Marie Lu's Prodigy picks up just after where Legend left off with June and Day running away from the Republic. In Legend, June was the prodigal child of the Republic while Day was the most wanted criminal in society and highly desired by the Patriots, the rebels in this society. Over the course of the first book, June pursues Day, a young man who she believes killed her brother; however, she discovers along the way who he really is and how the Republic have manipulated his life as well as others in society. When she discovers that Day did not kill her brother, June arranges his escape before his execution. When she saves Day before his execution, losing Day's older brother, John, in Day's place, June and Day escape, wanting to find the rebels, the Patriots.
Rating: 9
Recommended To: Those who like dystopia fiction, though you need to read the first one so this one makes sense
Favourite Characters: Day - he's cheeky, he's adorable; Kaede - she's spunky and cares for Day on about the same level as June
Favourite Part: Day appears again. This time he leans in close enough for his hair to brush, light as silk, against my cheeks. He pulls me towards for a long kiss. The scene vanishes, replaced abruptly by a stormy night and Day struggling through the rain, blood dripping from his leg and leaving a trail behind him. He collapses onto his knees in front of Razor before the whole scene disappears again. - Page 166
Good Points: The plot, if you ignore the love triangle; the twists; June and Day together
Bad Points: WHY THE LOVE TRIANGLE?!!! (Square or something)
Prodigy follows both Day and June as they work both sides of what they think is the Resistance. The characters of Day and June have already been established in Legend as well as their world where they live in The Republic of America; while in Legend, there is just focus on their world, in Prodigy, the world is expanded and the characters and reader find out the truth of what is happening behind the scenes of the Republic and the truth about the rest of the world from the politics of other countries. This is one point I loved about the Legend series as in most of the dystopia/post-apocalyptic there is just a focus on the country that the characters live in but Lu expands to how the rest of the world view the Republic as well as the truth about the country being poor and needing assistance from outside sources.
I love this series, though I like a lot of dystopia/post-apocalyptic fiction series as you can tell from this blog. It's well thought out and the characters are believable; with Prodigy is the sequel to Legend, there can sometimes be a lag with the sequel not living up to the hype of the first. Fortunately, this book overtakes Legend as the characters and the world have expanded, keeping them interesting as they are both the same but ever changing, which makes it more engaging than others that keep the characters almost too the same and the various twists within the book sparked my interest even more.
Much like Legend, Lu switches between a first person narrative for both Day and June by alternating chapters each time; this allows her to show different perspectives of the same events or the different things that happen at the same time. This allows the reader to identify with both protagonists and see them from the other's point of view much like how The Darkest Night switched between their protagonists; this identification allows you to engage with the book from my point of view as I was able to further understand what was going on the heads of both characters and how they comprehend a certain situation. If Lu had just chosen to focus on just June then we wouldn't be able to see how hurt Day was about her developing relationship or if she had focused on Day then we wouldn't be able to see how June felt about Day and what she thought about him causing the series to be lacking, making it stand out against other books in the same genre.
What I love about the Legend series are the characters of Day and June as well as Kade but overall, pretty much all of the characters are appealing as they have more than one dimension, and this is not exclusive to those characters I really like, characters such as Tess who didn't find appealing has more to her then being Day's friend.
As previously stated, Day is one of my favourite characters and always has been; some say I have a thing for fictional men and looking back at my previous reviews, it is true as I've pretty much stated that I've liked every male protagonist from every book I've read. Though Day practically grew up on the streets as a criminal against the Republic, he has a sense of naivety when it comes to those he cares for as he blindly fights to save his brother despite everything, such as when he's supposed to be on a mission for the Patriots but deviates from the plan when he sees a kid the same age as his brother. His caring nature is what is appealing about him as well as his rebellious and flirty personality; to paraphrase June, he is the light within this world, a beam of hope for various people within society, while June is lost within the government.
The combination of Day and June as a couple is one of my favourite parts about this book as they complement one another; they are equally unique from one another as they spark off one another which is fascinating to read about. Together they've grown up within a matter of days and months because of their circumstances and while they are different due to the way they lived their lives before meeting one another, they've grown to fit together and it is heartbreaking when they are separated from one another.
Another couple of characters I found appealing were Kaede and Metias even though they are side characters and Metias died in the first book. Kaede is spunky as she tries to make Day see the truth about everything, from the Republic, to the Patriots, to the Colonies because she cares for him greatly on a similar level to June which makes is great to see. Though Metias died in the first book and was in it alive for only a few moments, he still has an impact on the story much like he did following his death in Legend; for me, his backstory, where more is revealed in Prodigy, is heartbreaking as he loses so much, his family, his work, and love as well as his life because of what he knows.
However, one character that I didn't particularly like within Prodigy or even Legend was Tess, Day's friend from the street as she seemed insignificant to story from my point of view because if she was taken out, the story could still flow well without her. However, I feel she will make a reappearance in Champion and become a more significant character in Day's journey, possibly developing a relationship with him.
Another thing I loved about this book was the multitude of twists that occurred which I will not spoil within this review as it is unfair for other readers. The twists kept me entertained as they were unexpected which is the point of each twist; however, some twists near the end left me frustrated but this is because I am impatient and I want the next book ASAP following reading a book from a series.
Fricking love triangles (or random love shapes) are the bane of my life, I do not like them because they just annoy me; why can't it be simple for the main characters. Granted, stuff can happen to them that make the couple break up but there is no need to put them with someone else immediately, causing jealousy on all sides. If Lu didn't want June and Day together in the end then she shouldn't have set it up in the first book from my point of view as there is an emotional investment in these characters through the first person narratives and adding new characters that cause disruptions in this relationship that has been invested in can cause hatred towards these new characters.
Day appears again. This time he leans in close enough for his hair to brush, light as silk, against my cheeks. He pulls me towards for a long kiss. The scene vanishes, replaced abruptly by a stormy night and Day struggling through the rain, blood dripping from his leg and leaving a trail behind him. He collapses onto his knees in front of Razor before the whole scene disappears again. - Page 166Another reason the love triangle frustrates me is that June clearly loves Day from this quote even though she is being manipulated at this point; it can be read that seeing Day hurt by someone, even if it is a manipulation of her mind, June is hurt by this thought which makes their relationship a great hook for the book.
I can't wait until the third book is released; I want to know what is going to happen between Day and June as they are a great couple of characters because they're interesting as though their backgrounds contrast one another, they are strong and independent but still need one another as they care for one another and it is clear to see when June is questioned and sees Day.
Predictions
1. June finds out why Day told her to leave him
2. Anden proposes to June but she rejects him, going back to Day despite what he said
3. Tess returns and she and Day start a relationship because Day feels comfortable with her and he misses June
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