Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Legend

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.

Well, I finally got around to reading this one. Everyone who knows me well enough, knows I’m not a big dystopian fan. And though this doesn’t really bring anything completely new to the table, I did enjoy this one quite a bit. But maybe not as much as I wanted to.

Legend is about June and Day. They both live in the Republic, once called the United States. June is a prodigy, born into an elite family in a wealthy district. Day, born in the slums, is the country’s most wanted criminal. They have no reason to ever cross paths. Until Metias, June’s brother, is killed and Day becomes the prime suspect. While Day is desperate to find a way to save his own family, June wants to avenge her brother. And when they finally do cross paths, they start to uncover the truth and all the ways the government uses to keep it hidden.

Hmm, I don’t quite know where to start. I’ll go over the positives first. I liked the writing and the different POV’s. Sometimes a double POV can be confusing and sometimes even unnecessary, but it really helped the story along in this book. The story itself, while maybe not completely original, was executed well and the pacing and everything was good. I really liked Day as a character. He’s strong, loyal, kind when he wants to be,… He does make mistakes, but most of them involve him trying to help his family survive. I also liked Tess, though in the second half it feels like she doesn’t add anything to the story anymore.

Now for the negatives. First off, for me this was very predictable. That’s a common problem with books these days for me. And sometimes I don’t mind. Like in a contemporary novel. But when it comes to dystopian… It’s not a good thing for me. There was one thing that happened that I didn’t expect but I saw all the rest coming. Second, I wasn’t the biggest fan of June. I don’t know… She seems smart and stupid at the same time. I can’t really explain it properly. I also didn’t buy the romance. Not for a second. It started fast. Too fast. Before I even had time to settle into their growing friendship, they kissed. Not insta-love but insta-kiss. I saw that somewhere in a review and that’s what this feels like.

While Legend is a good start to a dystopian trilogy, for me it didn’t bring anything new to the table. It was just okay. I do want to read the other books, but I kind of have a feeling how it all will go. If you’re a fan of dystopian novels and you haven’t read this one yet, I do recommend it. Maybe, hopefully, you’ll enjoy it more than me.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Bee

Bee (born as Bieke) is 27 years old and from Belgium. (No she won't send waffles.) She's a strange, nerdy and anxious creature floating around somewhere on the ace spectrum. Oh, and she also writes books as Nelly B. Jones. Or tries to anyway. You can also find her on Novel Ink.

Latest posts by Bee (see all)

• {Bee Mini-Reviews} THE BOY WHO STEALS HOUSES by C.G. Drews - April 8, 2019
• FairyLoot February UnBoxing – All The BATB Things - March 22, 2019
• The Return of Bee (part 2) ~ What I’ve Been Reading - March 15, 2019

• Related Posts
• Same Genre

{Bee Mini-Reviews} THE BOY WHO STEALS HOUSES by C.G. Drews

{Can’t Wait Wednesday} Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

{Can’t Wait Wednesday} The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

{Blog Tour ~ Excerpt & Giveaway} The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde

{Can’t Wait Wednesday} Words We Don’t Say by K.J. Reilly

{Review} You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

{Mini Reviews} Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse; Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw; Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

{Review} Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

{Review} Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

{Review} Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert