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Reboot #1
Reboot
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.
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.
365 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2013
About the author
Amy Tintera
10 books5,047 followersAmy Tintera started writing novels as a kid during her middle school science classes, which probably explains why she has always been very bad at science. She is now the author of several novels for young adults, including Reboot, a Kids Indie Next pick and YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, the Ruined series, The Q, and All These Monsters, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection. Her novels have been translated into 16 languages and sold into more than 20 territories.
She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in media arts/screenwriting from Emerson College. She worked as a talent agency assistant in Hollywood before becoming an author. Raised in Austin, Texas, she frequently sets her novels in the Lone Star state, but she now lives in Los Angeles, where there's far less humidity, but not nearly enough Tex-Mex.
Her first novel for adults, Listen for the Lie, will be published March 5, 2024 by Celadon/Macmillan.
She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in media arts/screenwriting from Emerson College. She worked as a talent agency assistant in Hollywood before becoming an author. Raised in Austin, Texas, she frequently sets her novels in the Lone Star state, but she now lives in Los Angeles, where there's far less humidity, but not nearly enough Tex-Mex.
Her first novel for adults, Listen for the Lie, will be published March 5, 2024 by Celadon/Macmillan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,855 reviews
February 7, 2013
How many people here have watched/read something to do with a robot apocalypse where humans' obsession with technology comes back to bite them in the rear end? Where they create their own destruction in the form of a creature that is stronger or more intelligent than they are? I must have heard that story a million times. But what does it look like from the other side of the fence? What is it like to be an artificial human creation, made for the sole purpose of serving, of making human lives better? Viewed as less than a person and exterminated if you get too many of your own ideas?
The Reboots aren't exactly robots, but their story is similar. Set in a dismal future where the dead can be brought back to life and enslaved by humans, these "rebooted" individuals are given a number which is how many minutes they were dead before being brought back - the higher that number, the less humanity still lingers inside them. Wren 178 is the highest number and the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas, she is cold, emotionless and completely focused on following orders and completing the task at hand. That is... until a newbie with one of the lowest numbers she has ever seen arrives. Callum 22 was dead for such a short amount of time that he is almost human and, for the first time, he encourages Wren to challenge her beliefs, her worth and if she really wants to continue being a human slave forever.
This is a fascinating perspective on humanity and it looks at what it means to be human. You might find yourself never reading a robot apocalypse story in the same way again. Wren is such an interesting and conflicted character, torn between a multitude of unfamiliar emotions and what she has long-believed to be her duty. Tintera expertly develops Wren's relationships with Callum and Ever, the romance is gradual and sweet and Wren's friendship with the latter is told excellently. Wren and Ever are two very different Reboots but they are so important to one another, there were even a few moments that had me choked up.
As well as this, the story opens with a fast-paced action scene when Wren is out on an assignment and the novel continues to maintain this level of pulse-pounding excitement all the way through. The action scenes are vivid, gory and you yourself may feel breathless just reading them. I also thought the author timed the ending perfectly with just the right amount of closure and set-up for the second installment. I, for one, can't wait to see where she takes us next.
September 3, 2018
I WANT THIS BOOK.
Oh yesssssssss, I can't wait to read this!!
...
...
...
MAY 2013??????? Are you kidding me????
...
...
Ok, I'll wait.
...
...
...
THE END.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 28/02:
Dear Author, Dear Editor, please give me an arc.
I can't keep on waiting for this book...
PLEASE.
Oh yesssssssss, I can't wait to read this!!
...
...
...
MAY 2013??????? Are you kidding me????
...
...
Ok, I'll wait.
...
...
...
THE END.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 28/02:
Dear Author, Dear Editor, please give me an arc.
I can't keep on waiting for this book...
PLEASE.
November 22, 2023
When I first read the synopsis of this book I had to do a double take because I thought someone had written a biography about me....
Girl has no emotions, a bad case of resting bitch face, and hates everything...
Turns out it wasn't about me it was just about my new favorite fem heroine Wren! And yeah you guessed it Wren is a reboot. A reboot is when someone dies and comes back to life then becomes part of a government program where they are trained to basically be the new form of police. The thing about reboots is they are ranked by a number system, the longer you're dead the higher you are ranked. Your rank is tattooed on your wrist with a little bar-code. The longer you're dead means the less human emotions you come back with. With the lack of emotions your number also indicates the faster your healing ability is and be a better fighter you'll be.
Wren was dead 178 minutes after being shot in the chest. She is well known for having the highest reboot number in all of Texas. Oh and yeah she's been trained to live up to that number. In one scene she even talks about how she overcame her fear of gun by being repeatedly shot in the chest by her trainer.
Wren helps with the new recruits and only trains the higher ranking new reboots. She has the highest mission success rate, and she is a girl that doesn't break the rules... that is until a new recruit seems comes into the picture. (Que some Taylor Swift music because we knew this boy was trouble when he walked in.) Callum is the lowest ranking reboot sporting a number 22. After Callum decides to take a liking to Wren and convinces her to train her all the shizz hits the fan. Wren has to decide between this new odd feeling she has for the overly smiley Callum or the government in which she loves.
Reboot is the odd sort of book that pretends to be something it is not, and that's a good thing. This book tells you what it is from the get go and does the whole hiding in plain sight thing. You don't piece together the obvious till around the middle. This read was truly unexpected and was a random find for both Leah and I. Wren is the definition of a Bad Ass! She is hands down my favorite female in any ya book I've read. She's the kind of girl who kicks ass and takes names. She will pull your arms off then use them to beat you and anyone with you to death without even breaking a sweat. She really owns every fight seen that is written.The relationship between her and Callum is so amazing. Amy really wrote them to be complete opposites and I think that's why I love them so much. It's so rare in the books we read that the female doesn't become a strong character, that she already is one and the guy is leaning on her for support.
This book really was a sweet sixteen read. Just overall a good time.
Girl has no emotions, a bad case of resting bitch face, and hates everything...
Turns out it wasn't about me it was just about my new favorite fem heroine Wren! And yeah you guessed it Wren is a reboot. A reboot is when someone dies and comes back to life then becomes part of a government program where they are trained to basically be the new form of police. The thing about reboots is they are ranked by a number system, the longer you're dead the higher you are ranked. Your rank is tattooed on your wrist with a little bar-code. The longer you're dead means the less human emotions you come back with. With the lack of emotions your number also indicates the faster your healing ability is and be a better fighter you'll be.
Wren was dead 178 minutes after being shot in the chest. She is well known for having the highest reboot number in all of Texas. Oh and yeah she's been trained to live up to that number. In one scene she even talks about how she overcame her fear of gun by being repeatedly shot in the chest by her trainer.
Wren helps with the new recruits and only trains the higher ranking new reboots. She has the highest mission success rate, and she is a girl that doesn't break the rules... that is until a new recruit seems comes into the picture. (Que some Taylor Swift music because we knew this boy was trouble when he walked in.) Callum is the lowest ranking reboot sporting a number 22. After Callum decides to take a liking to Wren and convinces her to train her all the shizz hits the fan. Wren has to decide between this new odd feeling she has for the overly smiley Callum or the government in which she loves.
Reboot is the odd sort of book that pretends to be something it is not, and that's a good thing. This book tells you what it is from the get go and does the whole hiding in plain sight thing. You don't piece together the obvious till around the middle. This read was truly unexpected and was a random find for both Leah and I. Wren is the definition of a Bad Ass! She is hands down my favorite female in any ya book I've read. She's the kind of girl who kicks ass and takes names. She will pull your arms off then use them to beat you and anyone with you to death without even breaking a sweat. She really owns every fight seen that is written.The relationship between her and Callum is so amazing. Amy really wrote them to be complete opposites and I think that's why I love them so much. It's so rare in the books we read that the female doesn't become a strong character, that she already is one and the guy is leaning on her for support.
This book really was a sweet sixteen read. Just overall a good time.
June 27, 2013
This book had a great concept, but never lived up to its promise.
In the dystopian world in which the book is set, a disease causes some dead to reanimate into something stronger, faster, better. The "Reboots," as they're called, aren't considered human, and are persecuted, thus they're all but enslaved into doing the dirty work---like being bounty hunters and killers for the living humans. They work for a special branch named HARC, all of the Reboots living together, training together, each assigned with a number that indicates how long they were dead.
In this world is Wren, the best of the best. She is number 178, meaning she spent that long being dead before she became a Reboot. She is strongest, toughest, the number one reboot; as such, she is assigned tough cases and acts as a trainer for those newly dead and risen. I fully expected to love her character; from the description, she was supposed to be kick-ass, rational, unemotional, never letting her feelings (because reboots don't have much) get in the way.
The longer a Reboot is dead, the stronger they become, and the less "human," they are. They are less emotional, less feeling, more undaunted. As such, most reboots are feared, and the ones with the highest numbers are feared even more. Lower numbers are considered disposable; they're too weak and emotional to be of any long-term use. Adult Reboots don't make it, and are assigned to be killed, since they're too unstable mentally. Only children and teens are trained as Reboots working for HARC.
It took awhile for this, the backbone and the background to be given. As the book starts, we are immersed into an action scene right away, and not much is explain until well into the book. By then, I was quite confused and frustrated at what wasn't presented to me, and I still had questions that were unanswered, like do Reboots continue aging after they die? Why is it emphasized that higher numbers are considered so freakish, so terrifying, when really...almost 3 hours of death? That's not that long. That's not enough time for severe decomposition, probably not even rigor mortis. There's no smell of death after only three hours in a normal environment, yet Wren is so self-conscious about her time after death and others are so afraid of her because of it. It would make more sense if she had been dead for three days before rebooting, not hours.
Anyway, into this scenario comes Callum. Number 22. He's practically useless. He can't fight. He won't eat meat (Reboots need a LOT of food and energy to survive and do their various ass-kicking assignments), pokes around at a few pieces of food like a runway model on a diet.
He also giggles EVERY OTHER MOMENT. I swear that's all he does for the first half of the book, he laughs, he giggles, he smiles. He can't take anything seriously. He's not a prankster, but he brings to mind the type of person who just laughs their way through life, not taking anything seriously, even in the middle of a precarious situation.
Callum is afraid to fight, he's almost a pacifist, and given his low number, he is absolutely terrible at actually fighting and staying upright. He disobeys orders because he can't stomach the violence. He is the most useless piece of you-know-what, the dumbest, most TSTL male in YA I've ever read besides for Calder-the-terrible-merman in Lies Beneath.
Besides the confusing plot, this had the potential to be a great sci-fi dystopian novel, but nope. Callum completely wrecked it for me. He effectually ruined Wren for me, too. I could not understand how such a normally cold, unfeeling, butt-kicking Reboot like her could fall so easily and uncharacteristically for someone like Callum, particularly when she is inherently unfeeling and inhuman, at such a high Reboot number. I just don't buy the romance at all.
The rest of the book is comprised of a halfhearted plot about escaping the HARC project and involves a mysterious experiment being performed on the weaker Reboots. I just couldn't really follow the plot. The writing was alright, but not engrossing enough to hold my attention, and it took me well over a week, reading a little bit at a time before I could finish the book. I would not recommend this.
In the dystopian world in which the book is set, a disease causes some dead to reanimate into something stronger, faster, better. The "Reboots," as they're called, aren't considered human, and are persecuted, thus they're all but enslaved into doing the dirty work---like being bounty hunters and killers for the living humans. They work for a special branch named HARC, all of the Reboots living together, training together, each assigned with a number that indicates how long they were dead.
In this world is Wren, the best of the best. She is number 178, meaning she spent that long being dead before she became a Reboot. She is strongest, toughest, the number one reboot; as such, she is assigned tough cases and acts as a trainer for those newly dead and risen. I fully expected to love her character; from the description, she was supposed to be kick-ass, rational, unemotional, never letting her feelings (because reboots don't have much) get in the way.
The longer a Reboot is dead, the stronger they become, and the less "human," they are. They are less emotional, less feeling, more undaunted. As such, most reboots are feared, and the ones with the highest numbers are feared even more. Lower numbers are considered disposable; they're too weak and emotional to be of any long-term use. Adult Reboots don't make it, and are assigned to be killed, since they're too unstable mentally. Only children and teens are trained as Reboots working for HARC.
It took awhile for this, the backbone and the background to be given. As the book starts, we are immersed into an action scene right away, and not much is explain until well into the book. By then, I was quite confused and frustrated at what wasn't presented to me, and I still had questions that were unanswered, like do Reboots continue aging after they die? Why is it emphasized that higher numbers are considered so freakish, so terrifying, when really...almost 3 hours of death? That's not that long. That's not enough time for severe decomposition, probably not even rigor mortis. There's no smell of death after only three hours in a normal environment, yet Wren is so self-conscious about her time after death and others are so afraid of her because of it. It would make more sense if she had been dead for three days before rebooting, not hours.
Anyway, into this scenario comes Callum. Number 22. He's practically useless. He can't fight. He won't eat meat (Reboots need a LOT of food and energy to survive and do their various ass-kicking assignments), pokes around at a few pieces of food like a runway model on a diet.
"Just eat it and quit bitching about it," Lissy snapped from a few seats down.You tell him, Lissy!
He also giggles EVERY OTHER MOMENT. I swear that's all he does for the first half of the book, he laughs, he giggles, he smiles. He can't take anything seriously. He's not a prankster, but he brings to mind the type of person who just laughs their way through life, not taking anything seriously, even in the middle of a precarious situation.
My eyes shifted back to his face to see a smile spreading across his lips. Why was he smiling? This didn’t seem like an appropriate time to be smiling.And...
...when he caught me looking a smile broke out on his face, followed by a pout.He pouts, he smiles, his eyes sparkles, he winks. I want to strangle him.
