Dystopian YA is one of my favourite genres...and that is probably why I can't give this book 5 stars. 
 This book gave me everything I needed and expected from it's genre. There was a good mix of heartbreak, love, lust, humour, grief, sorrow and everything in between. The problem was that I felt like I was just reading an amalgamation of everything I have already read before. It was a good amalgamation but an amalgamation nonetheless. A certain staleness permeated this book and I couldn't shake the many references and comparisons I drew to the other powerhouses in this category. 
 My initial thought was to give this book 3 stars but I am currently just over half way through Prodigy (the 2nd book in the trilogy) as I am writing this and it is this book's saving grace! It is a far superior read, in my humble opinion, and I would happily reread Legend 100 times over just to read this book again. I feel like the author has undergone a huge maturation in her writing skill and there is such a noticeable difference in the quality of each book. I can't wait to read the third installment.