Review: Legend by Marie Lu
From Hicklebee’s: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.
Marie Lu pens an interesting dystopian in her debut Legend. Told from multiple points of view we are able to learn much more about the surroundings and the regime that the protagonist will be rising against. The font for June and Day varied in color in the review copy, gold for Day and blue for June. I hope that carries over into the finished copy of the book. It felt very dynamic while reading.
Lu narrowed down the scope of her landscape by focusing on the western part of the US. The technology used in the futuristic plot was superb and wholly believable. I enjoyed learning more about the inside of the government and military by having a character on the inside that the reader is immediately able to feel sympathetic towards.
June thinks Day killed her brother, Day is after all the most crafty of criminals – he also tops the Republic’s most wanted list. June infiltrates the streets, lands in with Day and begins her undercover military work to bring him in and make him pay. And he will pay – June will make sure of that.
Day will do anything to protect his family. He has a laugh now and then about the news of criminal activities he supposedly committed. Day isn’t half as evil as the government thinks he is. He saves June’s life in a knife fight and brings her into his small crew. He couldn’t leave her out there to be killed, or worse, it wouldn’t be the gentlemanly thing to do.
Day and June should be the epitome of nemesis for each other, but as they uncover secrets about the Regime they find they have more in common than previously thought.
Legend is everything YA dystopia should be and more. I look forward to reading more from Marie Lu. Legend hits the shelves later this month.
Review: The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer
It’s not very often that I give a book two stars. I am generally pretty good at picking enjoyable reads for myself. Usually my reviews are three or four stars. This book almost was a one, I waited with the review and thought about some of the nicer features of the book.
Eliot Schrefer takes us to a boarding school in Colorado for last effort girls. Angela the character has done some pretty nasty things and her parents send her here to be fixed. I figured out half way through the book that Angela was Mexican. It was kind of thrown into the story without previously describing her family and after we find out she is Mexican she starts using small Spanish terms that everyone knows such as ‘Abuelito”. After Angela gets to the school she starts looking for a cousin. This cousin was mentioned no where in the book as having been sent to the school, she just is there. The other characters are not well thought out. It seems like he throws a lesbian in for fun, and the author knows nothing about teen girls. That is obvious. What girl who is being beaten, abused, is scared to death cares deeply still about foundation, exfoliating, and highlight kits?
The whole headmistress mystery was laughable. The adults in the story were insane themselves. Angela’s parents of course were clueless and not just clueless but completely evil and mean. They show no ounce of love towards Angela ever. Not even tough love.
The boyfriend even though the first few chapters that is all she thinks about, is never described well enough to picture him. Neither is the later love interest. I never could picture any of the characters honestly. I was in the mood for a dark book and I almost got one. If the author had spent more time on character development, and plot instead of make up and hair the book might have been passable. I would like to see this book rewritten. The plot is a great idea, it just didn’t shine through all of the mess.
