Sparkles and Lightning

*****FINAL RATING: 4.80 STARS*****CATCHALLI absolutely loved this book. I started reading it nearly the second I finished Legend, eager to dive into this book. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. Just like Legend, it gripped me from the very beginning. And in some ways, the connection felt deeper. Though I loved the first book, Prodigy has a more solid, real feel to it, almost like I could turn to my window and see June and Day just outside. That sounds way cheesier than I intended, but it's true.THE HERODAYDay lets himself be ruled by his emotions–which isn't a trait we commonly associate with guys. Instead of thinking things through he's often impulsive and while this often gets him into trouble it shows how earnest he is. He's sweet and genuine but throughout the book he slowly starts to learn that you can't always go by what your emotions dictate. It's a heartbreaking lesson, but he believes he's learning it for the best. I love that the street kid in his has never been fully tamed, and that he's still a little bit wild. But at the same time, he's a far cry from the character we first met.THE HEROINEJUNEJune is in many ways Day's opposite. She's calculating without trying to be, simply because that's the way she was educated. Even when she wants something desperately she forced herself to take a step back from the situation and look at it from a different angle. On one hand it's something to admire but on the other it is one of the things that causes so many problems for her. She definitely makes a lot of development in herself by the end of this book, but then she decides that it is better for her to act as she always did in the end.THE PLOTProdigy doesn't give you a chance to warm up to the story before launching right into the action. From page one, there are scarcely any breaks. Instead, it moves at a brisk pace, already prepared.A few times I was annoyed by Tess and her appearance. I find her annoying as hell, and she seemed to exist for the sole reason of trying to seduce Day. It irritated the living daylights out of me and made me want to punch her in this face. So, I just had to get that out of the way.There's more romance in this book than there was in the last, and while it's an important part of the story, it is by no means the entire story. June and Day grow separately and together, but they're always working mostly towards a better government and a safer environment. The romance is present, but it ins't everything.There's definitely a ton of action in this book, just like there was in the last. And yet, character development isn't ignored. It's an extremely well-balanced book, which is probably one of the main things that makes it so fantastic.There's tons of suspense, and though there were some things I could guess there were still myriad plot twists that I didn't see coming. It kept me immersed, and the world Marie has built only expanded in this second installment.THE ROMANCEDay isn't afraid to put his heart out in the open. He thinks something, he says it. June is far different, taking a more practical approach to things, something that doesn't seem to work out for her. They truly care about each other, but there's something holding them back. Moreover, there are outside forces that seem determined to tear them apart. For a long time, they stand firmly together. But how long can that kind of love last, where they both have such different ideas of what their relationship should be? Oh, and two more words: bathroom scene.THE WRITINGThe writing was sheer gorgeousness is book one, so gorgeous that I honestly didn't believe it could get much better. As it turns out, I was wrong. In Prodigy Marie's writing has improved still more from the last book. For starters, her word choice is more sophisticated, but still manages to suit the characters' images. She doesn't seem to overthink things and it flows naturally. Her description is fabulous and although Day occasionally sounds a tad girlish overall Marie does a lovely job with them.THE ENDINGI strongly suspect Marie is trying to kill us. Not only did the ending rip my heart out, but it tore it to shreds and then stomped on it. Oh, god, you do not end a book this way. It's cruel. It's unfair. It's torturous. But it's genius. I absolutely know why she ended it this way, even though it kills me to admit that. There were so, so, so many feels at the close of this novel, and they ever really quite faded all the way.WRAPUPI think it's pretty safe to say that I am officially in the Marie Lu fan club. With first Legend and now Prodigy, she has managed to take my heart and hold it in her hand. I am definitely going to be reading the third book, Champion, and I'll definitely be keeping up with whatever she puts out after this trilogy. I would absolutely recommend this to fans of Legend, and if you haven't started this series yet then what are you waiting for?FINE.Find more of my reviews on Sparkles and Lightning!