Prodigy by Marie Lu Review + Giveaway

Prodigy by Marie Lu
(Legend, #2)
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; 384 pages

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?

I read Legend earlier this year and I seriously fell in love with it. It’s definitely up there with one of my favorite books that I’ve read in 2012. So when I found out copies of Prodigy were going to be at BEA, that was the number one book I must have on my list. I definitely managed to grab a copy but then came the problem of do I read it now & wait a super long time for the third book or do I put it off? Well, I wanted to put it off but I just couldn’t. I’m too impatient for that especially when the book is looking me straight in the face, begging to be read. I’m a sucker and I caved. I read this book four months ago, wrote this review and saved it to post now. Yeah, it’s been four months since I’ve read this, can you believe that? The book isn’t even out yet. I should have waited ;)

Regardless of my impatience, I have to say I absolutely loved this book. I wouldn’t say I loved it as much as Legend (if I did half stars, it would be a 4.5 so it’s close!), but I loved it a lot. I’m not sure if I’m the only one who had this problem; I thought I knew where certain relationships were heading and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that (I still don’t know how I feel about that) but they didn’t quite go there. However, there’s always the third book so things are definitely still a possibility but what’s changed is I now know how I feel about those relationships.

Just like Legend, I love Day and June equally together and on their own. They’re both amazing characters and likeable well enough without the other but when they’re together, there’s just so much awesomeness put together that it’s overwhelming in the best possible way. There wasn’t enough of Day & June together…fighting side by side but there was a good amount. It was interesting seeing them on the same mission but not able to communicate yet trying to do so anyway. They might have only known each other for a few months but that’s how strong their bond is that they are able to understand each other without saying a word.

I definitely loved getting a look at the Patriots and how they operate. I loved also getting more of Kaede and Tess; they’re two characters I really enjoy though Tess was a bit annoying with her blatant jealousy. Jealousy is an ugly characteristic, sweetheart. Seeing how the Patriots operate and how they manage to do the things they do was really interesting.

However, there’s quite a mystery involved in this storyline and I’m kind of bummed I didn’t see it earlier. Well, see it all completely. At the same time, I like books when you think one thing and end up seeing another. The biggest shocker of all came at the end of the book. Of course, at the end, right? Leave us all hanging, with our mouths open waiting to see what happens next. We’ll all end up looking like fish out of water, gasping for breath…

I highly recommend giving this book a read, of course, only after you read Legend. Haven’t read Legend? What are you waiting for? Go get that now, read it and you won’t have much of a wait for Prodigy (how I envy you!). Then we can all sit back and squirm waiting for the third book together.

I am giving away my ARC of Prodigy to one lucky US/Canada winner. I got this ARC while attending BEA and it's been read once but other than that, it's in nearly perfect condition. You could get this book before it's released.

a Rafflecopter giveaway