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bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
This would have been a four star review were it not for the romance bogging things down in the middle. Otherwise, it's different and interesting with good characters. More complete review to come.
Full review:
After a string of disappointments, I was hoping Reboot would provide me with relief from my YA dystopian glut. In may respect, it did just that, but it also fell short due mainly to what I think is really the downfall of YA lit as of late: the obligatory romance. It's not that the romance in and of itself is bad or wrong, just that it threw a wrench into what was otherwise a very well done, unique, and interesting book. Some spoilers to follow.
The book opens on a great, strong note with the introduction of Wren, who is a 178. The numbers each Reboot is assigned indicates the number of minutes they were dead before they "rebooted", and the higher a number is, the more of their humanity the reboots are rumored to have lost. What's nice about this device is it allows Tintera to write a YA heroine who is interesting and complex, and whose moral dilemma makes for a strong plot point. Wren is abrasive and downright scary at times, and she's a better character for it. I'm tired of reading about insipid female characters, so it was extremely refreshing to find one who had the tendency to do things that not only made me shudder, but also surprised me.
What's even better is that, within the confines of the world Tintera has created, it makes sense why Wren is the way she is. She fits into the society in exactly the way one might expect, and her evolution makes for the perfect lens for exploring the implications of Reboot's fictional universe. There's some good subtext here about the ways in which society classifies people and uses those classifications to justify discriminating against certain people. The fear-based society of Reboot is, in many ways, an unfortunately timeless tale.
The basic plot of the book is gripping. I kept turning pages, wanting to know why HARC was targeting the people it was. I was interested in how HARC had exerted such power over the population, and how it was maintaining its stranglehold. When Wren's indifference with the why of what she's doing is coupled with her desire to do a good job, the book lends itself well to doling out the details sparingly. It makes sense for the reader to question things Wren doesn't because the reader is coming at Wren's world from such a different angle. I liked this aspect of the book a lot because it saves it from the plot contrivances from which a lot of the YA books I've read lately suffer.
Things were moving along well and I was feeling great about the book, loving it, until I hit the wall: the obligatory romance. Now, my official disclaimer is this: I like romance in books, but it has to be done well and it can't feel like it's detracting from the plot. Reboot's romance bogged down the plot and made the middle portion drag more than necessary. There was a little too much kissy face and a little too little plot for some stretches, and the kissy face aspects of the book felt stilted and somewhat awkward. Couple this with the fact that the romance is a little insta-lovey, and it detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Now, this doesn't mean that I didn't buy into why the two characters might fall in love, because I did, particularly from Wren's point of view. It's one of the better premises for YA romance I've read, which is why I was frustrated by its being propelled along far too quickly. I don't think the romance had to be the impetus for Wren taking the actions she takes. She already has plenty of motivation because of the way the shadier aspects of HARC impact her personally. I also thought Callum's influence skewing Wren's perspective on society would have been motive enough for her to act. Wren is the type of character who sees things in absolutes, so I thought Callum's helping her see the shades of gray provided her with enough reason to act, without having to thrust the two directly into romance. It's a disservice to the strength of the characters to have things unfurl so rapidly. A slower, more developed romance would have done them both a lot more justice.
And I would have liked to see more justice done to Callum, because I thought he was a fantastic character. To me, he's the gold standard of YA male romantic interests. He admires and accepts Wren for who she is, but it doesn't mean that he sits back when she does things he can't stomach. Instead, he calls her out on them, and he challenges her to overcome her own unintentional blindness and indifference. He has a lot of attractive traits as well: he's funny, he's upbeat, he's kind, and he has a highly developed moral code. However, it doesn't mean that he's perfect. He does a few things that cause major problems for both himself and Wren.
The other big plus for me is that he isn't described as some majorly hunky piece of man cake. There's nothing wrong with being attractive, of course, but why everyone in the YA universe has to be drop-dead gorgeous, I don't really understand. It's nice to read about characters who seem like they could be people you pass on the street--well, maybe not in this case as they are technically undead, but you get the idea.
