{Blog Tour} - Reboot and Rebel Series Review

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Series: Reboot #1

Published by Allen and Unwin 

Format Reviewed: Paperback

Publication Date: June 2103

Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopia

Pages: 384

Reviewed by: Eugenia

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Buy it

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. 

Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation). Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him.

Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum. The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

With so many dystopian YA novels out there, it can be difficult finding something that stands out from the crowd and really goes all-out to impress. I'm happy to say that Reboot did just that, and with its thrilling storyline, strong main character and a romance that actually works, this is a book that I would definitely be recommending.

It was true that all Reboots were attractive, in a way. After death, when the virus took hold and the body Rebooted, the skin cleared, the body sharpened, the eyes glowed. It was like pretty with a hint of deranged.
Although my hint was more like a generous serving.

Told from Wren-one-seventy-eight's perspective, the story follows her journey as she experiences life in the Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation (HARC) facility and chooses to train the much more human Callum-twenty two. The less time it takes for a person to reboot after they die, the more humanity they retain, leaving Wren to be the least emotional one in the whole facility. Going on missions for the agency to capture or kill those affected by the virus, she can be one lethal weapon. When she meets Callum though, it might seem that she is hiding a heart somewhere inside her tough outer shell.

What I found to be immediately engaging was the world building from the very start of the novel. This is essential in a novel like this, and it really came through well to set the scene for the rest of the novel well. It didn't take away from the story, but was enough at the beginning to let me know what was really going on in this society. The concept of having these 'reboots' come back to life in the first place was also really unique, and since I haven't come across something like this before in such a diverse genre, it was a refreshing touch.

Another aspect which I loved was the action - this is a novel which doesn't shy away from the violence or more intense scenes, which made it an exhilarating read. There was no point while I was going along that I was ever bored, and there was always something new to discover or come to the surface.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, with a budding romance and action-packed plot, Reboot was a fantastic dystopian read. I would definitely be recommending this if you're looking for a thrill and addictive novel.

Rebel by Amy Tintera

Series: Reboot #2

Published by Allen and Unwin 

Format Reviewed: Paperback

Publication Date: 5th June 2014

Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopia

Pages: 352

Reviewed by: Eugenia

My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Buy it

Wren Connolly thought she'd left her human side behind when she died five years ago and came back 178 minutes later as a Reboot. With her new abilities of strength, speed and healing - along with a lack of emotions - Wren 178 became the perfect soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation). T

hen Callum 22 came along and changed everything. Now that they've both escaped, they're ready to start a new life in peace on the Reboot Reservation. But Micah 163, the Reboot running the reservation, has darker plans in mind: to wipe out the humans. All of them. Micah has been building a Reboot army for years and is now ready to launch his attack on the cities. 

Callum wants to stick around and protect the humans. Wren wants nothing more than to leave all the fighting behind them. With Micah on one side, HARC on the other, and Wren and Callum at odds in the middle, there is only one option left... It's time for Reboots to become rebels

Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Do you want me to describe this book in five words? Well how about I do it in one - wow.

She stood completely still next to me, staring straight ahead with that look she got sometimes, like she was either happy or plotting to kill someone. Either way, I loved that look.

Rebel was a fantastic conclusion to the Reboot series. With all the action, suspense and romance that was in the first book and amplified, it definitely ticked pretty much all the boxes. While I may have been able to pick out a few of the major events that were going to happen, I still really loved this series and it definitely makes the shelf in my opinion with some of the 'greats' in the YA sci-fi/dystopian genre.

If you've read Reboot and are going into this one straight away then it's really easy to get into since it starts right where it left off. Joining the rebels at the camp, Wren and Callum are hoping to start a new life away from all the chaos. However, the leader Micah has other ideas, and wants to obliterate all the humans which had caused them so much trouble in the first place. With two organisations fighting for control and Wren and Callum struggling to find a balance, it's no doubt that some action is going to go down.

What makes this installment different to Reboot and adds that 'extra dimension' if you like, is the fact that in this novel we get to see Callum's take and POV on things. It's always so interesting to see another main character's opinion on certain events that are happening, and especially how he came to think about Wren. It gave greater insight into their relationship and made the book even more engrossing. I love how Wren still kept her badass attitude, but went through a lot of character development in this book too. She's a really complex protagonist, and it was great to explore how she changed.

If you think the first book had action, then this one had a whole lot more. It really helped to keep it fast-paced and reflected the world around the characters with the chaos that was unfolding. The scenes are written to make it clear in your mind what is happening, almost as if you were watching everything play out on a screen.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this series in its entirety. Rebel was a fantastic sequel to its predecessor, and delivered on all the bases which had been set. After loving these books, I can't wait to see what Amy Tintera will write next!