Legend, the first book of the Legend series, is a dystopian young adult novel written by Marie Lu. Taking place in the future, the U.S. was battered by floods and destroyed with a massive volcanic eruption. In the midst of the destruction, the Republic of America, run by dictator Elector Primo, arose. In contrast to the totalitarian state, the Colonies of America also formed, countering the Republic’s rule. This dramatic rift of conflict is not the only thing in this novel that is converse.
Day, a 15-year-old boy from the poor Lake sector just outside of Los Angeles (also known as the "slums"), follows a life of crime (ex. torching fighter jets, stealing food and money, running up and vandalizing buildings) against the Republic. On the other hand, June is the Republic’s star prodigy and soldier as she scored a perfect 1500 on the Trials, an intellectual and physical exam given to 10-year-olds to assign them to different social classes. As a result, she lives a life of comfort, with as many Notes (currency) to last her a lifetime and more. Unlike Day’s opposition to the Republic, June pledged her unyielding allegiance to the state. Her goal is to capture the Republic’s most-wanted criminal, Day.
Despite coming from vastly different backgrounds and experiences, Day and June also share major similarities.
Both are prodigies. In the novel, it is revealed that Day actually achieved a perfect 1500, instead of the 674 failing score that the Republic lied about.
They both seek revenge and have strong loyalty for their families. Day is seeking revenge against the Republic for the brutal murders of his family members (Dad, Mom, John) and the immoral testing of Eden (his younger brother) for biological weapons in war. June is seeking revenge against the person who killed her older brother, Metias. She initially believed that Day was his murderer, but was manipulated by Commander Jameson (a Republic military commander) into thinking that.
Day and June are like magnets; complete opposites (“north” and “south”) that come together to form a strong connection. Though they had a rough history, they try to put their prejudices behind them to expose the corrupt system of the Republic.
- Chloe L.
I really like this book, and remember reading this book in middle school and being first introduced to the dystopian genre. It left an impression on me, and encouraged me to read many other dystopian books. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi! I read this book before, and I really liked it! Good job on your blog post!
ReplyDeleteI had to read this for a class in 6th grade which immediately gave me a bad first impression but I ended up really liking this book. It had an actual story that was truly interesting. Your post is really good!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading this book for class in 7th grade, and I thought it was pretty interesting. There is one assignment about the book I remember where I had to draw a comic depicting one of the scenes in the book.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well-written post! I, like Max, was forced to read this for my english class and at first I was not a big fan. However, it was actually not that bad and I should really read the rest of the series!
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