Review: Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias' death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.


-Description from  Goodreads

Wow. That's it, wow. I have been anticipating reading this since early 2011, and it took me quite a while to finally pick it up, but man was it worth it.

Insurgent!!!

There are only 70 days left until the second book in Veronica Roth's series, Insurgent, is released! Huzzah!

Photo courtesy of Amazon

May 1st! Mark your calenders!

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian pre-order

Just placed my pre-order for The Last Guardian, by Eoin Colfer, the eighth and final book in the Artemis Fowl series (and, in my opinion, the best cover so far). It's due out in mid- July, so one can expect a heart-breaking and tear-inducing review at about that time as a series that's been with me for about five years now comes to an end.

What I've Been Up To

These posts will probably become the norm until summer when I can start reading more again (and preparing for college! Yay!) So, without further ado, here's what I have been reading since I last posted:

Finished:
Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer by Derek Landy
Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan
Looking for Alaska by John Green (audiobook)
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (audiobook)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters (audiobook)

And I still have't finished that Eragon audiobook...

Dystopian February: Brave New Worlds, Edited by John Joseph Adams

Leave it to dystopian novels to get me blogging again. These past five or so months have been filled mostly with school work and actual work, leaving me little time to read let alone blog. Still, I'm eager to get back on the horse, even if it is just for my week of winter break.

Dystopian February is going on over at Presenting Lenore, much like it's twin Dystopian August had, and I have a few books that I'm making my way through to review. The first is actually a short story from the anthology Brave New Worlds, edited by John Joseph Adams, titled "Evidence of Love in a Case of Abandonment: One Daughter's Personal Account" by M. Rickert. The story, Rickert said, "was meant to take a sort of sideways look at what has already happened to women in countries where their freedom is denied."

Lisle lives in America in an unknown future where women's reproductive rights have been relinquished and having an abortion is punishable by death. Women are rounded up an executed both in public and on television; a form of entertainment that Lisle cannot imagine a life without. Lisle takes two forms in the story, one of a girl despises her mother for being absent in her life, having run away for some unknown fate, the other a product of her society that is relieved at the sight of women that they see as murderers being killed.

Reproductive restriction dystopias are a guilty pleasure of mine, and I loved the fact that Lisle's adoration for her country's practices was back-dropped against the absence of her mother, a woman who clearly, through flashbacks, demonstrated beliefs more closely to those in our own society. Most dystopias published nowadays are those with characters that decide to either fight or escape the system, but you can't always do that in that kind of society.

The anthology contains more stories by authors like Paolo Bacigalupi, Orson Scott Card, and Ray Bradbury, and includes a copy of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. It appears to be no longer in print, but if you can pick up a copy at your local library or used bookstore I highly recommend doing so.

Goodreads