Our April book was

Legend by Marie Lu

 

Summary:  In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, fifteen-year-old Day–a famous criminal, and prodigy June–the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

 

Legend is the first book in the series; the second book is Prodigy and the third is Champion.

 

Map of the Republic and Colonies of America:

From http://legendmarielu.wikia.com/wiki/The_Colonies_of_America

 

It is quite impossible to capture the full essence of a book club discussion, even if I had recorded it all, but, here’s a snippet of our discussion:

WARNING:  most likely contains spoilers

I’ve noticed that boys do not seem to connect with this book as well as girls do.  Why do you think that is?

A teen’s immediate answer: “…because the boys in this book are too perfect.”

Without context, this answer seems overly simplistic or doubtful, but in discussing more, it’s a rather bright observation.

We’ve noticed a pattern.  Many female protagonists in YA novels look very similar–almost to the point that it has become a stereotype of the strong female lead.  And it seems that many readers have noticed as well.  In a recent article in The Atlantic titled “Must Every YA Action Heroine Be Petite?”, Julianne Ross comments, “Today’s strong female protagonists are overwhelmingly described as “small,” “skinny,” and “slender” (2014).  It’s a generalization of course, and I’m sure many heavy YA novel readers can point out instances where this is not the case, but the book versions of Katniss (The Hunger Games), Tris (Divergent), and June (Legend) do fit this description.

We feel that this description–this petite-ness of character–connects with many female readers.  Otherwise, if not for size, at least the feeling of smallness and powerlessness is felt by the readers in this discussion, and thus, why we feel connected to the characters.

But, even if some find this similarity bothersome, our male readers have their own concerns:  no one seems to be complaining about how all the male leads in these books are “perfect.”  They’re all tall, dark, smart, and handsome–and that seems to alienate male readers.  (Yes, the argument could be made that no one is perfect, not even in books; they just happen to be perfect in the eyes of their female counterparts, and therefore, perfect to the reader who’s experiencing the moment vicariously.)  But, this could explain why boys seem to be more connected to books like Percy Jackson, where the male protag is a delinquent, trouble maker, less than perfect underdog in the world… who still gets the girl.

I asked the question not because I felt that Legend was aiming to be gender-specific, but from those that I have successfully convinced to read the book, the males overwhelmingly found it not as engaging, even if they’re avid readers.

 

Reading from Marie Lu’s website, I was surprised to find that one of the frequently asked questions was about Day’s descent.  It appears that fans find it hard to imagine how someone could be of mixed heritage like Day (Mongolian and Russian), but have blue eyes and blond hair.  The most surprising part about this is that the question is often asked in a “quite a hostile tone.”  Do you find it difficult to imagine?  What do you think about Lu’s response?  [Readers of this blog should note that the discussion attendees were of diverse backgrounds.]

The book group members found it surprising as well.  Not one of us questioned Day’s physical appearance.

Personally, I usually forget the physical appearances of the characters; it’s not one of the details I place emphasis on.

On a sidenote, some book group members brought up the possibility of a film… and if a film was made, they would be upset if Day’s or June’s mixed heritages are ignored (in reference to casting choices).  Most feel it’s a significant part of story.

 

Do you think this sort of fractured society could actually happen in the future?  In some ways, is this society more or less believable than those in other dystopians–namely other blockbuster books like The Hunger Games or Divergent?

This was where our opinions divided.

Those who did not find it believable mostly had difficulty believing that a simple test could determine an entire life.  They felt that the testing procedures in Legend were too vague, confusing, or did not make sense.  But we also admitted that the reader falls into the story years after our characters took the test, so, since we didn’t get to experience the test with the characters, we’re left to our own imagination of what the test was like.

However, some of us think that we’re already living a form of Legend’s society.  There’s already a large divide between the rich and the poor, and this divide is becoming deeper and deeper; the opportunity gap continues to increase.

And speaking of tests…

In America, though entrance exams are important, failing one does not necessarily mean destitution; however, in other parts of the world (like East Asia), students who fail may face huge socio-economical consequences.  The stakes are much higher.

Most of us found it more believable than Divergent, though this certainly did not deter enjoyment.

The verdict for comparisons:

Half of us found Legend more enjoyable than Divergent, but Hunger Games still came out on top.  As for comparing the entire series of all three, we agreed that Legend had the most rewarding end.

 

Average rating from attendees:  3.88 (out of 5)

 

This discussion was held at the Pasadena Central Library on April 30, 2014.

 

Find the book in our library: Legend

 

For more teen book recommendations, please see our booklist: http://cityofpasadena.libguides.com/teenbooks