March 08, 2013

Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Prodigy (Legend #2)
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Pages: 374
Source: Hardcover/Own

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.

Review: I thought this was a fantastic follow up to Legend! I loved all the action and stuff that went on!! So we start off with Day and June on the run on a train to Vegas after escaping Day's execution. June and Day were both suffering. They both were having nightmares about the people they lost, not to mention Day was actually physically hurt. But then they met Razor and the Patriots and Day got all fixed up. Yay! Ok. So the Patriots play a big part in this book, along with the new Elector Anden. So I couldn't figure out what or why I had this feeling, but I had this feeling like something was off with the Patriots. I just had that feeling but I didn't know why, I honestly thought I was just being weird about it for some reason. But as I got farther in the book the feeling solidified itself. Most of the Patriots had good intentions for wanting to change the country, its just a certain one that ended up ruining the cause pretty much for everyone who was doing it for the right reasons. 

So June and Day. They get this mission to assassinate the Elector. Day, was all for it. He just despised the Elector whether it was Anden or his father. It didn't matter, he didn't like him. June on the other hand, had met Anden before, and after seeing him again and talking to him she felt in her gut that this plan to assassinate him wasn't right. Anden actually did want to change things, he wanted to undo things his father did and put the Republic back in order where things wouldn't be so bad. So I totally felt what June did about his assassination being the wrong idea. I might not like Anden (as someone June could be with) but as the Elector, I think he wanted to start doing the right thing. So I was supportive of calling off the assassination. Day on the other hand couldn't even figure out for sure if June was saying not to go through with it. He knew she wanted to stop something but he didn't know what until this assassination plan was in its final stages. But Day ended up going along with June stopping it because he knew that if she thought it was the wrong thing to do for the Republic that it was probably the wrong thing to do. I was also very proud of June for sticking through everything she had to go through just to make the Republic and Anden believe in her. What she did isn't exactly the easiest thing for someone to do. I was also glad she decided to stop the assassination. She was right about Anden and the assassination would have only hurt the Republic more.

I definitely felt like June and Day grew and matured throughout the book mostly. So the ending. THE ENDING!!! Ok. I think the ending killed me when it comes to Day. But I'll get to that in a minute. The Patriots. So we found out that Razor wasn't hired by the Colonies to assassinate the Elector but that he was hired by the Senators of the Republic (the same Republic of which he was also working for along with the Patriots). I was a bit shocked, but in the least bit surprised. I definitely wouldn't put it past the Republic to hire someone to kill one of their own. What I hated the most was that Razor tried to take all the Patriots down with him. Most of them were there because they wanted to see change in the country, not to be used in a ploy and then just discarded to the Republic like they never even mattered. Razor... He only thought about himself. Jerk! Now back to Day. We find out something so horrible (read for yourself to find out what) about him!!! Please say it isn't so!!! That made me so sad. What makes it worse is that he just got his brother back and now he has this thing to deal with, and on top of all that he breaks up with June and doesn't tell her whats going on with him. I really wish he would have told her. After all they went through and he doesn't even tell her that... I really cant wait for the third book!! I NEED to know what happens!!

5 Stars!!