January Wrap Up

So as some of you may be aware I decided that 2016 was going to be the year that I increased the amount of books I read by posting my monthly progress at the start and end of the month in the form of 'TBR's' and 'Wrap Ups.' And whilst I only put 3 books on my January TBR I was only able to read 2 this month, which I was really disappointed with. But instead of just moaning about it, formulating elaborate excuses for why I wasn't able to read more I thought I would take this as a lesson from myself. In February, instead of being determined on finishing my books that I had put on my TBR, I'm going to focus on picking and reading books I feel in the mood to read. At the beginning of January I made the mistake of picking either fantasy books in huge series' or really thought-provoking books that require a lot of thought and concentration. As a student with a huge work load, this was probably the worst choice I could have made. In next week's post, my February TBR, I'm going to include a range of books so that I have a broad selection of genres and writers so that I don't get myself stuck in the same rut as I faced in January.

After that little rant, I'm now going to briefly detail the books I have read in the month of January! I will include just a few of my opinions about each book and whether or not they lived up to my expectations but if you want to read more, all of the books I have included I have written lengthy reviews with plot descriptions in the last couple of weeks.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 10/10

Having not read the television series or read any spoilers online, I went into this series knowing very little about the characters, plot or the fantasy world created by Martin. The first instalment was truly incredible. The multiple narrators and the fantasy world itself made the book a real page-turner from start to finish. It has been a while since I had read a fantasy series that explored such interesting themes and I know that the story will remain in my mind for some time to come. I can't wait to read the next instalments of the series and maybe explore other work by Martin.

Legend by Marie Lu 7/10

An interesting concept with some great characters, but, overall, it just wasn't my favourite example of a dystopian. I am probably a bit biased, having read quite a lot of dystopian YA series', but I just felt that the book itself was far too short and didn't really have enough time to effectively develop the whole world and concept Lu creates. A book is meant to make you wanting more, however, with this I felt that I was left wanting too much. I will say though that if you are interested in politics that the political aspect to it is rather interesting, being a politics student myself I think this is why I still liked certain aspects of the plot.

Legend By Marie Lu

Book Details

Author: Marie Lu

Ages: 12+

Rating: 7/10

Number of Pages: 295

Plot: Set in the futuristic ruins of Los Angeles in the Republic of America, the Republic is constantly at war with its neighbours, the Colonies. The Republic’s strict regime of tests and trials ensures that the best go to high school and college whilst the undesirables, usually the poor, are sent straight to work or worse, to the infamous labour camps. The Trial, taken by all citizens once they hit the age of ten, uses a range of mental and physical tests to determine their futures. Through Lu’s alternating narrators, we learn what it is like to live for and against the Republic and their repressive regime. June is the Republic’s prodigy, the only student to ever receive a perfect 1500 score on the Trial or so she thinks. Following the murder of her brother, June is being groomed for success in the highest of the Republic’s military circles in the hopes that she will catch the infamous revolutionary that has been plaguing the Republic and avenge her brother. Day is the Republic’s most wanted criminal, desperately looking to ensure the safety of his family from the dreaded plague and June’s brothers killer. In a story of betrayal and survival, Day and June are brought together by the murder of June’s brother and together uncover the truth behind the Republic and the mysterious plague that devastates the slums of the Republic.

Review: I am a massive fan of dystopian fiction and have heard a lot about this series online, especially on Youtube. I knew very little about the premise of this dystopian trilogy and so was intrigued to see how it would differ from other popular novels and series that fit into the genre. Lu creates an interesting contrast between the powerful elite and the poor, more so than I think other dystopian writers do. Through the use of two narrators, each with very different backgrounds and experiences of the Republic, Lu truly depicts the repressive and violent nature of the regime. By doing this, I feel as if Lu manages to establish a greater hatred for the Republic and thus makes the reader support the protagonists more. I think that this is one of the main reasons that make this series stand out from the rest – we are not just experiencing a character from the slums suffering at the hands of an oppressive regime, but we are experiencing the effects of a regime on two very different lifestyles.

Unlike some other novels I have read from this genre, I thought that the plot was well thought out. Instead of having a predictable plot, I felt that throughout the story there were countless twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout. The twists and turns were made even better, I believe, through Lu’s use of alternating narration. It was so interesting to read one character’s perspective and then the other and comparing what they do or don’t know about the Republic. Despite this, I will say that I wasn’t initially 100% behind the friendship between Day and June. Their first initial meeting, which I will not discuss for those of you who haven’t read the book, I felt was a little forced and was the only point in the book where I felt that it was very predictable.

Despite loving the alternating narrators, another aspect of the book that I didn’t like was the choice to use different font for each narrator. I felt that Lu had already successfully differentiated between the two narrators and so the choice of using different fonts felt rather unnecessary. Although this sounds like a bit of a pedantic criticism to make, I feel that this editorial choice effected the fluidity of the plot. However, I did really love the use of the different narrators and I think that it is because of this structural choice that so many have fallen in love with this series.

Overall I think that this is a unique concept in a genre where so many are similar. Lu manages to contrast the lives of the two different groups in her dystopian landscape directly through her use of alternating narrators. The plot was also unpredictable – Lu creates twists and turns within her story that manage to keep the reader engaged throughout. I was slightly disappointed with the length of the book. Being only just over 200 pages there was little room for Lu to fully develop her characters but as this is a trilogy I hope that we will learn more about June, Day and the controversies of the Republic. I would recommend this series to anyone who liked The Hunger Games series or any dystopian YA series for that matter.

Have you read 'Legend'? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!