Legend (Legend Trilogy, #1)

by Marie Lu

A New York Times bestseller!

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.

• ISBN10: 039925675X
• ISBN13: 9780399256752
• Publish Date: 29 November 2011 (first published 1 November 2011)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: G.P.Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers'
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780399256752

Reviews

[Stephanie]

For some reason, I had it in my head that I wasn't going to read this book. I don't remember those reasons now, but I read so many good reviews that I decided to requests it from my library at the spur of the moment.

I absolutely loved this book. It was fast paced that kept me on the edge of my seat, but I was also very interested in the world that Day and June were living in now. With the Republic, Patriots, and Colonies I was trying to wrap my head around why the world was like that now, but all we really get is the inside of the Republic, and how the government works there. I really wanted to know more about the Patriots and Colonies more, but hopefully we get more the them in the next book.

When we first meet Day and June, we are told that they are complete opposites. June is a prodigy, who got the top score on her trials, the only person who has done that. She's already in college training to become a solider, where everyone else is at least 4 years older that her. And then there's Day, who failed his trials, lives on the streets, and is a criminal. But as you continue reading, it's shown just how similar these two really are.

I cannot express how much I loved this book. It was a very fun and exciting read that I want to run out a buy a copy for myself.

[Kelly]

Loved this book. Thought it was really well paced and well written. Can't wait for the next one in the series.

[Ashley]

Re-Read (4 stars)

I'm sad I didn't enjoy it as much the second time around. Maybe it's because I'm less into dystopians? Or maybe I'm just more of a seasoned reader? It just felt a bit less awesome than I remember.

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Original Review (5 stars)

As posted on booknook - Young Adult book reviews

If you're a cover whore like me, do not push this book aside because of the cover! There were at least 5 times where I saw a review or post about this book and just skipped over it because I thought the cover was dull, boring, self-published-looking, and not that eye-catching. Finally, after some pushes and prods from fellow bloggers, I gave this book a chance. I'm so glad I did. I'll let this quote speak for the awesomeness of the book:

I will hunt you down. I will scour the streets of Los Angeles for you. Search every street in the Republic if I have to. I will trick you and deceive you, lie, cheat, and steal to find you, tempt you out of your hiding place, and chase you until you have nowhere else to run. I make you this promise: your life is mine.

Okay, so when I finally got passed the cover, I opened up the book and was shocked. The typeface. It was different. The colour. It was.... gold? It's so unique! I had never seen anything like it. All of Day's chapters are in this never-before-scene-in-a-book typeface (it's not that extravagant — it's just different from the standard so often seen), and June's are in a more standard typeface with black ink. So cool!

The story in this book is just so incredibly intriguing. We have June: the amazingly intelligent genius prodigy who's training to join the most exclusive military branch. Then there's Day, born in poverty and a criminal on the run. Then Day is suspected of killing June's brother, so June vows to hunt him down and seek revenge (see epic quote above). She goes undercover, tracking Day and pretending to be a poor girl from the slums. Then she meets Day, but doesn't know it's him, and starts travelling around with him. Soon enough she finds herself liking him (and vice versa).. like really liking him. Like "You're a sexy beast" liking him. OH MY GOD!! Tell me that doesn't sound awesome! It sounds like the kind of action thriller TV shows or movies I like to watch.. but wrapped up in a YA dystopian sci-fi romance! Hello, incredible book. My name is Ashley and I love you. Would you like my unborn children?

I don't even know where to really begin with this review (although I guess I've started already lol). All the characters are amazing. June is totally kick-ass. She almost reminds me of Sherlock Holmes in her attention to detail. She's the kind of person who truly observes everything around her and uses the tiniest details to draw conclusions. She's incredibly strong and proud, but more than anything, she wants to do what's right. Even when she absolutely hates Day for supposedly murdering her brother, she still doesn't want to see any unwarranted violence or torture. And Day... Day is kind of like Robin Hood. Sure he's a criminal, but he only steals so he can survive and help his family and community get food and medicine. And that only touches the surface. All of the side characters are equally as interesting and I either love them or love to hate them.

Legend is so action-packed and there's never, ever a dull moment. The plot is always progressing and kept me on my toes the entire way through. The romance that develops is one of the most interesting I've ever seen because of the circumstances, but it's also totally swoon-worthy. Legend also toyed with my emotions quite a bit. June takes us through some of her memories with her brother Metias, and after knowing what happened to him, I was totally getting teary-eyed. It's devastatingly sad and made me wish I had a brother like him (one who doesn't get killed!).

There was zero doubt in my mind that I'd give his book 5 stars and mark it as one of my all-time favourites. I didn't even have to stop and ponder. I ended this book in a complete daze; my imagination was in overdrive and trying to process all the awesomeness in this book!

As seen at: Miss Book Reviews

This was one awesome read, I honestly only picked this up because everyone was saying it was good. But the blurb on the back didn’t really interest me, plus I really did not like the names ‘Day’ and ‘June’ and for some reason that bothered me enough to keep on pushing this book down my TBR list.

I’m very glad I listened to everyone else, because I just could not put this book down!

