Review: Prodigy

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu
Release Date ~ January 29, 2013
Putnam Juvenile ~ Penguin
ISBN13: 9780399256769
ARC received from Penguin Canada for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

Legend captured my attention with its action-oriented story line, and likable characters that I couldn't get of; Prodigy delivered all of that and more in this exceptional sequel.

1. Flawless plot continuity: 
   
   Prodigy perfectly builds on the story first introduced in Legend; there's no lull, and importantly Marie really expands on the plot lines and twists revealed in the first book of the series.
   
2. Strong world-building:
   
   Legend stands out among other futuristic YA books for its impeccable world-building, and this only improves in Legend. We get to see a bit more of the world that June and Day live in, and experience new places at the same time as the characters do.
   
3. An action-oriented book:
   
   I love books that are bursting with action and thrills, and Prodigy is exactly that. June and Day are both tough characters, in their own way, but their courage puts them in trying situations (which means that the reader gets plenty of excitement and action)!
   
4. A romance you can root for:
   
   One of my favourite things about June and Day's relationship is that they're working for it. This rarely comes up in YA books, and I'm so pleased to see characters that try to communicate with one another, and while they aren't perfect you can easily see that their relationship doesn't just magically work out. It's a refreshing take on a love story, and one that is realistic too.

I also love all the details and attention Marie pays to the secondary characters and their stories, and it comes across so well in Prodigy (Metias will forever and ever be my favourite). That being said, at times it almost feels like there's a little too much going on for me to really understand and appreciate all the side stories that are happening. It can take away from the overall story, although I understand that this is hard when you have such a large fictional world and only three books. You just can't fit everything in.

Legend

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Penguin: Putnam Juvenile
ISBN13: 9780399256752

3.5/5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
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.

For fans of The Hunger Games and Delirium, we now have Legend as well.

It isn't hard to see why this dystopian/post apocolyptic/futuristic YA genre has taken off so well; it's full of rebellion, might against right, and bleek, improbable optimism for a better future.

This is one of my favourite genres to read about because of the various question it raises regarding one of my favourite topics and my chosen field of science: politics. What does it mean for us? How much government is too much? Where does power come from? What do you do when it's out of control?

Legend is a perfect book for all of these questions. It's like, Robin Hood in the future.

The stories of Day and June are completely different, yet I was grateful that it was never confusing and how well these two POVs mingled and eventually merged into one. I will say that it will never stop breaking my heart to see these children, these teens having to grow up so fast in books because of difficult life circumstances. Day and June don't act like kids, they act like adults with adult choices, making adult decisions. But at the same time... they aren't adults.

I don't know if it's just me, or if others feel this way too, but books like these make me dream of accomplishing things that maybe aren't quite as big, but are still vitally important for our time. Because these characters are positively INSPIRING.

However, these jaded characters often come across as being so cold and distant that they can be hard to relate to at times. And for example, I could not fathom how Day's mother and younger brother believed he was dead all this time when they kept receiving these mysterious gifts which were always just what they needed at the time.

I also would have appreciated more insight to the motivation of the Republic; exactly what is going on there? No one seems to know, not even June who's a fairly inside character to the Republic. And exactly what's going on with the war against the Colonies? I'm hopeful that future books will contain more information regarding the background and politics of Marie Lu's world.

ARC received from Penguin Canada in exchange for my honest review; no other compensation was received.

Smile - it's Wednesday!

see this lovely picture? It was made by Lindsay at The Violet Hour. Thank you for sharing it!)

Jill @  Breaking the Spine hosts weekly "Waiting on Wednesday" for books that haven't been released yet but we are anxious for!

This week, I'm anxiously awaiting the release of Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton. I really, really love reading Greek myths retold, or antying with mytholigical elements and this cover is just SO beautiful! One of my favourites that I've seen this year.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

MizB @ Should Be Reading hosts WWW Wednesdays... it's super easy to play along and join in!
Just answer these three questions:

What are you currently reading?

Right now, I'm in the middle of the Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I LOVE it, and yes, it has taken me this long to get into the series!

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished reading Ripple by Mandy Hubbard (review will be up today, promise!!) and before that I finally got around to reading Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (which was sent to me as a gift). So glad I read that one!

What do you think I'll read next?

Well... right now the plan is to read my ARC of Legend by Marie Lu next, and then continue with the Iron Fey series. But my plans always seem to change, haha!

That's it for me this week, but please comment and send me the link to your Wednesday post! I promise to read it (I love seeing what others are sharing!) and try to comment on something :)