Books: March Edition

Oh hai.... Yeah, obviously this is a little late. Pretty much like everything else in my life right now. Ha. But here's my post about the books I read in March.The first book I read this month was Legend by Marie Lu. I was drawn to it because it is dystopian and I am so into that genre right now (or basically for the past three or four years, whatevs). Here's the synopsis (source: B&N.com, of course):

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

I can truly say, this book was really good. At first glance, I was thinking "Oh, Hunger Games redone?", but no. It is completely different. The only similarities are that both books are dystopian and set in what used to be the USA. That is all. This book really kept me guessing. I finally thought I had a good idea of what was going to happen, but then came another twist. I also loved the characters and the way you see the relationships between them form; they felt very real. Day and June were characters I would love to be friends with in real life. It was a really fun, refreshing read that also was a good thought-provoking story. I would definitely recommend it and give it four out of five stars.

Next, in honor of the movie, I reread The Hunger Games. For those of you who haven't read it (really?? You need to), here's a synopsis:

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games.

If you know me at all, you know I'm a huge fan of this book and the entire series. So not much needs to be said. Every time I read this book it is like a new experience and I get something different from it. I love that Katniss is a strong, sassy, un-frilly heroine who shows girls what it means to be brave. I like that most of the time, I either want to hug her because she is so awesome or smack her because she's so dense. And I always have and will always love the character of Peeta. I think he is real, genuine, sweet, and so wonderfully different from most book-boys. Love this book to death. Five stars!

Yours,
Cait