Writer For Misfits (A Book Blog): Marie Lu

Friday, December 5, 2014

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend (Legend #1)
Author: Marie Lu
Publication: April 16th 2013, Speak
Format: Trade Paperback
Source: Own Copy from NBS
Buy it on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | iBooks | Kobo | National Book Store / Fully Booked (PH)

SYNOPSIS:

From different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths...

Until June's brother is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect.

In a shocking turn of events, the two uncover what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets.

Misfit Review:

Reading Legend was like boot camp for me, in a way that the world that we live is not as far from how we are in this time and how we are all blind to what happens to people less fortunate or those who only wish to survive.

“It's strange," I say to Day later, as we both curl up on the floor. Outside, the hurricane rages on. In a few hours we'll need to head out. "It's strange being here with you. I hardly know you. But...sometimes it feels like we're the same person born into two different worlds."

Legend is the story of June Iparis, a 15 year old college student at Drake, who got the highest score in the Republic, a 1500 mark. Those with the lowest scores are forced to live in the slums with no education and suffering from the plague ruining the cities in the Republic. Daniel "Day" Wing, is an enigmatic young man, who is being targeted by the soldiers of the Republic for committing crimes including stealing plague cures and destroying military properties. No one in the Republic knows what Day looks like, and that's great for his cover-up, until that fateful day that Day and June's lives are intertwined by an incident that changes both their lives.

What's so amazing about Legend to me, as a reader, is how immersed I got to the story. The attention to detail to every character's movement, emotions, problems and the way the setting is linked to everyone in the story is mind boggling. The fight scenes and the violence are what got to me personally, because of how well written they were and I feel like with every punch and kick June makes, for example, I pull in my breath, exhale everytime she's okay and I am taken away into this cinematic terrain of movement, engaging and powerful. Day's escape from the soldiers is my favorite in the book. It's like you feel his pain and his need to really find a way out.

“When you stand out there," John continues in a hoarse voice, "keep your chin up, all right? Don't let them get to you."
"I won't."
"Make them work for it. Punch someone if you have to." John gives me a sad, crooked smile. "You're a scary kid. So scare them. Okay? All the way until the end."
For the first time in a long time, I feel like a little brother. I have to swallow hard to keep my eyes dry. "Okay," I whisper.”

The way family is considered in this novel was done pretty well. With June's loss to Day's concern for his family. The main reason, in many ways why the characters are driven and motivated to do what they have to do is because of their families. Without this, June might just seem like a soldier out to fulfill a job and Day being a total psycho.

“What a joke! Poor little rich girl's fallen in love with the Republic's most famous criminal.”

The romance. Ahhhh, the romance. The romance was a bit awkward, cute, interesting and too instant for me. INSTALOVE! At 15, it is pretty normal, nowadays to actually hook up, you know. I am very sorry, I am only aware from observations. LOL. Maybe what I would've changed is if June and Day could've basked in the idea of falling in love when Day is already captured and stuff and not exactly getting insanely intense after being together for a few days to a week. WOOHOO! But as for my YA heart, it soars because well, FEELS! And Day is gorgeous, let that be put out there for the world to learn and drool over his amazing light blonde hair and blue eyes. Such a hottie at 15. I still cringe at 15 actually. Why couldn't they be 18 for crying out loud. Sorry.

"I will hunt you down. I will scour the streets of Los Angeles for you. Search every street in the Republic if I have to. I will trick you and deceive you, lie, cheat and steal to find you, tempt you out of your hiding place, and chase you until you have nowhere else to run. I make you this promise: your life is mine.”

Anyway, I am in love with Marie Lu's writing style nonetheless. It is unafraid to talk about the problems of the government, the secrets hidden from the people and the harsh realities that we might face in a post apocalyptic future. The action, thrill and energy that the novel provides, allows the readers to be immersed into a world familiar yet not. I do look forward to more of Marie Lu's works because she is becoming one of the prominent authors of the past decade.

“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything’s possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.”

Legend is a great introduction to a dystopian world that is energetic, mysterious, dark and engaging, taking the readers to great new heights.

