Legend [Kindle Edition]

Marie Lu (Author)

Book Description

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Marie Lu’s New York Times bestseller LEGEND:
 
From ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:
“Fine writing and excellent execution. Sequel, please!”

 
From THE NEW YORK TIMES:
“Legend doesn’t merely survive the hype, it deserves it.”
 
 
From USA TODAY:
“Marie Lu’s dystopian novel is a ‘Legend’ in the making.”
 
 
From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:
“an action-packed love story full of inventive details.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
“Lu’s debut is a stunner. . . raises hopes high for the sequels to come. ”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from KIRKUS REVIEWS:
 “A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles. This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from BOOKLIST:
 “[D]elicious details keep pages turning . . . you’ve got the makings for a potent sequel.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from VOYA:
 “A fast-paced blend of action and science fiction (with only a hint of potential romance) means that this one will likely appeal to male and female readers alike.  Debut author Lu has managed a great feat—emulating a highly successful young adult series while staying true to her own voice. Legend will give Hunger Games fans something worthwhile to read.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION:
 “This book stands out . . .”
 
 
FROM KAMI GARCIA, New York Times bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures trilogy
“A romantic thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world where nothing is what it seems—Legend is impossible to put down and even harder to forget.”
 
 
FROM SARAH REES BRENNAN, author of The Demon Lexicon trilogy
“A compelling dystopic world, with diverse characters, high tension and political intrigue. [If] you liked the Hunger Games, you'll love this.” 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't miss the highly-anticipated sequel, PRODIGY!

Featured on ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’S MUST-LIST!
 

From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:
“Marie Lu has beaten the curse with Prodigy. . . it has all the chivalry of Robin Hood and all the shine and grime of Blade Runner . . . The well-drawn worlds, political undercurrents and the believability of the characters make it all feel fresh . . . Lu proves that a Book 2 needn't play second fiddle, providing intrigue and deep pleasure all its own.”
 
 
From THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS:
“. . . clear your calendar to allow yourself the luxury of reading this book in one or two sittings. You will be shaken . . .”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
 “Lu opts for a high simmer of intrigue in her sequel to Legend…taut and insightful.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from SHELF AWARENESS:
“Stunning follow-up to Legend . . . The thrilling action and futuristic settings are sure to please fans of Divergent.”

 

(Marie Lu )

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu (www.marielu.org) graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry, working for Disney Interactive Studios as a Flash artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing Assassin’s Creed, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California (see above: traffic), with one boyfriend, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis.

Product Details

• File Size: 423 KB
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Reprint edition (November 29, 2011)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0052RDJAO
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,030 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #4 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teens > Mysteries & Thrillers
  • #13 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction
  • #16 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 129 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating... December 4, 2011

By J.A.

Format:Hardcover

I tend to be very skeptical of YA dystopias now because when something becomes trendy, many things that are not of the best quality get published, seemingly to cash in. I love these kinds of stories when they are well written, because what is not to love about messed-up societies and the strong characters that fight them? But of course even something that awesome can be, and has been ruined by bad authors.

Not here.

Legend is the sort of book that pulls you in immediately. It simply throws you into the story without "telling" you any backstory beforehand and you get to learn things as you go along. Which I love! And it is not done in a confusing way, but rather in a way that seems natural- you are learning things as the characters learn them, or learning details that the characters always knew as they become important.

The characters are what made this story. It alternates between the point of view of Day and June. What is interesting about reading from their viewpoints is that they are both exceptional people in their world, but they seem like normal young adults once you are inside their heads. I think that if the book had been written from the point of view of a "normal" character who met one of them, they might have been portrayed with a sort of sense of wonder, but reading it you don't get that sense- instead you see two human characters who are just trying to fight for what they believe. Their ages were actually one thing I didn't like as much- I think some parts would have made more sense if they had been a couple years older.

Both characters are given enough depth to humanize them, and when they meet one another, which happens about a third into the novel, the fact that so much has been developed already makes the meeting a very exciting event to read- all the more so because they are enemies, for now...

The plot was very fast-paced and exciting- at around 300 pages, shorter than many books of this genre, it had to move quickly- but it manages to be well developed even within the space constraints. The writing was decent- I would have liked a bit more description to make the world feel more real and alive, but with a fast-moving story like this it didn't detract from the overall enjoyment.

My main 'con' issue, I suppose, with all these 'pros', is that the setup of the future US government doesn't really feel like a projection of current fears about the future of the US. It does in some ways, like in the sense that everything is focused on the military (some may argue this is where the US is headed). But the overall divide of it, a split between east and west, seems, for lack of a better word, random. I don't think anyone in the US right now is worried that California and/or the west coast are going to split off from the rest, and even if they did, I doubt the two sides would name themselves "the republic" and "the colonies" (the latter seems the most random of all, since a colony is by definition ruled by some other country, but "the colonies" in Legend seem not be be ruled by anyone else, they just named themselves that because...why? They are nostalgic for the days of British rule? They like that word?)

Overall I give this 4/5. I recommend it to people who read for story and characters, and are not after the kind of heavy social commentary found in traditional dystopian lit. Whereas traditional dystopians tend to treat the setting as the main focus, this is more of a fun cat-and-mouse/ Bonnie-and-Clyde-style adventure with an oppressive society as the backdrop. Among many YA dystopians, this one stands out for its awesome characters and addictive plot.

77 of 87 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Has a few flaws, but not bad December 29, 2011

By Steph Sinclair

Format:Hardcover

I'm a dystopian book fanatic. I collect them like the Cookie Monster collects his cookies. So when I first heard of Legend earlier this year I knew I had to get a hold of it ASAP. And I wasn't entirely disappointed because Legend features a strong, kick-ass heroine, a disturbing future world, multi-cultural characters, and tons of action.

Legend tells the story of a two remarkable 15-year-olds, Day and June, living on West cost of the United States now known as The Republic. This book instantly reminded me of Aladdin because Day is from a very poor area of The Republic and steals from the rich to help out his family and community. June on the other hand, has grown up in one of the wealthiest areas and has everything she could ask for and a secure future. Their paths suddenly cross after June's brother is murdered during a hospital break-in attempt by Day. The Republic's military uses June's thirst for revenge and has her track Day and bring him to justice. However, June soon finds out her safe world has not been what it appeared to be at all.

I loved all the characters in Legend. I felt they were well developed and very likable. Even June's brother, Metais, who dies very early in the story, was likable. Both protagonists were strong and resourceful, though, at times, a little too resourceful. I enjoyed the alternate POVs allowing the reader to get a chance to really understand the backgrounds of both characters. But there were times when I got a little irritated with June for not being able to see the bigger picture of the evils of the Republic. She just seemed entirely too loyal for her to be portrayed as a rule breaker in the beginning. Contrastingly, I really liked Day, who struggles to provide for his family throughout the novel. There were a few scenes that managed to pull at my heartstrings.

However, I did have a few issues with the world building. We are led to believe the rest of the US are considered the Rebels and a few natural disasters destroyed most of the East coast. There isn't any real mention of what the outside world is doing either. I know it may seem like I'm nitpicking, but hear me out. If the US were to suffer that bad of a natural disaster, resulting in the crumbling of our government and the extinction of the dollar bill, this would have a huge negative effect on the world's economy. You cannot expect me to believe the rest of the world is chillin' while the US is under a civil war. Where is the United Nations? What side of the war are our ally countries on? For this book to be so focused on military and a US civil war, I expected to have these answers. Sadly, I did not and for that this book felt a little incomplete.

I also had trouble with Day and June being so...unstoppable. Yes, let's use that term. Day breaking into a hospital guarded by armed and trained gun men with just a disguise and two knives? When the soldiers open fire on him only one bullet manages to graze him? Whoever trained these soldiers needs to send them straight back to the boot camp they came from. This is one of those situations where you have to just let all sense of logic float out the window if you are to remotely enjoy the novel. And for June to be so smart I'm not sure how she never guessed the Republic's true intentions from the start. Even when the evidence was sitting there screaming, "Look at me! Look at me!" she just...looked the other way. It was very obvious why the Republic treated the poorer citizens so badly.

And of course, my biggest pet peeve was the semi-insta-love between June and Day. I say semi because it wasn't like they met and they were instantly proclaiming their love for one another. It was more of I just didn't believe their romance had enough time to become anything, let alone love. I would have perferred if the romance was left out completely in this book and instead introduced in the second. You know, because usually you become friends before lovers.

Despite those issues I was still able to enjoy the book and I'm looking forward to the sequel. My only hope is that the world building is tightened up a bit and possibly a map is thrown in.

More reviews and other random things at my blog Book Catching: [...]

38 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick and engrossing December 3, 2011

By Specibrarian

Format:Hardcover

I, too, read this in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Fast, twisty, focused. I also just read Eve by Anna Carey and while the Eve and June have a similar starting point (elite education in a dystopian future post-plague western US with girl who starts to see through the veneer of the ruling class), Marie Lu's June is written as a more active and empowered girl while Carey's Eve is very inexperienced, even though she can take action. Both are worth a read, but Legend's pacing just rocks and Day really leaps off the page. Lu is not afraid to let her characters get beat up (er, really beat up) and take some wild crazy risks.

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

(What's this?)

#24 in Books > Teens

#24 in Books > Teens