Book Review: Champion by Marie Lu

I don't think there's a way around it: dystopian is the new black. Ever since the trilogy about a certain girl sporting a braid and a bow and arrow hit the shelves, the number of dystopian books have skyrocketed--and aren't we lucky! Marie Lu's "Legend" series garnered its own diehard fans with the story of June and Day that began two years ago, and, just last month, came to a close with "Champion." Luckily enough, the finale for this dystopian trilogy ended with a bang, keeping the stakes high and the tensions even higher.

Day is the legend, the hero and voice of the Republic's people. June is the prodigy, the strongest and smartest soldier who gained the Elector's trust from a young age. Both June and Day have sacrificed much for the Republic--including, perhaps, each other--and now their nation is on the brink of change and new development. The Colonies and the Republic are finally about to sign a peace treaty, reuniting what had once been America and relieving the tensions that had held reign for years. But when a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, war threatens the Republic cities. The only way to resolve the conflict is for June to ask the boy she loves to give up his own brother, to give up everything. Difficult choices have to be made: peace or love? Who will be the champion?

I imagine it must be pretty tough to juggle two different perspectives in a single book, jumping to and fro from each characters' voice, personality and thoughts. Yet Ms. Lu does a terrific job with June and Day's points of view, with alternating chapters from the two protagonists' perspectives. By giving us an in-depth look into the two main characters' thoughts and actions, she's not only able to make her readers invested in both of them equally, but also create tension and what a lot of people call the 'feeeeels.' And feels there were! Seeing the other person through the other characters' eyes really helped to develop June and Day's relationship in nuanced and complex ways, while at the same time making it incredibly believable and exciting to read about. In fact, their romance took leaps and bounds in "Champion," maturing in ways that allow them to grow as individuals as well.

Which, naturally, brings me to June and Day as characters. In the previous two books in the trilogy, June, to me, has always been a sort of foil character for Day, someone who kind of exists to make things more exciting for the 'real' main hero of the novel. But as I read "Champion," I felt like June definitely became more of a protagonist of equal standing. This is not to say that she used to be a faded side character. She has always been a kick-ass soldier, but she felt a little too stiff to me. In this novel, though, I definitely think that June develops a great deal emotionally, embracing her love for Day and her deceased brother, while struggling with not only the politics of being a Princeps-Elect, but also Anden's unrequited feelings for her. As for Day, he remains a dynamic and interesting character to follow throughout the novel, especially now that he has to deal with the possibility of his own death. Things have undeniably changed for both characters, forcing them to grow in ways that wouldn't have been possible without the pressing circumstances they face as important figures in the Republic.

The plot of "Champion" definitely does the trilogy justice, never letting the stakes drop and the story fall flat. Unlike a lot of dystopian series, where the finale ends up boring and stale, "Champion" remains exciting throughout the novel. When there isn't some punchy action going on, whether it's fighting enemy soldiers or jumping off of ridiculously tall buildings, there's always some emotional tension with June and Day's thoughts and the decisions that they have to make. The ending, especially, was original and fresh, and the epilogue kind of left things a tad bit hazy in a way that wasn't frustrating, but rather left things to the readers' hopeful imagination.

Overall, "Champion" is a thrilling finale to a great dystopian trilogy, with a pair of compelling main characters and an exciting storyline that remains that way until the final page. There's a reason the "Legend" series is so popular--I would definitely recommend the trilogy to anyone looking for an adventure!

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

There's something about dystopian novels that arouses a sort of morbid curiosity within you. After all, you're reading about the world you live in today...gone wrong. And you can experience it pretty much first-hand in the safety and comfort of your own bed! Set in a post-flood, rogue America ravaged by war between the Republic and the Colonies, "Prodigy" by Marie Lu is the highly-anticipated second book in the "Legend" series.

June and Day arrive in Vegas to join the Patriot rebels when the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. The Patriots will help Day rescue his brother and offer safe passage to the Colonies. Their one request: June and Day must assassinate the new Elector. It's their chance to change the nation, to give a voice to a people silenced for too long. But as June realizes that Anden is nothing like his father, she's conflicted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than just anger and bloodshed--what if the Patriots are wrong?

A lot of the reviews seem to just die in excitement and joy over "Prodigy", so I'm a little scared to say... I didn't really get hooked. In fact, it was a little flat in the first half of the book. And I think the main reason why this happened was because the two protagonists weren't super likable or engaging, and there was little character development, which made them a little too stale to be exciting. June is kind of a stick in the mud with analytical/survival skills that would have been impressive had they not been overdone. She doesn't find expressing emotions other than anger and kick-ass-ability very natural, which I think is fine...but she remains like this until the very end. As for Day, he's a little more exciting, I think, because he does grow into more of a leader figure and accepts that responsibility, but he's a little angsty throughout the book, which I guess is natural for a fifteen, sixteen year old boy. Which brings me to another point. I found it a little hard to believe that June and Day are so young! They're leaping across buildings and doing all of these pretty mature things, and they're only meant to be in the ninth grade. It's understandable that they've been forced to act older than they are because of the world they live in, but I feel like had they been a little older it would have been a little more believable. But then again that isn't too big of an issue...I'm just nitpicking.

Having said all of that, the different relationships in the novel are interesting and do make June and Day a little bit more relatable. Tess and Anden do add some tension to the romance between the two protagonists, though I'd wish I'd seen more of a development between Anden and June since it seemed a little sudden and strained. Metias is also one character who makes June more believable and human, because you can see her weakness and longing for her brother. I also liked Kaede's character, who's a kick-ass, wild flyer with a lot of spunk and attitude--a definite contrast with June and Day and a lot more likable.

Having said all of that, "Prodigy" is still an interesting sequel to "Legend". I probably made it seem like I absolutely hated June and Day, but I don't. It's just that they're a little bit unrealistic to be relatable or engaging, which may have detracted from the exciting events that happen in the storyline. I felt my heart racing toward the last quarter of the book, where things definitely picked up and everything was happening quickly. The twists in the plot really added to the tension and set up some unresolved problems and questions that I'm interested to see unfold in the next book.

All in all, "Prodigy" is a pretty interesting sequel to "Legend" and is worth the quick read. I've read a lot of great, extremely enthusiastic reviews about the book, but I don't think it really hooked me in for some reason or the other. I'd still recommend it for those who enjoy dystopian adventures, and I'll still be checking out the next book to see how everything turns out!

Rating: 3/5