Legend

Actual rating 3.5 stars.Told in alternating perspectives between solider June and rebel Day, both who have very high IQ and agility on either side of a war against the controlling faction of the Rebublic. I’m always wary of a militant style of a group in power, it usually signals control and deception. And that is exactly what we get in ‘Legend.’I wanted to spend more time growing an emotional bond with our two protagonists, but the story structure, and reveals are plotted exceptionally. June seems to be the one with the calculating and inquisitive mind, were Day feels like he’s just getting on with life with no real objective. Apart from his family, and found family as his motivation, I felt like I wanted a stronger drive for Day.I wasn’t sold on the romance – there was no build, no slow burn, it felt a bit insta-lovey. The plot also felt a bit simple and not quite completed – but this is a trilogy, but still, I felt like I needed more resolution to be completely satisfied with ‘Legend.’I guessed the gist of the plot very early on, but it took me until halfway through to fill in the details. I enjoyed the storyline, but I would have appreciated a few more surprises.Lu’s writing is simplistic and lends to a fast pace and easy immersion into the story. But I’m finding there is something about her writing style that doesn’t completely engage me like other novels in this genre. Now that I have a few titles of hers under my belt, I think it has something to do with the world building and fleshing out the emotional profile of her characters... they are interesting but not necessarily engaging for me.There was something a little off with the way this world is set up – I can’t quite place my finger on it, that there wasn’t the amount of believability with it... maybe because it was such a narrow view snapshot of the world that you don’t get the see the diversity, the machinations, and the nuances through the first-person narrative of June and Day. Maybe that will grow in the next two novels.We find a lot of clues or plot points planted for the following two books in this series, and really, by the end of ‘Legend’ I felt like the story had only just begun. I did have some high expectations for ‘Legend’ based on how highly my friends recommended this book, but it did not quite reach my lofty anticipation. A great read, but didn’t wow my socks off, but I’d still recommend ‘Legend.’ Looking forward to continuing the story with 'Prodigy' next.

I found this book when I was in high school. Our library didn't carry any of the sequels, but I made a mental note to finish the series when I had the chance. Years later, as an adult, I have digital access to almost any book I can think of. This book inspired me as a teenager, and I'm proud to say that it's best quality, the complicated relationship between its leads, still holds up very well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes YA, and especially to younger readers. It is an excellent introduction to dystopian fiction. Thank you Marie Lu for bringing this world to life!

I guess you would call this series science fiction. It seemed to me like primarily a political thriller in many ways, with a touch of romance and more than a touch of mystery.The setting of Legend is a world sometime in the future. Massive flooding and other disasters have occurred worldwide (in the second book of the series it is mentioned that the polar ice cap over Antarctica has melted, and I assume this means the north polar ice cap has also melted). Large parts of most of our current continents are underwater leaving the population of the earth squeezed into much smaller landmasses. A hundred or so years after this process began, the world’s population does not appear to be any smaller than the current population despite nearly frantic measures to kill off incredibly large numbers of people.Due to the shrunken land area, the former United States split into two countries when the people in the western states rose up to seal their borders against people trying to move there from the east where the flooding was much worse. So now there is The Republic of America, which consists of mostly the western part of the former United States and still has more or less recognizable states (although there is now only one Dakota), and another country they refer to as the Colonies, which is what is left of the eastern United States. The two countries are at war and have been so for so long that the younger people don’t even remember that they were once part of the same country.Legend is almost exclusively concerned with the Republic, and nearly all of its action takes place on Los Angeles. Everything else is just background. But it is kind of a looming, hulking background. The government of the Republic is absolutely rife with unsavory secrets that they are keeping from their own people.As in all countries everywhere, past, present or future, real or imagined, society is divided into two groups – the rich and powerful, and everybody else. June Iparis is from the rich and powerful segment of society. Daniel Altan Wing, commonly known as Day, is from the poor sectors of town. Since being left for dead after experiments in a government facility, Day has been living as a thief and something of a terrorist on the outskirts of society.Then one day the need to get plague medicine for his brother forces Day to attempt a robbery in the government’s main research hospital. Soldiers attempt to stop him, and, in self-defense, Day throws a knife at June’s brother, hitting him in the shoulder. But when June is summoned to the scene, she finds her brother dead. Her brother’s commanding officer pulls her out of school early and assigns her to a place in the squad her brother had been commanding. Her first assignment is to capture Day.