Callum is afraid to fight, he's almost a pacifist, and given his low number, he is absolutely terrible at actually fighting and staying upright. He disobeys orders because he can't stomach the violence. He is the most useless piece of you-know-what, the dumbest, most TSTL male in YA I've ever read besides for Calder-the-terrible-merman in Lies Beneath.
Besides the confusing plot, this had the potential to be a great sci-fi dystopian novel, but nope. Callum completely wrecked it for me. He effectually ruined Wren for me, too. I could not understand how such a normally cold, unfeeling, butt-kicking Reboot like her could fall so easily and uncharacteristically for someone like Callum, particularly when she is inherently unfeeling and inhuman, at such a high Reboot number. I just don't buy the romance at all.
The rest of the book is comprised of a halfhearted plot about escaping the HARC project and involves a mysterious experiment being performed on the weaker Reboots. I just couldn't really follow the plot. The writing was alright, but not engrossing enough to hold my attention, and it took me well over a week, reading a little bit at a time before I could finish the book. I would not recommend this.
May 14, 2013
DNF at 54%. I think that warrants a rating and a review.
I do not get this book. At all. It's also hyped to be the next Divergent, and as much as I didn't really love that series, it was far and significantly better. This one is simply full of clichés that I hate in mediocre YA books and inconsistencies that would put certain politicians to shame. I'm really trying hard to find a reason to give this book at least a two, but so far, I've come up with none. Nada. Zero. Zilch. It was a painful struggle from the very beginning, in which I just plunged deeper into the mud page after page, until I called it quits at 54%, because, you know, I don't want to die in the mud x= . But also because it felt like punishing myself when I didn't do anything wrong.
So why did I toss it in the DNF file? Here's why:
First and foremost, the most infuriating factor of all, the heroine. She was not only annoying and boring, she was also inconsistent. Wren is a reboot that woke up the longest - 178 minutes, to be exact - and she tells us this resulted in someone who's void of any human feelings and is therefore an empty shell. She tells us she's the best among her peers, and she attributes this to her being emotionless. But I find that very hard to believe when the girl keeps on blushing every time the love interest, a twenty-two joe with no redeeming qualities whatsoever who she describes as still very human, touches her and gazes at her. Not only that, we find her being angry all the time, sad all the time, guilty all the time, and of course overwhelmed-by-her-desire-to-kiss-the-love-interest all the time.
YES. I USUALLY DON'T USE GIFS BUT I NEED ONE THIS TIME TO EMPHASIZE THE WHAT-THE-FUCK-NESS OF THIS SITUATION.
GIRL, WHAT THE FLYING FUCK?
You're considered the mofo of this corporation, the terminator devoid of all things human, Rambo personified, pretty much Bruce Lee x Chuck Norris x Arnold Schwarzenegger during the days when he still didn't have man-boobs, and you falter and go woozy over a guy who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?! As you said, the higher the number, the emotionless you are, the lower, the more human feelings you retain, but bro, it seems to me you're more human than this average joe who keeps on smiling all the time over fricking nothing! Gosh. She made me so angry. The inconsistency was just damning. Insta-love at its finest, and an insta-love that didn't make any fucking sense. I couldn't help but wince every time she felt like tipping her toes, because, you know, she's so small (but terrible), in order to reach those oh-so-beautiful lips! HOW MESMERIZING. *gag*
The love interest, Callum, like I said, was average, boring, and a freaking failure in his role to be the voice of reason between the two. So, this guy is introduced to us as the lowest Reboot, having woken up in only twenty-two minutes. He's described as still being human and all that, and because of this, he's almost always the one who tries to be the higher person when it comes to situations that challenge their morals. "No, I will not kill someone!" "No, I will not allow them to transform me into a monster!" "No, I will not look at your chest because I'm more than that!" "No, I will not hit a girl!" Yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. It would've been fine, but his character and delivery were just SO bland. There was no charisma, there was no sense of conviction behind the words, it didn't feel natural. THERE. It felt like he was forcefully put there because you know, someone needs to tame the terminator of the group, right? I literally cringe everytime he goes happy-go-lucky with his supposed to be inspirational and encouraging lines that only felt like being grated by a cheese grater. BEHOLD AND PREPARE TO CRINGE:
NEED I SAY MORE?????
In the 54% that I read, it felt like everything else centered on their romance, and I've read enough to know that the rest won't be any different. It felt like the story only moved because the heroine only wanted to save her guy, not seeing the bigger and greater picture. Why do you even want to save this dude, anyway? x_x It felt like reading Obsidian, with all the focus on the two and whatnot, that it just felt disappointing. I read other reviews and they said later on there will a lot of kissing, and honestly, I don't want to read a smoochfest, I want to read a kickass dystopian YA book! RAWR!!!
World-building was lacking, too, and it left me totally dissatisfied. As other reviews here have stated, it felt like we were put in the middle of a situation and not given enough elaboration. There are some, but I could hardly call explanations as they were mostly passing. There was this scene where we find out Adult Reboots are crazier and more dangerous than teen ones, and the only reasons we get for that are (non-verbatim): "their brains are more fully formed" and "us teens are more adapted to change as we always go with the flow". Full of plotholes bigger than "yo mama's so fat" jokes.
Sigh.
The narration was also, in my observation, an all-tell-no-show style. I didn't feel connected enough to any of the characters as I'm always told what they kept on doing every fricking second. It felt like if they moved their hand one inch to the left, it would have been included. Example:
YAAAAAAAAAAAWN. Are we there yet, mom?
Seriously, the narration bored me to tears. Where are the feelings? Where are the thoughts of the heroine? I want to know her more! She tells me she's sad, then show me! She tells me she's angry, then show me! How did it make you feel during this scene? I don't want to know what she did, I want to know what she felt (oops, she was emotionless, wasn't she?), what she thought. I don't need to know what she's doing every minute, every second. That's completely unnecessary.
Overall, I don't recommend this book. At all. Especially if you're looking for a dystopian YA read. There are better books out there with more substance, with more character development, and an even more credible romance. Sorry, book, but 'tis the truth.
Final Verdict: 1/5 stars
Read this and my other reviews over at The Social Potato!
I do not get this book. At all. It's also hyped to be the next Divergent, and as much as I didn't really love that series, it was far and significantly better. This one is simply full of clichés that I hate in mediocre YA books and inconsistencies that would put certain politicians to shame. I'm really trying hard to find a reason to give this book at least a two, but so far, I've come up with none. Nada. Zero. Zilch. It was a painful struggle from the very beginning, in which I just plunged deeper into the mud page after page, until I called it quits at 54%, because, you know, I don't want to die in the mud x= . But also because it felt like punishing myself when I didn't do anything wrong.
So why did I toss it in the DNF file? Here's why:
First and foremost, the most infuriating factor of all, the heroine. She was not only annoying and boring, she was also inconsistent. Wren is a reboot that woke up the longest - 178 minutes, to be exact - and she tells us this resulted in someone who's void of any human feelings and is therefore an empty shell. She tells us she's the best among her peers, and she attributes this to her being emotionless. But I find that very hard to believe when the girl keeps on blushing every time the love interest, a twenty-two joe with no redeeming qualities whatsoever who she describes as still very human, touches her and gazes at her. Not only that, we find her being angry all the time, sad all the time, guilty all the time, and of course overwhelmed-by-her-desire-to-kiss-the-love-interest all the time.
YES. I USUALLY DON'T USE GIFS BUT I NEED ONE THIS TIME TO EMPHASIZE THE WHAT-THE-FUCK-NESS OF THIS SITUATION.
GIRL, WHAT THE FLYING FUCK?
You're considered the mofo of this corporation, the terminator devoid of all things human, Rambo personified, pretty much Bruce Lee x Chuck Norris x Arnold Schwarzenegger during the days when he still didn't have man-boobs, and you falter and go woozy over a guy who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?! As you said, the higher the number, the emotionless you are, the lower, the more human feelings you retain, but bro, it seems to me you're more human than this average joe who keeps on smiling all the time over fricking nothing! Gosh. She made me so angry. The inconsistency was just damning. Insta-love at its finest, and an insta-love that didn't make any fucking sense. I couldn't help but wince every time she felt like tipping her toes, because, you know, she's so small (but terrible), in order to reach those oh-so-beautiful lips! HOW MESMERIZING. *gag*
The love interest, Callum, like I said, was average, boring, and a freaking failure in his role to be the voice of reason between the two. So, this guy is introduced to us as the lowest Reboot, having woken up in only twenty-two minutes. He's described as still being human and all that, and because of this, he's almost always the one who tries to be the higher person when it comes to situations that challenge their morals. "No, I will not kill someone!" "No, I will not allow them to transform me into a monster!" "No, I will not look at your chest because I'm more than that!" "No, I will not hit a girl!" Yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. It would've been fine, but his character and delivery were just SO bland. There was no charisma, there was no sense of conviction behind the words, it didn't feel natural. THERE. It felt like he was forcefully put there because you know, someone needs to tame the terminator of the group, right? I literally cringe everytime he goes happy-go-lucky with his supposed to be inspirational and encouraging lines that only felt like being grated by a cheese grater. BEHOLD AND PREPARE TO CRINGE:
"Do it again," he said, bouncing up and down in happiness.
"Do what?"
"Laugh."
"Make you a deal. If you're able to punch me, I'll laugh."
"You're so weird."
NEED I SAY MORE?????
In the 54% that I read, it felt like everything else centered on their romance, and I've read enough to know that the rest won't be any different. It felt like the story only moved because the heroine only wanted to save her guy, not seeing the bigger and greater picture. Why do you even want to save this dude, anyway? x_x It felt like reading Obsidian, with all the focus on the two and whatnot, that it just felt disappointing. I read other reviews and they said later on there will a lot of kissing, and honestly, I don't want to read a smoochfest, I want to read a kickass dystopian YA book! RAWR!!!
World-building was lacking, too, and it left me totally dissatisfied. As other reviews here have stated, it felt like we were put in the middle of a situation and not given enough elaboration. There are some, but I could hardly call explanations as they were mostly passing. There was this scene where we find out Adult Reboots are crazier and more dangerous than teen ones, and the only reasons we get for that are (non-verbatim): "their brains are more fully formed" and "us teens are more adapted to change as we always go with the flow". Full of plotholes bigger than "yo mama's so fat" jokes.
Sigh.
The narration was also, in my observation, an all-tell-no-show style. I didn't feel connected enough to any of the characters as I'm always told what they kept on doing every fricking second. It felt like if they moved their hand one inch to the left, it would have been included. Example:
I buttoned my pants and sat down in a chair next to him, quickly strapping myself in. My hands shook as I folded them in my lap, and I glanced over to see Callum staring at them. I pressed them together tightly to make the shaking stop, but it didn't work.
Ever caught my eye when I raised my head, and gave me a sympathetic look that made the pressure in my chest worse, not better. I focused my gaze on my lap.
When the shuttle landed, I trailed out last. My trembling legs didn't work right anymore. I fell behind as the other Reboots marched across the roof and down the stairs.
Callum stood at the top of the stairs and waited, holding the door open for me. I gripped the rail as I wobbled down the stairs on my stupid little legs.
YAAAAAAAAAAAWN. Are we there yet, mom?
Seriously, the narration bored me to tears. Where are the feelings? Where are the thoughts of the heroine? I want to know her more! She tells me she's sad, then show me! She tells me she's angry, then show me! How did it make you feel during this scene? I don't want to know what she did, I want to know what she felt (oops, she was emotionless, wasn't she?), what she thought. I don't need to know what she's doing every minute, every second. That's completely unnecessary.
Overall, I don't recommend this book. At all. Especially if you're looking for a dystopian YA read. There are better books out there with more substance, with more character development, and an even more credible romance. Sorry, book, but 'tis the truth.
Final Verdict: 1/5 stars
Read this and my other reviews over at The Social Potato!
September 6, 2013
You can also read this review on Flying Kick-a-pow! Reviews.
2.5 Stars
I wrapped the leash around my hand and ignored her protests as I hauled her to her feet and dragged her down the street past the crumbling wooden shacks.
"It wasn't me! I didn't kill nobody!" Her movements became wild, almost convulsive, and I turned to glare at her.
"There's something human left in you, ain't there?" she asked, craning her neck to look at the number above the bar code on my wrist.
She froze. Her eyes flew from the 178 printed on my skin to my face and she let out another shriek.
No. There was no human left in me.
Summary:
17-year-old Wren Connolly died five years ago when she was shot in the chest three times. But after 178 minutes, she came back to life as a Reboot––a superhuman being with unnatural abilities of strength, speed, and healing. The longer it takes a Reboot to come back from the dead, the less human and emotional they become. Since it took Wren so long to Reboot, she has completely let go of who she used to be before she died. Now her duty is to be a ruthless soldier for HARC (the Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).
Part of Wren's job is training new Reboots, which is something she usually enjoys. But when newbie Callum Reyes is put under her training, she finds it to be her most difficult challenge yet. As only a 22, Callum is basically still human. And when his emotions cause him to refuse orders, Wren is given only one more chance to break him. If she doesn't, she'll have to be the one to kill him. But suddenly, Wren is starting to question HARC and her position as a soldier––and to complicate things even more, she's starting to feel truly alive for the first time since she Rebooted.
My thoughts:
Damn it, this book really let me down. I don't know why, but for some reason––despite the negative reviews I'd seen––I had really high hopes. I thought the idea of Reboots sounded like it could be really interesting. Plus I'm kind of a sucker for tough-girl/clueless-guy pairings.
On top of that, I really enjoyed this book when it first started out. Agh, it just had so much potential … and then, once it got into the second half, it went way downhill. God, I hate it so much when a book does this to me. Nothing's worse than a story that has such a great set-up and then fails at following through. I feel like going all Tyra Banks on this book.