I confess I'm a little disappointed that this book is part of a series, due to my developing a serious case of series fatigue. I think there's enough plot there to carry this story over another book or two, but I'd also love to read a one-off book of the YA dystopian variety. Not everything needs to be a series, especially when it's so obvious that most series exist for purely commercial reasons. I am curious about a lot of aspects of Reboot's world, though, and this book does provide a sense of closure on this chapter of the story; I thank it for eschewing the other YA dystopian required element: the nonsensical cliffhanger. So, major points there. The other problem with a series is that, once you've read a bunch of other series in the same genre, it gets a little tough to keep up with which character is which and what plot twist belongs to what book. Still, I do plan on coming back for the next installment in this series.
Full review:
After a string of disappointments, I was hoping Reboot would provide me with relief from my YA dystopian glut. In may respect, it did just that, but it also fell short due mainly to what I think is really the downfall of YA lit as of late: the obligatory romance. It's not that the romance in and of itself is bad or wrong, just that it threw a wrench into what was otherwise a very well done, unique, and interesting book. Some spoilers to follow.
The book opens on a great, strong note with the introduction of Wren, who is a 178. The numbers each Reboot is assigned indicates the number of minutes they were dead before they "rebooted", and the higher a number is, the more of their humanity the reboots are rumored to have lost. What's nice about this device is it allows Tintera to write a YA heroine who is interesting and complex, and whose moral dilemma makes for a strong plot point. Wren is abrasive and downright scary at times, and she's a better character for it. I'm tired of reading about insipid female characters, so it was extremely refreshing to find one who had the tendency to do things that not only made me shudder, but also surprised me.
What's even better is that, within the confines of the world Tintera has created, it makes sense why Wren is the way she is. She fits into the society in exactly the way one might expect, and her evolution makes for the perfect lens for exploring the implications of Reboot's fictional universe. There's some good subtext here about the ways in which society classifies people and uses those classifications to justify discriminating against certain people. The fear-based society of Reboot is, in many ways, an unfortunately timeless tale.
The basic plot of the book is gripping. I kept turning pages, wanting to know why HARC was targeting the people it was. I was interested in how HARC had exerted such power over the population, and how it was maintaining its stranglehold. When Wren's indifference with the why of what she's doing is coupled with her desire to do a good job, the book lends itself well to doling out the details sparingly. It makes sense for the reader to question things Wren doesn't because the reader is coming at Wren's world from such a different angle. I liked this aspect of the book a lot because it saves it from the plot contrivances from which a lot of the YA books I've read lately suffer.
Things were moving along well and I was feeling great about the book, loving it, until I hit the wall: the obligatory romance. Now, my official disclaimer is this: I like romance in books, but it has to be done well and it can't feel like it's detracting from the plot. Reboot's romance bogged down the plot and made the middle portion drag more than necessary. There was a little too much kissy face and a little too little plot for some stretches, and the kissy face aspects of the book felt stilted and somewhat awkward. Couple this with the fact that the romance is a little insta-lovey, and it detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Now, this doesn't mean that I didn't buy into why the two characters might fall in love, because I did, particularly from Wren's point of view. It's one of the better premises for YA romance I've read, which is why I was frustrated by its being propelled along far too quickly. I don't think the romance had to be the impetus for Wren taking the actions she takes. She already has plenty of motivation because of the way the shadier aspects of HARC impact her personally. I also thought Callum's influence skewing Wren's perspective on society would have been motive enough for her to act. Wren is the type of character who sees things in absolutes, so I thought Callum's helping her see the shades of gray provided her with enough reason to act, without having to thrust the two directly into romance. It's a disservice to the strength of the characters to have things unfurl so rapidly. A slower, more developed romance would have done them both a lot more justice.
And I would have liked to see more justice done to Callum, because I thought he was a fantastic character. To me, he's the gold standard of YA male romantic interests. He admires and accepts Wren for who she is, but it doesn't mean that he sits back when she does things he can't stomach. Instead, he calls her out on them, and he challenges her to overcome her own unintentional blindness and indifference. He has a lot of attractive traits as well: he's funny, he's upbeat, he's kind, and he has a highly developed moral code. However, it doesn't mean that he's perfect. He does a few things that cause major problems for both himself and Wren.
The other big plus for me is that he isn't described as some majorly hunky piece of man cake. There's nothing wrong with being attractive, of course, but why everyone in the YA universe has to be drop-dead gorgeous, I don't really understand. It's nice to read about characters who seem like they could be people you pass on the street--well, maybe not in this case as they are technically undead, but you get the idea.
I confess I'm a little disappointed that this book is part of a series, due to my developing a serious case of series fatigue. I think there's enough plot there to carry this story over another book or two, but I'd also love to read a one-off book of the YA dystopian variety. Not everything needs to be a series, especially when it's so obvious that most series exist for purely commercial reasons. I am curious about a lot of aspects of Reboot's world, though, and this book does provide a sense of closure on this chapter of the story; I thank it for eschewing the other YA dystopian required element: the nonsensical cliffhanger. So, major points there. The other problem with a series is that, once you've read a bunch of other series in the same genre, it gets a little tough to keep up with which character is which and what plot twist belongs to what book. Still, I do plan on coming back for the next installment in this series.
jennrocca's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. It was fine. If you’re 13-ish. I like that it’s a zombie story where the zombies are totally normally people. Like, not zombies at all. Just people who died then came back to life. Where the zombies are the victims, not the enemy. I don’t plan to read any sequels.
letsbebookfriends's review against another edition
4.0
Usually zombie books aren't my thing, but this is more dystopian than zombie. I liked it for the most part.
kat7890erina's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. Plot pacing and character development were spot on for a YA dystopian adventure with a side of romance (straight).
iriswindmeijer's review against another edition
3.0
Romantiek meets Sciencefiction
Amy Tintera wilde altijd al schrijver worden en schreef vanaf het moment dat ze een pen kon vasthouden. Tegen de tijd dat ze de middelbare school had afgemaakt, had ze al zes boeken geschreven. Rebootis het negende boek wat ze schreef en het harde werken loont. The Walking Dead is een van de inspiraties van Tintera, dus voor fans van die serie is Reboot een aanrader.
Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) en Tris Prior (Divergent) kunnen het veld ruimen: een nieuwe YA-heldin is opgestaan en ze is sterker en meedogenlozer dan ooit. De zeventienjarige Wren Connolly werd vijf jaar geleden neergeschoten, maar na 178 minuten kwam ze weer tot leven als Reboot. Hoe langer een Reboot dood is geweest, hoe sterker, sneller en onkwetsbaarder ze terugkomen. Wren is met haar 178 minuten de dodelijkste Reboot die er is. Callum Tweeëntwintig daarentegen is nog praktisch menselijk, in tegenstelling tot Wren. Maar Callum, met zijn glimlach en vele vragen, weet toch iets in haar los te maken. Met hem in de buurt voelt Wren zich menselijker dan ooit en wanneer ze het bevel krijgt om Callum te elimineren, besluit ze alles op alles te zetten om hem te redden.
Rebootbegint meteen met actie: Wren is op een missie en wordt neergezet als een meedogenloze Reboot. De gevoelloze Reboots worden ingezet als soldaten voor HARC om misdadigers op te pakken, en dit gaat meestal niet zonder slag of stoot. De actie wordt afgewisseld met dialoog, de emoties van Wren en nauwkeurige beschrijvingen van de setting. Tintera heeft de wereld in Reboot zorgvuldig opgezet. Aan alle details is gedacht en de setting wordt zorgvuldig beschreven. Ondanks dat het verhaal zich afspeelt in een dystopische wereld, zijn er echo’s van onze eigen wereld waardoor de YA-roman realistisch blijft. Naar eigen zeggen heeft Tintera ook veel onderzoek gedaan naar hoe de wereld in elkaar moet zitten, zoals welke gewassen in Texas groeien.
De combinatie van sciencefiction en romantiek tussen Wren en Callum is precies goed in evenwicht. De dialogen tussen het onwaarschijnlijke koppel zijn scherp maar je voelt de verwarring en genegenheid van Wren tussen de regels door. Haar worstelingen met haar emoties en haar emotieloosheid zijn interessant om te lezen, maar vrij repetitief. Er wordt vrij veel herhaald hoe koud en emotieloos ze is omdat ze wel 178 minuten dood is geweest, maar dit wordt niet ondersteund door haar constante en tegenstrijdige gedachten over Callum. Over Callum komen we vrij weinig te weten: zijn karakter is meer een schets en hij krijgt weinig diepgang, een gemiste kans. Rebootheeft een snelle ontknoping, en nadat Wren probeert Callum te redden gaat het allemaal heel snel. De ontsnapping doet een beetje denken aan de vlucht uit The Maze Runner.
Het gebrek aan diepgaande karakters wordt goedgemaakt met de zorgvuldig opgebouwde wereld en de combinatie van romantiek en actie maken Reboot een leuke toevoeging aan de huidige YA trend. Ben je al nieuwsgierig geworden? Harper Teen heeft ook een boek trailer gemaakt van Reboot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adUV6qZgZdQ
Recensie ook te zien op:
https://www.hebban.nl/recensies/iris-windmeijer-over-reboot
Amy Tintera wilde altijd al schrijver worden en schreef vanaf het moment dat ze een pen kon vasthouden. Tegen de tijd dat ze de middelbare school had afgemaakt, had ze al zes boeken geschreven. Rebootis het negende boek wat ze schreef en het harde werken loont. The Walking Dead is een van de inspiraties van Tintera, dus voor fans van die serie is Reboot een aanrader.
Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) en Tris Prior (Divergent) kunnen het veld ruimen: een nieuwe YA-heldin is opgestaan en ze is sterker en meedogenlozer dan ooit. De zeventienjarige Wren Connolly werd vijf jaar geleden neergeschoten, maar na 178 minuten kwam ze weer tot leven als Reboot. Hoe langer een Reboot dood is geweest, hoe sterker, sneller en onkwetsbaarder ze terugkomen. Wren is met haar 178 minuten de dodelijkste Reboot die er is. Callum Tweeëntwintig daarentegen is nog praktisch menselijk, in tegenstelling tot Wren. Maar Callum, met zijn glimlach en vele vragen, weet toch iets in haar los te maken. Met hem in de buurt voelt Wren zich menselijker dan ooit en wanneer ze het bevel krijgt om Callum te elimineren, besluit ze alles op alles te zetten om hem te redden.
Rebootbegint meteen met actie: Wren is op een missie en wordt neergezet als een meedogenloze Reboot. De gevoelloze Reboots worden ingezet als soldaten voor HARC om misdadigers op te pakken, en dit gaat meestal niet zonder slag of stoot. De actie wordt afgewisseld met dialoog, de emoties van Wren en nauwkeurige beschrijvingen van de setting. Tintera heeft de wereld in Reboot zorgvuldig opgezet. Aan alle details is gedacht en de setting wordt zorgvuldig beschreven. Ondanks dat het verhaal zich afspeelt in een dystopische wereld, zijn er echo’s van onze eigen wereld waardoor de YA-roman realistisch blijft. Naar eigen zeggen heeft Tintera ook veel onderzoek gedaan naar hoe de wereld in elkaar moet zitten, zoals welke gewassen in Texas groeien.
De combinatie van sciencefiction en romantiek tussen Wren en Callum is precies goed in evenwicht. De dialogen tussen het onwaarschijnlijke koppel zijn scherp maar je voelt de verwarring en genegenheid van Wren tussen de regels door. Haar worstelingen met haar emoties en haar emotieloosheid zijn interessant om te lezen, maar vrij repetitief. Er wordt vrij veel herhaald hoe koud en emotieloos ze is omdat ze wel 178 minuten dood is geweest, maar dit wordt niet ondersteund door haar constante en tegenstrijdige gedachten over Callum. Over Callum komen we vrij weinig te weten: zijn karakter is meer een schets en hij krijgt weinig diepgang, een gemiste kans. Rebootheeft een snelle ontknoping, en nadat Wren probeert Callum te redden gaat het allemaal heel snel. De ontsnapping doet een beetje denken aan de vlucht uit The Maze Runner.
