Marie Lu

In my book club we had all read The Hunger Games. Then we recently read Divergent, and one of the members then passed on the following link:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/book-series-to-read-if-you-enjoyed-the-h....

Having read (and loved) two of the 15 series recommended (Divergent, Ender's Game), I decided to give the other books a try.

Legend is the first one. I really liked it. It is narrated in the first person by the two main protagonists: Day (a teenage boy scrounging to survive) and June (a wealthy extremely bright and talented teenage girl). It was a little slow to start, a bit disorienting, jumping straight into the ruminations of Day in a world that had not been described to the reader as yet.

The publisher chose to illustrate the change in voice by alternating fonts and font colours. Initially a little distracting, this quickly became a non-issue (and possibly even a little helpful) as the book's pace picked up. Once I got into it (about p. 73), I couldn't put it down.

The characters are strong and complex, the world-building is done organically: we find out about the extreme separation of the haves and have-nots through the observations and lived experience of the characters. Even the secondary characters are well drawn. The plot is solid and the pace builds to a fever pitch. I could not put it down 'til I'd finished the whole book my heart racing all the way.

In my opinion, Legend is better than The Hunger Games, and at the same level as Divergent. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel: Prodigy from the library. (The third in the trilogy: Champion, is due November 2013).

Next to read in the "15 recommended" list is Graceling.… (plus d'informations)

Marie Lu weaves an intricate tale in this young adult book about a world-famous musician. She brings her reader a story of intrigue that is filled with heart stopping moments. There is forbidden romance, self-reflection, and true friendship.

This book is classified as young adult since the main characters fit into that age range. But, in my opinion, if they were not described as older teens, then they could really have been any age – a feature that should make this book popular also among readers outside of that age frame. There are, however, references to sexuality, drugs, and other potentially sensitive topics.

I will admit that it took me a chapter or two to really start enjoying this book, but once I reached that point, well, I was completely hooked and found myself quickly turning the pages. Characters are well developed and settings are carefully constructed so that you feel a part of the story. But don’t think you have everything figured out as you are likely to be surprised at the end.… (plus d'informations)