About The Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

I write young adult novels, and have a special love for dystopian books. Ironically, I was born in 1984. Before becoming a full-time writer, I was an Art Director at a video game company. Now I shuffle around at home and talk to myself a lot. :)

I graduated from the University of Southern California in '06 and currently live in LA, where I spend my time stuck on the freeways.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

{BLOG TOUR} Review + Giveaway: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Publication: October 7th 2014, Putnam
Format: Trade Paperback, 355 pages
Source: Own Copy from NBS
Buy it on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | The Book Depository | Kobo | National Book Store / Fully Booked (PH)

SYNOPSIS:

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Misfit Review:

When I found out that Marie Lu was going to release a new trilogy, I didn't hesitate but to dive in into it and involve myself with the hype and everything. Reading The Young Elites, I found myself in the deepest parts of my mind and relating to Adelina Amouteru in some cases.

“I hereby pledge to serve the Dagger Society, to strike fear into the hearts of those who rule Kenettra, to take by death what belong to us, and to make the power of our Elites known to every man, woman, and child. Should I break my vow, let the dagger take from me what I took from the dagger.”

So the story starts with Adelina, a malfetto, a person that was affected by the Blood Fever, sitting on the stairs, listening to her father make a wager with a merchant and sells her off to marriage even if she was just 16. She runs away but is captured by her father after her younger sister tattles out of fear. As she struggles, she finds out about her strange abilities, conjuring black silhouettes that kills her father and leaves her in the Inquisitors hands. She is then saved by a group called The Young Elites before she gets murdered in front of the crowd. She is then taken to the Dagger Society and must learn to hone her powers. But an innate evil threatens to eat up Adelina whole, and she might, in her own ways, enjoy it.

“The only way to clamp down on my energy is to erase my emotions, and so I fold them each away, one by one. My sorrow turns to anger, then to ice-cold fury. My soul curls in one itself in defense. I am gone. I am truly gone.

I am not sorry.”

There's a lot of character building in this book, particularly in Adelina's part of course. The darkness swoops in on her and somehow clouds her thoughts and as noticed in many of her monologues in the book, we can tell that there's something up with her that seems to be rather interesting and unique. I love how Adelina embraces those moments of pure dark intents. I love it when there's internal conflict in a character and what they do to deal with it. Sadly though, I found Adelina a bit weak in dealing with her self. Again, it's all in the character building. I bet she'll be sooo badass in the 2nd book!

All the characters are given a spotlight to shine and progress. I really like how Teren was manipulated to become what he is and what he will be and of course the people in the Dagger Society. There's so much mystery behind the organization no matter how much we readers try to even dive into it as much as we can. Enzo and Rafaelle, please! You've already corrupted my mind with your endless beauties, charm, wit and unbelievable strength. But that "thing" though! Please read the book because I want people to feel what I'm feeling.

"I loved him too."

The world where they are is incredibly fascinating and reminds me of somehow how the French Revolution was and how streets looked like, but with a twist of course. There are so many facets as to how the world in which they are living in, allows for us to sink in to the catastrophes caused by the Blood Fever and how it has affected the lives of many in the different areas.

I am left frustrated with what the future holds for the book, but it also left me incredibly excited with what's about to come! I just want it right now... Maeve, please!

The Young Elites is a great mix of finding ones self in the face of adversity, may it be good or evil, and learning to deal with the harsh realities of life. Marie Lu was able to allow Adelina to make herself a household name in the world of Young Adult fiction as a anti-hero of sorts, which is not very apparent in many stories lately. She was also able to provide a sense of longing and despair for the next book which just proves that she's one of the authors that love to torture us readers. HECK! We enjoy it nonetheless.

“Be true to yourself. But that's something everyone says and no one means. No one wants you to be yourself. They want you to be the version of yourself that they like.”

The Young Elites is a fascinating read about superpowers, a corrupt government and a girl just trying to steer away from the norm and we all love that don't we? It's a new take on a young adult novel that you won't regret picking off from shelves.