Rating: 4 starsI know I'm late to the game, but Marie Lu does not disappoint!Legend is about a dystopian version of the Western U.S. called the Republic of the United States which is warring against the Colonies, a neighboring country. It’s got a very severe wealth gap where those who are deemed smart get the best opportunities and careers while those who are seen as average get lesser jobs. And those who fail the Trial, the test deciding all this? Well they’re carted off and killed by the government, but then again, not everyone knows that. To top all that off, the Republic is run rampant with plague, and it's been that way for years. So that’s the world Day and June, the main characters are living in, on two very different ends of the spectrum. Day being an outlaw who is suppose to be dead and June being the smarty pants in an elite family. By a twist of fate they are pitted against each other following the murder of June’s brother.Day and June share the narration equally, and by equally I mean they have relatively the same amount of coverage in the book, and tend to have very similar thought processes. They are unique in some ways, but that's mostly just through knowledge rather than personality. Still the protagonists are relatable and admirable characters. There are limitations to this style of narration such as the lack of the minor characters' development. Tess, Day's best friend and side kick, is such an important aspect of Day's life and I really know nothing about her except how the two met. When Marie Lu is giving details on the characters though, she seamlessly integrates the information into the narration, switching from present circumstances to past events. With the minimal amount of information given and unique narrations, there’s room for a lot more development later in the series.This novel, although holding true to classic/cliché dystopian archetypes, does provide a unique take on the surrounding details. Yes, the novel is the classic "the government is bad and there's a rebel trying to make things better." Day isn't actively trying to overthrow the government, he's just trying to help his family and others in the poor neighborhoods. *Spoiler: And yes the government is bad, but the real kicker isn't obvious at first; the kicker being that the government is infecting its own citizens with the plague.* Despite the archetypes, the characters and plot are entirely enjoyable and fast paced. There are some areas that are predictable simply because of the genre and previous experience, but even then Lu spices things up. *Spoiler: Like the fact that the Republic is bad, but then June and the reader both find out just how off its rocker the government really is.*Matching the lack of character development, Legend also lacks in its world development. The government is bad and is doing all these bad things, but why? The readers don't get any information, not even the fake idealized version the government is suppose to tell the citizens. People just accept their lives. But then again it seems natural, the characters, the world, that it isn't completely ridiculous to think it could happen in the future.To offset the negatives, I think the ability of Marie Lu to write action sequences is astounding. The vivid imagery and narration really bring the reader excitement and put them on the edge of their seat. Day and June both are kick-ass fighters and geniuses who are so relatable you have a hard time not thinking that you yourself could be like them. When the novel first begins, it jumps right into the action. there’s no long biography or background given. You learn more about the world the more you read, but the action is real from the start. And the cliffhanger ending really sets up the entire second book, which I'm sure will continue the roller coaster ride we’re already on.I have enjoyed my fair share of dystopian novels and they are all fairly similar. This was surprisingly original in many aspects while still holding true to some archetypes, but i feel as though the rest of the books will continue on with very unoriginal dystopian plot points. For example, one outcome I am sure will come is that after Day and June join the Colonies they realize that both governments are corrupt and/or just bad in general. I'm 100% positive that's going to happen, but I do know the books should only get better from here. The character development will probably increase in the following books, and the readers will feel connected to them.Overall this book was great! There were plot holes and minor underdevelopment issues, but the plot was original, the characters were great, and the action was supreme. Plus, I hear they're making a movie out of this, so we'll see how that goes.Happy Reading!Jewels

Legend was a really great book! I had already heard great things about it so I was expecting to enjoy it, and I was not disappointed. Its also been a while since I’ve read a good dystopian book so I’m glad I picked up this one.The story follows main characters June and Day in a futuristic United States known as the Republic. When a child is of age in the Republic, they go through their trial, which is essentially a test to see where they will be placed in society. If you do well, you are given a well-paying job and you have a nice, cushy life. If you do poorly or even fail, things don’t go quite so well. Early on, we learn that June not only passed her trial, but she got a perfect score of 1500. She is considered a prodigy and is a dedicated soldier to the Republic. Day, on the other hand, failed his trial and should have been killed but instead is now considered a criminal of the republic. Day’s family lives in one of the poorer sectors of the Republic, and we also learn that there is a plague that ravages these areas. Told through alternating points of view between June and Day, Lu creates an exciting adventure with elements of conspiracy, betrayal, friendship and romance.Once I got over the fact that Day is only fifteen but he is the most notorious criminal in the Republic, I really enjoyed this book. I know its YA so the protagonists have to be a little younger, but fifteen just seemed a little too young to have such a well-known reputation. That being said, while Legend is certainly an exciting story, the alternating points of view really make it special. We intimately get to know June and Day as characters even before they meet. June and Day were very different characters, both in their nature and upbringing, so it was refreshing to learn about them in each chapter. June is a strong female heroine, but it took me a while to connect with her. She comes across as very cold and calculating, but I liked her more as the story went on. Her interactions with Day and her brother Metias (mostly through memories) helped me warm up to her. In contrast, Day is nothing but sweet throughout the entire story. Ironically, he is supposed to be this notorious criminal, but we quickly learn that he is only concerned with keeping his family safe.I thought June’s character development throughout the story was excellent. June was raised as a soldier of the Republic, so I’m glad she didn’t immediately get on board with some of the ‘rebel’ ideas. She was raised by her older brother Metias, who was her only family and they loved each other very much. June’s discovery of her government’s deceit and corruption is a slow-burning realization, and her actions are very believable.While I thoroughly enjoyed each of the main characters, Lu also created well-developed supporting characters. Even though June’s brother Metias dies very early, I mourned his death along with June. We also get to know him through June’s memories, and it was obvious that he loved June and took care of her. Tess, John and Thomas were also great characters and all added to the story in their own way.There is some romance in this story, but I was very happy to see that the romance does not dominate the story. Yes, June and Day are attracted to each other, but I did not feel as if their moments took away from the greater story. They have the beginnings of a relationship and I found it very sweet!There were some familiar YA tropes in Legend, such as the corrupted government and prodigy children but I didn’t really mind these because the story was still engaging. I overall thoroughly enjoyed Legend. While it had a great plot and world-building, the most unique aspect of this book was the alternating point of view between June and Day! I would definitely recommend and I will be starting Prodigy and Champion soon :)

**minor spoilers**I really enjoyed the first third of this book. It is quick to read, I liked the different perspectives, the world building wasn't totally established or understood to me but that I could let it go, the pacing was pretty good, and, even though I already kind of knew where it was going to go, I was excited to read along. We've met the main characters, got some of their background, established their personalities, and some big things happened to move the plot along.Last night, I abandoned it at about 43%. I am actually pretty disappointed in that, but neither could I read any more, and it's due to one big flaw that influenced everything else. It basically has all the same problems as the Daughter of Xanadu series (see my review on the first two books from that series to see my thoughts on that). It mimics the problems in that series so well that if I didn't know any better I'd say they were written by the same person, or at least that the Legend author was heavily influenced by the Xanadu author.At about a third of the way through, the Girl (June) and Boy (Day) meet, and it starts to make absolutely no sense.June and Day fall in love instantly. And, I mean /instantly/. Within hours of meeting, they are swooningly lovesick for each other for absolutely no reason and promptly fall completely out of character as a result. It's like the first third of the book never happened where establishing their personalities is concerned. I get the whole "love at first sight" thing, but this isn't that. And, even if it arguably were, it can't be used as a way to explain away what these characters are doing because their personalities do not support any of it happening, nor does the story need for this to happen. So, it also means that we must also embrace the "love is blind" platitude and the "love trumps all" platitude to explain away all this, especially when June isn't really even in love with Day because all she talks about is physical stuff. Sorry, but no. The romance /might/ have been okay, but it was not essential to the plot and it needed time to feel natural, rather than forced. I mean, my God! This is a series! Why the rush to fall in love within a few pages? The pacing was very good up until then. The whole first book could have been used as a natural way to develop feelings of love and trust in June and Day, but three pages after the street fight suddenly they are in love. It was very jarring and bizarre, particularly because they also start talking as though they have known the other for years ("hehe, oh, look, we are already an old married couple!") and have each other figured out, but they don't know ANYTHING about each other. You cannot convince me two characters are madly in love when they don't even know the basics about each other.The love is contrived and obviously generated a mechanism for the book because we know eventually June will figure out who Day is and that he killed her brother and then drama can occur. But, I do not think they have to have a contrived romance for that to be dramatic and meaningful. Being street pals, like the camaraderie soldiers experience in war, would have been quite enough for the reveal of betrayal to be monumental (the fact that June is pretty slow on the pickup here is another issue and likely would not have happened if they hadn't "fallen in love"--more on that later when I talk about how this doesn't fit with their personalities).It reads like the author wanted things to be true about her characters, so she just wrote thoughts inside the characters' heads as though they were already true. Insisting that something is true because a character thinks it does not make it true for the reader if you have no actual circumstances to support it all, particularly if you are also ignoring the first third of your own book.As a result of the "romance," all of the dialog is painful. I rapidly lost all respect for both June and Day. I began to feel really sorry for Tess (who is in love with Day) and Thomas (who is in love with June). Pretty sure they are both going to get hurt emotionally or even possibly killed altogether in this web. Worst of all, this "romance" starts to take over the whole plot of the book--it is basically a completely different story. It just makes no sense.More specifically, I have a few other problems with it that require a little more explanation:After meeting each other, June and Day both seem to have lost all common sense and sense of self. Their personalities totally change in ways that do not behoove either of them or their goals. People like Day and June do not lose themselves that easily, and it would be completely out of character for them to do it so quickly. Maybe, after a long time, it could happen, but the author was in too much of a rush for it to happen naturally because she was convinced their romance is essential to the plot.Let's look at Day. For him, it's a matter of survival and he's constantly talking about how careful h...