Het gebrek aan diepgaande karakters wordt goedgemaakt met de zorgvuldig opgebouwde wereld en de combinatie van romantiek en actie maken Reboot een leuke toevoeging aan de huidige YA trend. Ben je al nieuwsgierig geworden? Harper Teen heeft ook een boek trailer gemaakt van Reboot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adUV6qZgZdQ
Recensie ook te zien op:
https://www.hebban.nl/recensies/iris-windmeijer-over-reboot
julsyx's review against another edition
4.0
Debo decir que este libro en originalidad se lleva un 10. Me gustó mucho la idea de que la gente después de morir reiniciara volviéndose más fuerte, rápida y en definitiva menos humana.
Me encantó el principio pero no sé por qué sentí que la historia empezaba a decaer a lo largo del libro.
Me gustaron tanto Wren como Callum ya que me parecen personajes bastante entretenidos sobretodo Callum y era interesante saber como era su vida antes de ser reiniciados. Aunque me hubiera gustado saber un poco más de Wren porque no llegué a conocerla del todo.
Lo que hizo que le quitara una estrella fue que el final no me convenció del todo. Cuando lo terminé no me quedé loca por leer el segundo libro como creía que iba a estarlo.
En definitiva, Reiniciados me parece una distopía muy original y diferente aunque me hubiera gustado un final diferente. Aun así estoy dispuesta a leerme el segundo libro.
Me encantó el principio pero no sé por qué sentí que la historia empezaba a decaer a lo largo del libro.
Me gustaron tanto Wren como Callum ya que me parecen personajes bastante entretenidos sobretodo Callum y era interesante saber como era su vida antes de ser reiniciados. Aunque me hubiera gustado saber un poco más de Wren porque no llegué a conocerla del todo.
Lo que hizo que le quitara una estrella fue que el final no me convenció del todo. Cuando lo terminé no me quedé loca por leer el segundo libro como creía que iba a estarlo.
En definitiva, Reiniciados me parece una distopía muy original y diferente aunque me hubiera gustado un final diferente. Aun así estoy dispuesta a leerme el segundo libro.
rhmunch512's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as I remember but still entertaining and a good quick read. I enjoy Amys interpretation of zombies and look forward to reading the sequel. The fight scenes were well done and the ending was a good speed. I enjoyed the training scenes but do feel like certain parts of the story dragged on. I enjoyed the romance, wasn’t over the top but wasn’t supposed to be based on the characters. Not very quotable. Overall 3.5/5 stars. Was a good quick read when I dedicated the time to it but not so entertaining I was racing back to it when I put the book down.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review
3.0
3.5
Amy Tintera's debut novel is fast-paced, has a great concept and could be read in a single sitting(naturally it took me almost a week, but let's not go into that).
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the romance, since several reviewers had problems with it. It was sweet and tender; like something you'd find in a contemporary romance.
The friendship-like bond Wren and Callum formed and their comments to one another made up for their otherwise lukewarm chemistry.
The characters were well-developed, although the story focused a little too much on the MC and the love interest. The cast of secondary characters had potential that went to waste. There were many people in this book, and each and every one of them needed their share of the spotlight.
The last 50 pages dragged and made me uninterested, but the rest of the book had me hooked.
I will read the sequel, though it's not one I'll be rushing to make time for.
Recommended for fans of Legend by Marie Lu.
Amy Tintera's debut novel is fast-paced, has a great concept and could be read in a single sitting
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the romance, since several reviewers had problems with it. It was sweet and tender; like something you'd find in a contemporary romance.
The friendship-like bond Wren and Callum formed and their comments to one another made up for their otherwise lukewarm chemistry.
The characters were well-developed, although the story focused a little too much on the MC and the love interest. The cast of secondary characters had potential that went to waste. There were many people in this book, and each and every one of them needed their share of the spotlight.
The last 50 pages dragged and made me uninterested, but the rest of the book had me hooked.
I will read the sequel, though it's not one I'll be rushing to make time for.
Recommended for fans of Legend by Marie Lu.
cutenanya's review against another edition
3.0
I like the idea of reboot very much in this book and I also like the setup between humans, reboot, and HARK. Unfortunately, the author has not executed the story well, and this is reflected by her inconsistencies in the characterization for Ran 178. I also find holes and illogical points in the plot that undermined the quality of the novel. Still, I really like Callum, Ran, Ever, Athena and probablybwill continue reading this series, hoping the future books will only get better as the author matures.