Review--Legend by Marie Lu

From different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths...

Until June's brother is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect.

In a shocking turn of events, the two uncover what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets.

I just had me a one day read and that read was Marie Lu's Legend! I've heard some pretty good things about this series over the few years and finally decided to give it a go! What better time then when the trilogy is finished and the new spinoff is beginning? Hopefully good! A friend told me she was left emotional over how the new book ended! Eep!

I didn't really know much going into this one! I hadn't read any reviews in awhile and the description was short and vague, as seen above! But I had read the hardcover description awhile back and kinda knew what I was getting into.

Legend is told in two first person points of view, and that is Day and June. Naturally. I liked how Day's point of view was in a different font and color than June's. It made it easy to see who was narrating, besides the obvious chapter header at the top with their name, but still, it let you know who was speaking and you could easily move to the next chapter and not have to look up. Of course, the chapters do alternate evenly with Day and June narrating.

June is a genius in her own right. There's a particular system of government in this new future. The United States has been divided into the Republics and the Patriots (at least I believe this was their names for divisions. the woes of reading a book in one day, you kinda forget some detailed details!). June lives in the Republic and got a perfect score  on the test that basically decides your future. Every child takes this test when they are 10 and June's been moving up in the ranks ever since, finishing her school years way ahead of the rest. Then one day, she gets promoted and is pushed through to graduation to join the Republics who act as a sort of police system, but way higher up in rank.

Day is a "street-rat" basically. He failed his test on testing day and was sent away to where all the other failures go, but he escapes and lives life on the streets with another young girl Tess, who he kind of took in a few years ago. He tries to take care of his family from far away as he watches his younger brother get sick and his mother struggling to provide for him and her older son.

Day and June's paths collide when Day is accused of murdering her brother. Day was there that night and was initially the cause of the chaos that led to June's brother's death, but he claims innocence and June is prone to believe him after spending time with the boy. And soon she uncovers heavy secrets from messages left behind by her brother, ones that lead her to question everything she thought she knew about her governing system.

This was a very interesting story! There's a great mystery and sort of conspiracy theory going on! Definitely an intriguing mystery filled with a possible corrupt government though! And it's in a futuristic setting which gives it all that dystopic vibe, though not in the sense of post-apocalypse. 

I loved the characters in this one! For fifteen year olds, these two were very intriguing and deep characters. They both have mysteries about them, perhaps Day moreso than June as there's a lot we don't really know about him. But June has her own buried secrets that will have to be uncovered as well. Things her family knew and what led to their possible murders. Tess was a fun character as well! A little sprite of a girl who you couldn't help but love!

There was some romance, which was bound to come up. Though it does in an almost insta-love sort of way. There's no declarations, but the attraction soon grips the characters and takes them way farther than I like seeing in a first book. But it wasn't so bad. A kiss here and there, but by the end, it was like they felt a deeper love connection and I was like really? They barely had any time together other than a portion before the halfway point and yet, here they are in love. *mumbling rant*

The end sort of leaves are characters hanging on a bit of a cliff. The danger has taken a pause. There's a moment of calm, but it's definitely happening just before the storm and I am eager to get onto book 2! Legend has started off with a positive bang and I can't wait to see where else this trilogy will take me!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars