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Synopsis (From GoodReads):
Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?
Review:
Since starting my involvement in the book blogging universe, I have heard nothing but praise for writer, Marie Lu. But, for reasons I cannot fathom, I had not picked up any of her novels until recently. Now I can't seem to stop reading!
Prodigy is the second installment of the Legend series. While it suffers, at times, from middle child syndrome, it goes further into the dystopian world the author has created.
What I Liked:
World Building:In the first book, Legend, we see a pretty detailed picture of The Republic. It is in what used to be the western part of the United States. In this book, we begin to see it in a larger context.
For much of the book, Day and June (our heroes) are on a journey to The Colonies, which is the part of America east of the Rockies. Without giving too much away, I'll just say that it is a very different country from what they imagine.
They come in to that land with idealized notions that it must be better than the totalitarian society of The Republic. But as they find out, freedom comes at a price. There IS choice in The Colonies, but the government still has tight control over the population. Sadly, I think the society of The Colonies is where the future of America might go, if we let it.
Characters:
Day and June can finally be together in this book, and it is delightful. I have been rooting for these two since the first book, so it is a nice payoff to finally see them become a couple. Of course, there will be almost insurmountable obstacles in their way, but at least they can be together for a while.
We also get to learn a lot more about Anden, the new leader of The Republic. He is young and must prove himself in the wake of the death of his father, the old Elector (leader of the nation). I enjoyed his character due to how complicated he was. Part prince, part young man, he is trying to find a way to staunch a revolution, live up to his family's name, but somehow remain true to his own ideals. He also is infatuated with June, which is lovely, and heartbreaking.
What I Didn't Like:
Slow Moving Story:Much of the book is spent on the journey to find Day's brother, and then get to The Colonies. They move, are nearly caught, and then they move a few steps more. This pattern repeats itself again and again. I wish there would have been more to the story, but it seems to be saving up material for the final novel.
Overall, I did enjoy this book very much. This book was more character driven than Legend, which helped give the series more depth. I just wish there could have perhaps been more about June's family, to balance out the story.
Rating:
Release Date: January 29th, 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction
Source: Public Library
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: A solid middle novel in the series.
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