If you are an avid dystopian fanatic then this series is perfect for you. The books are quick reads with an intriguing plot that keeps you invested. The warring republic settled in a futuristic, grim Los Angeles is the perfect setting as food shortages and disease consume the nation and create utter chaos. In this thrilling young adult trilogy from author Marie Lu, a young government prodigy named June and the notorious, most-wanted criminal, Day, cross paths and try to unravel a series of mysteries surrounding unfortunate events in their lives all tied to the capitol. June’s brother is murdered and Day ends up being the prime suspect. The stakes are high and deaths of their loved ones pile up as their trust in each other is strained. The ramifications of their decisions end in complicated situations that never seem to resolve, which makes you keep reading and that is what kept me hooked all the way until the end.  Sides must be chosen and the outcomes are heartbreaking as you root for their happy and well deserved ending that might never come. 

 If you are a fan of The Hunger Games or the Divergent series, this trilogy will be something familiar; however this series has something that the other classic dystopian novels do not.. First, there is just one plot in The Hunger Games:   to rebel against the Capitol and put an end to the games. On the other hand, Legend features several intricate plots. For instance, in Legend, a murder mystery is unfolding as the unjustly convicted murder suspect searches for drugs to save his dying brother who is ill with the Plague. Second, Katniss and Beatrice seem naive in The Hunger Games  and Divergent. Katniss devotes a lot of time to training for the Hunger Games while Beatrice doesn’t know how to trust herself and has to train a lot to stay alive. When compared to Legend, in which the protagonists, Day and June, are extremely intelligent, quick thinkers, and strong fighters, this book is much more fast paced. Another distinction is that Legend is recounted from Day’s and June’s perspectives while The Hunger Games and Divergent are told from just one point of view. Many points of view provide additional information and allow the reader not  to be confined to one character’s perspective and lets you see both sides of two amazing characters falling in love. This technique will keep you reading to see how they react based upon each other’s actions. Something else that really pushes the Legend series above the Hunger Games and the Divergent series is that the books stay engaging and well developed all the way until the end. By the third books of The Hunger Games and Divergent, engagement begins to fall.  Legend remains legendary.