Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Legend

Legend was an interesting read that had me hooked from the start; it was impossible for me to read just one chapter in a sitting, and had I not been reading multiple other books over the last few months, I probably would've finished it much quicker, as it is fast-paced and the chapters are relatively short. I enjoyed the story being told in the different perspectives of the two main characters. I wouldn't necessarily consider the characters lovable, however maybe it's just the upsetting circumstances they were put in that didn't particularly bring out the best in them. Speaking of, the futuristic world Marie Lu has built in this book is truly scary. What's maybe most scary is that it's not that far off from the world we live in now. Of course it is much more harsh and extreme than our common first-world cities today, and it surprised me that Los Angeles was the city she chose to portray, considering the attitude of the population in the book is very patriotic and military dependent.
I would've preferred the story if it had been less violent, especially considering the main characters are 15-year-olds, but I did still appreciate the rebelious-uncover-the-truth-and-fight-back-againt-the-government kind of vibes (reminded me a little bit of The Hunger Games in this way, how different sectors are treated differently, the rich against the poor, which was given more depth with a perspective from the inside in Legend). <spoiler kinda> I also liked the twist with the reveal of a secret enemy.
This was a solid read, 4 stars, but don't think I will continue with the rest of the trilogy. I feel like the ending satisfied me enough, and I'm not that interested <spoiler kinda> in June and Day's life on the run, or the problems they might face now that they are in a relationship>, but I did enjoy the writing style, and have other books by Marie Lu that I'm looking forward to reading :)
age rec for 15+

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mulders's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It's not often that I revisit old favourites from my YA dystopia days, but Legend has always been a standout. Rereading it, now older than the characters, with a much better grasp on American politics, and most importantly during a pandemic of our own, I found things younger me (despite how much I've always loved this book) missed. I will keep this spoiler free and say this: the book holds up. Most of all, the characters are just as strong as I remembered them, and their bonds and hardships tug at my heartstrings even five years later.

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ghostsversion's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Okay so initially I had this at 4⭐️ but to be fair it was three years ago and people change. Now first off why were Day and June fifteen? I mean sure, it can be a commentary of how corrupt governments force children to mature early, but at the same time I don’t think

having June be “pursued” I guess by men in their 20s was necessary. They weren’t really normalized, but they weren’t condemned either.

Anyway, I must say that the first person POV really threw me off at the beginning for some reason. Also the constant info dumping about the world building didn’t help matters. But you know as the plot moved forward, you noticed it less and less. Overall, I guess I liked this but it wasn’t like the best of the best. We shall see what the rest of this series has in store.

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ariele3's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I loved the futuristic USA and the end plotwist had me hooked.

When it's revealed that they preformed experiments on the kids from lower classes that passed their Trial with amazing grades, it was very well foreshadowed.

And the split view point really kept the pace going. Overall a great read.

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eviem111's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I felt like the last 125 were very fast paced and i read it quickly cause of how good it was but the first half of the book was quite slow for me, however still enjoyable. Also i feel like the 2nd and 3rd books could be A LOT better but i don’t know if they will be.

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robinks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A dystopian tale with excitement, twists and turns. I enjoyed the characters, and I always love stories where the chapters alternate between two characters’ perspectives. I am interested to see what the rest of the series has to offer.

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