Review: Rebel

General Information

Title: Rebel
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend #4
Pages: 376
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
ISBN: 9781250258045 (US paperback)
My rating: ★★★★★

This is the 4th and final book in the Legend series. If you haven't read the previous books, proceed at your own risk!

 

About: Set 10 years after the events of the Legend trilogy, Rebel is the story of Daniel Wing and his younger brother Eden who found a new live in Ross City, Antarctica, where Eden is a top student at the academy. But being the brother of the boy formerly known as Day, life isn't easy for him. Neither is it for Daniel, who thought he had left his past behind him and tries to come to terms with his new life. Then Eden gets drawn to Ross City's dark side and Daniel, who desperately wants to keep his brother safe, learns he can't do it alone...

 

I am one of Legend's biggest fans. I've read the trilogy several times and they will always have a special place in my heart. So when Marie Lu announced another book set in this world, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. And damn, this book was a ride! I can't think straight. I'm just overcome by too many emotions. I've always thought the ending of Champion was perfect, but Rebel was the conclusion I didn't know I needed.

For me, everything about this book was perfect, starting with that gorgeous cover (But why on earth doesn't it match the rest of the series?!) I enjoyed every single page and I'm super sad it's now over for real. This world and the characters feel like home, almost like family, and I'm not ready to let them go. They've all suffered so much (and I with them), but they managed to live through it all and grow from it. Their development felt so right and believable.

Marie Lu has brought Daniel, June and Eden to life one last time and I feel like she truly knows and understands them. How there's a difference between Daniel and Day. The way June was always destined for something great but still stays true to herself (Commander Iparis, you are a badass and I love you). How Eden has evolved into such a strong character who carries half of the story's weight, since this book has alternating POVs of Daniel and Eden. Thank you for bringing these wonderful characters into my life! But, and this needs to be said, I sometimes still would've preferred June's POV because I just love her so much and Eden was never among my favorites in the original trilogy.

The plot of Rebel was as expected: fast paced, exciting, well thought out. I know that quite some readers were disappointed and thought this book was boring compared to the others, but I didn't think so at all. Most of the book takes place in Ross City, Antarctica, and with that, Marie Lu gave us a believable and interesting expansion of her world. With that comes an interesting villain who isn't straight out evil but has his reasons. He even made me care for him at some point, and those are the best villains.

And the dynamics! The dialogues, the relationships; I smiled, I laughed and I cried. I haven't read a book that made me so emotional in a long time. I feel like my heart was ripped out of my chest and put back in several times. The flashbacks and memories! All the little hints at special moments from the previous books! I really appreciated those and they made me soo emotional. I can't stress enough how much I loved this book.

In the end, Rebel was everything I could've asked for. Marie Lu wrote the perfect conclusion to an already great trilogy. These characters will forever have a place in my heart. If you liked the Legend trilogy, this book is a must read. It may not have been perfect, but simply because of the nostalgia it gave me I would rate it 10 stars if I could. 

"The Republic is a place that holds some of our darkest memories, for both you and me. (...) We went through it together, and somehow we emerged from it to be here again, at each other's sides."