But anyway, I guess it's time to get into the specifics.
What I liked:
- The actual idea of Reboots had some intriguing aspects. I liked the idea of a Reboot being more powerful the longer it took them to come back to life.
- I also liked the idea of Reboots having to go through this brutal training, getting horribly injured over and over again so that they would lose all emotion and get used to their unnatural healing abilities. I mean, you have all this messed up stuff with new Reboots constantly getting their arms broken by their trainers, getting shot over and over again, etc. It's a very dark concept––in a good way. It intrigued me.
- As I said before, I'm a fan of the whole badass-girl/clueless-guy romance trope. And while I wasn't a big fan of the romance in this book as a whole, I did at least like the set-up for it. I liked the idea of this hardcore girl having to train this guy who had no idea what he was doing.
What didn't work for me:
- Probably the biggest disappointment for me was the romance. As I was just saying, I really liked the idea of it––and for about the first half of the book, I enjoyed it for the most part. There was chemistry between Wren and Callum without it being overbearing, there was an interesting dynamic between them, etc. And then … it just started to get ridiculous.
For that first half of the book or so, Wren was all emotionless and tough, wasn't going to take any nonsense, so on and so forth. Then out of nowhere, she turned into a total sap. There wasn't really any development or in-between stage. One day it was like, "Ugh that stupid Callum I'm gonna punch that smile off his face that little bitch." And the next day it was, "OMG Callum that hottie I just wanna make out with him he's so cute a;kdjs;fj."
I just had such high hopes for the romance in this book, because it started off so well. I was hoping it would continue to go slowly and take some time to develop … ya know? But then out of nowhere, Wren and Callum start making out halfway through the book … and from then on out it's pretty much just one big kiss-fest. I mean, there was some action and violence here and there and all that jazz, but the corny romance kind of overshadowed the whole thing. Seriously, Wren and Callum spent so much freaking time kissing in this book, I swear to God. It may sound like a weird complaint, but like … I started to feel like it was every other sentence. At some point I was ready to start shaking my Kindle and scream, "STOP. KISSING."
I thought the first half was pretty exciting, but I got really bored in the second half. The romance was pretty poorly paced, and it just got too overbearing and mushy-gushy.
- So yes, I liked the basic concept of Reboots. But I didn't really like all the details. First of all, I was annoyed that there wasn't much of a good explanation as to why Reboots even existed in the first place. It was just kind of like, "Well, I dunno … one day people just started coming back from the dead like this. Because of … a virus.
There was also the fact that, when Reboots come back from the dead, for some reason they're more attractive than they were before.
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.
Uhhhh okay. How that would work on a scientific level … I don't even know. It just seemed a) too convenient, b) illogical, and c) unnecessary. I mean, why would you have to be more attractive in order to be a ruthless soldier … ? Beats me. There was even a part where Wren saw a picture of Callum before he died and she was like, "Hahaha I like you better as a sexy Reboot."
I just … Never mind, I don't have anything else to say about that.
- There was this rather contrived subplot in which scientists were experimenting on the newest Reboots, and these experiments were turning them into … crazy cannibals, I guess. It didn't make sense to me why these experiments were being done; I think it was just thrown in there to add something to the plot. But it didn't do much … besides make me smack myself in the forehead. It just came off as being rather silly, in my opinion.
- There was this one part that particularly pissed me off. To preface … Wren still has the scars from when she was killed. So basically, she still has these bullet wound marks all over her chest. She's really self-conscious about it––and therefore, she doesn't want anyone to see her shirtless. When Callum finds out about this, is he kind and understanding about it? Ummm…
"When we do have sex, there will be none of this keeping-your-shirt-on nonsense."
"But––"
"Nope, sorry. I don't care about the scars and neither should you. All or nothing."
[Long silence]
Oh lord, where to even begin here?
I have a feeling the author thought this was supposed to be sweet and romantic … and that's what disturbs me the most about it. And sure, if Callum had said something like, "Aww Wren, there's nothing wrong with your scars and I think you're beautiful," that would have been an improvement. But something rubs me the wrong way about him phrasing it the way he does, saying he "doesn't care" and "neither should you."
So … you "don't care" that your girlfriend was brutally shot to death and still bears the scars from it? And moreover, you're telling her she shouldn't care? She shouldn't care that the scars are a horrible reminder of a traumatic memory in which she and her parents were murdered? She shouldn't care? You do realize this is about way more than just what she looks like, right? And even if it was, so freaking what? IT'S HER BODY, GOD DAMN IT.
But what disgusts me even more is him calling her anxiety "nonsense" and saying that he'll refuse to have sex with her unless she agrees to take her shirt off. Just … wow, what a sick and douchey thing to say. If she is uncomfortable showing her scars, that's her damn business. Maybe someday, she'll learn to accept and love her scars and be comfortable with uncovering them––but if she doesn't want to, that's also fine. Need I repeat myself? IT. IS. HER. BODY.
I could go on and on about that one quote, but I'll just stop there.
- The writing itself was … iffy. Most of the time I didn't have much of a problem with it, but there were a lot of oddly/badly structured sentences.
He slid the door open and we marched out into the dark, a soft breeze ruffling my ponytail.
Errm so yeah, I think the subject of that sentence went missing somewhere … ?
Twenty-two stared, his lips parted, his neck pulsing strangely.
His neck did … what?
His eyes were big and round, like a puppy begging for a treat.
The way this sentence is constructed, it is saying that the puppy is big and round. Gosh, it's like some of these sentences came off the SATs … like, you know, those "Choose the correct sentence" things? Except these would be the incorrect ones.
The final word:
I really wanted to like Reboot––and I did like it, in the beginning. But it totally lost me somewhere along the way. What with the choppy pacing and poorly-developed romance, it failed to hook me in the end. I thought it was just okay, and I doubt I'll be picking up the sequel unless I hear really good things about it.
~ Flying Kick-a-pow! Reviews ~
June 18, 2015
La verdad es que no sé si es un libro de cuatro estrellas al cien por cien, pero voy a tratar de argumentarlo de una manera decente. He estado un rato pensando en qué puntuación se acerca más a lo que Reiniciados ofrece, y es que si es por originalidad, debería tener un cinco sobre cinco.
Reiniciados es una novela que tiene una premisa muy interesante y que la mantiene durante la novela. Estamos acosumbrados a novelas con buenas premisas que luego terminan siendo muy similares, pero en esta ocasión tenemos una historia con un aura de misterio constante, con mucha sangre, violencia, acción a más no poder y una trama de amor con un muy buen desarrollo que no se hace para nada pesada. Wren y Callum van acercándose más poco a poco, y la cuestión es que es un tipo de romance prohibido, pero más bien para ella. Wren es una Reiniciada apenas humana que apenas siente emociones, y el hecho de fijarse en Callum la va convirtiendo de nuevo en algo más humano, con sentimientos, preocupaciones y capaz de volver a sentir amor. Ese hecho de (llamémoslo) descongelación me ha dejado realmente sorprendido.
En sí, la trama aporta cosas interesantes al género distópico/postapocalíptico. Para que me entendáis: Reiniciados es una mezcla de las películas de Resident Evil, Divergente, Legend, Cenizas y Ángeles caídos. Además, tenía un tono ligeramente parecido a películas o novelas más clásicas dentro del género, y se agradece el poder comparar una novela con tantas cosas aun sabiendo que no se parecen. Porque sí, tiene semejanzas pero en todas estas comparaciones la novela se aleja.
Como digo, el romance está muy bien llevado y no es para nada pesado. La historia se centra en una cosa y así es durante toda la novela. La trama es más complicada de lo que parece, y tenemos lo típico de los rebeldes y los de arriba controlando, pero en este caso se introducen experimentos científicos, racismo y un par de elementos más que hacen que la historia vuelva a destacar y sea original. Reinicados es una novela arriesgada. Hablamos de escenas sobre sexo narradas sin tapujos, sangres, balas y torturas narradas al detalle (en serio, hay una página entera hablando sobre cómo meter dentro de la pierna un hueso que se ha salido o sea, es genial). El ritmo es endiabladamente adictivo, de verdad, ¡llevaba mucho tiempo sin engancharme así a una historia! En definitiva, recomiendo la novela. Ahora solo queda esperar a Rebeldes y ver si la trama y el personaje de Wren consiguen un poquito más de profundidad, que eso es quizá de lo que carece la historia.
Reiniciados es una novela que tiene una premisa muy interesante y que la mantiene durante la novela. Estamos acosumbrados a novelas con buenas premisas que luego terminan siendo muy similares, pero en esta ocasión tenemos una historia con un aura de misterio constante, con mucha sangre, violencia, acción a más no poder y una trama de amor con un muy buen desarrollo que no se hace para nada pesada. Wren y Callum van acercándose más poco a poco, y la cuestión es que es un tipo de romance prohibido, pero más bien para ella. Wren es una Reiniciada apenas humana que apenas siente emociones, y el hecho de fijarse en Callum la va convirtiendo de nuevo en algo más humano, con sentimientos, preocupaciones y capaz de volver a sentir amor. Ese hecho de (llamémoslo) descongelación me ha dejado realmente sorprendido.
En sí, la trama aporta cosas interesantes al género distópico/postapocalíptico. Para que me entendáis: Reiniciados es una mezcla de las películas de Resident Evil, Divergente, Legend, Cenizas y Ángeles caídos. Además, tenía un tono ligeramente parecido a películas o novelas más clásicas dentro del género, y se agradece el poder comparar una novela con tantas cosas aun sabiendo que no se parecen. Porque sí, tiene semejanzas pero en todas estas comparaciones la novela se aleja.
Como digo, el romance está muy bien llevado y no es para nada pesado. La historia se centra en una cosa y así es durante toda la novela. La trama es más complicada de lo que parece, y tenemos lo típico de los rebeldes y los de arriba controlando, pero en este caso se introducen experimentos científicos, racismo y un par de elementos más que hacen que la historia vuelva a destacar y sea original. Reinicados es una novela arriesgada. Hablamos de escenas sobre sexo narradas sin tapujos, sangres, balas y torturas narradas al detalle (en serio, hay una página entera hablando sobre cómo meter dentro de la pierna un hueso que se ha salido o sea, es genial). El ritmo es endiabladamente adictivo, de verdad, ¡llevaba mucho tiempo sin engancharme así a una historia! En definitiva, recomiendo la novela. Ahora solo queda esperar a Rebeldes y ver si la trama y el personaje de Wren consiguen un poquito más de profundidad, que eso es quizá de lo que carece la historia.
August 25, 2014
read the first page of this book and I was like, SUCKA SUCKA WHAAATT?!
It's gonna be good, dudes. Real good.
It's gonna be good, dudes. Real good.
May 20, 2014
Wait for it, I'm about to launch into some intense rambling!
Since I've started this, dare I say, YA Experiment of sorts. I've realised a few things about my reading habits. First of all, contrary to popular belief I am not a newbie when it comes to YA PNR, sci-fi and fantasy, once upon a time that used to be all I read, it's probably been about four years since I was strictly just a YA reader. But I will also add that the YA genre has changed a lot, for the better thank goodness. Back to my realisations: I've come to realise that I absolutely love Dystopia, as in I would cuddle with it, if it was possible. Secondly I can't say I'm much of a fantasy or mythology fan, yes there are the odd books in between but what really gets me going is futuristic, dystopian, government secrets, super powers and thriller type stories.
Now about the book: Reboot by Amy Tintera
While reading this book, I convinced myself that I was a Reboot and and to anyone who tried to tell me different, my reaction would have probably been something like this:
Tintera took Zombies and gave them an even more lethal twist! We're introduced to a Dystopian America, where disease, famine and poverty are rife, there are slums everywhere. We have the KDH virus, it's fatal, but there's this one little thing about it. If it kills you, you either die like any normal person would or you wake up (Reboot) the longer it takes for you to wake up, the more powerful you are as a Reboot. Wren aka 178, died when she was 12 years old, three bullets to the chest, she woke up 178 minutes later. She's the highest number in her facility and the most lethal. No one messes with her. That's until a new batch of newbies (fresh Reboots) arrive, and among them is Callum aka 22, he woke up after just 22 minutes, he's the weakest Reboot in the lot, which mean he's also the most human.
As you might have guessed, Humans fear what they do not understand. So basically Reboot have become enslaved, they now work for the humans doing their dirty work. Reboots have become a way for an organisation called HARC to control society. HARC portrays the Reboots as unfeeling monsters, who's only use is working protecting society even to their own detriment. Wren has never questioned her life as a Reboot in the facility, she's never had reason to. The life she remembers before she was a Reboot was filled with hunger, druggie parents and the filth of the slums, she's never known any better. Until her only frien, Ever starts showing weird symptoms. And with Callum in the picture, for the first time she thinks she may know what it feels like to be wanted. She begins to question how the humans see and treat her.
Sounds intense right? Well it was!
***WARNING: HERE BE INSTA_LOVE***
Their attraction is instant, uncanny. Seriously Callum was head over heels the instant he saw Wren and it was fucking cute! The amount of cuddling and kissing and adorable words that left Callum's mouth gave me little butterflies in my tummy. If this boy was real I would devour him, that's how sweet he was.
Reboot is jammed packed with action, mystery and romance. This is one of those books that could probably be an awesome movie! Reading this book was exciting and the writing was easy and flowed well. It sucked me right in, when I read a book I'd like to feel like I'm a part of the story instead of a bystander. I'm shameless, I'm gonna market this one and tell you, look even if you don't want to read it, if you have a teenager. Let her read it!
January 2, 2016
Buy this book HERE on Amazon
or buy this book HERE on BookDepository with FREE WORLDWIDE SHIIPPING
3 out of 5 stars (Please read my rating system further below). I just finished reading this title. Full review to come.
