Review: Life Before Legend by Marie Lu

Life Before Legend

Author: Marie Lu
Pages:38
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: January 15th 2013
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Find out more about June and Day in this never-before-seen glimpse into their daily lives before they met in Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND series. As twelve-year-olds struggling to survive in two very different worlds within the Republic’s stronghold, June was starting her first day of school at Drake University as the youngest cadet ever admitted, and Day was fighting for food on the streets of the Lake sector. LIFE BEFORE LEGEND contains two original stories written by Marie Lu that give readers a sneak peek into the lives of their favorite characters in a thrilling new context.

My Take:

Before there was Legend, as a twelve year old boy Day had to survive the streets of the Lake sector. His knee is wounded and tries to help those he nows needs it. Taking a job for a couple days we see how Day spent his early days surviving. With a little help from a girl who is just a little older than him, Day can't help but imagine life not on the run a setting up their on the lake. Of course dreams don't always come true and Day has first hand knowledge of this.

Drake University is the place every citizen wishes to get into but starting at the age of twelve can be tough. For June being the only Prodigy is privilege and shouldn't be taken lightly. but do you expect when you enter a school reserved with teens who look down at her and not up. Starting trouble is one of June's strong suits and even when its the first day. Of course being late to the first day is not her fault but the school seems to think it is. 

Life Before Legend, offers a chance to look into the lives of June and Day before they met and before their true story can be said. They both seem to adjust and know that survival is key. Of course both live in separate areas and gain a different experience, both are learning skills that help them become the Legend they are meant to be.  

5/5 stars - Extraordinary

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages:338
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: November 15th 2011
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My Take:

To be isolated where no one is present, walls every which way and of course a window so that could look at what if or could be. Juliette hasn't seen anyone or spoken to anyone in 264 days, she is given one meal a day and is keep at a distance because of what she can do. The Reestablishedment promised to fix things instead they made fake promises and put everyone at risk. Juliette is lost to them and is wastes away inside a cell waiting, until someone else is thrown into her cell as well. She keeps distance, who is this person, why is he here, and what makes him so familiar to her. 

Adam that is his name and he keeps asking questions until, the room is bombarded into and the truth of how Adam came to be in her room. He is a trained soldier for the Reestablishedment and his mission was to make sure she hasn't gone completely insane. The one person she was getting used to betrayed her and all because of an experiment. The one in charge Warren, wants to use her as a weapon to use on rebel resistance. Adam is her charge and even though she recognizes him doesn't mean she is as safe as they want her to be. 

Juliette doesn't want to be used, but when you add in Warren and his methods its hard to escape. Not being able to touch anything is hard to impossible, so when Adam takes a risk and touches her its hard not to cheer. But also cautious, questions pop and even though its all good escaping from the place is hard because of all the weapons that can stop not only her but Adam. Within the first 5 minutes of reading you know your in for a wonderful ride. With every word your also wondering things could never get better. Flip a few pages and your in for a thrilling roller coaster. Tahereh Mafi is a brilliant master in this craft of writing because even though words are repeated you feel closer to Juliette than ever. Your enchanted with the possibility of a future without Juliette using her power to kill. Of course when your given a wonderful lead male who is trained not to even stand her but ultimately falls for, you have to think where else can Mafi take us and how much am I willing to cry. Because with this it was hard not to cry in certain places. The audience will want more and they get it in Unravel Me which just came out the 5th of February.

5/5 stars

I got to meet Tahereh Yay!!!!