Legend

“The Republic’s favorite little prodigy is in trouble again.”

Although June is a prodigy with a perfect score on the Trial, she has a rebellious streak that often drives her to question the rules in very public settings. She is allowed to get away with these antics because of her social standing, but this detail hints that June is naturally inclined to challenge the rules. She may be a true believer in the Republic at the beginning of the novel, but once she realizes the depth of evil that is present in the Republic, rebellion wins out.

“I’m the only person in the entire Republic with a perfect 1500 score on her Trial.”

June isn’t just smart: She is intellectually superior to her peers and everyone in her society. She also possesses a great deal of strength, agility, and tactical skills. June knows her power and doesn’t question her abilities at any point in the novel. She is self-assured and clear-headed, which changes when she meets Day, and it frustrates her to have her thoughts clouded by feelings that she doesn’t understand.

“Whenever I cry over losing them, I cry because I don’t have any memories of them.”

Even though June grew up in a beautiful home and was afforded every opportunity the Republic had to offer, there is one thing Day had that she didn’t: a relationship with her parents. June admits she doesn’t remember her parents and feels cheated by their deaths. However, Metias remembers them and tries to give his little sister all the love and affection of two parents.

“You should still be careful what you’re encouraging Ms. Iparis to do, especially with your parents gone.”

Thomas’s comment here seems odd, and Metias has a noticeable reaction to it. Later in the novel, the reader learns that Metias told Thomas about what happened with his parents and the Republic arranging their deaths. Although Metias wrote that he thought he could trust Thomas, he expresses unease at the idea that someone in the Republic military knows about his findings. Thomas’s comment here almost seems to be a warning: a reminder that he knows something, and Metias should heed his words.

“I wish the Republic would hurry up and win this war already so that for once we might actually get a whole month of nonstop electricity.”

For June and Metias, growing up in the Ruby sector meant experiencing luxuries that the poor of Los Angeles could never begin to fathom. While children in the slums dig through dumpsters in hopes of finding discarded food, June complains about the idea of losing power for a few hours once a month. Lu includes this detail to remind the reader that June and Day come from completely different worlds with different expectations and priorities.

“There is a streak of black grease on his forehead, probably from his own index finger. Which means he just finished polishing his rifle earlier in the evening, and his patrol’s inspection is tomorrow.”

This small detail might have gone unnoticed by most people, but June locks in on it. It isn’t relevant at the time, but as June begins to piece together the details of Metias’s murder later in the novel, she realizes that the rifle grease found on the knife handle is probably the same rifle grease Thomas had on his forehead. The rifle grease firmly connects Thomas to Metias’s death.

“I will hunt you down. I will scour the streets of Los Angeles for you. [...] I make you this promise: your life is mine.”

June is fueled by love, rage, heartache, and helplessness. She feels no control over this situation and decides to take back control of her life by vowing to take down the person who killed her brother. Ironically, June doesn’t realize that she is serving her brother’s murderers, and she is so blinded by rage and lifetime indoctrination that she never thinks to question the details of the murder until much later.

“It couldn’t have been accidental—that knife went straight through Metias’s heart.”

This is the first detail that hints that Day might not have killed Metias. Day distinctly remembers (and describes) hitting Metias in the shoulder with his knife, not his heart. Day never intended to kill, and at best, this means that Day’s aim was off, and the death was an accident. At worst, it means that Metias’s murderer is still at large, and based on what June sees, the murder was personal.

“That’s how they see us, a poor little fringe nation, as if they’re the more powerful one.”

The interrogation of the Colonies spy opens up the world of Legend by introducing the Republic’s biggest opposition. While Lu doesn’t go into detail about the history of the Colonies and the Republic, it is clear that June and the citizens of the Republic haven’t been given the full story of what happened. The Colonies spy, who remarks that the Republic won’t last more than a decade, was caught accusing the Republic of lying to its people about something. These details create an air of mystery around the lore of the Republic and how it came to be.

“This girl strikes like a viper.”

When June faces off against Kaede during the Skiz fight, Day comments that Kaede’s fighting style uses brute force and power, whereas June utilizes agility and strength. This line reminds the reader that June isn’t just smart and pretty: She is an excellent fighter, and her skills are borderline scary to witness. June is the product of natural talent and intensive training, and she is a weapon to be reckoned with.

“Most of Day’s past crimes involve saving people. All except Metias.”

As time goes on, June’s blind rage and thirst for vengeance give way to a growing curiosity. Although she was told that Day killed her brother, something isn’t adding up. June always had a fascination with Day’s legendary reputation, and she can’t fully accept the idea that this “noble criminal” would have committed such a senseless act of violence against her brother.

“This girl can point out a detail on the streets a mile away.”

As Day spends more time with June, he picks up on her more subtle gifts. The mystery girl who saved Tess from the Skiz fight isn’t just a great fighter: She is also very quick-witted. Day, one of the smartest and most observant people living on the streets, is impressed and thrilled that he has found someone who sees the world as he does. It becomes easier for him to imagine forming a lasting relationship with this girl who is so much like him, and he feels less alone.