Legend was recommended to me by a good friend, one whom I have talked about The Maze Runner, Hunger Games, and Matched series. We have very similar tastes in books so I gave Day and June a try. Honestly I wasn't hooked within the first few chapters. The atmosphere of the whole story line was so different and dystopian it wasn't hard to dismiss it as strange. I only was intrigued when June started to go into action after a event that occurred early in the book. I was finally able to see the true colors of June, Day and even Thomas. Maybe the author meant for this to happen so I will not say I didn't like this in her writing. It was different from other dystopian books on the shelves today and you can only see for yourself if you read Legend.As for the rest of the book, after I was hooked, t was well proportioned, time wise. The author obviously took into note that this book was heavy with death and corruption and added Ollie, June's collie, which was to my pleasure, me owning a border collie of my own. On the other hand, I was actually interested and intrigued every time the word "blood" and "pain" skidded through sentences. I think the right amount of gore was meant to help tell a story. This common element surprisingly added more than just upturned noses of readers. An example of what it added was weakness in a desperate time, an act of defiance, a framed murder, an excuse to help and love someone. It was all balanced carefully and I personally could see that.The characters in the book were so very intriguing. Day and June made me even start noticing things when I put down the book. How long does it take me to walk from the stairs to the door? How does my hand move when I brush my teeth? Their alertness and skill in their world added so much color to the book, I was simply amazed at how clever Marie Lu herself was. On the off hand, I wasn't impressed with the antagonists, Thomas, Commander Jameson, and Chian. I hoped to see more of them, weaker moments, background, anything to ease my annoyance of their characters. This must come later in the series but not in Legend. Thomas was a brat. I can't see anything but evil from him. He is a monster and he annoyed me most that I was bored and tense at the same time when I read scenes with him and June. On the contrary, I think he was the most important character in the book though. He showed many of June's emotions, opened her knowledge of the Republic, and allowed us to see her love for Day even more. I still hate him though.Now as for Day and June. Their relationship is the cutest thing. Like June says in the book, they compliment each other so well and they really are the same person with different back grounds. I loved all the clarity they brought to an otherwise dark story. I can't wait to see them progress in skill together in Prodigy and Champion. But finally, I'm able to tell why I gave the book only four stars. Day and June are fifteen. FIFTEEN. They are simply not old enough to be that close to one another. Yes, I am a Christian who has turned down Divergent because of this same reason and congratulated The Maze Runner in the same aspect. Now, I'm not saying the kissing and holding is Fifty Shades but it's not necessary when you could fill those sentences with something more wholesome. Such as, "I loved her not because of her beauty but because I know we will go far. She is finally one who understands." This pairs perfectly with Day and June's relationship and is much more appropriate for young and inspired readers, such as me. Other than this concern, I like Day and June.So Legend was a success. I owe it to my recommending friend so many months ago when she said she read it. It was a brilliant read, eye opening in many aspects, and simply amazing once you get past the first few chapters. I can't wait to buy Prodigy and see more of the Republic's champion and the slums hidden legend: June and Day, the next power couple in the world of dystopia.

If you love dystopian novels this book is perfect. The author created a vivid line of the separation of poor and wealthy which makes a disturbing yet interesting future world. One of the main characters is a boy who is a genius but is deemed a criminal because of it. He lived in the poor mistreated, neglected part of the republic where plagues roam free everywhere. The other main character is a girl who is also a genius but because she lives in the wealthy sector of the republic, she is made this iconic figure for the republic's army(wealth section). The book switches between the two telling their story and clearly show the difference in each perspective. The author does a great job to force emotions at the perfect time which makes the read not want to stop reading. I also loved all the characters in Legend because of their diversity and different sets of values. The boy main character steals antidotes from the rich to help his sick brother suffering from the plague and does whatever he can to help his family, even make them think he was dead. The girl main character is likable too because even though she is on the wealthy side she has great morals. Also she is ignorant of the republic's dark secrets and later tries to rebel against the republic and give up her perfect life because of them so she's likable for her bravery and morals. Even the characters you have to hate are appreciated because of how they change the story and give of suspense and do the unthinkable. This book was pact with intense action which was another factor for me to keep reading. However I have some issues. First of all, the main characters seem almost unstoppable because of their unnatural physical abilities and intelligence. They are able to escape/overcome almost any impossible situation. I would've liked to see them more human then immortal. Also, the book doesn't mention the outside world or any other areas then the west coast of America(the republic). They're not imprisoned like the community in "Divergent". The bigger problem I have is the relationship between the two main characters. It's almost like they loved each other at first sight which is too cliche for me. I didn't feel anything when the book talked about their relationship. It made some of the story boring to read through. Their love for each other escalated too quickly and seemed fake. Besides the faults, i enjoyed this book because of the terrifying scene, the difference between both social worlds, and the emotions flung at me while reading.

