The book “Legend” by Marie Lu is a dystopian, young adult fiction novel that has the perspectives of two characters who have conflicting views of their government. The character Day is a wanted criminal by the government called the Republic. Which happens to be the other character Isparis’ job\; he works for the Republic’s detective agency. The book has two alternating first-person perspectives for the two characters. Every few chapters the perspective changes to the other, creating a suspenseful feeling, especially when the one character almost meets the other for the first time.
The story is great, full of adventure, mysterious twists and character development on each page. It revolves mostly around the Republic side of the war, with a conflict over land and resources due to the major flooding that misplaced millions of people all over the planet, which caused a factional split in the United States, to two different factions\; one on the west coast and one on the east. The perspectives of the two characters show a grim war time view with soldiers and rationing. Setting a bleak and dreary mood for the background of the book making imagery dull and grey, reflecting the colorway of the colors on the cover.
Day is always in hiding and on the run from the police. Meanwhile the other character is a new detective that is top of her class and is put on the case. While attempting to secure plague cures, Day had to throw a knife at a soldier that supposedly killed the soldier. The soldier was Isparis’s older brother. Isparis is a prodigy from the rich districts that was then made a detective under command of a brutal commander, who made her first case to find Day, who killed her brother. The pressure to catch Day is immense because of the crimes he had committed that were hindering the war effort. The brutality of Isparis’ commanding officer also adds to the pressure.
Many people who do not read claim it is because they are unable to find a book they like. The “Legend” series by Marie Lu completely fixes this issue because it provides young people with an engaging storyline, and deep characterization which young adults can connect with. While it is more graphic, it adds detail to the story, which sets a mood that feels desolate.
Having the author use different grammar for the characters shows the comparisons between the two and how they grew up. One being in the wealthy sector while the other being in a poor sector. Creating different bias for each character. Overall the story is a decent read with a mystery and slightly futuristic setting. Being a rather short read with 305 pages, there are two more to the series to keep your attention! I would give this novel 4.5 out of 5 spartan heads because it was entertaining and addictive to read, but it sometimes confusing to keep up with the always changing perspectives.