*Starred Review* All right, it has a plague. And, yes, it's set in some semblance of America in the not-so-distant future. Yet even with all the hordes of dystopian novels out there, this one still manages to keep readers on the edge of their seats. But even the nonstop action would mean little without Lu's well-toned ability to write characters to care about. One is June, a daughter of the Republic. Her perfect scores at the Trial have insured a great future for her. Then there is Day. A hero to the street people, he fights injustice and keeps an eye on his brothers and mothers as they try to survive. Their narratives, told in alternating and distinctively voiced chapters, describe how circumstances bring them together. Day kills June's beloved soldier brother as he tries to get medicine for his own. With cold precision, June makes it her mission to exact revenge. What happens next, in macro terms, probably won't surprise, yet the delicious details keep pages turning to learn how it's all going to play out. Combine star-crossed lovers with the need to take down the Republic, and you've got the makings for a potent sequel.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist

OVERPACKAGED, overhyped first novels are done a disservice by their publishers, with untested authors expected somehow to justify all the gloss and glitter of a full-bore prepublication promotional blitz. Too many just don't merit the attention. I could only stand up and cheer, therefore, for Marie Lu's "Legend." A fine example of commercial fiction with razor-sharp plotting, depth of character and emotional arc, "Legend" doesn't merely survive the hype, it deserves it. What "Legend" delivers is a walloping good ride with an emphasis on believability. This is no easy feat given that its setting, Los Angeles, has been reduced, postapocalyptic style (by an environmental disaster? We're not told), to the Land-O-Lakes and those living with the resultant plague find their homes marked with a large red X by the military. (Marking doors has historical precedence that is not easily translated into entertainment, but don't tell Lu.) That I gasped aloud at one daring plot device showed me the strength of Lu's conviction: she will follow where the story leads her, even at the risk of alienating some readers. This alone deserves applause. "Legend" is told in alternating chapters by the teenagers June, a brilliant but militaristic girl from the leading Republic, and Day, a Dickensian-poor boy from the slums, whose missions overlap: one authoritarian, the other humanitarian. The elite and pampered June - think of Princess Leia - is in pursuit of the Robin Hood rebel Day, who in attempting to rescue his family from a contagion, has made himself the target of June's Republic. Both characters are the products of broken and dysfunctional homes, both can be troublemakers, and both are older and wiser than th... years, but in ways that reflect their very different childhoods. Called into the dean secretary's office for her "antics," June muses: "I don't just think I'm smart. I'm the only person in the entire Republic with a perfect 1500 score on her Trial." As she sees it, "I have what the Republic considers good genes - and better genes make for better soldiers make for better chance of victory against the Colonies." Meanwhile, Day notes of the ruling government: "I'm not the most dangerous criminal in the country, but the most wanted. I make them look bad." These parallel comparisons and constructions occasionally feel like a distraction, however that's a tiny complaint. That the relationship between the two leads will evolve to the point where, as June puts it, "his chest pressed against mine, his breath against my cheeks" is never in question. Neither is there any doubt that alliances between the two characters will fail and form and reform as conveniently as the plot demands. Nevertheless, both characters are easy to like and root for; what remains of Day's family is especially appealing. Of all the available motivations to tackle in a first novel, revenge is a challenging choice. Revenge puts the hero into a story for selfish reasons, ones which often run contrary to the accepted definition of heroism. Heroes are supposed to save us, to save the world, to rescue somebody - not to even the score in a society hellbent on vindication. When revenge surfaces as a primary motive, it's hard not to read with a jaundiced eye. But Lu pulls off her chosen theme with aplomb. In her competent hands the human condition is malleable, capable of evolving to match the highs and lows of a hormonally challenged teenager. She takes her time with her characters' shifting motives, which makes the story even more credible and satisfying. Granted, the prose is mostly pedestrian. The language does, however, play surprisingly to the author's advantage, as the novel's bifurcated first-person narrative sounds crudely authentic given the limitations of the typical teenager's vocabulary. Fifteen-year-olds actually sound like this and no doubt think like this, lending the characters' voices a welcome legitimacy. An inescapable written-for-screen quality pervades "Legend" (the film rights have already been sold), but as in the best commercial novels, the written form takes us deeper into who these characters are and why they matter in ways that justify its existence in print. "Legend" is the start of a series - what action thriller for young adults isn't these days? - which raises concerns about the similarities between the main characters. Yet the detailed texture of the decaying landscape, the civil war between the Colonies and the Republic, and the social conflict between the haves and the have-nots provide a skillfully delivered backdrop for this volume and plenty of fertile ground for subsequent efforts. Ridley Pearson is the author of the "Kingdom Keepers" and, with Dave Barry, the "Peter Pan" series, most recently, "The Bridge to Never Land."

