Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Review: Legend by Marie Lu


Title: Legend 

Author: Marie Lu 

Rating: 2 Stars/DNF

Legend is one of those books that simply demands to be read, not so much because of its original premises, intriguing characters, or fast-paced plot, but rather because everyone seems to have such a varied opinion about it. I always make it a point to read the reviews of my most trusted reviewers - those whose opinions are similar to my own - but when it came to this book, the ratings ranged from amazement, to indifference, to like, to hate. Thus, I knew I had to read this and give it a shot for myself to see what the hype really is all about. Well, if you're anything like me and if you've read your fair share of dystopians, I can tell you now thatLegend offers nothing new to this over-wrought genre and, frankly speaking, you aren't missing much if you skip it. If, however, you're nothing like me (or you're just wondering why I couldn't finish one of your favorite books), you might as well stick around. I doubt it'll be a long haul anyway.

See, the thing about Legend is that it is exactly like every other post-apocalyptic novel out there. We have our utopian-like society, we have two vastly different characters, we have the slow uncovering of betrayal, that all is not as perfect as it seems. Very, very typical. Now, it isn't that I have an aversion to typical plots - because everyone knows I read more than just a few dystopian series - but the qualities that I needed to make this novel interesting, engaging, and something worth reading were simply lacking. Well, that and I suspect I'm growing tired of this genre...is there really anything new left to explore?

One of the first things that stands out about Legend is the unique formatting of the book itself. It is told from the dual narration of June, a prodigy in her society, and Day, a thief who is accused of murdering June's brother. As such, you can imagine that June sets out to find and kill him. Well, another unique aspect of this formatting is that Day's perspective is told in gold lettering while June's is in regular black. At first, I was a little annoyed by this - the gold is, I warn you, hard on the eyes. As the story progressed though, I found myself relying on the font to help me distinguish who was speaking. Yes, the two perspectives in this are really thatinterchangeable. Not only are June and Day similar individuals, both being extremely smart, calculating, and tough, but their thoughts mirror each other almost exactly. So, really, Legend is about one character named Jay or Dune whose thoughts are shown in two different colors. =.=

In addition to the utter lack of characterization, the world-building in this novel was nothing new and I was unable to form much of a connection with the characters. Day, to some extent, is an easier person to get to know, merely because he has feeling. June, however, is distant from everyone but her older brother, who, once dead, makes her just plain unfeeling. So, really, can you blame me for not wanting to continue this? Unoriginal plot lines, characters that lacked distinct personalities, and an attachment that failed to occur. By the time I passed the half-way point of this story, I was done. I can't even say that Marie Lu is a good writer because, really, her writing was nothing special either.Legend is a tiny bit better than Article 5, but not a whole lot much. In fact, Enclave, another DNF for me, is far better, so maybe check that out instead? Or, you know, just give this a shot, because even if it's not for you, it's a quick read and you won't feel as if you wasted your time. At least, not too much.

18 comments:

  1. Aww, I have been so keen to read this book, it's such a shame you didn't enjoy it.

    Thankyou for sharing your honest thoughts :)

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  2. Oh I'm so sorry that Legend didn't work out for you, it's horrible finding yourself in the minority when everyone else seems to love this book. I think I would have a difficult time distinguishing between the dual povs too but I like how Marie has gone about making them separate. At least you gave this book a try, I hope your next dystopian you pick up is a lot more enjoyable! :)

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  3. That's too bad this didn't work out for you Keertana. I actually liked the formatting, although it probably was hard on my eyes. I can't remember now. Maybe you need to lay off the dystopian for awhile. UF seems to hit the spot for you (and me)lately. :)

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  4. Oh wow Keertana. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy this. Now I'm starting to rethink reading this. It's on my Amazon wish list and I might take it off. I still have enclave to read on my Ipad, but I find all of these dystopian novels kind of blend in together anymore.

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  5. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this one dearest. I have heard great things and a few less great, so like you I want to give it a chance myself.

    And honestly, I don't think I've read that much dystopia to be honest. I've read The Hunger Games and a couple of others, but I think I'd give this one a try all the same.

