All it takes for me to fall in love with a book is a good government corruption plot with a violent, evil leader and a female heroine who falls in love. I loved “Legend” by Marie Lu because of this. 

“Legend” takes place in a futuristic United States that is divided into the Republic and the Colonies, or the rich and the poor. June is a Republic prodigy who is set for leadership one day. Day is the Republic’s most wanted fugitive who lives in the Colonies. One day, June’s older brother is killed, and Day is accused of the killing. In seeking revenge, June hunts down Day. The two end up meeting without knowing who the other one is, and they form a connection. 

It took me two chapters before I was absolutely immersed in Lu’s world. The novel follows alternating perspectives of Day and June. I normally don’t really enjoy it when an author chooses to do this because I always end up liking one perspective over the other, so then I have to suffer through the perspective I don’t like. I preferred Day’s perspective at first, because he was more interesting by being wanted by the Republic. I felt on edge for his safety all the time. Then, I was captivated by June being brainwashed by the Republic and was waiting for her to realize she was fighting on the wrong side. 

The Republic uses June’s brother Mathias’s death to exploit her anger. Commander Jameson really adds fuel to the fire for the readers. I hated every scene he was in, and I am supposed to feel that way. 

Day’s brother is sick with the plague, which is also another way we are supposed to hate the Republic. Through the entire book, you are supposed to believe that this plague was just an outbreak like any other normal virus happens. We then find out that the Republic created the virus to stabilize the population. This kills more of the poor because they are the ones who cannot afford to pay for the expensive medicine.

We learn the corruption side from Day, but then we are waiting for June to discover it. I loved her character because even though you know more than her, she is slowly starting to come to her senses. This is relatable to readers who have experienced this growing up, too – growing up believing one thing, but then one day you wake up. 

This book is the first book out of three. I, unfortunately, have not read the other ones because for so long I did not own them or have access to them. By the time I did, so much time had passed, and I was reading other books. I hope to one day return to this series to see Day and June’s ending. 

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