about the book
The United States is no more. Split almost down its middle, what once was America has become the Republic and the Colonies, the Western and Eastern coasts. The societies are militaristic to the extreme: in the Republic, all teens have to pass their Trials. Those who don’t score high are cast out into the slums, or worse.
Fifteen-year-old Day did not do well on his Trial. Cast out, he has been fighting the Republic’s efforts to make war on the Colonies wherever he can, driven to provide for his family who have no choice but to live in the underbelly of the megacities that now dominate the Republic in what once was California. A raid gone wrong on a hospital leaves a Republic soldier, Metias, wounded, and he eventually dies. Day is now wanted for murder.
Fifteen-year-old June is Metias’s sister. She is the only person ever to score 1500 on her Trial—a perfect score. A military prodigy, the Republic command enlisted her immediately, and now she is on the hunt for Day, the most wanted criminal in the world. She is driven by grief at her brother’s death and her cold hard military instinct.
When the two teens finally meet each other, a terrible truth about the very Republic is brought to their attention, and it may just turn out that they are allies, after all.
about the author
Marie Lu was born in Shanghai but she grew up in Texas; then she moved to California when she went to the University of Southern California. After graduation, Marie stayed in the state for its wonderful weather.
Marie was born in 1984, which she sees as almost a prophecy considering her love for dystopian books. The idea for Legend began with her character Day. When she herself was fifteen, she invented a story involving a fifteen-year-old boy named Day, but it was only after college that the character of June came along, and the plot for Legend really took off.
Her first job after college was doing art and design for online social media games. In fact, video games are one of Marie’s great loves. The other things she loves include fighter jets, happy people, dogs, rain, Christmas lights, and—needless to say—books.
Marie lives in Pasadena, California, with her boyfriend and their Pembroke Welsh Corgis and a Chihuahua mix.
Source:
Author website
Also by Marie Lu:
The Young Elites (Book 1). Putnam Publishing. 2014.
Champion (Legend Novel, Book 3). Putnam. 2013.
Prodigy (Legend Novel, Book 2). Putnam Publishing. 2013.
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Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston
Valley was four when her mother was killed by the black helicopters. Now fifteen and known as Valkyrie, she and her brother can no longer live underground, hiding but free from the totalitarian government that has taken over America. They must bring their message to the outside world. And if that means strapping a bomb to her chest, Valkyrie will do it…
Orleans by Sherri L. Smith
Fen’s O-Positive blood endangers her in post- hurricane, post-Delta Fever, walled-off Orleans. Caring for her tribe’s baby daughter, whose blood was tested to be free of the fever virus, Fen plans to scale the Wall into the Outer States to give the baby a better life. Escaping, Fen meets scientist Daniel, who may have a cure—but at a high cost.
Prodigy (Legend, Book 2) by Marie Lu
June and Day, still on the run together, reach Vegas just in time to hear about the death of the Republic’s Elector Primo. Suddenly, the whole world has changed. Now the Elector’s son Anden takes his place. The Patriots offer Day and June a job which, upon completion, would earn them safe passage to the Colonies. But the job is to assassinate Anden—and June thinks Anden might be different enough to effect real change at the top, without war. But the Patriots want war.