Prodigy | Marie Lu

Title: Prodigy Author: Marie Lu Publication: G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Young Readers, January 29th 2013 Pages: 371 My Rating: ✮✮✮✮

Okay no surprise that straight after I finished Legend I picked up Prodigy. I couldn't resist. If you haven't seen my Legend review you should as that is the first book in this trilogy and this is the second book. 

^^Literally me after I finished this. I don't know whether this book had more 'action' than Legend or it just had more going on but I think both books were pretty equal. I loved Legend and I gave it a five star rating however it wasn't that I did not, not like Prodigy it was just I liked Legend just a bit better hence the four start rating for this book. 

The focal point of this book for me was this new character that gets introduced at around the end of the first book (Legend) but gets carried on into Prodigy with much bigger significance. That special somebody would be Anden, the new Elector Primo. How can you not adore Anden? (although I love Day more). I absolutely love the way Marie Lu wrote this character and how she handled him; making her book unique rather than cliche with the good vs bad. 

Another reason I'm delighted by Marie Lu's books is because throughout the whole journey with these characters you're always on edge with this big question of who's good and who's bad; you find yourself choosing sides and then switching ever other minute. 

That good?

You betcha!

Like I said before there is a whole lot that goes on in this book, new characters, new alliances and the map gets bigger. June and Day seem to always be divided now that they have to team up with the Patriots to take down the new Elector Primo in an assassination plot. There was a lot of word building in Legend but I feel like we learn more and get more in Prodigy, so if you've decided not to carry on with this trilogy because of that I'd advise to pick up the second book and then choose to drop it. 

The dystopian genre is one of my favourites however it's a rare to nothing here on my blog to see a dystopian review and thats because I 'took a break'. I did this because the fact I cherished this genre so much I was always in bookstores grabbing for anything dystopian and then coming to reading it and being disappointed because the author didn't know what the bloody hell they were doing; just throwing around the words "government", "war", "riots", "rebellion" and "resistance" and hoping to coast through with the readers. 

On another note, in Legend, Day's perspective was in yellow and in Prodigy it was in blue. Holy moley. 

With the two main characters June and Day I didn't mind them in the first book, I thought it was very realistic for a dystopian world although there was a lack of character development but don't get me wrong there is a lot of backstory for both characters I just needed more (I'm weird). In Prodigy there was a moment of 'insta-love' and I literally cringed and was about to throw the book at the wall but I read on and thankfully Marie Lu didn't let it happen. 

Not just June and Day but like I said before were introduced to so many minor characters in Legend that take a huge toll in Prodigy and it's all starting to click. 

The ending! Oh God the ending, did that even happen? Was it real? Okay Marie Lu, you cannot end a book like that! Man I feel bad for those who had to wait a year for Champion (the third and last book in this series) to come out. Gratefully I have Champion in my hands and I plan to read the hell out of it like now. There's no going back now, too engrossed. 

Legend | Marie Lu

Title: Legend Author: Marie Lu First Published: USA, G.P Putnam's Sons, 2011 Pages: 305 (paperback edition)

Wow this was some hardcore dystopian!

Finally I'm back to my schedule of young adult reviews and what not a better way to kick start the occasion with one of my favourite genres: dystopians. Good lord this was written so well I flew through this book like a drive way. Books like this need to be everywhere, they just have to be everywhere, people need to be reading amazing books!

I don't think my synopsis of the book will do it any justice, I need to collect my thoughts. So here is the goodreads synopsis of the book and I hope this intrigues you:

"What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets"

I started this book not knowing very much of the plot line but slowly and gradually it all just clicked and my god was it beautiful. Prior to reading the books I actually first tried collecting the trilogy (in a specific edition (paperback with the rough/card textured covers) so when I stack them together or line them up on my shelf they all match, yeah I'm crazy like that. I also already knew (well I was 97% sure) I would love this series and thats why I started collecting them in the editions I want so later on I wouldn't be ripping my hair out trying to find them. So far I have the first two books in the right edition, I'm still trying to find the perfect edition of Champion the third and final book in this epic trilogy.

The book itself in whatever edition is beautiful, even the inside. The book follows duel perspectives: June and Day, however Day's perspective is in a different coloured font and thats a first for me. I've never read a proper book in other then black font, the colours change each book so all three are different. In Legend its yellow. Super rad!

These characters are so wonderful and loveable I found myself rooting for these characters, not to mention it's freakishly realistic for a dystopian (the romance isn't cheesy). There was a scene in this book that just...I don't think I've actually ever cried so much in a book before but in Legend I was legit bawling. I say in some of my dystopian reviews that even though its labelled as a 'dystopian' it's more of a 'romantic dystopian' because of the lack of world building and ton of romance. Although this book is on point and just an equal amount to keep you on the toes, Jesus Christ was this addictive. 

