Legend by Marie Lu (Dystopian)

In the suspenseful and action-packed “Legend” by Marie Lu, it is some point in the future when the former United States of America has been split into two; it's the Republic versus the Colonies. The book focuses on June, a military prodigy who is graduating four years ahead of all her other normal classmates in one of the Republic’s top universities and is one of the government’s favorite and most promising soldiers. All her life she has heard the shocking and impressive rumors of Day’s crimes, one of the most notorious fugitives in the Republic that can never seem to be caught. Even though she should despise criminals, she has a bit of admiration for his work and is eager to match his skill. It's not until she hears the life-shattering news that Day had killed her brother Metias during one of his crimes that she has a real reason to hate him and get revenge. June isn’t the only main character in this story, as we also get a large peek into Day’s life. Day lives on the streets and commits crimes with intentions of stealing various things to support not only himself but more importantly his family, who have been struggling as they basically live in poverty. Day’s situation is complicated because he doesn’t live with his family anymore and everyone thinks he’s dead except for his older brother John, who he communicates with and gives the supplies and money he steals. This is mainly due to the Trial, an ominous set of tests that decides every child’s fate in the Republic, and is taken when the child is only 10 years old. Day failed his Trial and went to a “labor camp”, but he escaped and discovered the truth about what they do with kids who fail, which is why he can’t return home as his mother and younger brother think he’s dead. As June goes undercover as a street girl to get closer to Day, they find themselves in a close relationship where June learns that people have been lying to her whole life, and she realizes the true corruptness of the Republic. Day and June race against the odds to join forces and fight for what's right; to avenge those they have lost on the way by the Republic’s hands.

I recommend this book to all teens, as I think it contains many different genres which makes it exciting and it is a book that you won’t get bored of. I think this book is a great one to read, and I recommend it if you are into dystopian books and ones that constantly keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s not as dark or serious as books like the Hunger Games, but it does a great job at blending different genres and categories, like science, the future, romance, and also darker things like death and evilness. This book has also lots of mysteries in it, which keeps you interested in the story. The plot was pretty fast-moving, and the scenes seemed very connected which was encouraging and allowed for me to easily follow along. One thing I didn’t particularly like about the book was that sometimes the plot seemed predictable, and June and Day’s relationship was a little underdeveloped and rushed, as it felt more like a “love at first sight” which isn’t truly realistic. Overall though, I think this book is very well-written and really does a good job explaining the plot and characters, which is a great thing to see in a book. If you enjoy the book, there are also three more in the series: “Champion”, “Prodigy”, and “Rebel.” They are sure to be some action-packed thrillers, and I can’t wait to read them myself.

Reviewed by Andre P.  10th Grader