Rebel (Reboot #2) by Amy Tintera

"I sort of liked the sound of bones breaking. It was like home."

If you haven't read Reboot, the book that comes before this one, here's my review of it from last year. (Highly recommend!)

REBEL (REBOOT #2)

by Amy Tintera
Published May 13, 2014 by HarperTeen
Paperback, 352p.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

After coming back from death as Reboots and being trained by HARC as soldiers, Wren and Callum have finally escaped north, where they hope to find a life of freedom. But when they arrive at the Reboot Reservation, it isn't what they expected. Under the rule of a bloodthirsty leader, Micah, the Reboots are about to wage an all-out war on the humans. Although Wren's instincts are telling her to set off into the wilderness on their own and leave the battle far behind, Callum is unwilling to let his human family be murdered. When Micah commits the ultimate betrayal, the choice is made for them. But Micah has also made a fatal mistake . . . he's underestimated Wren and Callum.

The explosive finale to the Reboot duology is full of riveting action and steamy love scenes as Wren and Callum become rebels against their own kind.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK:

REBEL picks up right where Reboot left off, and since the Reboot series is a duology the book races toward a final conclusion. Because the scene was set in Reboot, this book is able to jump right into the world and keep things moving along. It also gives time to explore certain spaces more thoroughly, such as the cities around Texas (both original and new), the reboot camp, and Wren's life before rebooting (and how it may have contributed to her reboot style).

The book rotates between two points of view this time: Wren (again), and Caleb. Wren continues to be a fun and interesting character to follow, and Caleb's portion is a nice addition, since his perspective can be so different from hers. They care for each other, though, so they're not actually on opposite sides of the issues, only approaching them from different viewpoints. He's sure of his remaining humanity and forced to question his refusal to accept violence as necessary (because maybe sometimes it is), while Wren has spent years believing she's an emotionless reboot, but learns that may not be exactly true.

While Reboot focused on the individuals rebooting and the world in which that occurs, Rebel takes a look at what happens with those reboots, whether under the control of the government that created them or off on their own. The book considers what it means to be a leader, how power can corrupt, and unexpected alliances.

I loved Reboot and I might just like Rebel even more. It's full of interesting politics between reboots and humans, features a relationship between Wren and Caleb you can truly root for, and plenty of funny moments to keep the serious issues and deadly threats from being overwhelming. Rebel is well-written and will keep you hooked throughout. I can't wait to see what Amy Tintera publishes next!

GET THE BOOK: Goodreads | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

"You could've at least let me know you weren't dead

by the way. I was actually kind of sad about that." 

 "That's a pretty incredible sentiment, coming from you."

Rebel Release Day!

Last year, I told you about how I loved Amy Tintera's REBOOT, and today book two, REBEL, is out! (If you still need to read REBOOT, it's $2 for Kindle at the time of this post going up.)

I can't wait to start reading! It's book 2 of 2, so this is the end and there won't be a cliffhanger!

However! One thing that's so hard about books in a series releasing so far apart is that it can be hard to remember EVERY LITTLE DETAIL from the previous book (and I can't re-read them all!), but Amy Tintera has saved the day! She posted a recap of book 1 to help you jump right into REBEL. (How nice!) You can read it here. (But don't look if you haven't read the book! A recap won't do it justice!)

So, now that I'm all caught up and have my copy of REBEL, please excuse me...
Haha!

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

“If it was okay for me to kiss you…would you want me to?”

THE HERE AND NOW 

by Ann Brashares
Published April 8, 2014 by Delacorte Press
YA - Hardcover, 256 pages

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with a digital copy for review.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK: 

THE HERE AND NOW is a beautifully written, YA sci-fi about time travel, forbidden love, and doing what’s right. It’s almost dystopian, except the world in which the characters exist is almost 100 years before the truly awful things have happened (due to mosquitoes, global warming, and humankind’s general lack of making changes in time to save things). The story follows Prenna, a teenager living with her mom, four years after they traveled back in time.

The time travelers must learn to fit in, while being careful about what their presence means for a changing future. There are twelve rules to keep them in line, including: “12. We must never, under any circumstances, develop a physically or emotionally intimate relationship with any person outside the community.” Of course, not forming any connections isn’t always easy and a good portion of the book focuses on this aspect of Prenna’s troubles. 

Ethan, a time native, has a secret connection to Prenna, that even she isn’t always aware of, and becomes a part of her possible love story, and the group’s time-traveler-in-an-old-time woes. He’s smart, resourceful, and totally into Prenna. Their friendship is sweet and pushing the boundaries of what’s allowed before anything more is ever even suggested. (The time traveling bosses are super strict!)

If you’re the type of person who wants every detail to be wrapped up at the end of the book, this one won’t satisfy that need, but I hope you’ll give it a try anyway. What needs to be concluded is, and enough is left open that you’ll have room to imagine (and maybe hope for another book). Think: the Delirium trilogy’s ending (which I loved), rather than anything with an epilogue telling you if she got married and had kids.

THE HERE AND NOW is one of those books I kept thinking about when I wasn’t reading it and had to get back to. While the world of 2014 isn’t bad, there are signs that it’s leading to exactly what Prenna and the others escaped when they traveled back in time, and doesn’t that mean some changes need to be made?

GET THE BOOK: Goodreads | Amazon | IndieBound

“Already he is the drip, drip of water that carves a canyon right through the middle of me.”

Reboot by Amy Tintera

"Want to dance? We have music this time. 
And I don't have to punch you when we finish."

Reboot (Reboot #1)

by Amy Tintera

YA - Hardcover, 352 pages

Published May 7, 2013 by HarperTeen

ABOUT THE BOOK:

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. 

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK:

One book in and I'm totally hooked on Amy Tintera! REBOOT is the perfect match for my picky, sci-fi loving heart. Tintera manages to make Wren feel human and worth rooting for, even though she is essentially dead and meant to be a cold-hearted killing machine, thanks to the government. She was dead 178 minutes, which means she's one of the best (with the longest known reboot time) and the least human among the Reboots. Wren is badass and calculating, while also managing to feel like a teen girl (albeit one in a super weird situation) and show the kind of vulnerability and hope not expected from someone intended to be a heartless soldier.

Then there's Callum. Oh, Callum. He was only dead for 22 minutes, which makes him kind of a joke among the Reboots and a possibly hopeless case to those in charge. He's sweet and smiley and the perfect balance to Wren's closed off resignation. He never quite fits in, but doesn't seem to mind enough to wipe the smile off his face. Without him, the story would've been much darker and Wren's hopeful side would've likely stayed buried until she died for the second and final time.

REBOOT is a great mix of action, weird, evil, science plot, and humor that keeps the reader hooked throughout. There is a second book in the works, so everything wasn't solved by the last page, but the conclusion of this book was enough of an ending to not leave you feeling confused or lost or irritated. It ends, but then there's a possibility for more… and you really want to know what's on the other side of that possibility.

REBOOT is a good choice for fans of Divergent or Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. And it released yesterday, so snag a copy ASAP.

See what other bloggers are saying about the book:

Rather Be Reading

The Hiding Spot

GET THE BOOK: Goodreads / IndieBound / Book Depository / Amazon

Thanks to HarperTeen for providing an ARC at TXLA!