My rating system: (I do use half stars.)
5 - I do not use the 5 star. Not because a book might not be worthy, but because a book is never perfect.
4 - I loved it! There weren't too many flaws, and I had no trouble getting through it. (A 4 star rating is the highest rating I've ever given a book.)
3 - I enjoyed the book, but there we're flaws that made me enjoy it less.
2 - I finished the book, but there were too many flaws for me to enjoy it.
1 - I could not finish the book, and I probably did not finish it....
3 out of 5 stars (Please read my rating system further below). I just finished reading this title. Full review to come.
My rating system: (I do use half stars.)
5 - I do not use the 5 star. Not because a book might not be worthy, but because a book is never perfect.
4 - I loved it! There weren't too many flaws, and I had no trouble getting through it. (A 4 star rating is the highest rating I've ever given a book.)
3 - I enjoyed the book, but there we're flaws that made me enjoy it less.
2 - I finished the book, but there were too many flaws for me to enjoy it.
1 - I could not finish the book, and I probably did not finish it....
March 24, 2013
Review goes live on Book Brats on May 1st, 2013. Quotes are taken from the ARC edition and may change by the final printing.
There are books where the hype succeeds and the book is just as amazing as you’ve heard – and then some. And then there are books where the hype just doesn’t work and you’re left sad and shaking on the floor, wondering where things went wrong in your relationship. REBOOT was one of my most anticipated 2013 titles. Let’s just remember, though, that I have a very bad track record with picking debuts that appeal to me and then actually liking them.
When I finished REBOOT by Amy Tintera, closing my Kindle and turning it off, I stared at the wall and wondered, “Where did our relationship go wrong?”
A SUCCESSOR TO DIVERGENT
REBOOT has more in common with DIVERGENT than I expected going into it. The similarities are obvious – for one, it’s being released the week where Divergent 3 might have been released if it hadn’t been pushed back to fall (if I remember correctly, and my memory is shoddy). It is basically DIVERGENT if the members of Dauntless were zombies who could kick butt and take names. The writing is similar, as well, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your tastes.
REBOOT has several critical flaws which ruined the experience for me. Firstly, it favored romance as an explanation over the mythology of the world and the world building. There were plot holes and contrivances thanks to the romance. Secondly, it was extremely violent, to the point where it seemed to romanticize violence and killing for the sake of maintaining a character that had already begun to falter the moment her love interest appeared.
Following Wren 178, a Reboot who was dead 178 minutes before she reanimated as a deadly, inhuman soldier, REBOOT is about an elite team of once-dead teenage soldiers in a world decimated by a zombifying virus called KDH controlled by a quasi-government police force tasked with rounding up criminals and KDH-afflicted people. When Callum 22 (he died for 22 minutes) shows up, though, she is curious, and Callum making mooning eyes at her doesn’t help.
It seems to be a prevailing theme in “dystopian” fiction these days where romance is the main aspect, followed by the actual dystopian elements. And when the dystopian elements mostly seemed to be another virus, a government military force that rises to contain it, and scientists that are inherently evil, I don’t know how much of a fan I can be. REBOOT never passes the ordinary on this account.
LOVE SAVES ALL
As I said, REBOOT is a romance at heart. Luckily it isn’t a love triangle. Wren is the deadliest Reboot in all of New Texas until Callum shows up, and suddenly she becomes a limp noodle. Wren suddenly starts showing all the emotions that she claims are impossible, all the while maintaining that she is still cold and unflinching. Except this can’t be rationalized by her romance, nor does she ever rationalize it. In the mythos of the world, the reader is led to believe it is impossible.
Even in situations where they’re about to die, what do Wren and Callum do? Make out. Because that’s totally the sensible thing to do when there are guns pointed at you. And the romance I didn’t buy – Wren, cold and inhuman, and Callum, sweet and naïve (potentially a little dumb). It was not a match made in heaven, more like a match made in, “You’re strange and I like that.”
So it was kind of like pretty zombies in a sense, but really, all Reboots are attractive? What if you were given the ugliest teenager alive? Would they suddenly be hot? Just wondering.
GUNS ARE AWESOME
I love a good action-adventure movie, but there comes a point where I think that guns are being glorified. No, I don’t think that teens and kids become homicidal maniacs based on the media. But I do think that there is such thing as the glorification of violence. When I read REBOOT, I felt like this happened when Wren talked about hating humans, wanting to kill guards, wanting to kill people who have surrendered because humans couldn’t be trusted. And does she kill humans? Yeah, and several weren’t really up to much.
Another big issue I had with the first 25% of the book was extreme info-dumping. Wren would wax poetic at random times about the architecture of the building, the origins of the KDH virus, how Rebooting actually worked), and so on. And Wren also has a nifty gift for inferring correctly with no information given. It got annoying after awhile.
The prose was alright in REBOOT – there is nothing flashy about it, nothing too exciting. The pacing was pretty damn good, though, which saves REBOOT from a dreaded one star review. Tintera does an awesome job of action and plotting, leading the story on a meandering path of twists and turns (some of which are predictable) to an inevitable conclusion that I saw from the synopsis.
Also, for people who have read the book – I have a question. If multiple people Reboot at a certain time, how do they differentiate between Reboots if the guards call them by their numbers? Just something I noticed.
VERDICT: I really wanted to love this one, but ultimately, it fell flat with me. With nothing truly to set it apart besides a heavy emphasis on love saving the day, REBOOT is an ultimately forgettable entry into the bloated dystopian market. Skip this one.
There are books where the hype succeeds and the book is just as amazing as you’ve heard – and then some. And then there are books where the hype just doesn’t work and you’re left sad and shaking on the floor, wondering where things went wrong in your relationship. REBOOT was one of my most anticipated 2013 titles. Let’s just remember, though, that I have a very bad track record with picking debuts that appeal to me and then actually liking them.
When I finished REBOOT by Amy Tintera, closing my Kindle and turning it off, I stared at the wall and wondered, “Where did our relationship go wrong?”
A SUCCESSOR TO DIVERGENT
REBOOT has more in common with DIVERGENT than I expected going into it. The similarities are obvious – for one, it’s being released the week where Divergent 3 might have been released if it hadn’t been pushed back to fall (if I remember correctly, and my memory is shoddy). It is basically DIVERGENT if the members of Dauntless were zombies who could kick butt and take names. The writing is similar, as well, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your tastes.
REBOOT has several critical flaws which ruined the experience for me. Firstly, it favored romance as an explanation over the mythology of the world and the world building. There were plot holes and contrivances thanks to the romance. Secondly, it was extremely violent, to the point where it seemed to romanticize violence and killing for the sake of maintaining a character that had already begun to falter the moment her love interest appeared.
Following Wren 178, a Reboot who was dead 178 minutes before she reanimated as a deadly, inhuman soldier, REBOOT is about an elite team of once-dead teenage soldiers in a world decimated by a zombifying virus called KDH controlled by a quasi-government police force tasked with rounding up criminals and KDH-afflicted people. When Callum 22 (he died for 22 minutes) shows up, though, she is curious, and Callum making mooning eyes at her doesn’t help.
It seems to be a prevailing theme in “dystopian” fiction these days where romance is the main aspect, followed by the actual dystopian elements. And when the dystopian elements mostly seemed to be another virus, a government military force that rises to contain it, and scientists that are inherently evil, I don’t know how much of a fan I can be. REBOOT never passes the ordinary on this account.
LOVE SAVES ALL
As I said, REBOOT is a romance at heart. Luckily it isn’t a love triangle. Wren is the deadliest Reboot in all of New Texas until Callum shows up, and suddenly she becomes a limp noodle. Wren suddenly starts showing all the emotions that she claims are impossible, all the while maintaining that she is still cold and unflinching. Except this can’t be rationalized by her romance, nor does she ever rationalize it. In the mythos of the world, the reader is led to believe it is impossible.
Even in situations where they’re about to die, what do Wren and Callum do? Make out. Because that’s totally the sensible thing to do when there are guns pointed at you. And the romance I didn’t buy – Wren, cold and inhuman, and Callum, sweet and naïve (potentially a little dumb). It was not a match made in heaven, more like a match made in, “You’re strange and I like that.”
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 and the body sharpened, the eyes glowed. It was like pretty with a hint of deranged.
So it was kind of like pretty zombies in a sense, but really, all Reboots are attractive? What if you were given the ugliest teenager alive? Would they suddenly be hot? Just wondering.
GUNS ARE AWESOME
I love a good action-adventure movie, but there comes a point where I think that guns are being glorified. No, I don’t think that teens and kids become homicidal maniacs based on the media. But I do think that there is such thing as the glorification of violence. When I read REBOOT, I felt like this happened when Wren talked about hating humans, wanting to kill guards, wanting to kill people who have surrendered because humans couldn’t be trusted. And does she kill humans? Yeah, and several weren’t really up to much.
Giving humans a chance was a dumb idea.
Another big issue I had with the first 25% of the book was extreme info-dumping. Wren would wax poetic at random times about the architecture of the building, the origins of the KDH virus, how Rebooting actually worked), and so on. And Wren also has a nifty gift for inferring correctly with no information given. It got annoying after awhile.
The prose was alright in REBOOT – there is nothing flashy about it, nothing too exciting. The pacing was pretty damn good, though, which saves REBOOT from a dreaded one star review. Tintera does an awesome job of action and plotting, leading the story on a meandering path of twists and turns (some of which are predictable) to an inevitable conclusion that I saw from the synopsis.
Also, for people who have read the book – I have a question. If multiple people Reboot at a certain time, how do they differentiate between Reboots if the guards call them by their numbers? Just something I noticed.
VERDICT: I really wanted to love this one, but ultimately, it fell flat with me. With nothing truly to set it apart besides a heavy emphasis on love saving the day, REBOOT is an ultimately forgettable entry into the bloated dystopian market. Skip this one.
September 12, 2014
4 STARS
This book took me by surprise!I was a little hesitant because I read reviews that had given the book 1-2 stars.But when I started reading it,I couldn't put it down!!It captivated me and put me inside the world Amy had created!!It was really good!!
The story begins with Wren...She is known as 178 in reference to the number of minutes she was dead before she came back to life.Due to the fact she is stronger!Human use her and all the Reboots to value for their services.Enter Callum who was dead for only 22 minutes.He isn't very strong and still acts like human.With his humor and his kidness he will keep Wren's interest!Human have all the Reboots in facilities. But interesting things starting happen and make Whren wonders if they tell the truth..
It reminds me a little of Divergent.And because I'm a big fan of this book I couldn't not like it!!My only complaint is that I want more action!!!I thought there were a lot but unfortunately for me not.This is the reason why I gave this book 4 stars.However it was fast paced,romantic and in some parts sexy!!!
The romance was sweet.I enjoed Wren's and Callum's relationship!The characters were so lovable,I couldn't stop myself from being intrigued by Wren and fell in love with Callum! I loved them both!!Wren is such a badass!!She doesn't has feelings so when Callum who is less hours dead and he still has feelings like human comes...he will change her world!
The ending made me want more!!!I'm glad the second book is already out!!!I'm going to start it soon!!!If you are fun of Divergent then give it a try!!I'm sure you will love it!!!
This book took me by surprise!I was a little hesitant because I read reviews that had given the book 1-2 stars.But when I started reading it,I couldn't put it down!!It captivated me and put me inside the world Amy had created!!It was really good!!
The story begins with Wren...She is known as 178 in reference to the number of minutes she was dead before she came back to life.Due to the fact she is stronger!Human use her and all the Reboots to value for their services.Enter Callum who was dead for only 22 minutes.He isn't very strong and still acts like human.With his humor and his kidness he will keep Wren's interest!Human have all the Reboots in facilities. But interesting things starting happen and make Whren wonders if they tell the truth..
It reminds me a little of Divergent.And because I'm a big fan of this book I couldn't not like it!!My only complaint is that I want more action!!!I thought there were a lot but unfortunately for me not.This is the reason why I gave this book 4 stars.However it was fast paced,romantic and in some parts sexy!!!
The romance was sweet.I enjoed Wren's and Callum's relationship!The characters were so lovable,I couldn't stop myself from being intrigued by Wren and fell in love with Callum! I loved them both!!Wren is such a badass!!She doesn't has feelings so when Callum who is less hours dead and he still has feelings like human comes...he will change her world!
The ending made me want more!!!I'm glad the second book is already out!!!I'm going to start it soon!!!If you are fun of Divergent then give it a try!!I'm sure you will love it!!!
June 19, 2013
Fun, entertaining, quick read! Just posted a bootalk http://youtu.be/cVwkK17RGAo !
May 21, 2017
This is the first book I have absolutely flown through since reading ACOWAR, and for that it deserves 5 stars.
I hardly read dystopian books since they usually annoy the shit out of me, but I read this purely because I loved Amy Tintera's other series so I thought I'd give this one a go too. I was not disappointed at all! I actually loved this book so much and couldn't put it down once I started. It has been a while since a book has hooked me in so easily and this book definitely exceeded my expectations.
Clearly, this author and I get along very well and I will continue to devour her books! There's something about her simple writing style that keeps me captivated and her snarky, witty characters always have me in stitches.
Is this the best book in the world? Nah it's really not HOWEVER I enjoyed it so so much and it's definitely deserving of a 5 star rating.
I'd 200% recommend this book as well as her other series starting with Ruined.
I hardly read dystopian books since they usually annoy the shit out of me, but I read this purely because I loved Amy Tintera's other series so I thought I'd give this one a go too. I was not disappointed at all! I actually loved this book so much and couldn't put it down once I started. It has been a while since a book has hooked me in so easily and this book definitely exceeded my expectations.
Clearly, this author and I get along very well and I will continue to devour her books! There's something about her simple writing style that keeps me captivated and her snarky, witty characters always have me in stitches.
Is this the best book in the world? Nah it's really not HOWEVER I enjoyed it so so much and it's definitely deserving of a 5 star rating.
I'd 200% recommend this book as well as her other series starting with Ruined.
June 19, 2015
4/5
Reiniciados es una novela que destaca por su originalidad dentro de las obras juveniles distópicas. Tiene un ritmo envidiable y engancha desde la primera página, donde se plantean muchos interrogantes que se van desarrollando y desvelando poco a poco. Me ha encantado la evolución de su protagonista, Wren, y la crudeza con la que la autora describe todo tipo de situaciones.
Sin embargo, me ha parecido que el ritmo decae un poco a la mitad del libro, aunque enseguida recupera tono.
Una novela muy recomendada si buscáis algo distópico distinto y sobre todo, adictivo. No puedo esperar a la segunda parte :).
Reiniciados es una novela que destaca por su originalidad dentro de las obras juveniles distópicas. Tiene un ritmo envidiable y engancha desde la primera página, donde se plantean muchos interrogantes que se van desarrollando y desvelando poco a poco. Me ha encantado la evolución de su protagonista, Wren, y la crudeza con la que la autora describe todo tipo de situaciones.
Sin embargo, me ha parecido que el ritmo decae un poco a la mitad del libro, aunque enseguida recupera tono.
Una novela muy recomendada si buscáis algo distópico distinto y sobre todo, adictivo. No puedo esperar a la segunda parte :).
April 11, 2019
Debo reconocer que al principio no le tenía mucha fe a esta novela: “otra distopía más” –me dije. Además, la premisa de la autora era extraña: los Reiniciados son jóvenes -e incluso niños- que, debido a un virus, vuelven a la vida después de muertos, más veloces, más fuertes, con la capacidad de sanar casi instantáneamente pero, en su esencia, personas similares a las que eran antes de morir. Es decir, son una combinación entre zombis y vampiros, pero con todos sus órganos en perfecto funcionamiento, o sea, personas vivas… extraño ¿no?
La trama se sustenta en que los Reiniciados, por el hecho de haber muerto, pierden todos sus derechos y son reclutados por una agencia (los malos de la historia) que los entrena como supuestos “guardianes de la paz”.
A pesar de mi recelo inicial, al avanzar en las páginas la lectura se pone más interesante y comencé a elaborar una teoría que le hubiera dado más sentido a estos Reiniciados pero que, finalmente, no se cumple y el libro acaba de una forma muy happy ending. Bueno, acabar es una forma de decir, ya que tiene una continuación, pero no considero imprescindible leerla; ésta se puede considerar perfectamente autoconclusiva.
En resumen, una distopía con un cariz muy juvenil, que me entretuvo mucho y que engancha gracias a un estilo narrativo muy ágil y a personajes principales realmente adorables, que se roban todos los créditos del libro.
La trama se sustenta en que los Reiniciados, por el hecho de haber muerto, pierden todos sus derechos y son reclutados por una agencia (los malos de la historia) que los entrena como supuestos “guardianes de la paz”.
A pesar de mi recelo inicial, al avanzar en las páginas la lectura se pone más interesante y comencé a elaborar una teoría que le hubiera dado más sentido a estos Reiniciados pero que, finalmente, no se cumple y el libro acaba de una forma muy happy ending. Bueno, acabar es una forma de decir, ya que tiene una continuación, pero no considero imprescindible leerla; ésta se puede considerar perfectamente autoconclusiva.
En resumen, una distopía con un cariz muy juvenil, que me entretuvo mucho y que engancha gracias a un estilo narrativo muy ágil y a personajes principales realmente adorables, que se roban todos los créditos del libro.
April 20, 2013
Long live Amy Tintera! That was the thought that was going through my head as I was reading the last few sentences of her debut. While by no means perfect, Reboot is an absolute delight. Why? There are several reasons, really, the most important (in my opinion) being that it brings a breath of originality into an oversaturated genre.
The idea of Reboots’ value being measured by the number of minutes it took them to revive was truly fascinating. The longer they’re dead, the less emotional they become afterwards, and when you’re a soldier, less emotions means less danger of breaking. Wren is a legend among Reboots because it took her 178 minutes to revive. Other Reboots and especially humans see her as a machine. When Callum shows up, he is her exact opposite, physically weak and emotional after being only 22 minutes dead and with most of his humanity preserved. Somehow, he gets under her skin and when the time comes to eliminate him, Wren can’t let that happen.
The worldbuilding is quite possibly what Tintera does best. A part of it seems to be inspired by favelas, and the author makes it very easy to visualize. The amount of mistrust between humans and reboots is suffocating, and combined with the poverty and fear of disease, it’s almost overwhelming.
It’s true that once you take the time to process it, Reboot loses some of its shine, but not nearly enough to make that initial delight fade completely. The complete emotional shutdown Wren experienced when she rebooted could have been used better. She got over it too quickly when she met Callum, and since it was supposed to be a consequence of being dead for so long (in other words, brain damage), it seemed a bit unrealistic that a cute boy would cure her in a matter of days.
If worldbuilding was this books strong point, the romance was its weakness. The change in Wren happened far too quickly and their connection smelled too strongly of instalove. In the first few chapters, she was portrayed as someone who feels absolutely nothing: no fear, no remorse, no pain, and certainly no love. But it took no more than two smiles from Callum to completely change her behavior. It’s true that some of her coldness remained, but the change was still too pronounced.
Nevertheless, Reboot is a debut worthy of the hype. The pacing is excellent – Tintera doesn’t allow her readers to get bored even for a second. This story has so much potential and I think I have every reason to be optimistic about the second installment.
The idea of Reboots’ value being measured by the number of minutes it took them to revive was truly fascinating. The longer they’re dead, the less emotional they become afterwards, and when you’re a soldier, less emotions means less danger of breaking. Wren is a legend among Reboots because it took her 178 minutes to revive. Other Reboots and especially humans see her as a machine. When Callum shows up, he is her exact opposite, physically weak and emotional after being only 22 minutes dead and with most of his humanity preserved. Somehow, he gets under her skin and when the time comes to eliminate him, Wren can’t let that happen.
The worldbuilding is quite possibly what Tintera does best. A part of it seems to be inspired by favelas, and the author makes it very easy to visualize. The amount of mistrust between humans and reboots is suffocating, and combined with the poverty and fear of disease, it’s almost overwhelming.
It’s true that once you take the time to process it, Reboot loses some of its shine, but not nearly enough to make that initial delight fade completely. The complete emotional shutdown Wren experienced when she rebooted could have been used better. She got over it too quickly when she met Callum, and since it was supposed to be a consequence of being dead for so long (in other words, brain damage), it seemed a bit unrealistic that a cute boy would cure her in a matter of days.
If worldbuilding was this books strong point, the romance was its weakness. The change in Wren happened far too quickly and their connection smelled too strongly of instalove. In the first few chapters, she was portrayed as someone who feels absolutely nothing: no fear, no remorse, no pain, and certainly no love. But it took no more than two smiles from Callum to completely change her behavior. It’s true that some of her coldness remained, but the change was still too pronounced.
Nevertheless, Reboot is a debut worthy of the hype. The pacing is excellent – Tintera doesn’t allow her readers to get bored even for a second. This story has so much potential and I think I have every reason to be optimistic about the second installment.
May 20, 2015
UNA DE LAS MEJORES DISTOPÍAS QUE HE LEÍDO
Reiniciados es una novela distópica, primera parte de una trilogía, que viene pisando muy fuerte y cuyas críticas son muy positivas. Cuando empecé Reiniciados vi la cantidad de buenas reseñas que había y lo cogí con muchas expectativas. Expectativas que ha cumplido con creces y que incluso ha superado.
Reiniciados es una novela sumamente original. Hoy todo está cogido con pinzas cuando hablamos de distopías, pero en el caso de esta novela estamos ante (¡por fin, de nuevo!) una novela original. Donde no hay nada tópico ni que nos recuerde a otra novela. La idea es magnífica y está escrita maravillosamente.
Si hay otra cosa que me ha encantado de la misma es la pluma. La autora escribe muy bien, no deja que el ritmo se caiga y siempre hay algo de intriga que hace que quieras seguir leyendo. Sabe dar en pequeñas dosis amor, acción e intriga, algo que he valorado mucho. Es una novela trabajada y bien profundizada, que tiene un mundo complejo que resulta simple ante los ojos del lector por lo bien que está escrito.
Me sorprendió muchísimo no perderme entre tantas complejidades que tiene la obra. Y de hecho es otra cosa que me ha gustado muchísimo porque cuando la he acabado me he dado cuenta de lo trabajada que está la sociedad y la realidad del mundo en el que se desarrolla la historia.
Como novela distópica me ha gustado muchísimo porque el sistema que crea la autora me ha encantado. Además de ser original es muy interesante. Mezcla ingredientes como virus, muerte, gobierno/empresa dictatorial que controla todo, personas que no tienen capacidad de ser críticos, rebelión...
Los personajes son geniales. El personaje de Wren me fascinó porque tenemos pocas mujeres (aparte de Katniss Everdeen) en la literatura que sean las fuertes, valientes y que le salven el culo a los demás. Pues así es Wren. Wren es la fuerte y la que salvará al chico en todo momento. Lo que me lleva a Callum, un personaje también muy interesante. Fuera del tópico hombre fuerte y héroe, más real y cercano a lo que viene siendo un hombre y un ser humano normal. Una novela que rompe con los roles de género de la literatura juvenil.
En resumen, Reiniciados es una primera parte de trilogía magnífica. Una novela que engancha muchísimo y que rompe con muchos tópicos de la literatura juvenil. Es una novela para lectoras de distopías, una novela para las personas a las que les guste el género. Es una novela con un ritmo trepidante y una trama muy bien ideada. Una de las mejores distopías que he leído y de las que más me han enganchado. La única pregunta es, ¿para cuándo la segunda parte en España?
Reiniciados es una novela distópica, primera parte de una trilogía, que viene pisando muy fuerte y cuyas críticas son muy positivas. Cuando empecé Reiniciados vi la cantidad de buenas reseñas que había y lo cogí con muchas expectativas. Expectativas que ha cumplido con creces y que incluso ha superado.
Reiniciados es una novela sumamente original. Hoy todo está cogido con pinzas cuando hablamos de distopías, pero en el caso de esta novela estamos ante (¡por fin, de nuevo!) una novela original. Donde no hay nada tópico ni que nos recuerde a otra novela. La idea es magnífica y está escrita maravillosamente.
Si hay otra cosa que me ha encantado de la misma es la pluma. La autora escribe muy bien, no deja que el ritmo se caiga y siempre hay algo de intriga que hace que quieras seguir leyendo. Sabe dar en pequeñas dosis amor, acción e intriga, algo que he valorado mucho. Es una novela trabajada y bien profundizada, que tiene un mundo complejo que resulta simple ante los ojos del lector por lo bien que está escrito.
Me sorprendió muchísimo no perderme entre tantas complejidades que tiene la obra. Y de hecho es otra cosa que me ha gustado muchísimo porque cuando la he acabado me he dado cuenta de lo trabajada que está la sociedad y la realidad del mundo en el que se desarrolla la historia.
Como novela distópica me ha gustado muchísimo porque el sistema que crea la autora me ha encantado. Además de ser original es muy interesante. Mezcla ingredientes como virus, muerte, gobierno/empresa dictatorial que controla todo, personas que no tienen capacidad de ser críticos, rebelión...
Los personajes son geniales. El personaje de Wren me fascinó porque tenemos pocas mujeres (aparte de Katniss Everdeen) en la literatura que sean las fuertes, valientes y que le salven el culo a los demás. Pues así es Wren. Wren es la fuerte y la que salvará al chico en todo momento. Lo que me lleva a Callum, un personaje también muy interesante. Fuera del tópico hombre fuerte y héroe, más real y cercano a lo que viene siendo un hombre y un ser humano normal. Una novela que rompe con los roles de género de la literatura juvenil.
En resumen, Reiniciados es una primera parte de trilogía magnífica. Una novela que engancha muchísimo y que rompe con muchos tópicos de la literatura juvenil. Es una novela para lectoras de distopías, una novela para las personas a las que les guste el género. Es una novela con un ritmo trepidante y una trama muy bien ideada. Una de las mejores distopías que he leído y de las que más me han enganchado. La única pregunta es, ¿para cuándo la segunda parte en España?
January 4, 2015
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending me this copy. No compensation was given of taken to alter this review.
'She froze. Her eyes flew from the 178 printed on my skin to my face and she let out another shriek.
No. There was no human left in me.'
Reboot jumped right in, hitting a nerve of abrupt consciousness with it's vivid descriptions and magnificent writing. For an overused genre, Tintera undertook dystopia with a new kick of originality. While no means flawless, Reboot kept me engaged throughout and certainly shocked me with the staggeringly remarkable world-building that defined this novel.
Over my months of reviewing, I've come to realise something I'm awfully critical about- the world construction, or building. Constantly, I'm scrounging for a flaw, unanswered question or unrealistic piece of information. Yet I seemed to fail to find a hint of a gap in Reboot. Basically, a Reboot is our robot in here- except we have some divergence and alterations. It was imposing to learn about what makes someone a Reboot, they are people who died then came back to life- after a certain span of time- then are barcoded by the time they took to come back to life, the longer they took to relive, the less human in terms of emotions, physicality and spirituality.
For our main character, Wren, she is the prodigy to fellow Rebooters, it took 178 minutes to be healed and up again. But on the other side of the scale is Callum, still practically human with no quick reflexes and still rather emotional, took only 22 minutes to resurrect. Yet still he manages to get on Wren's soft side. When Wren is assigned to eliminate him for his humanity and weakness, she finds herself disobeying orders for the first time ever.
Wren is the new Katniss Everdeen. Equally kick-ass and more viscous that imagined, this MC held a cold and foreboding atmosphere from the very beginning. Heck- at the beginning she was killing humans. That explains EVERYTHING. Well okay, I did have a slight issue which I shall mention further in my review. However on whole, Wren developed appreciably, and held a genuine personality and logical thinking despite it being a little too fast and uneven when Callum was introduced.
'I grabbed Twenty-two's arm, twisted it behind his back, and cracked it with one quick thrust. He let out a yell and jerked the arm away, cradling it against his chest.'
The supporting characters were just as awe-inspiring and provocative. We have the best friend, Ever. But before you roll your eyes as if, "DUH! There's always the typical best friend." this one was more believable and heart-warming. By no means was Wren a interactive character, she keeps to herself as after all, her humanity levels are relatively demolished. Without regard to, the presence of Ever's being there as 56 room-mate, trying to comprehend with Wren was loveable. Ever was a compassionate character that I adored to a large extent.
Callum 22 is not only just a random Reboot, but also he was the quickest to ever come back to life meaning he was the character that made this book feel like they were complete aliens from outer space. His jocular tone and poignant smile (which I thought was mentioned way too many times throughout) levelled out the book and kept a warmth and sympathy expand towards Callum. He was sweet, human and loving.
Most people on this world have an Achilles just on the back part of the ankle. It is one of the weaker, if not weakest joint in us. For Reboot, it's Achilles was the romance. Largely know as insta-love, Reboot had little buildup on the chemistry between Callum and Wren. When the story commenced, Wren was emotionless but just when Callum entered a few chapters later, I didn't quite catch much growth or gradual development in Wren's personality, to make a chemistry flower.
To sum up, Reboot was overall a satisfying read filled with originality, strong characters and tense action that kept us readers alert the entire time, there is not a single dull moment in Reboot. Gruesome and exhilarating, Tintera shows us just how much dystopia or post-apocalyptic can expand to and adore.
I'm not fully sure whether you guys in the US have an equally awesome edition of Reboot as I do not own a copy but the Australian Reboot edition IS. BEAUTIFUL. So if you have not received your copy of Reboot yet, consider this epic edition.
SPEECHLESS. O_O
Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending me this copy. No compensation was given of taken to alter this review.
'She froze. Her eyes flew from the 178 printed on my skin to my face and she let out another shriek.
No. There was no human left in me.'
Reboot jumped right in, hitting a nerve of abrupt consciousness with it's vivid descriptions and magnificent writing. For an overused genre, Tintera undertook dystopia with a new kick of originality. While no means flawless, Reboot kept me engaged throughout and certainly shocked me with the staggeringly remarkable world-building that defined this novel.
Over my months of reviewing, I've come to realise something I'm awfully critical about- the world construction, or building. Constantly, I'm scrounging for a flaw, unanswered question or unrealistic piece of information. Yet I seemed to fail to find a hint of a gap in Reboot. Basically, a Reboot is our robot in here- except we have some divergence and alterations. It was imposing to learn about what makes someone a Reboot, they are people who died then came back to life- after a certain span of time- then are barcoded by the time they took to come back to life, the longer they took to relive, the less human in terms of emotions, physicality and spirituality.
For our main character, Wren, she is the prodigy to fellow Rebooters, it took 178 minutes to be healed and up again. But on the other side of the scale is Callum, still practically human with no quick reflexes and still rather emotional, took only 22 minutes to resurrect. Yet still he manages to get on Wren's soft side. When Wren is assigned to eliminate him for his humanity and weakness, she finds herself disobeying orders for the first time ever.
Wren is the new Katniss Everdeen. Equally kick-ass and more viscous that imagined, this MC held a cold and foreboding atmosphere from the very beginning. Heck- at the beginning she was killing humans. That explains EVERYTHING. Well okay, I did have a slight issue which I shall mention further in my review. However on whole, Wren developed appreciably, and held a genuine personality and logical thinking despite it being a little too fast and uneven when Callum was introduced.
'I grabbed Twenty-two's arm, twisted it behind his back, and cracked it with one quick thrust. He let out a yell and jerked the arm away, cradling it against his chest.'
The supporting characters were just as awe-inspiring and provocative. We have the best friend, Ever. But before you roll your eyes as if, "DUH! There's always the typical best friend." this one was more believable and heart-warming. By no means was Wren a interactive character, she keeps to herself as after all, her humanity levels are relatively demolished. Without regard to, the presence of Ever's being there as 56 room-mate, trying to comprehend with Wren was loveable. Ever was a compassionate character that I adored to a large extent.
Callum 22 is not only just a random Reboot, but also he was the quickest to ever come back to life meaning he was the character that made this book feel like they were complete aliens from outer space. His jocular tone and poignant smile (which I thought was mentioned way too many times throughout) levelled out the book and kept a warmth and sympathy expand towards Callum. He was sweet, human and loving.
Most people on this world have an Achilles just on the back part of the ankle. It is one of the weaker, if not weakest joint in us. For Reboot, it's Achilles was the romance. Largely know as insta-love, Reboot had little buildup on the chemistry between Callum and Wren. When the story commenced, Wren was emotionless but just when Callum entered a few chapters later, I didn't quite catch much growth or gradual development in Wren's personality, to make a chemistry flower.
To sum up, Reboot was overall a satisfying read filled with originality, strong characters and tense action that kept us readers alert the entire time, there is not a single dull moment in Reboot. Gruesome and exhilarating, Tintera shows us just how much dystopia or post-apocalyptic can expand to and adore.
I'm not fully sure whether you guys in the US have an equally awesome edition of Reboot as I do not own a copy but the Australian Reboot edition IS. BEAUTIFUL. So if you have not received your copy of Reboot yet, consider this epic edition.
SPEECHLESS. O_O
July 8, 2018
*Read as an e-book via Scribd!*
T/W- Violence
I am super late to Amy's writing, but how I delayed reading Reboot I simply can't answer. All I will say is that I managed to read it in a single evening and now I need the sequel! This storyline definitely gave me Marie Lu vibes (Legend by her is one of my favourite books) and both books were fast paced, allowing for some great action to take place. The main character Wren dies five years ago, but rebooted in a time of 178 minutes, so she is known as one-seventy-eight. As part of a Reboot, bring trained as a fighter, Wren takes on a new trainee called Callum or number 22. Their interactions kickstart a chain of events that sees their worlds change forever. I really liked learning more about Wren and Callum's backgrounds. There is some violence throughout the novel, however enough tension and drama that kept me reading on until the final page.
T/W- Violence
I am super late to Amy's writing, but how I delayed reading Reboot I simply can't answer. All I will say is that I managed to read it in a single evening and now I need the sequel! This storyline definitely gave me Marie Lu vibes (Legend by her is one of my favourite books) and both books were fast paced, allowing for some great action to take place. The main character Wren dies five years ago, but rebooted in a time of 178 minutes, so she is known as one-seventy-eight. As part of a Reboot, bring trained as a fighter, Wren takes on a new trainee called Callum or number 22. Their interactions kickstart a chain of events that sees their worlds change forever. I really liked learning more about Wren and Callum's backgrounds. There is some violence throughout the novel, however enough tension and drama that kept me reading on until the final page.
December 4, 2013
Listen up, young adult fans! Amy Tintera’s debut, Reboot, is one you definitely need to get your hands on. Fast! I’m serious. It has all my favorites: badass chick? Check. Hot boy? Check. Action? Killing? Kissing? Swoons? Check, check, check, check!
A new and interesting twist on the current popularity of zombies brings readers into the life of Wren, who was shot five years ago and then woke up—or rebooted—after one hundred and seventy eight minutes.
These aren’t the zombies you’d expect, though. These reboots are stronger, faster, less emotional and, well, they don’t eat humans.
Mostly.
In Wren’s future, fifty states have been reduced to one. What we know of as Texas has become the Republic of Texas, divided into cities where humans are trying to keep the virus that’s causing their children to reboot contained. As a Reboot, Wren’s works for the “government” or HARC, as it’s known here. Her job as a reboot is to complete her assignments by bringing in criminals and sick people, to train newbies and to never ask questions. And as a one seventy eight, she’s pretty damn good at it. She doesn’t feel things the way the other numbers do, those below sixty whose human emotions still remain.
That is, until a twenty-two named Callum shows up…
From the moment they meet, Wren’s captivated by him. But he’s a twenty two, and she can’t see relating to Callum at all. Until Wren feels challenged to take him on as a newbie.
What she doesn’t expect is that he won’t be the only one learning new things.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I pretty much loved this from beginning to end. I was a little head tilty at first, but once I got into the story, I couldn’t put this one down. And Callum, he just made this book for me. Is that surprising? Probably not. BUT SERIOUSLY. He was a-freaking-dorable.
”I’ll try and sleep,” he said, closing his eyes. He cracked one eye open and held his arm out to me. “Want to come closer?”
“I can’t. One of us has to stay up and keep watch.”
“One cuddle. Maybe two. Fifteen, max.”
“Callum,” I said with a laugh. “Go to sleep.”
“All right,” he said with an exaggerated sigh, a smile twitching his lips.
See? Adorable. Callum totally earned himself a top spot on my Book Boyfriend shelf with his personality, his chivalry and his sweetness. So I’ll say this again: I loved this book, and I absolutely cannot freaking wait for the continuation to this series! It doesn’t have a title yet, but I’m going to go ahead and start referring to it as Reservation. You’ll understand once you hurry up and go read it. ;)
*** ARC Provided via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. ***
June 27, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5
I have to confess that the blurb didn't attracted me that much but I love Amy Tintera's writing so I just left it on my kindle until I read it. I found out that I'm really attracted to her stories. Still, this one wasn't that awesome.
“There’s some human left in you, ain’t there?” she asked, craning her neck to look at the number above the bar code on my wrist.
She froze. Her eyes flew from the 178 printed on my skin to my face and she let out another shriek.
No. There was no human left in me.
The main character, Wren, is a real badass. She is like a cold robot that has the highest rank among the reboots (those who died and came back to life. Kinda like a zombie, but human...?).
Do that thing where you look blank, like you have no feelings at all.”
“I think that’s just my face.”
But when she meets Callum, the lowest in the rank, she just.... Feels. It's not a problem to feel a little, but she is just a scary little girl blushing. Like seriously? She didn't care about the world for five years and suddenly she is all caring? It's just a little strange...
“He could punish you for that,”
“Do you want me to?” Leb asked, eyeing Twenty-two. He didn’t reach for the stick.
“No,” I replied. Every Reboot in the shuttle stared at me. I focused on Twenty-two again.
“Should I be insulted that you hesitated?” he asked with a smile.
“I can still change my mind.”
“How will you tell him? He stopped talking. Apparently that means we’re only allowed to talk to one another again.”
“I will find a stick and beat you myself when we land.”
“Promise?”
Callum is cute and all too funny. Even though he is really low he still tries his best. But I still thought he was missing something. I couldn't exactly name what, but it was like HE was the Mary Sue. Don't take me wrong, it's not like the man has to save the woman and he has to be stronger than her. It's just that he was almost useless and this bothered me. Gosh, how couldn't he stay still for a moment? That bothered me like hell!!
Anyway, it was a good and fast read and I still love Amy's creativity and for sure will keep reading her books. But this one is not one of my favorites.
I have to confess that the blurb didn't attracted me that much but I love Amy Tintera's writing so I just left it on my kindle until I read it. I found out that I'm really attracted to her stories. Still, this one wasn't that awesome.
“There’s some human left in you, ain’t there?” she asked, craning her neck to look at the number above the bar code on my wrist.
She froze. Her eyes flew from the 178 printed on my skin to my face and she let out another shriek.
No. There was no human left in me.
The main character, Wren, is a real badass. She is like a cold robot that has the highest rank among the reboots (those who died and came back to life. Kinda like a zombie, but human...?).
Do that thing where you look blank, like you have no feelings at all.”
“I think that’s just my face.”
But when she meets Callum, the lowest in the rank, she just.... Feels. It's not a problem to feel a little, but she is just a scary little girl blushing. Like seriously? She didn't care about the world for five years and suddenly she is all caring? It's just a little strange...
“He could punish you for that,”
“Do you want me to?” Leb asked, eyeing Twenty-two. He didn’t reach for the stick.
“No,” I replied. Every Reboot in the shuttle stared at me. I focused on Twenty-two again.
“Should I be insulted that you hesitated?” he asked with a smile.
“I can still change my mind.”
“How will you tell him? He stopped talking. Apparently that means we’re only allowed to talk to one another again.”
“I will find a stick and beat you myself when we land.”
“Promise?”
Callum is cute and all too funny. Even though he is really low he still tries his best. But I still thought he was missing something. I couldn't exactly name what, but it was like HE was the Mary Sue. Don't take me wrong, it's not like the man has to save the woman and he has to be stronger than her. It's just that he was almost useless and this bothered me. Gosh, how couldn't he stay still for a moment? That bothered me like hell!!
Anyway, it was a good and fast read and I still love Amy's creativity and for sure will keep reading her books. But this one is not one of my favorites.
February 1, 2019
I didn’t really have an expectation for this book, but chose to read it because it has been on my shelves a while and I was looking for something quick before going on my holiday to French. But unfortunately I wasn’t that impressed by it. I felt like I’ve read this plot so many times in another book, I wasn’t captivated by the writing style and I got annoyed with the main character and the romance. However I did really enjoy the ‘rebooting’ concept and the beginning of this book was rather entertaining.
Reboot: 3 stars
Rebel: 3 stars
Design (3,5 stars)
I really like the Dutch version of this book (for a change). They really fit with the contents in this book, it has an barcode forming the end of all the papers. I do like the colors of this book but I hate the image of the person on the background.
Concept (4,0 stars)
The concept of the rebooting was something I really enjoyed in this book and unfortunately it was one of the only original things about this book. I was intrigued by it and I was curious how Tintera could write a plot in less than 300 pages.
Start of the book (4,5 stars)
I REALLY enjoyed the beginning of this book, and I was surprised how quick this book read. I was certain I would finish it within a day with my current pace. The writing style was quick and easy, I liked Wren and found her to display a reboot quite well, I really enjoyed the plot and was intrigued by the world building and the rebooting system.
The writing style (2,5 stars)
Note: read in Dutch.
In the beginning I had a bit of trouble with the past tense that this book is being told in. It had been a while since I read a book like that and I struggled with the difference between what currently was happening and what was a memory or a flashback. But later on in the book I got used to it. The writing style was rather quick and easy. Too easy if you ask me, I like a bit of a challenge and this made me a bit bored. Furthermore there weren’t really beautiful quotes or other things about this book that made it special, it was average (could be because of the translation). The way some scenes are written was almost without feeling, it didn’t come across sometimes and though I understand because Wren is a reboot but also later in the book with some romance scenes the writing was really plain. A thing that got me a tat annoyed was writing the numbers (the minutes that people had died) full out in letters instead of numbers. I also got annoyed with some errors in the language and the way things are written didn’t appeal to me. The descriptions used for the surroundings and descriptions where really superficial. I would have rather had that the book was about 50 pages longer with some more explanations.
The world building (2,5 stars)
Like I said before, I was really intrigued by the world building concept. I found the idea of the reboots fascinating and I really enjoyed reading about Wren’s time at HARC. However my problems starts with the concept of this whole society. We know NOTHING about the ruling party, if I look back on it. How is it founded? Why? Who is the leader? What year is it? My other problem is that it was so cliché, I had read about it like a hundred times in every other YA dystopian book. And this one wasn’t even executed that well. I still have so many questions about the experiments they did on the lower numbers. It just didn’t make any sense, why make them into flesh eating monsters? And also just keeping this citizens prisoners in their own city? How would someone accept this? How can they even accept that their child is taken away from them? Some things do not add up with instinct and morals that a basic human has. But also this virus (another cliché ya book thing), where did it come from? What kind of virus is it? Why are adult reboots different then teens? Why does this virus make people reboot? There wasn’t any history given about this and it got me so annoyed.
Main Character (2,5 stars)
In the beginning I enjoyed Wren, I enjoyed her ruthlessness and found her badass. But I did found her underdeveloped and towards the end I got annoyed with her choices and thoughts. And I think that is one of the reasons I didn’t really connect with Wren. Another reason was that I didn’t really understand her mind. It was so conflicting at times what she thought and did and why. For example in the beginning of the book is told that Wren is the fastest, strongest reboot out there is. Then a few pages further she is trembling on her legs because some minor thing and even further she is so scared she can’t even move. Another example is that the higher the minutes you died the more emotionless you are. So Wren with her 178 minutes is supposed to be totally emotionless. But she blushes over the smallest things, makes friendships, cares about reboots and does have emotions. It was super incoherent.
And also her ‘transformation’ throughout this book was super unrealistic. She just sees a pretty boy, someone who’s being nice to her and falls for that and all of a sudden her whole morals and thoughts shift?!? Okay I understand that after the thing with Ever she understood Harc was really wrong. BUT I still don’t understand that someone can change from being so badass in the beginning towards something so dependent on someone and scared towards the ending. I didn’t like how she acted in the slum of Austin, how she collapsed in the woods. Since in the beginning I was really impressed by this book for having a strong female lead and a mc who did not depend on a male character. But yeahhh I was wrong…
Other characters (3,5 stars)
I really enjoyed Ever, she was so spunky and fun and I loved her and Wren’s friendship. I also really liked Callum, and how he made Wren feel (in the beginning). He made so many funny comments. But towards the end he also started to annoy me.
Adina was a character that was one of the most flawed. They walk to her and they start to fight and it takes about 2 words to convince her to come with her even though she is almost programmed to work for Harc… Her character was really underdeveloped and was just there to serve as the role to ‘save someone’.
Romance (2,0 stars)
I felt the romance took over the whole story. The blurb sounds like an action packed, badass story. But towards the ending, the only focus was on the relationship between Callum and Wren, and that annoyed me. I also found them super conflicting and didn’t feel anything between them. Their relationship seemed super superficial and I just didn’t care for it at all.
Plot (2,5 stars)
I extremely enjoyed the plot in the beginning . It was action packed, original (the rebooting and stuff), enjoyable and fast paced. Maybe a bit too quick considering the fact that this book is not even 300 pages long, I would have liked to see some more scenes from previous missions since I really enjoyed those. Everything already went wrong on page 50 and I would have liked to have some more getting to know to the whole reboot system and to Wren. I enjoyed it so much that Wren started to find out what was wrong with the system and with her and Callum. There are literally two scenes that made me tear up; Ever being shot and when Wren needed to take of her shirt.
It was later in the book that I started to have a problem with the pacing. Wren and Callum escape, and I understand that they didn’t have time because Meyer was watching them and yada yada, but in my opinion this all happened in an eye blink. And though I enjoyed this action packed scene it was unrealistic. My other problem with the plot from that point was that it wasn’t original anymore. It reminded me of Matched, the Hunger Games, Divergent, Boy 7, Delirium etc… All these book have the aspect of the mc escaping ‘the big bad government’ towards an rebellion somewhere. It felt like I’d already read this and I was kind a getting bored.
Another problem was that there weren’t enough twists, nothing surprising happens, noting shocking and nothing that made me really love this book happened. Not one person dies, there is no betrayal, no backstabbing, no twist. It was just so predictable.
The ending (1,5 stars)
The ending was a letdown for me. But since I would only start to repeat myself if I talk about it here real quick some points; predictable, didn’t care who lived or died, boring, strange choices by Wren, odd action scenes, no setbacks (even though this was an ‘impossible mission’ when they talked with the humans), no casualties, more annoying things by Wren, weird make out scene during a shuttle flight when Wren is the pilot, the last words.
There just isn’t a thing about this ending that makes me want to read the next book. But I already own it so I’ll probably read it. Someday… when I feel like it.
Reboot: 3 stars
Rebel: 3 stars
Design (3,5 stars)
I really like the Dutch version of this book (for a change). They really fit with the contents in this book, it has an barcode forming the end of all the papers. I do like the colors of this book but I hate the image of the person on the background.
Concept (4,0 stars)
The concept of the rebooting was something I really enjoyed in this book and unfortunately it was one of the only original things about this book. I was intrigued by it and I was curious how Tintera could write a plot in less than 300 pages.
Start of the book (4,5 stars)
I REALLY enjoyed the beginning of this book, and I was surprised how quick this book read. I was certain I would finish it within a day with my current pace. The writing style was quick and easy, I liked Wren and found her to display a reboot quite well, I really enjoyed the plot and was intrigued by the world building and the rebooting system.
The writing style (2,5 stars)
Note: read in Dutch.
In the beginning I had a bit of trouble with the past tense that this book is being told in. It had been a while since I read a book like that and I struggled with the difference between what currently was happening and what was a memory or a flashback. But later on in the book I got used to it. The writing style was rather quick and easy. Too easy if you ask me, I like a bit of a challenge and this made me a bit bored. Furthermore there weren’t really beautiful quotes or other things about this book that made it special, it was average (could be because of the translation). The way some scenes are written was almost without feeling, it didn’t come across sometimes and though I understand because Wren is a reboot but also later in the book with some romance scenes the writing was really plain. A thing that got me a tat annoyed was writing the numbers (the minutes that people had died) full out in letters instead of numbers. I also got annoyed with some errors in the language and the way things are written didn’t appeal to me. The descriptions used for the surroundings and descriptions where really superficial. I would have rather had that the book was about 50 pages longer with some more explanations.
The world building (2,5 stars)
Like I said before, I was really intrigued by the world building concept. I found the idea of the reboots fascinating and I really enjoyed reading about Wren’s time at HARC. However my problems starts with the concept of this whole society. We know NOTHING about the ruling party, if I look back on it. How is it founded? Why? Who is the leader? What year is it? My other problem is that it was so cliché, I had read about it like a hundred times in every other YA dystopian book. And this one wasn’t even executed that well. I still have so many questions about the experiments they did on the lower numbers. It just didn’t make any sense, why make them into flesh eating monsters? And also just keeping this citizens prisoners in their own city? How would someone accept this? How can they even accept that their child is taken away from them? Some things do not add up with instinct and morals that a basic human has. But also this virus (another cliché ya book thing), where did it come from? What kind of virus is it? Why are adult reboots different then teens? Why does this virus make people reboot? There wasn’t any history given about this and it got me so annoyed.
Main Character (2,5 stars)
In the beginning I enjoyed Wren, I enjoyed her ruthlessness and found her badass. But I did found her underdeveloped and towards the end I got annoyed with her choices and thoughts. And I think that is one of the reasons I didn’t really connect with Wren. Another reason was that I didn’t really understand her mind. It was so conflicting at times what she thought and did and why. For example in the beginning of the book is told that Wren is the fastest, strongest reboot out there is. Then a few pages further she is trembling on her legs because some minor thing and even further she is so scared she can’t even move. Another example is that the higher the minutes you died the more emotionless you are. So Wren with her 178 minutes is supposed to be totally emotionless. But she blushes over the smallest things, makes friendships, cares about reboots and does have emotions. It was super incoherent.
And also her ‘transformation’ throughout this book was super unrealistic. She just sees a pretty boy, someone who’s being nice to her and falls for that and all of a sudden her whole morals and thoughts shift?!? Okay I understand that after the thing with Ever she understood Harc was really wrong. BUT I still don’t understand that someone can change from being so badass in the beginning towards something so dependent on someone and scared towards the ending. I didn’t like how she acted in the slum of Austin, how she collapsed in the woods. Since in the beginning I was really impressed by this book for having a strong female lead and a mc who did not depend on a male character. But yeahhh I was wrong…
Other characters (3,5 stars)
I really enjoyed Ever, she was so spunky and fun and I loved her and Wren’s friendship. I also really liked Callum, and how he made Wren feel (in the beginning). He made so many funny comments. But towards the end he also started to annoy me.
Adina was a character that was one of the most flawed. They walk to her and they start to fight and it takes about 2 words to convince her to come with her even though she is almost programmed to work for Harc… Her character was really underdeveloped and was just there to serve as the role to ‘save someone’.
Romance (2,0 stars)
I felt the romance took over the whole story. The blurb sounds like an action packed, badass story. But towards the ending, the only focus was on the relationship between Callum and Wren, and that annoyed me. I also found them super conflicting and didn’t feel anything between them. Their relationship seemed super superficial and I just didn’t care for it at all.
Plot (2,5 stars)
I extremely enjoyed the plot in the beginning . It was action packed, original (the rebooting and stuff), enjoyable and fast paced. Maybe a bit too quick considering the fact that this book is not even 300 pages long, I would have liked to see some more scenes from previous missions since I really enjoyed those. Everything already went wrong on page 50 and I would have liked to have some more getting to know to the whole reboot system and to Wren. I enjoyed it so much that Wren started to find out what was wrong with the system and with her and Callum. There are literally two scenes that made me tear up; Ever being shot and when Wren needed to take of her shirt.
It was later in the book that I started to have a problem with the pacing. Wren and Callum escape, and I understand that they didn’t have time because Meyer was watching them and yada yada, but in my opinion this all happened in an eye blink. And though I enjoyed this action packed scene it was unrealistic. My other problem with the plot from that point was that it wasn’t original anymore. It reminded me of Matched, the Hunger Games, Divergent, Boy 7, Delirium etc… All these book have the aspect of the mc escaping ‘the big bad government’ towards an rebellion somewhere. It felt like I’d already read this and I was kind a getting bored.
Another problem was that there weren’t enough twists, nothing surprising happens, noting shocking and nothing that made me really love this book happened. Not one person dies, there is no betrayal, no backstabbing, no twist. It was just so predictable.
The ending (1,5 stars)
The ending was a letdown for me. But since I would only start to repeat myself if I talk about it here real quick some points; predictable, didn’t care who lived or died, boring, strange choices by Wren, odd action scenes, no setbacks (even though this was an ‘impossible mission’ when they talked with the humans), no casualties, more annoying things by Wren, weird make out scene during a shuttle flight when Wren is the pilot, the last words.
There just isn’t a thing about this ending that makes me want to read the next book. But I already own it so I’ll probably read it. Someday… when I feel like it.
May 26, 2018
This is what I call 'false advertising'. It's no kick ass, the heroine is just a blushing idiot doing everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) for the love interest only. She doesn't have some greater realization, doesn't fight for her believes or whatewer. No, she did everything just for the love interest, even though she knew him for just a few weeks..
It's like: How to Not write a Dystopia in five easy steps. You don't even have to try to be original or anything..
The author took everything that is generic and overdone in the genre and stuffed it all into this. It's like Reboot is trying way too hard to be like all the other hit dystopians - we're mostly talking Hunger Games here, 'cause this was like a BAD copycat of that series - but fails misarably. It's generic, balnd, boring and stuffed with cringe worthy romance that tries way too hard to have the dynamics of Katniss/Peeta, which it of course doesn't because the characters couldn't be more one dimensional than they are. Everything about this book is one diamensional - the world, the plot and the writing as well. The distant idea bahind the Rebooting was somewhat eh... new, but was just buried by all that terrible execution and awfuly boring romance. Just STOP kissing for a minute ok?? Don't you need to take a breath? (Apparently not in the second half of this shitty book).