The run down:
Day has been destroying the republic’s plans since he escaped from their grasp when we was ten. He’s masterminded their plans and managed to never seriously injure anyone in the process, he’s never been caught and they don’t know what he looks like. He tries his hardest to look after his family, but only his oldest brother John knows that he’s alive. His youngest brother Eden and his mother both think he died when he failed his trial. He gets money for them to live off of and items they need but cannot afford to get. His mother never knows who it is that gives them these things.

June is one of the Prodigy’s, she has been the only person ever to score a perfect mark on her trial test. Therefore she was brought up in military training for the Republic’s army. She’s willing to put her life on the line against the colonists and patriots for the republics. She admires Day and the way he’s beaten the republic countless times but she wants him captured. Especially when her oldest brother whom brought her up is killed by Day. Then she’s out for revenge.

But then Day and June’s lives cross and are forever changed by it. They realise not everything is as black and white as they’ve been told.

The characters:
I love reading about characters that can fight and protect themselves. I love it even more when they have a reason to protect someone else. It’s way more interesting. June is fighting to avenge her brother’s death and Day is fighting to keep his beloved family alive from the plague. They both have legitimate reasons for fighting and doing anything to get what they need yet at the same time they aren’t ruthless.

At the beginning I found myself intrigued, I thought I was going to like one character more than the other as we read both points of view. But I found I liked them both and could understand their actions, even though they fought each other. I loved that this was possible, that I was able to like both characters with equal measure, neither of them were boring to read about.

The romance I found was a little sudden but I think it worked, I do usually like more of a build up but I didn’t mind this wasn’t that. Mainly because they weren’t declaring their love for each other after one paragraph of gushing about their feelings. Thank goodness this book was nothing like that. I found this very refreshing.

Fast paced:
This book had a lot of exciting action that had me feeling anxious. Everything was very fast paced and kept me hooked, I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. I found myself thinking ”Just one more chapter”, right up until I had finished the book. It was a short-ish book but there was so much that happened that it definitely didn’t feel like it.

Overall, this book was pretty exciting to read. I really enjoyed it and I’m very glad I listened to others on this.

Legend has you on your toes the entire time waiting to see what happens next. It’s a fast paced, action packed book that is highly enjoyable and exciting!

[Amber]

AMAZING

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Review here: http://www.booksofamber.com/2012/01/legend-by-marie-lu.html

Legend was action packed from the word go. I loved the action, the drama and the humour that was rolled into one in this book. Marie Lu did a fantastic job of balancing all these elements and carving a fascinating and gripping story.

Lu has created a really well thought-out story with Legend. Things pop up in the final few chapters that were briefly mentioned right at the beginning. The smallest thing ties in with the plot so well, and there are no loose ends left to be tied.

The world that these characters live in is as fascinating as the characters themselves. I am a sucker for a good dystopian world, and Marie Lu didn't disappoint. Details of the world were revealed as the story progressed, and there are still lots of things left to build upon in the next books in the trilogy. I'm really looking forward to learning more because I think there is still so much history to be explored.

I loved both Day and June and reading from their alternating points of view was a great experience. I love how clever both of them are, and I love their similar traits and their individual personalities and views. There were times when I went from hating June to loving her again within a couple of chapters - I won't give any spoilers!

I am so happy that Lu wrote such well rounded and complex characters. Day provided some great humour at times with his sarcastic dialogue, and I was laughing out loud quite a bit during this book! Day and June's stories start of separately, and they begin to merge about a third of the way through. This is when I got completely hooked on the story and I couldn't put the book down.

I do feel that their relationship progressed a bit too quickly for my liking. I enjoy a good build up, and while there was no insta-love, they did 'fall for' (their words, not mine) each other quickly. They were also quick to forgive each other for various things, whereas I was expecting some underlying hatred to make its way to the surface for various reasons towards the end.

The ending of the novel was fantastic. It had me on the edge of my seat, and it even made me cry a couple of times. The book doesn't end in a major cliffhanger, which I am happy with and yet it doesn't stop me from wanting to read the next book NOW! I think if there had been a giant cliffhanger, I would be pulling my hair out (Delirium, anyone?)

I can only hope that the next book is going to be this amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am really looking forward to seeing where there Day and June will go next. I also need to know what happens with a certain 9-year old character, as it seems as though Day and June are leaving him/her/it *tries to remain spoiler-free*

I think every dystopian fan should give this book a chance. The plot isn't completely unique, but the world holds its own and is like nothing I've ever read before.

Review originally posted on: http://yainfatuation.blogspot.com/2011/12/legend-by-marie-lu-available-now.html

…I’m warning y’all now that I’m about to go all Gollum on y’all….my prreeeccccioouss….*cough cough*. Sorry, but it’s just that freaking good.


This book was absolutely stunning. I honestly don’t even know how to write this review! This book was full of heart-pumping, non-stop action! From the very first chapters, I fell in love with these absolutely amazing characters. And Day’s last chapter!? So heartbreaking!


