Legend

In this dystopian story, two teens who lead very different lives find themselves united in their quest for truth. The two narrators alternate sections of text from the point of view of each character. June, narrated by Mariel Stern, is a military prodigy from a rich sector, and Day, narrated by Steven Kaplan, is a street criminal on the run. As Day, Kaplan reads in a calm, even voice, speeding his reading when the action gets more intense. Stern uses a young, higher-pitched voice for June and deep, stern tones for the military personnel that surround her. The narrators remind listeners that the characters are 15 years old by the way they pitch their voices, even when June and Day's adventures make them seem much older. E.N. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Starred review from October 10, 2011
Lu’s debut is a stunner. Weaving the strands of SF dystopia, police procedural, and coming-of-age—with touches of superhero and wild frontier traditions—she fashions a narrative in which the action is kinetic and the emotional development is beautifully paced. June, a prodigy from the elite class of the disintegrating Republic, is being groomed for a military career when her brother, a captain, is murdered. June is quickly drafted into the team tracking his accused killer, a spectral and maddeningly persistent outlaw known as Day. June’s life has been shaped by intellect, and to be driven by an emotion as ungovernable as grief makes her vulnerable in painful, dangerous ways. Day has known grief all of his life, but is no more immune to it than June is. The chase unfolds against a plague-infested Los Angeles of Gotham-like grit that Lu conjures with every nuance of smell, sound, and sight. First in a series, this story is utterly satisfying in its own right and raises hopes high for the sequels to come. Ages 12–up.