Legend : : a Legend Novel

Locations
Call Number: Teen Fiction / Lu, Marie, Teen Book / Fiction / Dystopian / Lu, Marie
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor 4-week checkout	Teen Fiction / Lu, Marie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Dystopian / Lu, Marie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Dystopian / Lu, Marie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Fiction / Dystopian / Lu, Marie	4-week checkout	Due 04-21-2024

In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, fifteen-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
School Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Excerpt
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

wow submitted by xjasx on June 16, 2012, 11:53pm great book could not put it down

Loved it submitted by ColeenT on June 17, 2012, 7:54pm This was an amazing book. Great new take on les miserables.

An okay cliche submitted by jdev13 on June 18, 2012, 9:54pm While I did enjoy this book, it was really just a fun dumb read. It's pretty similar to any young adult book you can find these days: futuristic society, predictable romance, and equally predictable rebellion. It's worth the time, but don't expect to be floored by the read.

Very good submitted by llsiller on July 8, 2012, 2:38pm I highly recommend this book. If you liked the Hunger Games then you should read this book!!!!!

amazing submitted by Smile1975 on March 7, 2013, 3:36pm if you like the hunger games get this book i was reading it till 12:00 pm

It was fairly good... submitted by bobsmith on June 14, 2013, 4:09pm It reminded me a little bit of 1984, in that there is an enemy that is constantly being "defeated", but there is never an end to the conflict. This book, however, was much more predictable than 1984, and its predictability made it boring at times.

Amazing submitted by Memoria1224 on June 19, 2013, 3:21pm This was a great book. I didn't want to stop reading it until I got to the last page. The ending is unpredictable.

Refreshing submitted by harajuku528 on June 24, 2013, 1:04pm This book was refreshing and the story seemed more original than most YA books out there.

Great Book submitted by Joehac02 on June 15, 2014, 2:03pm A very good book for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.

It seems that ever since The Hunger Games became popular... submitted by sumnera on September 30, 2014, 3:31pm It seems that ever since The Hunger Games became popular there has been a flood of dystopian young adult lit that has surfaced. It (sadly) reminds me of the not so distant Twilight debacle where everyone and their uncle decided to write vampire and werewolf novels... most of which were subpar at best. That being said, I really enjoyed Legend, but in the sea of recent dystopian fiction it doesn't really stand out. It is very well written, and I like the author's voice and the characters a lot; however, struggling against an oppressive government and trying to keep your family alive in a plague-ridden and poor post-American society has kind of been done. A lot. Now, this is one of the better YA dystopian novels I have read recently. It definitely ranks high above the Matched series by Ally Condie and even Delirium by Lauren Oliver, but it's got nothing on The Hunger Games.

June and Day are compelling characters. They are likable, even when they don't always do what you want them to. And I think their physical descriptions are interesting. It's refreshing to have two main characters that are not just white Americans. Both June and Day have Asian/Mongolian features, but Day has long, white-blonde hair and startling blue eyes. These physical features do make them stand out and (in my head at least) make them quite an interesting pair. They also come from very different economic sectors in their society, June being prominent and rich and Day being homeless and poor. Because the book is written from alternating points of view (between June and Day), we get to see all sides of the society in which they live and both sides of the conflict they have with each other. It allows us to see the characters' motivations for their actions and understand both sides of the problem... thus making it a little difficult to choose who to side with! I do appreciate that dynamic and think that Marie Lu is a very good writer. I like the sense of visual awareness in her book. I myself am a visual learner and can't help but picture what goes on in books. I like details. Having an author who thinks similarly and writes to that type of reader is refreshing.

There is also a motif of betrayal throughout the entire book. Betrayal of friends, family, country, commanding officers, strongly held beliefs, justice, and humanity. It is a concept that returns again and again, folding and changing and expanding on the previous betrayals. It creates a very strange perception of what is true and what is not. And begs us to ask the questions: How do we know what is true? And how do we know the powers that be are telling us the truth or have the correct intentions? Did they ever?

One last thing I found to be notable about this book is the author's comment that she thought up the idea while watching Les Miserables. Now, those of you that know me are aware that this is my favorite play/musical of all time. I absolutely love it. And I could probably go on all day about the similarities and connections between these two works that I've drawn since gaining this knowledge (this was an author's comment in the back of the book that I didn't notice until I'd already finished reading!). But looking at this book through the lens of a Les Miserables fan makes me like it all the more. And I feel the strange urge to write an academic paper comparing the two... Scholars, feel free to steal that idea. But I'd love to read your findings once you do!

My Rating
Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 hearts.

Ok submitted by lec.dank on June 15, 2015, 4:34pm Predictable but it's alright.

Amazing! submitted by MCharania on August 2, 2015, 8:20pm It was hard to put down and so brilliant. This book is recommended to all divergent fans.

Great! submitted by nitinv on August 21, 2015, 9:11am This book was a great book! Read the whole series and loved it!

Legendary submitted by EMM on June 21, 2017, 2:23am Beautifully written.

amazing submitted by renataschmult on August 21, 2017, 8:24pm amazing book, full of twists

Very good book submitted by wilwil04 on June 25, 2018, 8:04am This book was such a great book. It had such a great plot and I would recommend reading the other books too. Overall I believe this book is a 5 Star book

Very good book submitted by wilwil04 on June 25, 2018, 8:04am This book was such a great book. It had such a great plot and I would recommend reading the other books too. Overall I believe this book is a 5 Star book

just read it submitted by dragon_rider13 on July 31, 2018, 10:12pm There are a lot of arguments about if this is a good book or not. I personally think it's a good book, however many people disagree, but many people also agree with me. I think it depends on how in depth you read and what you want from the book. It's hard to tell if people will like the book or not, so I suggest to just read it, and than decide for yourself

Legend submitted by i'm a blobfish on June 15, 2019, 7:39pm This book, just like the title, is a legend. It's really so good. It's set in a place where the government seeks to control all of its citizens, even going as far as to use rebels as an example by shooting them in front of crowds. There is also a sickness going around. Day, a wanted criminal finds his brother is sick and risks his life to get medicine to save him. This eventually allows him to meet up with June. There, a romance is born. Can they fight together or will they have to fight against each other?

Legend submitted by c_zhang on June 27, 2019, 10:50pm This is a great start to one of my favorite series. Even though the plot is very predictable and follows the same pattern as any other dystopian YA book, I really like the writing style. I also enjoy the diversity within the characters, such as how Day is mixed-race.

Enjoyed it submitted by O'Eily on July 22, 2019, 4:17pm I love how the author weaves a mysterious a lively environment

Good book submitted by jasonc1177 on July 31, 2019, 7:56pm this book is great. Very interesting #

Awsome book!! submitted by josiekirsten on December 31, 2021, 11:24am I know I am a fan of most books that involve magic, friendship, battle without "Gore" (Not death, just like massive battles) I found this book greatly encapturing. I can see what people mean by "Predictable" but it still had twists and turns and lots of fun. I recomend this to fans of Divergent, The Hunger Games, (MAYBE) Harry Potter

AMAZING. submitted by EmilyHu06 on June 13, 2023, 9:15pm A truly amazing book. One of my favorites growing up. Highly recommend!