Paperclip Ring, Epic Declaration, Love it!

Champion by Marie Lu (Legend #3)

My heart is beating so fast, my blood pressure is building up, my breathing is getting faster and faster, why?  Because this book is incredible.  Can you get everything that you want out of a book?  I wasn’t so sure when I started this series, but as I read on, I had my doubts, but as I closed the last page of Champion, Marie Lu exceeded my expectations and blew my mind.  I think the reason that I’m so shocked by how this trilogy ended is because I felt throughout the first two books that it was exceptionally predictable.  I knew what was going to happen as I turned every page and then, boom!  The ending took me by complete surprise.  The last book was by far my favorite.  First of all, I cried.  A lot!  June, who was not my favorite point of view character developed a soft spot in my heart as her character changed and grew.  Of course, Day is the champion of this book and the audiences heart.  He is a smooth talker, charismatic, and soft hearted all things that book enthusiasts like me look for in a book crush.  And of course, Anden is pretty great himself.  I was secretly pulling for him to win June’s heart even though I knew that would never happen.

The last 2 or 3 chapters of this book, I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat.  Once the war began, I was lost in this dystopian world where Marie Lu has changed our attitude and heart right along with her stellar characters.  At the beginning I was right there with Day.  I would have been in the street with my painted red streak and literally dying for his honor.  I also would have jumped behind Anden when he told me to and jumped to arms when he directs the people to defend their country. 

The actual last chapter I read so fast to get to the end.  I thought perhaps the book would end with the second to last chapter, but when I saw we were getting one more chapter ten years later I breathed a breath of relief for the end was not the end.  Now the hope and possibilities are endless. 

Who doesn’t love an ending like that?  Paperclip ring and all!  “I’ve been searching a long time for something I think I lost.” Oh Day (sigh).

One random thought before I go… How did Eden recognize June first?  Wasn’t he blind the entire time he knew June?  Just a thought.  Maybe he googled her while he was in Antarctica.  This question I assume will not be answered, but I wasn’t upset by it at all.    

I know this blog was random neurons firing, but hopefully you enjoyed it.  Read this series!  Keep Reading my Friends!

Day or Anden? What's June to do? Maybe she'll just settle for saving the Rebulic one observation at a time!

Prodigy by Marie Lu (Legend #2)

I’m sitting here in the exact same position for a least 10 minutes dwelling on what I just read, I know that if I don’t write my blog immediately after reading this book, I won’t remember where it ended and Champion started, because I’m going to start it as soon as I have my first rough draft typed up for this blog, believe me, it is that good.

The reason I’m sitting here is because I’m at a total and utter loss at what June should do.  There are so many questions and when the point of view character doesn’t know what to do, then myself as the reader is just as lost as she is.  Can you believe that last chapter?  (trying to talk without spoilers, may be confusing for anyone who hasn’t yet read the book?) Can you believe Day’s news?  Then June’s last chapter?  Talk about rip my heart out!  I’m not looking forward to the next book while waiting in anticipation (again it won’t be a long since I’m just waiting to finish typing this up).

So Prodigy has some great scenes in it.  I loved that we got to know Anden, the Primo Elector, a little better, which makes June’s life choices harder for me to get behind because I really do believe that Anden is a good guy.  I think Day is right that June and Anden make more sense, they come from the same world, but there is something so wonderful about Day and his loving attitude and his giving spirit and his bravery.  I just can’t pick between the two.  Could June and Day be happy without each other?  Probably, they haven’t known each other long, but they have this sort of epic love story going on that it’s hard not to route for them to make it. 

I loved the action in this book, the jet ride was intense, the whole assassination plan and how exciting it was for Day and June to communicate and know what the other was thinking without really knowing what’s going on.  I loved getting a peek at the Colonies and how life works on the other side and for both Day to realize that the grass isn’t always greener. 

I can’t wait to keep reading.  I hope you pick up this series soon, it is well worth it.  Keep Reading my Friends!

Dystopian Thriller? Sign me up!

Legend by Marie Lu

A dystopian novel set in future Los Angeles, we meet June Iparis, a Prodigy in her world.  The Republic sets Trials for every ten year old to take, June is the only known person to make a perfect score sending her to college and graduating at 15 to join the Republic in the highest military ranking in the war against the Colonies.  She always marveled at the legend that is Day, a street criminal that the Republic has not been able to capture after 5 years of his antics.  After a heartbreaking plot twist, June is after Day, in what ends up being a fast paced, thrilling story of death, survival, and love. 

This dual point of view book kept my attention and was a quick read.  I enjoyed both Day and June’s character and I thought Lu did a great job of flashing back and giving the reader lots of details on the past in both of the character’s lives. I also love that the character’s scripts were different, June being in black and Day’s in brown, it’s just an artistic way of showing the difference in the voices. 

So, Day is worthy of a Man Crush Monday.  Lu doesn’t give us a ton of physical attributes so we are able to fill in the picture with our own thoughts and tastes which I love.  We know he has long white blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and  everyone calls him beautiful, we know that he has a little Asian heritage, but little else to go on.  Of course this is not what makes him crush worthy, it’s his beautiful soul.  He is so transparent for a criminal on the run.  We know that his first and only thoughts are for his family and Tess, his runaway adopted sister.  He saves June from the skiz fight that is pretty much his undoing, because as smart as June is, we know that she was no closer to finding him as she was the first day she was on the street.  He keeps his secrets for not only his safety, but for those that he cares about and his sole goal for this book is to find the cure for the plague that has come to his house in the poor Lake sector of Los Angeles.  So, we have this 15 year old bad boy criminal who has been on the streets since his trials and yet he isn’t jaded or changed in a bad way from his experiences.  Then we have the Republics sweetheart, well educated, rich, and ambitious and ready to take Day on face to face.  I’m excited to see where this story goes and what we’ll see happening throughout the lives of June and Day in the next two books.

I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.  Keep Reading my Friends!