If anyone has seen the show Bones, then y’all will know what I’m talking about when I say that Bones is who June reminds me of. She a child prodigy. She is intuitive, calculative, blunt, factual and observant just like Bones. However, she could also be compared to Sherlock Holmes. She notices everything. Details about everything are constantly going through her mind. Though, not only is she amazingly intelligent, she can also kick your butt. Literally. I absolutely love her. She might be one of my favorite female characters ever. As Day said, she is “coolly logical and fiercely defiant” and I absolutely love her for it.


And Day….If June won’t take him, I will! Bold, brash, and daring, yet so amazingly loyal and noble and honest. He’s been through so much pain but still puts his family first. Extremely intelligent, agile, and brave, I absolutely fell in love with him. I think June described him best when she said he was “a beautiful mystery”. So true. Seriously, he is a definitely a book boyfriend!


The plot was full of non-stop action that read like a movie-script. Honestly, this book would make an amazing movie. I was constantly on the edge of my seat and I did not want to put it down. This book was so heartbreakingly beautiful. Action, mystery, murder...what more could you want? This is such an emotional thrill-ride! Even though this had the generalized dystopia of a corrupt society, it was still unique in its content. I just can’t stop gushing about it!

I absolutely loved the writing. Both Day and June's POV's seamlessly blended together, allowing the reader to truly understand these characters and their emotions.

My review does not do this book justice. Not even in the slightest. That is how amazing this book is! It is a book full of heart-pumping action, but also has a heartbreakingly beautiful side to it. I almost didn’t want to finish it because I know I have to wait so long for the next book in the series! If I could give this book more stars, I definitely would. Please, please read this book. Marie Lu did an amazing job on her debut novel and the next book in the series can’t come fast enough. Truth truly will become Legend.

[rakesandrogues]

In the future, the United States exists only as a myth. There’s a war ravaging two countries: the Republic, which is comprised of what had been the Western United States, and the Colonies. In the Republic, Day, a fifteen-year-old criminal, is on the loose causing havoc for the government and simultaneously helping his family and his poverty-stricken neighbors in the Lake district. In a richer part of town, June is the prodigy – the only one who scored perfect marks in the Republic’s Trials who also can’t help but rebel by playing pranks. What happens when the paths of these two collide? You get Marie Lu’s epic debut novel, LEGEND.

My biggest qualm with this book is the emphasis on the romance between Day and June. I usually do find the appeal between star-crossed lovers, but I honestly felt that there was no chemistry or sexual tension between the two of them. Yeah, they totally had the hots for each other. But just because you find someone attractive, it doesn’t mean you’re suddenly falling in love with them. I would have liked it so much more if Day and June remained friends. They have this understanding about one another and I can definitely sense some camaraderie (if you look past their initial misconceptions, of course). They both respect each other in a way, and despite the differences in their upbringing, they have been both seriously screwed over by the Republic. Is this just a shout out that guys and girls can’t just be friends?

But other than the romance, I really failed to pick out any other problems with LEGEND. However, unlike many other bloggers out there, it just failed to captivate me. The story was good, and the world-building was quite great. I can definitely picture this happening in the future (which is a scary thought). As someone who’s been to Los Angeles only once or twice, it was hard for me to picture if remnants of the city I had visited still exists in Lu’s novel. However, the concept is still quite believable. A civil war set in the future is definitely possible, and the thought of it brings up a million questions buzzing in my head. Lu gives us a glimpse of what could have happened, but fails to give us the entire picture in the first book. She answers just enough questions to get my curiousity piqued, but doesn’t answer them all to make me want to read the next book in the series.

Both protagonists were quite likeable in LEGEND. The book is written in Day and June’s alternating point of views. I do like how June’s character grows so much in this one book alone. At first, she is a rebellious, privileged rich kid but as she learns how the other half lives, she empathizes for the people who did not grow up with all the things she had. I love how June is so fierce. She can protect herself and she isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in no matter what the risks are. On the other hand, I love Day because, like June, he is also fiercely loyal to his family. He isn’t a criminal for the sake of causing havoc. He reminds me of a futuristic Robin Hood who steals from the rich and gives back to the poor. And who doesn’t love to cheer for the underdog? But if I had to pick a favorite character, it would be Metias. Okay, June and Day are quite clever, but Metias is by far superior. He can hack into the government systems. He’s a kick-ass soldier, but also an overprotective older brother.

This book has a legit beginning, middle, and an end, but with enough development to make it a solid first book of a new series. I absolutely hate books that have all development but nothing ever happens. I’m glad to say that LEGEND does not follow this formula. I feel like I’ve actually started and finished a book.

LEGEND is a wonderful debut by author Marie Lu. I thought the romance was a bit unnecessary and I wish that the characters just stuck to friendship. While there was great world-buildling, the novel just lacked that extra oompf to really get me hooked on every page. However, LEGEND truly shines in a YA market that is saturated with dystopians. I strongly recommend this book over others to those who are fans of The Hunger Games series.

Final Verdict: The book is quite cool, so if you like dystopians buy it. The alternating perspectives are printed in two different font colors: black for June’s chapters and gold for Day’s chapters.

Why I’m Biased: This book is way hyped up in the book blogosphere and just about any other book publication out there. I can see why it’s hype-worthy but I’m not jumping on the bandwagon completely.