I'm baffled by how much Reboot was hyped up when it came out. Like I'm not the biggest fan of Divergent (hated the sequels) or Legend (great dystopia but didn't feel connected to the characters at all), but they are a treasure compared to THIS. And let's not forget Hunger Games (which is probably the only dystopian series that is my among my all time favourites) - Reboot tries so much to be like that trilogy - especially with the romance, the love interest and how the 'typical gender roles' in the romance aspect of the story *heavy sarcasm* were kind of reversed here - but utterly FAILS. Callum is no new Peeta. Also, a day after finishing I already forgot the name of the MC..
It's like: How to Not write a Dystopia in five easy steps. You don't even have to try to be original or anything..
The author took everything that is generic and overdone in the genre and stuffed it all into this. It's like Reboot is trying way too hard to be like all the other hit dystopians - we're mostly talking Hunger Games here, 'cause this was like a BAD copycat of that series - but fails misarably. It's generic, balnd, boring and stuffed with cringe worthy romance that tries way too hard to have the dynamics of Katniss/Peeta, which it of course doesn't because the characters couldn't be more one dimensional than they are. Everything about this book is one diamensional - the world, the plot and the writing as well. The distant idea bahind the Rebooting was somewhat eh... new, but was just buried by all that terrible execution and awfuly boring romance. Just STOP kissing for a minute ok?? Don't you need to take a breath? (Apparently not in the second half of this shitty book).
I'm baffled by how much Reboot was hyped up when it came out. Like I'm not the biggest fan of Divergent (hated the sequels) or Legend (great dystopia but didn't feel connected to the characters at all), but they are a treasure compared to THIS. And let's not forget Hunger Games (which is probably the only dystopian series that is my among my all time favourites) - Reboot tries so much to be like that trilogy - especially with the romance, the love interest and how the 'typical gender roles' in the romance aspect of the story *heavy sarcasm* were kind of reversed here - but utterly FAILS. Callum is no new Peeta. Also, a day after finishing I already forgot the name of the MC..
May 4, 2013
3.5 stars Really enjoyed this one--original premise, measured action sequences, a ruthless, non-emotional heroine who is pretty much a killing machine, and an unusual boy/girl dynamic that doesn't follow the typical relationship expectations. A lot of stuff packed into a fairly short book, and a strong debut. Looking forward to book two!
Recommended for fans of False Memory, Divergent, and other action-oriented sci fi thrillers.
Recommended for fans of False Memory, Divergent, and other action-oriented sci fi thrillers.
February 27, 2014
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’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.
I don't even know why I thought this book was gonna be so good. The blurb has INSTA-LOVE written in big bold letters all over it. And I'd also really like to point out how it says that Wren 178 is stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional . Then HOW COME Wren always felt guilty, sad or angry? Why did she act like a love-struck fool 75% of the time (as far as I read)? Why did she blush every time Callum the Nobody looked at her? You know what was emotionless (and boring)? The writing!
"When the shuttle landed, I trailed out last. My trembling legs didn't work right anymore. I fell behind as the other Reboots marched across the roof and down the stairs."
That's nice.
The love-interest, Callum was pretty much an average human guy, full of moral speeches and "uplifting" talks. Most of the time I was just sitting there hoping he would shut up. "No I won't kill him!", "No, I won't hit you!", "I can't let them turn me into a monster!". OKAY CALLUM, WE GET IT. STOP. NOW. PLEASE. Jeez, calm down.
And there was no world-building. What was the virus? Where did it come from? Was it accidentally unleashed or? It felt like I was just thrown right into a situation without knowing anything about it, and no one would tell me.
I dunno, maybe there was something about this book that I just didn't get ? If it was, please do tell me, because I'd really like to know. Might give this book another shot another time couse I really do hate not being able to finish books.
DNF-ed at 68%. 1 star.
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.
I don't even know why I thought this book was gonna be so good. The blurb has INSTA-LOVE written in big bold letters all over it. And I'd also really like to point out how it says that Wren 178 is stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional . Then HOW COME Wren always felt guilty, sad or angry? Why did she act like a love-struck fool 75% of the time (as far as I read)? Why did she blush every time Callum the Nobody looked at her? You know what was emotionless (and boring)? The writing!
"When the shuttle landed, I trailed out last. My trembling legs didn't work right anymore. I fell behind as the other Reboots marched across the roof and down the stairs."
That's nice.
The love-interest, Callum was pretty much an average human guy, full of moral speeches and "uplifting" talks. Most of the time I was just sitting there hoping he would shut up. "No I won't kill him!", "No, I won't hit you!", "I can't let them turn me into a monster!". OKAY CALLUM, WE GET IT. STOP. NOW. PLEASE. Jeez, calm down.
And there was no world-building. What was the virus? Where did it come from? Was it accidentally unleashed or? It felt like I was just thrown right into a situation without knowing anything about it, and no one would tell me.
I dunno, maybe there was something about this book that I just didn't get ? If it was, please do tell me, because I'd really like to know. Might give this book another shot another time couse I really do hate not being able to finish books.
DNF-ed at 68%. 1 star.
December 31, 2015
2.5
“I think people immediately assumed I was yours so they stayed far away.' He met my eyes and smiled. 'I was. I am.' He leaned forward and brushed his lips to mine. 'Yours.”
No.
But she? What does she do? She melts.
Figures.
I was first drawn to this book because the heroine sounded like a sort of icy robot, emotionless and not human at all. And then it turns out she's just a softie even softier than an average teen-aged girl. I just can't.
Maybe my two stars are a little too strict, but I can't think of anything positive to say about this book. There is nothing truly remarkable in here. The plot is so simple that my little eight year-old brother could have come up with it. The writing is right above the acceptable, and vague and imprecise most of the time. There is no depth, no adrenaline and no thrill. There is just nothing. I can't bring myself to give a higher rating because this book gave me no reason to do so. It's just so flat, so naive. Everything in this story is smooth, easy, no-sweat. It's as if the laws of the universe bend to let our heroes go on without a problem.
An example of 'what on earth is this supposed to mean': I've still not understood why no one among the rebels wanted to go retrieve Addie. It's not like they had to fight against an army. They just had to approach her, hand her the tracker, and then she could even do everything by herself. I don't see the danger of such a mission, but no, it's extremely dangerous and so they have to hire a Reboot to do it. Otherwise, how could the protagonist fit in the plot?
Now find the courage to tell me this is not stupid.
And I am even more sorry because I truly wanted to like this; the premise was kind of interesting and I was extremely intrigued by the main character we were promised.
You can't believe how disappointed I am.
“I think people immediately assumed I was yours so they stayed far away.' He met my eyes and smiled. 'I was. I am.' He leaned forward and brushed his lips to mine. 'Yours.”
No.
But she? What does she do? She melts.
Figures.
I was first drawn to this book because the heroine sounded like a sort of icy robot, emotionless and not human at all. And then it turns out she's just a softie even softier than an average teen-aged girl. I just can't.
Maybe my two stars are a little too strict, but I can't think of anything positive to say about this book. There is nothing truly remarkable in here. The plot is so simple that my little eight year-old brother could have come up with it. The writing is right above the acceptable, and vague and imprecise most of the time. There is no depth, no adrenaline and no thrill. There is just nothing. I can't bring myself to give a higher rating because this book gave me no reason to do so. It's just so flat, so naive. Everything in this story is smooth, easy, no-sweat. It's as if the laws of the universe bend to let our heroes go on without a problem.
An example of 'what on earth is this supposed to mean': I've still not understood why no one among the rebels wanted to go retrieve Addie. It's not like they had to fight against an army. They just had to approach her, hand her the tracker, and then she could even do everything by herself. I don't see the danger of such a mission, but no, it's extremely dangerous and so they have to hire a Reboot to do it. Otherwise, how could the protagonist fit in the plot?
Now find the courage to tell me this is not stupid.
And I am even more sorry because I truly wanted to like this; the premise was kind of interesting and I was extremely intrigued by the main character we were promised.
You can't believe how disappointed I am.
May 13, 2016
Reseña completa: http://anitavelabooks.blogspot.com.es...
Al final me he animado a leer esta bilogía y tengo que decir que me ha gustado bastante. La verdad que pensaba que no me gustaría y que trataría de otra cosa, no sé, pero me ha gustado la historia, los personajes y el ritmo que tiene.
La historia está muy bien construida y no le falta de nada. Tiene amor, mucha acción, sorpresas y situaciones que no te dejan despegarte del libro porque te engancha con mucha facilidad y necesitas saber más y más… Es el típico libro en el que decimos: un capitulo más y lo dejo, y nunca es verdad. De verdad que esto es lo que más me ha sorprendido y la originalidad de los reiniciados. Pero… no podía faltar un pero, y es que el final me ha parecido un poco flojo en comparación con el ritmo que mantiene durante toda la historia, la verdad que me esperaba más chicha. Eso sí, me ha dejado muy intrigada por saber que se van a encontrar… y hasta aquí puedo leer.
En cuanto a los personajes… Admito que Wren al principio me caía un poco mal, demasiado fría para mi gusto, pero al final le he cogido mucho cariño a la “princesa de hielo” porque en el fondo y aún sido la reiniciada con número más alto... tiene buen corazón y aparte no lo ha pasado nada bien en su vida como humana, se le llega a entender. En cambio, Callum me encantó nada más aparecer, es tan adorable… Y la evolución que tiene durante toda la historia me ha gustado muy mucho, cambia, pero no deja de ser el Callum de siempre y eso ha sorprendido. Y Ever también me ha gustado mucho y me he encariñado mucho con ella.
Y el romance que surge me ha gustado porque va surgiendo despacio y van conociéndose poco a poco, son muy cuquis. Y tengo esperanzas de que en la segunda parte continúe con buen pie esta relación.
En resumen, Reiniciados me ha gustado mucho más de lo que esperaba. La historia es muy original y el ritmo que tiene es increíble y muy adictivo, necesitaba una lectura así como agua de mayo. Y sin duda alguna, necesito leer pronto la segunda parte, menos mal que la publican el mes que viene, jijiji.
Al final me he animado a leer esta bilogía y tengo que decir que me ha gustado bastante. La verdad que pensaba que no me gustaría y que trataría de otra cosa, no sé, pero me ha gustado la historia, los personajes y el ritmo que tiene.
La historia está muy bien construida y no le falta de nada. Tiene amor, mucha acción, sorpresas y situaciones que no te dejan despegarte del libro porque te engancha con mucha facilidad y necesitas saber más y más… Es el típico libro en el que decimos: un capitulo más y lo dejo, y nunca es verdad. De verdad que esto es lo que más me ha sorprendido y la originalidad de los reiniciados. Pero… no podía faltar un pero, y es que el final me ha parecido un poco flojo en comparación con el ritmo que mantiene durante toda la historia, la verdad que me esperaba más chicha. Eso sí, me ha dejado muy intrigada por saber que se van a encontrar… y hasta aquí puedo leer.
En cuanto a los personajes… Admito que Wren al principio me caía un poco mal, demasiado fría para mi gusto, pero al final le he cogido mucho cariño a la “princesa de hielo” porque en el fondo y aún sido la reiniciada con número más alto... tiene buen corazón y aparte no lo ha pasado nada bien en su vida como humana, se le llega a entender. En cambio, Callum me encantó nada más aparecer, es tan adorable… Y la evolución que tiene durante toda la historia me ha gustado muy mucho, cambia, pero no deja de ser el Callum de siempre y eso ha sorprendido. Y Ever también me ha gustado mucho y me he encariñado mucho con ella.
Y el romance que surge me ha gustado porque va surgiendo despacio y van conociéndose poco a poco, son muy cuquis. Y tengo esperanzas de que en la segunda parte continúe con buen pie esta relación.
En resumen, Reiniciados me ha gustado mucho más de lo que esperaba. La historia es muy original y el ritmo que tiene es increíble y muy adictivo, necesitaba una lectura así como agua de mayo. Y sin duda alguna, necesito leer pronto la segunda parte, menos mal que la publican el mes que viene, jijiji.
April 17, 2015
Reboot. Human who died and born again technically. Considered zombie but not really look like a zombie. Humans are afraid to them because, of not their physical appearance, but their inhumane acts -- they kill.
The book has a strong potential for being the next big thing until some chapters began crawling to the romancey-type scenes. What. The. Fuck. It will be okay if it was just a little though. Because to be honest, I somehow enjoyed the cuteness of the romance between Wren and Callum since Wren is the deadliest and the least emotional among the Reboots but it's too much. Ugh. It almost hide the main plot of the book.
Anyway, highway, the main dystopia/sci-fi concept was still there, for chrissake, so I'm still interested to read the sequel. And besides, the action and the adventure was compelling and engaging, thus a fair rating.
The book has a strong potential for being the next big thing until some chapters began crawling to the romancey-type scenes. What. The. Fuck. It will be okay if it was just a little though. Because to be honest, I somehow enjoyed the cuteness of the romance between Wren and Callum since Wren is the deadliest and the least emotional among the Reboots but it's too much. Ugh. It almost hide the main plot of the book.
Anyway, highway, the main dystopia/sci-fi concept was still there, for chrissake, so I'm still interested to read the sequel. And besides, the action and the adventure was compelling and engaging, thus a fair rating.
August 24, 2015
Mi experiencia con Reiniciados se podría resumir en un "no está mal, pero tampoco contiene nada que la haga destacar". Tiene un ritmo trepidante y verdaderamente engancha y entretiene muchísimo pero no consiguió sorprenderme en ningún momento y considero que le faltó fuerza y más emociones fuertes, sobre todo de cara al final.
http://lavidasecretadeloslibros.blogs...
http://lavidasecretadeloslibros.blogs...
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