Marie Lu writes this so damn well there is nothing to say about it apart from read the book because even though the dystopian genre might not appeal to some people I think this book will regardless. Highly, highly recommend anyone to pick this up. I also read somewhere that Marie Lu got the idea of this series from Les Miserables, which I thought was absolutely fantastic. Before I even started this review I had already flown through the first third of the second book Prodigy, *hyperventilates* read the book please! It's very good! The concept is slaying and I cannot wait to find out where Marie Lu takes these characters and what happens next, I seriously cannot wait. 

IT | Alexa Chung

Now I don't know if reviewing this maybe drifting from my 'only y/a' mental contract I have in my head but I just don't care anymore.

This may be outright barbaric to some of you, mostly to people who maybe have read the book or know what it's about and you're probably wondering why I would do a full review on a book I read in less than 15 minutes. Heres why:

I 100% totally understand why many people hate this book or highly dislike it, I understand that it probably took you all less than 15 minutes and it consists of pictures and odd pieces of information you weren't expecting and nothing to take away from. Not your typical autobiography or memoir, if you will.

Maybe I'm biased or I just fucking admire Alexa Chung so bloody much and I'll tell you why. Ever since I could physically choose/buy what I wanted to wear and how I wanted to wear it I always browsed magazines for inspirations especially what Alexa wore. Not just that but the many people Alexa is inspired by have inspired my fashion choices as well, for example: Wionna Ryder, Jane Birkin, Kate Moss, Annie Hall, Natalie Portman, Margot Tenenbaum and the list goes on. We both share very familiar fashion choices. She's just a very lovely person.

The book itself is crafted so beautifully you have to see it to believe it. It consists of bunches of pictures Alexa has taken herself and a few of herself with some information about herself and her life, it's not all pictures there is quite a lot of information (sadly none of the pictures I took show the writing). She writes some advice for teenagers and just advice for life that she wished she had when she was a teenager; she talks about handling heartbreak, there's even some music recommendations. It's definitely not long enough for a 'perfect' autobiography but it's a snippet and I loved every bit of those 15 minutes. It was just a fun read just like this is a fun review. A spur of the moment.

I started this book at approximately just before the sun was setting and I read through the sunset and it was absolutely wonderful. The reading experience is just as great, I found myself laughing at the fun pictures and intrigued with her life story. I couldn't put it down and I ended up reading it in one sitting just before it got dark dark. A day later and I still find myself reaching for it and skimming the pages for inspiration.

A fabulous book for fashion lovers or anyone really. I highly recommend this. I gave it 4.5 stars on goodreads. It's so pretty. I really just wanted more, more of her life and overall just moreeee.

Landline | Rainbow Rowell

*sorry for not posting any reviews and being a total couch potato for like a millennia, i'm so sorry not that any of you probably care or read this but w/e.

Love, Love, LoVE!

SQUEEEEEEE this book! Prior to reading this I was in a shitty reading slump for like a month and a half and once I picked this up just before school re-started (kill me now) I was out of that slump and back into my old reading habits and I love Rainbow Rowell, just saying. 

Landline is an adult novel (I know it's not y/a but I will get to that in a second) and follows Georgie McCool and Neal who are having marriage issues and Georgie knows it, they both love each other very much but at this point it doesn't matter, not anymore. So when Neal decided to visit his family in Omaha for Christmas and plans the trip for Georgie and their two daughters but Georgie can't won't go cause of work: she's a TV writer and something comes up on her show so she has to stay in Los Angeles while Neal packs up and takes off with the girls. That night Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past with a 'magic' yellow landline. Could she fix her marriage before it starts? or are they both better of if their marriage never happened...?

Yes, I know it's not Y/A and I usually review only young adult but this is like the only exception I swear (please?). I say this because Rainbow Rowell mostly writes young adult and thus far she has two y/a novels and two adult novels, not to mention they are all very similar, in the sense that even though it maybe an adult novel you can still read it even though you read y/a (well duhh) but the writing is very much same and yeah, just read her books omg. 

The characters in this book are so loveable, all of them. This whole book is so cute I cannot. Neal is adorable so very adorable and their daughters Alice and Noomie, so much cuteness! 

This book made me so happy even though literally the whole book the main character Georgie goes through so much with family, work and a whole lot of stressing out. I cried. I will admit this, only because Neal and Georgie are so damn cute (when they aren't at eachothers throats of course); there are flashbacks to earlier in their relationship which is like the best thing ever. 

So far I can say that I've read 3 of the 4 books Rainbow Rowell has out and I can also say she is one of my favourite authors. I love literally everything she writes so far and even though this may just be the first book of hers I've reviewed on this blog I do truly adore her. Her writing is just so loveable and un-forgetfully funny. She's so great and I recommend any of her books, this one may just be my new obsession for the next few weeks. 

I disliked nothing and the only thing that I would have to say is that I just want more. So, so, so much more please. 

x

tia