legend – Marie Lu

Pages: 301 (ARC)

Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin UK)

Release Date: 2^nd February 2012

From Goodreads: The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America’s two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history...

Born into the slums of Los Angeles, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watched over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family’s door with an X – the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it.

Born into an elite family in Los Angeles’ wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year-old June is the Republic’s most promising prodigy. A super-intelligent girl destined for great things in the country’s highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country – until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital.

Only one person could be responsible.

Day.

And now it’s June’s mission to hunt him down.

The truth they’ll uncover will become legend.

Marie Lu’s fantastic debut novel starts with mysteries and two intriguing characters and turns into an action-packed ride in a fascinating world.

The Plague is immediately introduced as a major problem in Day and June’s world and immediately introduced questions about how it started, whether it began the apocalypse that led to their world. The warring between the Republic and the Colonies was then introduced as well and we weren’t immediately told what they were fighting over. This many questions in such a short amount of time could have been overwhelming, but Marie Lu handled it beautifully. I also loved the idea of the Trial in that it was horrible – a brilliant idea perfect for a totalitarian regime.

In the dual narrative, hearing from Day and June, we got glimpses of life on both sides and I couldn’t decide which was better. I have to admit that I didn’t immediately connect with either protagonist and I never became fully attached to them. I thought they both seemed much older than fifteen, though this could be purely down to their lives they have lived, but aside from this, they were engaging enough to carry me through Legend. I especially loved how June retained her tough, rebellious nature throughout.

I enjoyed Legend and read it through very quickly and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.

For my 2012 Debut Author Challenge and 2012 Dystopia Challenge

Thank you to Penguin for providing me with a review copy.

Sophie