Lisa Reviews: Marie Lu's - "Legend"

I know a lot of you aren’t going to like what I’m about to write, but maybe some of you will agree with me. I can easily say that I really enjoyed Legend, and there’s no doubt about it. But I can also say that the cover doesn’t do the story inside justice.

It’s true that the cover does incorporate various aspects of the story, but I feel there are endless possibilities and that the cover could have been much more eye catching that it is.

On the other hand, how crazy amazing was Legend?! Day and June are totally kickbutt! And OH so perfect for each other!! I love that this story was told in both of their points of view. The reader got the chance to get into both of their heads and see what they’re thinking and how they’re living their lives.

Legend weaves back and forth between the lives of Day and June, who live in the same world, but on completely different ends. While June is the baby sister of a high ranking soldier, Day is viewed as a criminal. June has perfect scores, is enrolled in a military academy and is living a good life. Day is legally dead, hiding in the slums, hoping to steal any food, and medicine to provide for his brothers and mom.

At the age of ten every child has to take a test called the Trials, scoring them on their intelligence and physical ability. The score they receive decides what kind of lifestyle they will be living in their future. If they’re scores are high (like June’s) their life will be comfortable. But if their scores are low (like Day’s) they are sent to working camps.

A civil war is rising between the rich and poor. More and more of the poor are dying due to a plague, while the rich go on living their lives with the cure.

When June’s brother is brutally murdered, she sets out to find his killer and get revenge. She heads to the poor lands of her society, knowing she has nothing left to lose. Her brother meant everything to her, and was always there for her, even when their parents weren’t.

Day is struggling with his own problems. He has a risky plan to steal the plague cure and return to his baby brother who is coming down with the sickness. His plan doesn’t run as smoothly as he hoped because Day isn’t sure, but he thinks he might have killed a soldier on his way out of the hospital. 

Day and June bump into each during a street fight. Day takes in June, and they both start to have feelings for one another. June soon finds out who Day really is, and what he did. And can’t believe she was distracted by her feelings.

But the couple soon realizes everything isn’t what it seems. The world they are living in is a lie. The government, the Trials, the plague – everything is a lie. Day and June know what is REALLY going on, and need to do something about it.

Overall Legend was totally bad (…ass, that is!) and I already added Prodigy and Champion to my Christmas wishlist! Day and June were everything and more that I was hoping for in two main characters in this type of society dealing with these types of issues! I think that it’s extremely interesting that the world they live in is very comparable to the world we’re living in. Each person is sorted and filed by their physical ability and intelligence, but in Legend it’s is much more obvious.

Dying to read the rest of the series!