The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America's two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history....
Born into the slums of Los Angeles, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it.
Born to an elite family in Los Angeles' wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. A superintelligent girl destined for great things in the country's highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital.
Born into the slums of Los Angeles, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it.
Born to an elite family in Los Angeles' wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. A superintelligent girl destined for great things in the country's highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital.
Only one person could be responsible.
Day.
And now it's June's mission to hunt him down.
The truth they'll uncover will become legend.
My Review:
I probably stared at a blank page for some minutes before I could come up with the words to describe how incredible this book is. The truth is that there are no words! But I’ll try to describe its awesomeness anyways.
I’ll start with our badass heroes. And I really do mean scale-a-building, gun-wielding, kick-your-face-in, defy-a-nation badass heroes. Gorgeous, blonde, blue-eyed Day is the most wanted criminal in The Republic. He has set fire to police stations, robbed a bank, and exploded some military jets among other things, but he has never killed. Then when his family catches a new mutation of the plague, he breaks into a hospital to steal the cure. But things go wrong! Day’s forced to attack a soldier during his escape, barely making it out with his life.
Fiery, dark eyed, super smart June is a prodigy of The Republic and the perfect soldier. She got a perfect score on the Trials, she is extremely athletic, and has attitude. Then she receives the terrible news that her brother has been killed by Day. June vows to catch him and devices the perfect plan to do it. She goes undercover! But after getting to know Day, and seeing the terrible things done to civilians by her fellow soldiers, June begins to question the system. What she’ll uncover is bigger than her brother’s murder. Following orders blindly is no longer an option.
Day and June are such great characters to read, and both POVs managed to keep my eyes glued to the action, the suspense, and the romance. They’re both very precise, noticing every little details of everything they see, especially June (we get her details in parentheses). Their thoughts are always running a mile per minute, and keep you wondering what they will do next. The other characters were also very well written. I loved Metias from the short scene he got. Quiet Tess, was lovable too. I grew to hate Commander Jameson and Character X (named so by me to avoid spoilers) with a passion!
There isn’t one boring page to this book and I will be pushing everyone I meet on the street to read it! This is one exciting and not-to-be-missed debut! And if the book is not enough, go and check out the amazing artwork and games Marie Lu has created for her novel on her DeviantArt page! There’s even a dress-up game! *squeals*
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| Day and Tess |
Favorite Quotes:
~Day~
That’s why they hate me, why I’m not the most dangerous criminal in the country, but the most wanted. I make them look bad.
~June~
If I feel like my afternoon drills aren’t teaching me enough about how to climb walls while carrying weapons, then…well, it wasn’t my fault I had to scale the side of a nineteen-story building with a XM-621 gun strapped to my back. It was self-improvement, for the sake of my country.
~ Day and June~
“You’re very attractive.”
I’ve been complimented on my appearance before. But never in his tone of voice. Of all the things he’s said, I don’t know why this catches me off guard. But it startles me so much that without thinking I blurt out, “I could say the same about you.” I pause. “In case you didn’t know.”
A slow grin spreads across his face. “Oh, trust me. I know.”
~Day~
“You and I may have the same enemy,” I say. “And they’ve pitted us against each other.”
