Review: Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu

Legend

Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend, #1

Synopsis (goodreads): 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' 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.

Review

Let me first start of by saying that I really enjoyed reading Legend. It was very interesting having two different points of view, from two different areas of the Republic. June Iparis is part of the elite. Her parents, who we learn died in a car accident when June was young, worked for the Republic (at least her father did, in the hospital. I don't remember reading anything about her mother). Her brother Metias is a captain in the Republics military. And June herself is the only known person to have every made a perfect score on the Trials and goes to the most elite college named Drake as one of their prodigies. She's on her way to becoming a top military official. And she's only fifteen. But the college doesn't prove to be challenging enough so she's often found scaling building and the like, causing trouble.

Day is from one of the poor communities in the Republic, called the Lake sector. He's been on the run for 5 years and has outsmarted the Republic officials multiple times, yet somehow he made the lowest score on the Trials than anyone before him. He's been on the run ever since, even forming an alliance with another runaway named Tess. In one unfortunate incident trying to get a cure for the plague for his brother, Day is framed for the murder of Metias. After his dead, June takes it upon herself to hunt Day down and bring him in to custody out of vengeance, with the help of the military and it's Commander Jamison. But things don't go as planned and June is suddenly baffled by the cruelty of the Republic's officials. She had always looked at the Republic and it's Elector and officials with respect, but after they brutally kill innocent people to make things move along faster and easier, she suddenly begins to doubt her country and its leaders she held up so high. And now it's up to her to make things right.

Along this journey she ends up falling for Day. She begins to realize that he just may not be the person the Republic says he is. And I must say that I absolutely loved watching these two fall in love. It was unclear in the beginning how it would happen but Marie Lu did a wonderful job at creating their love story. There were times that they both blatantly hated the other: June hated Day for killing her brother; Day hated June for blindsiding him and making him trust her, only to be taken into custody by the Republic police (among other things that I won't discuss because it would spoil some parts of the story).

Several instances in this book proved that the Republic will stop at nothing to win the war against the Colonies, even doing cruel and malicious things. Killing to keep secrets from the citizens, training it's military to believe that the people in the poor sectors are scum and to be fighting machines who take orders no matter how cruel and unnecessary they are. This only scratches the surface.

I really cannot wait to read the second book in the series and discover just how "bad" the Colonies actually are, or if perhaps the Colonies are in fact the good guys. I can't wait to uncover more of the Republics secrets and just how well they've kept them hidden from its citizens. And I'm certainly looking forward to watching June and Day's love story unfold even more, but I'm betting a love triangle is in store for the next installment. I'm sure Tess isn't entirely blind to Day's good looks..

I rate this book: