VeganYANerds: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Prodigy by Marie Lu

7:00 am | Posted by Mandee | | Edit Post

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu
Published 30 January 2013 by Penguin AU
Source: the publisher
Rating: 3.5 paws

From the blurb: June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

Prodigy by Marie Lu is the sequel to Legend and takes place nine days later. I enjoyed Legend but I enjoyed the pacing and plot of Prodigy just that little bit more.

I like both June and Day, though I don’t have strong feelings for either of them. The events of Prodigy test their new-found relationship as they are separated in order to carry out tasks for The Patriots. Both of them end up spending time with someone that happens to be similar to them; Day spends time with Tess who has suddenly developed a crush on him, and June goes to meet Anden, who has a thing for her. Both June and Day start questioning their relationships and wondering if they’re too different for it to work and I can’t help but point out that this highlights the major issue with all the insta-love in YA today – if you rush into a relationship, you’re bound to find out that there is much more to the person you think you’re in love with and you might not be right for each other. Also, I hope love-squares aren't the new love triangles!

The secondary characters were more interesting this time, too. I particularly liked Kaede and was interested in her angle, and I liked Anden because it’s nice to read about a character who is suspected of being bad but turns out to be good. I really disliked Tess, my only thought while reading any scene she was in was “Whiny baby say what?” She went from being quite a good character in Legend to being mean and bitchy.

Again I also questioned the world in which June and Day live. Day has a wound repaired with titanium skin/plates and they have healing salves that magically heal the surgical site but it’s not explained how this technology exists in what seems like a very backward and closed off country. We do find out more about the rest of the world but that still made me wonder how the Republic would get technology or information from other countries when they’re so secluded.

And there was one scene between June and Day where he’s injured and she offers to help him into a bath but she is so concerned with averting her eyes lest she see him naked, and he wears a towel even as he’s getting into the water – I just felt like it was overly chaste for a such a simple scene and the description felt unnecessary and made me cringe a little.

I feel like I'm listing things I didn't like but I actually did enjoy this story, the pacing felt much quicker than Legend, and I was sure all was not as it seemed with Razor and the Colonies so I was keen to find out what was really going on. The ending was not a cliffhanger but it did finish with a resolution that I am sure will be the focus of the final book, Champion.

Thank you to the wonderful people at Penguin for my review copy.

Labels: 3.5 stars, dystopian, Marie Lu, review, YA

22 comments:

elena said...: loling over whiny baby say what? cos it's SO TRUE. I really liked Anden! He was probably my favourite character. I totally agree about the insta-love thing, I liked that this book questioned it even though obvs they're going to end up together. Great review!; 19 February 2013 7:26 am
Keertana said...: I'm so glad you enjoyed this one more than Legend! It's always nice when a debut that is just OK turns out to be a better series than you imagined. On the other hand, though, your minor qualms would have definitely bugged me. I find that I'm starting to nit-pick at books that are concerned with being overly chaste. WHY is it wrong for authors to include sexual desires in their novels? It happens to teens all the time, so I don't see why there is so much blatant censoring in these books. It's not like I want sex in YA - because some books have it and I can get that from adult novels - but when it becomes awkward with the censorship, then the novel just loses me entirely. From what you've said, that scene between June and Day seemed awkward and as if it could have been left out from the novel all together if Lu wasn't going to seize the opportunity to discuss very realistic sexual desires that all growing teens have. =.= Even the new re-emergence of love SQUARES has me terrified! In some ways, I think it's a tad bit better than a love triangle since it serves a purpose to draw the original couple closer together, but it is SUCH a stupid tactic! In real life, I'm sure couples don't get together because of mutual jealousy! >.< Anyway, really lovely review, Mandee. I love that you discussed the flaws as well as the high points in this one! :); 19 February 2013 9:22 am
Shaheen Iqbal said...: o0o0o great review! I think I had pretty much the same thoughts as you, but I liked the world building because we finally saw a Dystopia from the outside. But yes, it is weird that they have all this cool technology for such an isolated country.

I disliked Tess too, I mean I get she liked Day and whatever, but the petty jealousy was a bit over the top.

Hahah. Oh my goodness that bath scene was majorly awkward. I thought it was so weird, I mean if she didn't want to see him THAT MUCH she could have asked someone else to help him get cleaned up. But nope, she needs to be the one to help him AND she won't look at him. I agree with Keertana, authors shouldn't feel like they need to censor their books like that. I think YA books published a few years back were more open about this kind of thing (examples Shiver by Stiefvater and The Sweep/Wicca series by Cate Tiernan, and of course Tamora Pierce), but there's this push now to publish chaste YA so all parents know what their kids are reading and feel safe in the knowledge that there isn't any 'inappropriate' behaviour in them. That's why this BS about New Adult has come up, because now everything needs to be categorised so parents don't have to research, they can plonk their kid in the YA section and know what they're getting.

Rant over.

Anyways, awesome review! I can't wait for the next book :-); 19 February 2013 10:30 am
Belle said...: I thought Legend was OK but I don't know if I'll bother with this one. I feel like I just don't care about the characters enough. A few people have said it's better than the first book though! THe idea of a love square really puts me off.; 19 February 2013 10:41 am
Maji Bookshelf said...: I really liked June in this novel, much more than Day. As for the secondary characters, I have to agree. Kaeda was fantastic (even though I was doubting her loyalties throughout the novel) and I liked Anden. Reminds me a bit of Warner and how he is portrayed as the bad guy but when we got to know him, he really wasn't.

great review!
- Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf; 19 February 2013 10:56 am
Marg said...: I read the first book but I am not sure it was memorable enough for me to go out of my way to read this book! Maybe...eventually.; 19 February 2013 7:45 pm
Katja Weinert said...: I'm looking forward to reading this soon. I think your point about being overly-chaste is a good one. Considering that June was trained in a co-ed style military setting, I wouldn't expect her to get that flustered.; 19 February 2013 8:45 pm
BookStacksOnDeck said...: LOL about Tess! She was pretty annoying. <3; 19 February 2013 9:21 pm
Sapir V said...: I've heard some really good things about Legend and Prodigy, but I haven't read neither of them yet.
Great review! I love your blog. I'm a new follower (:

I would love it if you follow back my new blog. Thank you ^^
Sapir @ Diary of a Wimpy Teen Girl; 19 February 2013 11:45 pm
Andrea @The Bookish Babes said...: I didn't love Legend, or even really like it, so I doubt that I will bother w/Prodigy. I am glad you liked the story a bit more, despite being annoyed by the characters.
Great review!; 20 February 2013 12:09 am
Bailey said...: I haven't read Legend yet and I don't know if I will. It's not a book that I feel I would really like...I just don't know. The fact that you were annoyed by the characters makes me think I wont really like these books. Great review Mandee! Gotta think a little more about these books. :); 20 February 2013 3:47 am
Micheline D said...: I remember your review of Legend (which I haven't read yet but I've been meaning to for awhile) so I'm glad you liked this one that little bit more :D Always a good thing in a series. Thanks for the insightful & honest review!; 20 February 2013 5:08 am
Brandi Kosiner said...: Glad you enjoyed June and Day in this sequel even if you like the 1st better. I haven't read this series yet, but I want to.
Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog; 20 February 2013 7:06 am
Lee @ Rally the Readers said...: I just picked this up from the library today and am looking forward to starting it. I am dreading the love square, though. The relationship geometry in YA books just seems to keep expanding, and personally, I'm not a fan of it. Great review, Mandee!; 20 February 2013 7:16 am
Mandee said...: Elena – Ha! I’m glad you enjoyed it, I love making references to Cougar Town. I really like Anden, too. I feel sorry for him because he won’t get to be with June.

Keertana - thanks so much! I almost wasn’t even going to mention the bathroom scene because I thought it would come across as too picky, but it really did annoy me. You raise some great questions, I don’t know why YA has to be so overly chaste, especially when it didn’t really have anything to with with the story, it’s not like they were living in the olden days where everyone had to be prim and proper!

Shaheen – so glad you felt the same way about the bath scene! Yes, I think you’re right. Perhaps authors are concerned with what parents will think and that shouldn’t be their focus, they should be writing a. What they enjoy and b. Thinking of their readers (teens/adults).
Anyways, awesome review! I can't wait for the next book :-)

Belle – Well, don’t let me put you off too much, the square is pretty weak and it’s pretty obvs. That the MCs will be together (as in most YA!)

Juhina – it’s great that your opinions of the characters changed while reading this!

Marg – this is one of those series where I think if you read it, that’s good, but if you don’t you are definitely not missing out.

Katja – I didn’t even think of it like that, but you’re right! She does seem so mature and professional, maybe it was meant to highlight the fact that she’s actually quite young and innocent?

Heather – She was, I did feel a bit sorry for her, but when she just kept being mean, I couldn’t stand her anymore!

Sapir – hi & thanks for following! I hope you enjoy them if you read them!

Andrea – I wouldn’t then, hun. I think the sequel was better, not I don’t think it will impress readers who didn’t enjoy Legend.

Bailey – that’s how I felt about Legend, too. It was good, but I don’t think I’d be sad if I’d never read it.

Micheline – you’re welcome, hun! It is nice to find the sequel is an improvement!

Brandi Kosiner - I hope you enjoy it when you get around to reading it!

Lee – I have to say, the square is weak, and I never believe June or Day would stray too far from their relationship, but then it did feel like a waste of plot-time.; 20 February 2013 12:36 pm
readingdate said...: In the picture your kitty doesn't look very amused about Prodigy!
Glad you liked Prodigy more than Legend. I liked this book more than you did, but you do make some great points about the world building and the awkward bathtub scene. And ugh, I know what you mean about love squares being a new thing. I do like Anden though.
Very insightful review, Mandee!; 20 February 2013 6:15 pm
Maja (The Nocturnal Library) said...: Yeah, Tess kind of ruined this one for me too. I just ended up putting it on hold until I feel like picking it up again, if ever. And the worldbuilding bothered me a bit too, it reminded me of North Korea.
Great review, Mandee!; 20 February 2013 10:42 pm
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings said...: Love that line,"Whiney Bitch, say what?" I still haven't checked out this series. I want to but I hate cliffhangers and I think I will just wait and see how it all plays out.; 21 February 2013 5:33 am
Novels On The Run said...: I've still got to read Legend, I have Prodigy here. I am intrigued by this one, I have to admit that. It seems to get up and down comments from people. I must laugh as your pussy cat looks like she is saying 'don't mess with me today, I am feeling a bit catty". Hehe

Mich:D; 23 February 2013 3:03 pm
Jamie said...: I skimmed because I wasn't sure if there were spoilers or not but I need to read this soooon! So glad to see the plot and pacing were still strong if not stronger. That was what I loved about Legend! I did love June and Day but I felt they sounded SO similar and way older than 15 (though I did give some leeway because sometimes people have to grow up more in different situations and eras).; 24 February 2013 6:56 am
Karen said...: I was kind of afraid of the love square so I've avoided reading this. I hear that Tess is pretty unlikable so I might wait until the third book is out so I can get to the (hopefully) happy conclusion without too much frustration.; 25 February 2013 5:40 am
Sarah said...: I love this and Legend (I love Legend more).; 25 February 2013 11:06 am