Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Legend
by Marie Lu
Hardcover, 305 pages
Published November 29th 2011 by Putnam Juvenile
Glasses: 4.4 

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.
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

My Thoughts

One of my friends had been bugging me to read this, so when I picked it up I had very high expectations. My first impression of the book was how pretty it was. There were different fonts and interesting colors plus a whole bunch of stuff that make it completely different from your normal run of the mill printed novel. Next was the story.

And can I just say, how adorable was the whole June/Day thing?! Awwww!!!! >.<

The plot was complex, interesting, exciting, and definitely kept you guessing. I loved this book a lot, but I wasn't completely enthralled. As June, a child prodigy for the Republic, tracks down Day, one of the nation's biggest criminals, she finds out just how twisted of an era they live in. One of the particular things I loved about the book was how it kept my guessing. I never knew what was going to happen next and when it did, I was really involved with the story. I got made when June got mad and got really upset with Day.

Overall, it was a really interesting and well worth read. However, there was a few things that I wasn't a big fan of. First and foremost was that their society was almost like every other tyrannical corrupt society in any other distopian novel out there. It was a weird mix of The Hunger Games with Across the Universe (minus the space stuff). Also, the ending was sort of off for me. I could live with that ending, despite it not being entirely conclusive, it was enough to make me feel closure. So to know that there's a second book kind of puts irks me. There are so many series coming out that I think it would be nice just to have a couple books be by themselves. Just simple non-series. As much as I love series in general, I think this would have been really good on its own.

But despite all that, I loved reading it. Check it out before the summer ends! :D

Sneak Peak Sunday (21)

Meant to Be
by Lauren Morrill 

Hardcover, 256 pages
Expected publication: November 13th 2012 by Delacorte

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.
It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").
But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.
Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

One Word: Superawesomecute.
As corny as it may sounds this book just speaks to me. Julia seems as relatable to me as my pillow case feels about my pillow. It's another opportunity to swoon and live vicariously through another person who, although shares my love for work ethics, gets to live a life in a far better way.

London + Nerds + Ominous Bad Boy Nemesis + Romantically Adorable Characters = Slightly Cliche Plot with a Twist of Originality that's going to get me hooked.

I'm going to buy this immediately when it comes out. I have a feeling it's going to be like a Fictionpress story, but a bazillion times better.

Plus, I mean, isn't that cover adorkable!?

And you know, while we're on cute stuff, let's watch Agnes ask for stuff:

Mothership (Ever-Expanding Universe #1)
by Martin Leicht, Isla Neal

Hardcover, 320 pages
Published July 10th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Glasses: 4.89  

Teen pregnancy is never easy—especially not when extraterrestrials are involved. The first in a new trilogy.
Elvie Nara was doing just fine in the year 2074. She had a great best friend, a dad she adored, and bright future working on the Ares Project on Mars. But then she had to get involved with sweet, gorgeous, dumb-as-a-brick Cole—and now she’s pregnant.
Getting shipped off to the Hanover School for Expecting Teen Mothers was not how Elvie imagined spending her junior year, but she can go with the flow. That is, until a team of hot commandos hijacks the ship—and one of them turns out to be Cole. She hasn’t seen him since she told him she’s pregnant, and now he’s bursting into her new home to tell her that her teachers are aliens and want to use her unborn baby to repopulate their species? Nice try, buddy. You could have just called.
So fine, finding a way off this ship is priority number one, but first Elvie has to figure out how Cole ended up as a commando, work together with her arch-nemesis, and figure out if she even wants to be a mother—assuming they get back to Earth in one piece.

My Thoughts

There are no words to describe how much I loved this book. 

No words. No words.

I borrowed the book on the pretense that purple was my favorite color. It looked pretty, and yeah... pretty. However, that night when I was lying in bed I picked up the book and low and behold, it was about teenage pregnancy.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of books written about teenage pregnancy, but this was the exception. Elvie is witty, clever, smart, and everything what was not the stereotypical girl you'd find on 16 and Pregnant. Cole however, is the stereotypical guy; the player who can and can't deal with relationships. 

Now let's talk about their awesome space ship and the multitude of scenes filled with epic action sequences and jaw dropping twists. Seriously, with all the cool levels of the ship and crazy alien invaders, it's just... ugh.... SO AWESOME.

Now obviously, is this a rather terrible review. It's late and I'm taking the SAT tomorrow, so I'll sum up all of my conceivable feelings in a GIF.

Sneak Peak Sunday (20)

Crewel (Crewel World #1)
by Gennifer Albin 

Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: October 16th 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.
That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.
Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.
Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.
Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.
Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

It sounds really interesting, and definitely a mix of an odd distopian society with a tablespoon of fantasy. :)