Thursday, March 7, 2013

Prodigy by Marie Lu [REVIEW]

TITLE: Prodigy (Legend #2)
AUTHOR: Marie Lu
PUBLISHER: Putnam Juvenile
PUB DATE: Jan 29 2013
Summary from Goodreads:

"June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action."

Rating:

I’ve been delaying myself from writing this review. Why? Well, every time I see, hear or think of Prodigy, my heart aches and breaks into a thousand pieces! Damn that ending!

I have been hooked to the story of June and Day from page one of Legend, the first book from this series. I loved every minute of reading it. It was fun, fresh and exciting. My experience with Prodigy is quite similar, that is until Marie Lu crushed my heart and soul over that awful cliffhanger. Why must protagonists always suffer?! *Bawls*

When I met June in book one, she was every bit the strong, soldierly girl that I look for in a true kick ass heroine, exactly the image of the Republic deems as its prodigy. I love how June didn’t stray off of this persona even after being on the run, and considered a wanted criminal. I love that June’s ever-observant self does not falter no matter the circumstances. It was cute!

As for Day, well… as much as I am smitten with the dude, it’s kind of sad to see him struggle with his self-esteem when it comes to his and June’s differences in economic status. Ah, yes there’s no other spot-on test for commitment and a relationship than a problem bordering over your likes and dislikes, similarities and differences, and issues concerning money. It’s sad but I can’t deny that it happens in real life, which just makes June and Day’s relationship all the more believable.

And as if that wasn’t enough, we have other parties trying to get involved. There’s the Patriots, which although I’ve come to appreciate at some moments, I wasn’t comfortable with how bloodthirsty they were over their mission. I don’t enjoy witnessing that kind of eagerness over killing someone. Except when I really, really hate the person. LOL. Speaking of hating a person – Tess, you’re in my list. You bitch! That’s another one of those things that keeps June and Day’s relationship complicated, along with the appearance of the new Elector. Tsk, tsk, tsk!

I love how this book is paced in a very even way. It’s not too fast, and it’s not too slow either. And since there were a lot of action scenes, I’m a happy camper, right here, even though I wanted the throw the book after reading the ending. I obviously can’t get over that.

Prodigy is a breathtaking follow up to Legend and book three, Champion is definitely a book to watch out for.