    Great review, dearest! :)

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  6. Yeah...you've pretty much summed up why I haven't read this one. Just...meh. It sounds like such a popcorn dystopia, that even reading positive reviews doesn't make me feel like I'm missing out on anything. I also shy away from dual narration like this 90% of the time. The fact that you DNFed this just assures me that I've made the right decision not to bother.

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  7. Is there anything new left to explore in this genre? Probably not (until it turns up and proves me wrong, that is!). A lot of these books are becoming very formulaic in terms of plot... and I guess that applies to Legend, too. BUT, I have to say, despite all of that, I still really enjoyed this book and am sorry to see it didn't work for you. The sequel is better, in my opinion, with the character's finally making more of an impression. If you do end up continuing with the series, I hope you will have better luck later on. Wonderfully written review as always! :)

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  8. This is why I'm nervous - books get all hyped up, and then I'm one of the few who simply can't understand the fuss. I'm looking forward to reading this, but at the same time I'm worried about your own concerns with the novel. I'm sorry you found this so disappointing Keertana, I hope you have better luck with your next dystopia. Beautiful review as always! :)

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  9. I'm sorry that this novel did not work out for you, Keertana. I do believe that dystopians are definitely an overused genre, which means it is harder to spot the gems. You hit my biggest gripe always with dual narration. Maybe I have a more difficult time than most distinguishing between character voices, but when I start a book with more than one narrator, I always cringe and am ready for narrators who just aren't distinguishable. It's the worst when that happens. And it's too bad; I was definitely considering starting this series. Maybe I'll save it for a rainy day read and try to just read it in one or two sittings.

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  10. I can't remember what I rated this but if I remember correctly I wasn't blown away by it. It liked it, but I didn't totally get why people were raving about it (this was before it was released) and why it was such a big deal. But I did like it and I will probably continue the series to see what happens. Sorry it didn't work for you!

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  11. I don't think I've read nearly as many dystopias as you did, which is why I rated this a bit higher when I read it, but I actually agree with you on everything. The lack of originality IS the main problem, and I can only hope that the second book will be a bit better. Although I doubt it.
    I'm sorry you wasted your time, but I enjoyed your review, as I always do. :)

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  12. This is one of these books that everyone read except me! xD Huh I should get to it. I'm sorry that the book disappointed you. :( I was expecting more. But then again I loved Article 5 so I might love this one too. We'll see. But still thanks for the honest review :)

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  13. Too bad on this one Keertana! It's a shame the characters and world weren't a bit more stand out for you. I do like that we get a dual POV from both Day and June, and I think it's very cool that Day's lettering is in gold. I don't think I've seen that before:) Hope whatever you pick up next is amazing!

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  14. I'm so sorry this one didn't work out for you, Keertana. Honestly, I think we've long passed a saturation point for dystopians. It's quite possible I wouldn't have enjoyed this one as much as I did if I'd read it on the tail end of some of the other dystopians I've tackled and discarded recently. I hope your next read is enjoyable! :-) Thanks for your honesty.

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  15. Sorry you didn't like this more! Like you said, this does seem to have polarising opinions. The first book was okay for me but I enjoyed the sequel more. I've heard the similar voices though too. I hope your next read is better!

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  16. I can understand why you didn't enjoy this, K! I wasn't ever going to read it because it just sounded like another dystopian (and it was) but then a friend sent to me so I read it and it was ok. I've heard the sequel is a bit better :)

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  17. I liked Legend well enough but it didn't blow me away. I think, like you, I am getting very wary of the dystopian genre. Love this statement of yours because I feel very much the same:

    "I suspect I'm growing tired of this genre...is there really anything new left to explore?"

    I'm sure that there IS more to explore and that there is probably someone out there writing a fresh new take on the genre, at least I hope so. Because when it's done right, it can be a really awesome thing to experience as a reader. But it's all the filler between those outstanding examples that makes me so tired.

    I will continue with the Legend series, I read Prodigy and now that I have put the time in on two books I will finish the trilogy to see how it ends, but I completely understand where you are coming from in this case:)

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  18. Considering I am so much like you, I'm gonna skip this one. I haven't read a Dystopian in a few months and it has been blissfully amazing. I'm sad that nothing seemed new for this one!

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