Karla and Kinsey Book Review: Part II

Legend by Marie Lu

Review by Kinsey Manchester

4.5/5 stars

15-year-old Day is one of the most wanted criminals in a futuristic country known as the Republic, a nation constantly fighting with its neighboring nation, the Colonies. Day lives his life on the streets, countlessly robbing, vandalizing and generally causing trouble in the slums of Los Angeles. As daunting as his record seems, Day does not have violent intentions. His motives are much simpler: to provide for his family. His polar opposite is a girl named June Iparis who was born into the elite part of the city. Her older brother Metias provides for her and helps her in her training, since he is her only family left. June is a 15-year-old prodigy, an agent in training, with her brother as her lifeline. When her brother is killed, her life is shattered. The number one suspect in this crime is none other than Day. June sets out for answers and revenge, determined to stop at nothing to make her brother’s killer pay for what he did. June and Day meet unexpectedly and together, uncover a secret. This secret has been kept from all of the Republic’s citizens. The government will protect it at any cost, even the lives of its own people.

Legend is a dystopian novel that will hook you right away. From the beginning, you will be unable to put this book down. It is full of action, romance, and mystery, enough to satisfy every type of reader. As you race along with Day and June, you will find yourself holding your breath and waiting to find out what happens next. The pace of the book was very fast, so expect it to be a quick but exciting ride. The characters are funny, even in desperate situations. They are relatable. Their emotions are very well displayed and are contagious. Whenever June or Day was sad, I was sad. This was good because I was able to connect with both Day and June’s motivations. Their reasoning made sense to me and I was not left feeling confused, as in other books. I also love the description of the Republic and the futuristic setting, which was wonderfully explained. I was practically in the slums with them and experiencing their adventures and struggles for survival. I was pleased with the conclusion and hope that a sequel comes out! The only setback to this novel was that it was kind of predictable. Other than that, I would recommend this book to many people because it is both addicting and satisfying.

Karla and Kinsey Book Review Part I

Legend by Marie Lu
Review by Karla Accorto

This month Kinsey and I selected Legend by Marie Lu. Fifteen-year-old June is the Republic’s prodigy because she is the only one to have ever scored a perfect 1500 on the standardized test that decides each person’s fate after high school. She lives with older brother, Metias, a commander in the Republic’s prestigious military. Day is a boy of the same age, but that is where the similarities end. He is the Republic’s most-wanted criminal, but did he really commit the ultimate crime that he has been accused of: murdering Metias? Torn between protecting his family from a deadly plague and saving his own life, Day soon finds himself making critical decisions about his future. On the other hand, June soon finds herself motivated by revenge to find her brother’s killer. But along the way, she might just find herself falling for the very boy that is supposed to be off-limits. Together, she and Day will also discover some very startling truths about their government and how far they will go to protect their secrets.

At first glance, Legend appears to be just another Dystopian novel. However, the minute you read the first word, Legend sets itself apart from all of the rest. It is, simply put, a well-told adventure. The setting is completely believable, a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The characters are wonderfully crafted. The reader is taken on a rollercoaster of emotions and every train of thought is always easy to follow. I had a perfect mental picture of both Day and June in my head right from the start. The supporting characters also blew me away, such as Day’s brothers John and Eden, his friend Tess, June’s brother Metias, and his comrade Thomas. Each person was so believable and their motivations were crystal clear, which I loved as a reader. The story flowed perfectly; every scene had a purpose and there was no fluff. I never found myself confused or lost. The ending was tidy enough to satisfy me for the moment, but left enough loose ends for a sequel that I am eagerly anticipating.

My only complaint was that I was able to predict early on a big part of the “twist” in the plot. It is essentially given away in a few sentences, but it all depends on if the reader is paying attention. Other parts did keep me in suspense though, which I was extremely grateful for. Legend was most definitely a page turner.

This was a great selection for Kinsey and me because we both really enjoyed The Hunger Games and this is definitely in the same genre. It kept my full attention, and although Kinsey is not far into it yet, I’m sure it will keep hers. I’m looking forward to reading her review and hearing what she had to say about Legend. I am confident that she will love it just as much as I did. Marie Lu is an extremely talented writer. She knows how to deliver exactly what the reader is looking for and to keep them desperately wanting more. I would be thrilled to someday become half of the writer she is. I give Legend 5 stars most definitely and would recommend it for anyone looking for a fast-paced, exciting, romantic, and engaging read.

Book Review: We'll Always Have Summer

We'll Always Have Summer
By Jennifer Han

Reviewed by Lauren Batchelder

Third in a series, this romance novel makes you laugh one minute and cry the next. I was hooked from the first sentence. We’ll Always Have Summer starts off where Han last ended it- with Belly ( the main character in this story) at college dating Jeremiah Fisher, the brother of Conrad, Belly’s first love. Ever since Belly was turned down by Conrad she learned to love his brother. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly wanted it to be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to ask herself if she making the right decision. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever really gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who she wants to be with…. I know that anyone who likes to watch movies like The Notebook or Titanic and read books like Twilight ( minus that entire Vampire thing…) will love this. We’ll Always have Summer_ isn’t just any romance novel though, there’s drama, life changing letters, cancer, proposals and questions that really make you wonder. Han ties everything up nicely. It is a truly great ending to a fabulous series.

4 out of 5 stars

Karla and Kinsey Book Review: Part II

Name: Kinsey Manchester

Envy by Gregg Olsen

Review by Kinsey Manchester

Recap:

15-year-old Katelyn Berkley doesn’t particularly like life. So when her drunkard of a mother finds Katelyn dead in the bathtub, everybody thinks that she killed herself. Everyone except for twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan. Hayley and Taylor know more about what really happened to Katelyn than everyone else does. They have a secret, too. This secret is something that the twins can use to help figure out what really happened to Katelyn, but it is also something that can ruin their chance at normalcy forever. When the stakes rise as someone threatens to oust them and the truth about Katelyn’s death holds more secrets than they imagined, the girls must stick together if they wish to solve the mystery once and for all.

Review:

Envy is an addictive and chilling novel. It grips you right at the beginning when you spend the last minutes of Katelyn’s life with her. You immediately want to know what happened to her and why. All of the characters are easy to relate to, which means that by the time you reach the last page, you won’t want to leave behind Hayley or Taylor. The twins are night and day, as you probably know that most twins are. Gregg Olsen also uses his way with words to make you dislike the people you are supposed to dislike. When you meet the evil Starla Larsen, you instantaneously connect her to someone in your own life that was exactly the same way. You understand why nobody says anything bad to her, but why they all think it. By the end of the book, I had an exact picture of how I thought the characters would look. Olsen’s characterization skills are amazing. His words literally create pictures. His style, however, is a little different and hard to understand at first. The beginning is a little slow and confusing, but don’t give up on it! By the time you are 40 pages in, you will be hooked! You will soon figure out how all of the stories come together to make one big story. I think that this book was very good, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries.

Kinsey’s Rating: 4 out of 5 stars