Quotes from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“Keep at it, Junebug—someday, you’ll shake the Republic to its very core. You’ll be absolutely unforgettable. I know it.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“When you’ve been poor all your life, you never really think it could be any other way. And sometimes you’re even happy, because at least you’ve got your family and your health and your arms and legs and a roof over your head.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“The things that make you special will give you all kinds of advantages in life, but they will also hold you back and expose your weaknesses.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“Everything good about me, I learned from you,” I whisper. “You’re giving me too much credit. We got it from our parents.” Metias chuckles a little. It’s a sad sound. There’s another long, ten-second pause before he goes on. “You’ll find your tribe,” he says. “We all do. Someday, someone out there will see you for the girl you really are. Someday, you’ll find someone who understands you.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“At least you understand me.” He raises an eyebrow again. “Sometimes.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“I bet the Republic hasn't seen the last of you.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“Someday, someone out there will see you for the girl you really are. Someday, you’ll find someone who understands you.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“Poor Metias. He’s not supposed to be a father. He’s supposed to be out on his own, independent and free to concentrate on his job as a young captain. But somebody has to take care of me, and I make his life so much harder than it needs to be. I wonder what things must have been like for him back when our parents were still alive, when I was a toddler and Metias was a teenager and he could focus on growing up instead of helping someone else grow up. Still, Metias hasn’t complained once. Not a single time. And even though I wish our parents were here, sometimes I’m really happy that this is our little family unit, just me and my brother, each watching out for no one but the other. We do the best we can.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“My brother reaches out and taps my forehead gently. "Behind that brain of yours is a good heart, Junebug. I see it every day.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the great Republic of America, to our Elector Primo, to our glorious states, to unity against the Colonies, to our impending victory!”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“Ugh,” I snort in disgust. No doubt that girl’s some goddy rich trot living the sweet life farther inland, in one of LA’s upper-class sectors. Who cares what she scored on her Trial? The whole test is rigged in favor of the wealthy kids, anyway, and she’s probably just someone with average smarts who bought her high score.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“Thank you,” she says. “You’re a good kid. I bet the Republic hasn’t seen the last of you.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“Love you too. Keep at it, Junebug—someday, you’ll shake the Republic to its very core. You’ll be absolutely unforgettable. I know it.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“TWELVE-YEAR-OLD TRIAL PRODIGY JUNE IPARIS BECOMES YOUNGEST STUDENT EVER ADMITTED TO DRAKE UNIVERSITY, TO BE OFFICIALLY INDUCTED NEXT WEEK.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“Your strengths might make you hard to approach, and might make your words sound uglier than what you actually mean, but they also make people look up to you.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

“WHAT’S WITH ALL THIS TRAFFIC?” I ASK MY BROTHER. Metias leans forward in the driver’s seat and cranes his neck.”
― Marie Lu, quote from Life Before Legend: Stories of the Criminal and the Prodigy

About the author

Popular quotes

“– Csak kíváncsiságból, tudod, mi az a
színészet?
– Frászt.
– Gondoltam.
– Nem értem, mi a jelentősége. Az ilyen filmekben csak seggeket kell szétrúgni és nőket
levetkőztetni. A fenébe is, nyolcéves korom óta ezt csinálom.”
― Susan Elizabeth Phillips, quote from Heaven, Texas

“In spite of this universal plunge toward matrimony, I still haven’t lost my senses. If worse comes to worse, I still know how to run.”
― David Eddings, quote from Enchanters' End Game

“Then I went back into the house and wrote, It is midnight. The rain is beating on the windows. It was not midnight. It was not raining.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable

“A Woman's Question

Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing
Ever made by the Hand above?
A woman's heart, and a woman's life---
And a woman's wonderful love.

Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing
As a child might ask for a toy?
Demanding what others have died to win,
With a reckless dash of boy.

You have written my lesson of duty out,
Manlike, you have questioned me.
Now stand at the bars of my woman's soul
Until I shall question thee.

You require your mutton shall always be hot,
Your socks and your shirt be whole;
I require your heart be true as God's stars
And as pure as His heaven your soul.

You require a cook for your mutton and beef,
I require a far greater thing;
A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts---
I look for a man and a king.

A king for the beautiful realm called Home,
And a man that his Maker, God,
Shall look upon as He did on the first
And say: "It is very good."

I am fair and young, but the rose may fade
From this soft young cheek one day;
Will you love me then 'mid the falling leaves,
As you did 'mong the blossoms of May?

Is your heart an ocean so strong and true,
I may launch my all on its tide?
A loving woman finds heaven or hell
On the day she is made a bride.

I require all things that are grand and true,
All things that a man should be;
If you give this all, I would stake my life
To be all you demand of me.

If you cannot be this, a laundress and cook
You can hire and little to pay;
But a woman's heart and a woman's life
Are not to be won that way.”
― Joshua Harris, quote from I Kissed Dating Goodbye: A New Attitude Toward Relationships and Romance

“I don't know if it's a good idea to give a woman a box of bullets when she's got a pimple.”
― Janet Evanovich, quote from Hot Six

Interesting books

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.