Born in 1984 in Beijing, China, Marie Lu (Xiwei Lu) moved to Texas, America with her family at the age of 5 in 1989. Graduating from The University of Southern California, Marie started working straight away in the video game industry for Disney Interactive Studios as a flash artist. No doubt incorporating her talent and experience as a visual artist for interactive experience in the world of computer games, Marie went on to start her career as a full time writer. Now living in Los Angeles, CA, Marie completed the publication of her bestselling trilogy Legend in November 5 2013 with a hardback collection available for sale; and 10 months after the publication of the first book, CBS Films announced an adaptation for film to be directed by Jonathan Levine, who has already shown success with his film Warm Bodies also adapted from a book of the same name, produced by the same people as Twilight. Some may suggest that 5 years old is too young to fully remember the style of life in China, but in her work it is possible to discern the influences of both life in China and America.
The Legend Trilogy
Legend
Surviving the high expectation and excitement of the hype and pre-publication praise, Lu’s first book Legend was released to both critical and commercial acclaim, instantly establishing her position as one of the most foremost young adult writers of her generation. Exhibiting similar and popular features of other series’ in the genre, Lu manages to include ‘enough inventive details to keep things from becoming cliché’. Legend follows fifteen year olds June and Dean, both of whom are prodigies achieving 100% in the compulsory ‘trial’ set by The Republic, a warmongering, dystopian, fantastical version of the United States in which the book is set. Aside from coming from two polar opposite classes, June is sent on a mission into the slums to capture Day, where after some action and completing her mission, June and Day escape the clutches of The Republic and the plague that they manufactured and spread under the pretence it was natural. The book proved such a success and incorporated numerous imaginative features, that plans to make into a film were announced a remarkably short time after its publication of only 10 months. Lu’s experience of working in the video game industry, likely aided her visual imagination which proved so captivating and garnered such attention by film production companies. Lu states herself that the 2012 film Les Misérables provided a huge inspiration for this series, and she sought to reinterpret the conflict between the two central characters Valjean and Javer, by modernising it and adapting it to her books geared towards teenagers. As a result, the relationship June and Dean share is one that is inexorably entwined by both their love for each other, and their fundamental differing perspectives when it comes to politics.
Prodigy
Following her first novel Legend, Lu published the sequel book Prodigy a year after. It continues to follow the adventures and romance of June and Day as they join forces with the rebel group known as ‘The Patriots’. After joining the ranks, June and Day are assigned with the mission of assassinating the new leader of The Republic, Anden, after the death of his father Elector Primo, whereon, upon completion of this task, ‘The Patriots’ will offer assistance to them both in the attempt to rescue Day’s brother and offer them a safe passage to the Colonies. However, June becomes burdened with doubt after conceiving the impression that Anden is nothing like his father who preceded him, and may just well be the new start The Republic is in need of as it slips into chaos. Succeeding in the difficult task of continuing a series whilst maintaining momentum achieved in the first book, Prodigy was well received by critics who remarked that the story was kept well alive and that Lu’s second book was engaging in its own right. It is at this point where the direction of the narrative shifts again, and places June and Day in different settings around different people, constantly keeping the reader on their toes as to what will happen next.
Champion
The final instalment in the captivating series, Champion continues to plunge June and Day into the centre of the tumultuous action once again, this time in the service of The Republic; June as Princeps Elect within the elite circles, Day in a high military position. Just as a peace treaty approaches completion, a plague breaks out in the colonies, prompting a war in the border cities as a result of the panic. Yet again, June and Day find themselves forced into a position where they have to sacrifice all that is most dear to them to save The Republic from attacking armies from the Colonies and the new, stronger form of the virus. June is the only one who knows where the cure lies, and as The Republic devises a plan of surrender, and Day demonstrates his support for The Republic in a speech, she must decide whether to ask Day to sacrifice everything that he has. The mighty military of Antarctica assists The Republic in defeating its enemies’ armies and securing its borders, but as the trilogy draws to a captivating close, Day loses his memory while scientist are extracting the damaged part of his brain.
Future Projects
It is not often that a writer of unique and considerable talent comes into the public conscience with a series of books that maintains a tense, thrilling plot full of attention grabbing action and drama throughout. The highly imaginative and well written trilogy proves a welcome addition to the canon of young adults’ literature, and provides a significant and worthy alternative to other series that brought this genre to the attention of the public that stretched beyond the book’s target audience. Hunger Games, perhaps the dominant series in this genre, proved the extent of the success that young adult literature can enjoy after being adapted for the screen. Lu’s Legend Trilogy already shows huge promise in achieving a high level of popularity in its own right, and time will tell if the film adaptation of Delirium survives the hype as well as her books did.
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