In the distant future, the western half of the United States has seceded and is ruled by an oppressive totalitarian regime. Fifteen-year-old Day is one of its most wanted criminals, but all he wants is to save and protect his friends and family. When he breaks into a hospital to steal medicine for his ailing younger brother, he's severely injured and nearly captured. Fifteen-year-old June is one of the Republic's brightest prodigies, but when her older brother is killed by Day during the hospital break-in, she vows to hunt him down and kill him. When their paths cross by chance, June is attracted to Day's good looks, charming personality, kindness, selflessness, and courage. She is torn when she discovers his true identity, and as she discovers the dark secrets of the Republic, she reconsiders her decision to turn him in. Working with rebels, June devises a daring and desperate plan to save Day from his impending execution by firing squad. This debut novel, the first in a planned trilogy, is written in alternating first-person present-tense narratives with lightning-fast pacing and nonstop action. The canvas of Lu's dystopian world is well suited for themes of power, corruption, inequality, and rebellion, while the personal dynamics are complicated by issues of trust, loyalty, betrayal, and romance. Sound familiar? It should; it's a perfect readalike for The Hunger Games. jonathan hunt (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles.Fifteen-year-olds June and Day live completely different lives in the glorious Republic. June is rich and brilliant, the only candidate ever to get a perfect score in the Trials, and is destined for a glowing career in the military. She looks forward to the day when she can join up and fight the Republic's treacherous enemies east of the Dakotas. Day, on the other hand, is an anonymous street rat, a slum child who failed his own Trial. He's also the Republic's most wanted criminal, prone to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When tragedies strike both their families, the two brilliant teens are thrown into direct opposition. In alternating first-person narratives, Day and June experience coming-of-age adventures in the midst of spying, theft and daredevil combat. Their voices are distinct and richly drawn, from Day's self-deprecating affection for others to June's Holmesian attention to detail. All the flavor of a post-apocalyptic settingplagues, class warfare, maniacal soldiersescalates to greater complexity while leaving space for further worldbuilding in the sequel.This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes. (Science fiction. 12-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In her debut novel (first in a proposed trilogy), Lu offers up two kick-ass 15-year-olds living in what is now the Republic of California. Day is a street kid causing numerous problems for the totalitarian government; June is a Republic prodigy with an uncanny skill for sniffing out miscreants. When their paths inevitably cross, June hates Day because she believes him responsible for her brother's death. When she learns the truth, she tries to save Day from execution by Republic officials who hide even more horrendous secrets. VERDICT Competent readers Steven Kaplan (Day) and Mariel Stern (June) do a solid job of keeping the suspense flowing. With an impending CBS Films movie already generating positive buzz, this book is certain to be popular.-Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 7 Up-Fans of dystopian stories will relish the first title (Putnam, 2011) in a planned trilogy by first-time author Marie Lu. June, 15, was born into a world of privilege. Los Angeles is the home of the Republic, a proud nation battling against scum from the Colonies. Devastating plagues have decimated the population, but the elite have little to fear. June is a prodigy, having achieved a perfect score on her Trial. After her beloved brother is killed by Day, the Republic's number one criminal, June is plucked for top military service to track Day down and bring him to justice. Fifteen-year-old Day was born into the slums of the Republic. After he failed his Trial, he managed to escape certain death and has lived on the edge, watching over his family from afar and doing all he can to upset the Republic elite. He cautiously befriends June but realizes too late his mistake. Narrators Mariel Stern and Steven Kaplan turn in vivid first-person performances, and the dual narration adds interest and keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. Lu has written an exciting first novel with a fascinating setting, intense characters, and non-stop action. Fans of Suzanne Collins's "Hunger Games" trilogy will welcome this thrilling new series and eagerly await the sequel scheduled for fall 2012 release.-Tricia Melgaard, formerly Broken Arrow Public Schools, Tulsa, OK (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Lu's debut is a stunner. Weaving the strands of SF dystopia, police procedural, and coming-of-age-with touches of superhero and wild frontier traditions-she fashions a narrative in which the action is kinetic and the emotional development is beautifully paced. June, a prodigy from the elite class of the disintegrating Republic, is being groomed for a military career when her brother, a captain, is murdered. June is quickly drafted into the team tracking his accused killer, a spectral and maddeningly persistent outlaw known as Day. June's life has been shaped by intellect, and to be driven by an emotion as ungovernable as grief makes her vulnerable in painful, dangerous ways. Day has known grief all of his life, but is no more immune to it than June is. The chase unfolds against a plague-infested Los Angeles of Gotham-like grit that Lu conjures with every nuance of smell, sound, and sight. First in a series, this story is utterly satisfying in its own right and raises hopes high for the sequels to come. Ages 12-up. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.