This dystopian YA tale is centered around two young prodigies, June from the privileged side of the Republic and Day, a rogue in the sea of Rebels. I actually enjoyed this story (on audio) even though I found so many little things about it that seemed cliché. However, clichés and all, I can’t seem to be disinterested in a fight the system story that shows just how treacherous Big Brother can really be.So now, let me explain what I loved about the story and tell you just why I didn’t give it a 5. The whole fight the system theme is right up my alley, but I don’t understand why the main characters had to both be fifteen. I get that appealing to young audience is where the money is these days, but is it about the age fifteen that’s so special…and prodigies or not, some of the stuff these kids do is just a little ridiculous.Then there are the themes of rich vs poor and the discovery of government secrets and lies. I’ve read too many books and seen too many movies to allow the “mystery” of this story be a surprise. I figured out what was going on way too early, but I still enjoyed how it was revealed in the end. Like many stories of its kind, in this reality, there’s good reason the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.World building is very important in this story, though it’s hard to picture everything all at once. It’s one of those stories that describes the surroundings and give you background, but you can only see as far as the horizon until the end. Most of the significance of the Republic, from a geographical point, isn’t clear until about halfway through the story. All in all though, I liked what was done and appreciate the lack information up front.Then there is the ever present notion of romance that’s sure to ensue in some capacity. This particular romance makes me think of a mash-up between Romeo and Juliet, The Hunger Games, and The Matrix. If I try to explain what I mean here, I’ll give too much away. I’m glad to say that the story doesn’t spend more time here than necessary, but then again we are talking about fifteen year olds.The last thing about this story that both attracted and repelling me a bit, was the sense that the whole story was about a struggle between the kids and the adults, even though it wasn’t supposed to be. Some of the things that occurred seemed to focus too much on the fact that the main characters were teenagers, making their age an important factor. It seems to me that if this story tells of the struggle between The Republic and the Rebellion, the age of the soldiers wouldn’t be so important as their actions.Also, the story is told from the alternating povs of both June and Day. I was expecting this to somehow greatly enhance the story, but I don’t think it made any difference, for better or worse. It was nice and not too difficult to follow.I’d recommend this book to fans of YA and or dystopian fiction with the mention of some violence and some subtle gore.

Review originally posted on The Book Addict's GuideCompleted: November 16, 2013Publishing Info: November 29th 2011 by Putnam JuvenileSource: Paperback copy purchased from AmazonGenre: Dystopian (YA)POV: Alternating First Person (Day/June)I am SO glad I finally read LEGEND because it’s the best dystopian I’ve read in a long time. Even better than Divergent — Yes, I said it. I knew people really loved this series and I didn’t mean to push it off for so long but ya know… So many books…I was totally “wowed” by LEGEND and I’m so thankful for that because I’ve been trying to be a bit pickier on the books I pick up. I’ve been craving that really good paranormal or dystopian-type book so LEGEND hit the spot! Right off the bat, I could tell this book was special and the publishers sure know how to make you remember it and enhance Marie Lu’s writing! Each main character (Day and June) gets their own font for their chapters. Day’s chapter kicks off the book with a pretty gold font which totally caught me off guard, but obviously in a good way! I also really loved that each chapter had its own font because it really helped me differentiate between the two. I didn’t get confused between the two voices, but if you’re one that isn’t a huge fan of alternating POVs, the different fonts might help!In the new Republic, every child has to go through a series of tests (“the Trial”) when they’re eleven which determines their intelligence, general ranking, and if they will get into school or if they’re… banished. LEGEND surrounds our main characters June — all-around all-star with a perfect score on the Trial and a bit of a penchant for being just a bit mischevious — and Day, her polar opposite or so it seems. Day received the lowest score on the Trial that anyone has ever received but something seems fishy. He’s pretty dang intelligent himself and even if he bombed a couple sections, he doesn’t feel his score should have ever been that low…I was interested from chapter one, but as the book slowly starts to dig deeper into