“My eyes dart to Thomas, wondering if he feels the same horror I do. But he remains expressionless, his gun still drawn.”

Although June once admired Thomas, a wedge is driven between them after she starts spending time with Day. Part 1 of the novel ends with Thomas shooting Day’s mother without hesitation, and although June understands on some level that orders are not to be questioned in the Republic’s military, she is still horrified that Thomas would commit such a senseless act of violence. She realizes that Thomas is not the person she wants to align with anymore, which signals a shift in their relationship.

“Some small part of me wants to smile at the sight, to feel the joy of avenging my brother’s death. I pause, but the feeling doesn’t come.”

June finally gets what she wants: Day is in custody, and her brother’s alleged murderer has been caught. However, June never wanted to hurt anyone innocent in the process. It wasn’t her goal to punish Day’s friends or family, and when his mother is killed, June struggles to process her feelings. She feels empty, sick, and ultimately unfulfilled. June may not have been the one to pull the trigger, but she ultimately led a murderer to the home of Day’s family, so she feels personally responsible.

“Labor camps. Yeah, right, and the Elector is fairly elected every term, too. This girl either actually believes all that made-up crap or she’s taunting me.”

While there have been hints throughout the novel that the Republic is not who they say they are, Day’s comment here is interesting. He realizes that June isn’t aware of what her beloved Republic does to its people. June thinks she is on the right side of history, and Day understands that it will take a lot of convincing to sway her long-held beliefs about the country she serves.

“Day didn’t fail his Trial. [...] I am no longer the Republic’s only prodigy with a perfect score.”

This line and the preceding passages offer one of the most significant plot twists in the novel. The reader was led to believe that Day failed his Trial, but with the news of his perfect score, new questions arise. Why would the Republic try to make a prodigy disappear? And what else are they lying about? This discovery drives even deeper cracks into June’s lifelong beliefs.

“I’m supposed to hate you for what you did [...]. But her eyes linger on me in a way that refuses to let me.”

June and Day share an instant connection that makes it difficult for them to be angry with one another. When June realizes that the boy she just kissed was Day, she tries to remind herself to hate him, but her mind is already questioning his supposed role in her brother’s death. Day knows that he should hate June for leading the plague patrol to his family’s house and getting his mother killed, but he cares for her so much, and he understands what it is like to want to avenge a loved one. These two may come from different worlds, but they understand one another deeply.

“You think the Republic is intentionally poisoning people?”

When Day tells June his suspicions about the Republic pumping the plague into the poor sectors, she scoffs at the idea. After all, the plague has never directly touched her life. She has always been safe in Ruby sector, and she has always been vaccinated and had access to medicine should she need it. June quickly dismisses this claim until her brother confirms it in his blog.

“Unless they saw something dangerous in him. Some defiant spark, the same rebellious spirit he has now. Something that made them think it’d be riskier to educate him than to sacrifice his possible contributions to society.”

June cannot understand why a prodigy would be treated how Day was. After all, she has been celebrated and praised throughout her life for her perfect Trial score. June was always told that she was special, and that is why she has so many good things in her life. However, her worldview begins to shatter when she learns that Day was just as prodigious and treated like a lab rat. Why was Day not given the same opportunities? And is the Republic afraid of people like him?

“Metias would kill you for this, Thomas, if he were alive.”

After Metias’s death, Thomas tries to step in and become June’s new Metias. Like Metias, Thomas is protective and comforting, but June soon discovers that Thomas’s kindness is a veneer to cover up his cruelty. Thomas and Metias used to be friends, and when June realizes that Thomas killed her brother, she knows that the two men couldn’t be more different. Metias was noble, and Thomas is a sadistic coward.

“I’m from a poor sector too. But I followed the rules. I worked my way up, I earned my country’s respect.”

Like Day, Thomas came from an underprivileged sector. Neither of his parents made much money, and they died when he was young. But his Trial score was good, and Metias pushed for him to be given a chance. Although Thomas prides himself on rising above his circumstances, he fails to realize that Day scored even higher than he did, and he was thrown into a nightmare as a result.

“He said he’d keep it a secret. I think I can trust him.”

When Metias writes these fateful words in his blog post, he truly believes that Thomas is his friend. Metias, ever the trusting optimist, failed to see the warning signs that Thomas would betray him. Metias is nervous about anyone knowing his plans, but he decides to put his faith in Thomas as he did when he requested him for his patrol. Unfortunately, Thomas’s patriotism won out in the end, and he decides to kill someone who trusted him and saw the good in him.

“I want justice. And I want to free the boy who didn’t kill my brother.”

In the novel's final chapters, June’s trajectory has radically altered. In Chapter 2, she thinks only of catching Day, joining the Republic’s military, and maybe dating Thomas. By Chapter 34, however, June wants to ensure justice is served and Day is protected from an unfair execution. June knows the truth and is determined to act on it regardless of the cost.