Mini Reviews: The Age of Miracles & Legend

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

I'd been hearing a lot of buzz about The Age of Miracles (an adult apocalyptic book with YA appeal) and thought I would give it a try. It didn't go well.

I really didn't care for this book at all. The premise of how the Earth's rotation is starting to slow should have been enough to keep me invested but it wasn't. The start of the slowing is interesting to read, with the days steadily growing longer, but the story starts to drag rather quickly. With animals and people starting to die and a world wide panic taking hold there should be a lot to grab onto but there just isn't. The novel quickly becomes depressing, hopeless and a bit pointless as the citizens begin to feel there's nothing they can do, so why do anything.

The story is told by Julia, an 11 year old in middle school who's a keen observer of all the things going wrong with her town and the people in it. However, Julia's a very passive character spending much of the novel alone. She has little self-confidence letting her parents and especially other kids run her life. Though Julia is easy to sympathize with, I wouldn't say I liked her. Truthfully their weren't that many characters I liked anyways. Julia's grandfather and best friend Seth are the only characters I felt any affection for and neither are used enough in the story.

You're probably wondering why I kept reading the book since I had so many issues with it. I was curious to see how it would end, but that too was disappointing. After finishing the book I struggled with trying to figure out what the point of it all was. Honestly I still can't figure it out.

Rating~

Legend by Marie Lu

It's been a year but I finally got around to reading Legend. The novel is a fasted paced Dystopian packed with action but I struggled with some of the storylines. The characters were a mixed bag for me as well.

Let's start with the good things. Legend jumps right out of the gate with great world building, complex characters and an intense plot. The story moves along quickly but not so fast that you can't keep up. The alternating narratives of June and Day were handled brilliantly.

June may be one of the two main characters but I just didn't connect to her at all. I had a hard time accepting many of the choices she makes throughout the novel. Plus her personality seemed very inconsistent. One minute she'd be the mature military operative with all the answers and the next she's a naive 15 year old who's socially awkward. Day is by far the more interesting character, at least to me. He's a flawed rebel who's brave and defiant. Living on the streets has made him grow up quick but he hasn't lost sight of the things that matter. Unlike June, Day's young age actually seems to match how he behaves and reacts to things.

While I enjoyed the chemistry between June and Day, I would have liked to see their attraction play out more slowly. I guess I just didn't buy how quickly it all happened.

I wasn't happy with some of the plot twists in the book. I feel like they were done for shock value instead of happening naturally, which I hope makes sense. Though I didn't love Legend I did think it was an enjoyable read and I am curious to see where its going to go next.

Rating~