the plot, I was hooked. Marie Lu has some great world building with the new dystopian America. Usually there are times when the new world is being described and I feel a bit of a world-building-drag, but there is really never a dull moment in this book. The reader gets a feel for the new country, the new government, the new leaders and rebels all woven into the plot. Sometimes I have a tendency to get lost in a new world if I can’t picture it, but I really felt like I was watching the whole book unfold on the big screen. I could picture each situation that Day and June encountered. It was fantastic! There was a combination of the destruction and disease that a dystopian brings to the table, but since it is set in the future, we also have glimpses of some awesome technology — both gadgets as well as things used city-wide like the jumbotron-type screens used to portray news and announcements.The thing I loved the most about LEGEND was all of the twisty-turny surprises! With dystopian being the genre that pulled me into YA, I’ve read quite a few and you start to sense or sort of pattern or repeated idea that most dystopians will have — it’s just inescapable when writing in the genre. I was so, so pleased with the amount of plot twists in LEGEND to keep me on the edge of my seat and the story feeling fresh. (Now, now, I know LEGEND was actually one the earlier ones, but it’s new to me so really no matter when it was written, there will always be someone catching up and those surprises are always important!) There were some that I was able to predict a tiny bit and others that totally shocked me! Honestly, at once point in time I was reading on the couch and Shane was upstairs and I shouted, “WHAT!?!” so loud that he called down to make sure I was okay haha. There were THOSE kind of moments and I loved being kept on the edge of my seat!I also really loved the characters. I felt for both June and Day and I looooved the scenes with them together! It was so interesting to read their alternating POVs until the moment when they come together… And then things get even more interesting! Their voices felt much more mature than fifteen (in my head they were 18 or 19, but that’s just something that I do haha) so really the book can appeal a wide range of audiences. (Although for some violent content, I’d say 14 and up?) Then again, they were both incredibly smart (something else that I also loved) so it does make sense that they’d sound more mature than their actual ages.The good news is, the entire series is out so I can go read some more as quickly as I want to because my immediate though upon finishing was, “I need to inhale the rest of this series.”

Legend by Marie Lu is the first in a YA dystopian trilogy and tells the story of Day and June two teenagers on the opposite sides of the political fence. June is a young government soldier, while Day is a freedom fighter. When June’s brother is killed during a raid on a hospital in which Day is taking part, their paths collide.What I likedThe romance. It’s an old trope, but an effective one, to have the protagonists fall in love but be unaware that they are in fact mortal enemies because of their political viewpoints. (see You’ve Got Mail, Pillow Talk, The Shop Around the Corner)The added personal motivation of Metias’, June’s brother’s death adds an extra element to the mix. Lu builds up an excellent tension for the reveal of the identities to each other. She actually had the revelation take place earlier in the book than I’d expected – however, it works well, as the rest of the book is devoted to finding out the truth behind Metias’ death.The setting. I found Lu’s world nicely written. The dystopian side of it is very subtle at first, and it’s only when we learn more about it that its nature really becomes apparent. This fits in with June’s growing understanding of her world. I liked that our learning about the world was tied into the mystery of Metias’ death.The characters. I really liked both June and Day and was fascinated by the parallels, contrasts and comparisons drawn between them. Sometimes it was a little heavy handed though – it didn’t need a character to explicitly say that their lives could have been the same had Day’s not taken a different turning at one point. I liked that June was very book smart, but is rather naive and trusting whereas Day is equally intelligent, but his knowledge is more street smarts. Unlike June, his experiences have made him bitter and not very trusting. I liked that their relationship with each other made them both really think about their points of view.What I didn’t likeThe narration. I found it hard to become engaged in the audio narration of this book. I personally didn’t enjoy Mariel Stern and Steven Kaplan’s narration, which I found rather flat. That is my own opinion, and of course you may enjoy the narration.All in all, I really enjoyed Legend and gave it four stars out of five. I look forward to continuing with the series.