Book Review of Rebel

 Book review of Rebel by Marie Lu

Rebel by Marie Lu is the bonus fourth book of her Legend trilogy (an amazing series starring protagonists Daniel/Day and June, who uncover secrets regarding their country’s corrupt government and work together to make things right). Rebel focuses highly on Daniel’s relationship with his little brother, Eden. Rebel is set in Antarctica (not North America like the previous books) about a decade after book three, Champion. Antarctica uses a level system, where being good helps increase your level, giving you more rights, and being bad decreases your level, reducing your rights. But, as shown through a few examples Lu includes in the story, the system is kind of flawed. 

As revealed in Rebel, Daniel becomes a famous AIS (or Antarctica Intelligence Service) Agent and is working to hunt down Dominic Hann, a notorious criminal. Daniel is also overprotective of Eden, and he tends to overlook his brother’s struggles. Eden, on the other hand, is a brilliant student and inventor, but most people know him only as Daniel’s little brother, which annoys him greatly.

In the story, Eden and his best friend, Pressa, sneak out to the dangerous Undercity to gamble in illegal drone races for large amounts of cash to buy some expensive medicine for Pressa’s ill dad (since her dad isn’t high enough level to get proper treatment). His drone’s fantastic performance attracts the attention of Dominic Hann, who wants to use the engine’s design to help him with his grand project in changing the Level System. Daniel sees what's going on while hunting Hann and quickly gets Eden out of there. The following events soon get very scary and dangerous, and the two completely dissimilar brothers must work together to fix things.

I was obsessed with this book when I first read it three years ago, and yes I still am obsessed. Reading Lu’s clear, detailed writing felt like watching a good four-dimensional film because it is so easy to feel and visualize everything she states. In addition, not only is the plot suspenseful and action packed, but this sibling-relationship themed book is also really sweet. Eden and Daniel are fantastic, dynamic individuals, but together they are fire. The Level System is so well thought out; it’s a league of its own. I would highly recommend you read Rebel, after reading the amazing Legend trilogy first of course. My overall rating for Rebel would be a 5/5.

-Kaylee Z