Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Title: Prodigy (Legend 2)
Author: Marie Lu
Date of publication: 29 January 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia
More reviews: Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars




Apart from New Adult and Romances, I also read a lot of Young Adult books. Up until a few months ago I did not even know that such a genre existed but after reading The Hunger Games series and the first two books of The Divergent series, I was hooked. Almost immediately YA dystopian novels became a particular favourite of mine.

One of the best books in this genre for me was Legend by Marie Lu. After reading the story of Day and June last summer I was anxiously looking forward to its sequel. And it was a long wait until the end of January 2013 when Prodigy. Now, after reading it, I can honestly say this book was absolutely worth the wait.

The story in Prodigy continues right where Legend ended. June and Day are on the run to Vegas to join the Patriots in order to fulfil Day's goal to save his brother Evan and escape to the Colonies. The Patriots promise their help in exchange for June and Day helping them assassinate the new Elector Primo. This rather straightforward deal quickly changes forcing both June and Day to question everything and everyone in order to make the right choice for themselves.

Prodigy is a fast-paced action-driven novel with strong main characters and supporting characters which bring the whole world of the Republic and the Colonies to life. The story is told in alternating chapters of June and Day. There are a number of twists and turns of the plot coupled with deep reflexive musings of both main characters. We are given insights into their thinking thus making them real and extremely likeable. They are built into complex characters with strengths and weakness. The relationship between them also has its ups and downs and regardless of the strong chemistry between them there is not insta-love which so often found in YA novels. Their feelings for one another are pure and strong, yet the circumstances in their lives put them to the test. 

The supporting characters also had a strong presence in the novel. Kaede and Anden are well-developed complex persons which not only complement the story but they take also take some of the spotlight in the novel. I particularly liked how Metias, despite his death in the beginning of the first book, is very much alive in this book. I loved the way Marie Lu made his voice float throughout this book guiding June through the deceptions and obstacles she is faced with. 

Some elements in the book reminded me strongly of the Mockingjay (The Hunger Games 3) - young, strong boy/girl being used by both sides in an ugly war, the Colonies/the Republic not being what they seem to be at first glance, figuring out the truth on your own amidst lies coming from everywhere, learning whom to trust. I don't consider this a bad thing since the two novels have distinctly different style and feel about them. I jsut made this connection between two books I really like

Not to give out any spoilers, I will just say that the ending was just heart-breaking. Reading the final chapter I kept thinking "This cannot happen! Life cannot be so unfair!" I guess I will just have to wait for next year when the final book in the series, Champion, will be released, for my happy ending of this story, at least I strongly hope that there will be happy ending for June and Day.