Legend by Marie Lu was a pretty unconventional choice of reads for me in the sense that it has some pretty strong romantic undertones (you know… actual human feelings.) But I needed to pull the car out of the ditch and read something with some emotional depth rather than just for a good story. Fortunately this has both.
In my opinion, you can never go wrong with dystopian, but
this one really played to my love of history.
The book takes place, from what I can gather, about 100 years in the
future and revolves around the lives of two distinctly different characters
living in the flooded remains of Los Angeles, California in the “Republic of
America”. Chapters alternate between the
two characters, one being a 15 year old criminal known as Day, trying to save
his younger brother from a fatal flu. The
other, June, is a young, prodigious military cadet born into one of the
Republic’s elite families.
After some unknown calamity (possibly a global flu pandemic
or runaway climate change) the continental US is broken up into two countries;
the Republic and the Colonies. Another
faction is mentioned, the Patriots, who seem to be a terrorist organization
working against the Republic government. The constant state of war among the groups
reminds me of the civil war and brings to mind other works of fiction
concerning a “second civil war,” such as many of the Harry Turtledove novels.
Every child on their tenth birthday takes a “trial,” consisting
of physical fitness tests, aptitude tests, and a string of interviews with
Republic officials. Those that pass are
assigned various duties of the state (the higher the score, the more
prestigious) and those that fail are sent to “work camps.” What makes June a prodigy is she is the only
child in the history of the trials to score a perfect 1500, she flies through
college, and is the youngest cadet the military has ever seen.
The differences between the rich and poor play a big part in
this novel and presumably will continue to do so throughout the series. The elite are given free flu vaccinations
each year, have access to education, and tend to have very few worries. While
the poor (such as Day’s family) live in squalor, die of the flu, and are denied
even the most basic of assistance. It’s
no surprise then that the children most likely to fail the trials and be sent away come from the poor areas of the city.
Raised in an elite, military family June’s loyalty to the
Republic is absolute and she is more than happy to perform any duty in the name
of “Elector Primo.” But when she is sent undercover to capture Day, the
Republic’s most notorious criminal and Robin Hood of Los Angeles, she begins to
discover that her country, her superiors, and even her best friend are not what
she was raised to believe. Conspiracies and corruption abound and June begins
to question her loyalty to the system as she becomes more disillusioned by the
actions of those around her.
An enjoyable read and what looks to be a great series
forthcoming. It’s in the same ilk as The Hunger Games, Ship Breakers, and
Divergent. Think of it as 1984
with a pandemic plague thrown in. 3.5
out of 5 stars. Make no mistake though;
this book has the feel of a movie just waiting to happen.
I really liked the imagery of LA--the only thing missing was a map! (I love maps). This was one of the stronger dystopians I read from the current trend. I'm eager to read the sequel.
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