#31, Lignig, James Kenneth B.

11-
Bulkhead

Book Review

Champion

Champion is the third and the final installment in The Legend

Trilogy. The book was written by American author Marie Lu, and was
released to the public on November 5, 2013 under the publishing
company called G. P. Putnam's Sons. It is a dystopian young adult novel
set in the United States in the year 2054. The main characters of the
story are June Iparis, a seventeen year old girl who was born into an
elite republic family and Daniel Day Altan Wing, a seventeen year old
rebellious criminal who was born in the slums of the Republic. The
author Marie Lu and the book itself gained a highly favorable praise
and review from critiques all around the world after its release.

The book started out with the events from where it was left off in
Prodigy, with Day pledging his allegiance to the Elector Primo of the
Republic and the discovery of his fatal brain disorder which forced him
to not attach his self to June for he could die and leave her with grief.
With the peace treaty between the Republic and the Colonies now off,
a plague is spreading throughout the warfront cities of the Colonies
and theyre claiming that the Republic are the ones responsible for it.
The Colonies demands for the cure to be handed over to them or
theyll bring war and invade the Republic. To guarantee the safety of
his people, the Elector Primoasked June and Day to devise a plan to
save the Republic from the insidious grasp of the Colonies.

Like the two novels before it, Champion is just as fast-paced and
thrilling. It is a well-constructed series that follows a logical sequence
of the events that fills every chapter. The book wasnt all just about
action and romance. Issues pointed out in the story were also with
relation to scenarios in the real world such as social class,
homosexuality, rebellion, hierarchy, and politics.

Marie Lu did a great job in developing the personalities of her

characters, mainly June and Day. She made them grow out of their
boundaries and think maturely when caught up in a situation. Their
gradual progress wasshown by the telling of the story in alternating
chapters written from both their perspectives. The development of
their behaviors and way of thinking was evidently shown, with it not
being rushed as the story draws closer to its finale. However, Lus
representation of her characters abilities werent suited to the age she
oughts them to be. The main characters, being seventeen year old
and starting a heroic journey of fighting off and winning over a mob of
military soldiers seems too far-fetched. It made it hard to believe that
two young people, not even at the legal age, managed to ward the
Republic. With that flaw in Lus writing, readers find it difficult to
imagine what they are in for.

Although the scenarios are difficult to imagine and events

happening in the life of the main characters are unbelievable, the plot
of the story will have you hooked. It is a well-written novel with an
underlying message alongside it, written not only to entertain, but also
to inform people.Overall, the book Champion is a perfect choice for
someone who would like to be burrowed into action with less violence
and romance thats not too cheesy.