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.

my thoughts:

Why on earth did I wait so long to read this book? Legend has been on my TBR list ever since I first heard about it back in 2011. I even picked up an ARC at BEA that year, fully intending to read it immediately. Clearly, that didn’t happen. Now, eight years later, I’ve finally given this series a chance.

Admittedly, dystopian fiction has never been my preferred genre. I loved The Hunger Games and the Divergent series when they first came out, but the genre eventually felt oversaturated, and I lost interest, doubting there were many fresh stories left to tell. Legend, however, proved me wrong, showing that dystopia still has something new and compelling to offer.

I won’t lie – when I first started Legend, I found it a bit slow, and it didn’t fully grab my attention until about 50 pages in. I also couldn’t help but draw comparisons to other dystopian novels I’ve read. The strong focus on sibling relationships, particularly between June and Metias, and Day and his brothers John and Eden, reminded me of The Hunger Games. But that’s largely where the similarities end. Legend presents a unique narrative with characters you can’t help but root for.

Major credit goes to Marie Lu. While Legend is a young adult novel, it’s one that adults can easily appreciate. Lu doesn’t shy away from brutality and isn’t afraid to kill off characters. At times, the story felt quite grim, but there was always a glimmer of hope that kept me turning the pages.

The characters are well-rounded, with a compelling mix of heroes, villains, and those who defy easy categorization. I hope to see more development for some of them in the sequels, particularly regarding their backstories and families. While Day and June have fascinating arcs, their histories and family backgrounds could be fleshed out more. I’m also eager to see more interactions between them; they bring out the best in each other, and the evolution of their relationship is something I look forward to exploring in Prodigy and Champion.

There were moments when the plot seemed to slow down, yet I never lost interest. After pushing past the first 50 pages, I barely put the book down until I finished it. While occasionally predictable, the story was highly enjoyable and utterly gripping.

Overall, Legend truly deserves all the praise it has received over the years. If, like me, you still have it gathering dust on your shelf or lingering on your TBR list, move it up. This book might just rekindle your love for dystopian fiction.

“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything’s possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.”
― Marie Lu, Legend

What others are saying about Legend:

UnderTheBookCover’s review: “I am invested in June and Day’s story now, and am quite curious as to how it all continues with Prodigy, and then concludes in Champion.”

My Thoughts Literally!’s review: “If you are a big dystopia fan check this series out. It was a good start to a series and I am excited to see where things go.”