6.30.2020

BOOK REVIEW: Prodigy by Marie Lu


Give me a moment to digest what I just read because after turning the final page of Marie Lu’s Prodigy, all I can say is mind. blown.

❝He is beauty inside and out.
He is the silver lining in a world of darkness.
He is my light.❞

We meet up with Day and June nine days after escaping from the Republic. John, Day’s older brother, has been executed in his place. Eden, Day’s plague-ridden younger brother, is missing. Los Angeles is on lockdown; Day is severely injured; and the two lovebirds are seeking asylum and assistance from the Patriots in Las Vegas. But there’s one thing I failed to mention: the Elector Primo is dead, leaving his early-twenty-something son Anden with the title.

New to the Elector Primo throne {figurative}, but familiar with the political scene, Anden is heavily disliked by the Senate due to his desire to do away with the Republic’s archaic systems, including the rigged tests that determine each person’s future. While his stance will likely please the oppressed people of the Republic, it may never come to fruition. At least, it won’t if the Patriots have anything to say about it.

Overseen by Razor {aka Commander Andrew DeSoto}, the Patriots are working from the inside of the Republic; but they’re more than happy to help Day and June…for a very high price. The Patriots {with Kaede and Tess in tow} are willing to make Day as good as new as long as he and June assist in assassinating Anden. By placing June in Anden’s hands {and a gun in Day’s}, Razor is convinced that he can eliminate the Elector Primo and overthrow the Republic for good. The question is: who are the bad guys and who are the good?

NGL here…this one started out very slow for me {we’re talking almost-abandoned-it-for-something-else slow}, and I didn’t feel the same love for some of the characters I adored the first time around; but overall it was a solid sequel.

My main qualm with Prodigy was the love square. Yeah, you read that right; Prodigy goes beyond the typical love triangle {which I am not a fan of}, and introduces an angst-filled love square involving Day, June, Anden, and Tess {how Tess went from endearing little sister to potential love interest within the course of a few weeks - book time - is completely beyond my comprehension, but whatevs}. I found the whole situation awkward, fumbling, and unenjoyable. In other words…it was cringey. In fact, that term could also be used for much of Day and June’s interactions.

The two narrators, whom I adored in book one, really lost a lot of their spark this go round. Speaking of spark…it was lacking in Tess as well. Tess, Tess, Tess. I loved her in Legend and legit loathed her in Prodigy. Nevertheless, I found other characters to fill the void: shockingly, Kaede won a huge place in my heart; as did Anden. And while Day and June did little for me for a good 75% of the book; they lit up the pages for those last few chapters, and left me eager to see how their story will end in Champion.


Star Rating: ****1/2


xx
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3 comments

Ananka said...

Not sure about it. I might like it.

ellie said...

Awesome review!

R's Rue said...

I’ll pass.

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