Reboot by Amy Tintera

Summary:
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. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I've been waiting to read Reboot for a long time and I'm so glad I finally got the chance to. I think the concept sounds fascinating and I wanted to see how this new dystopian world plays out. While I enjoyed Reboot for the most part, there were things I didn't like.

The beginning of Reboot is great: we're introduced to the HARC and Wren. She's such an interesting character because she's the deadliest Reboot around since she was dead the longest. That makes her a spectacular fighter but also makes her cold and detached. She is way less emotional than the other Reboots, but that changes when she meets Callum. Callum is probably the most human out of all the reboot since his number is a 22 and they complement each other very nicely. It was nice to see some character development out of Wren and see her become more human as she spends more time with Callum.

The part I didn't like is that I think that Callum's and Wren's relationship progressed too quickly. First Wren is cold and calculating and then her personality does a 180 and she becomes this giggly, in love girl. Their romance was almost too sweet, like if you eat too much candy you feel ill. At one point Wren is trying to fly a hovercraft to safety and yet her and Callum are exchanging kisses as they flee for their lives! I'm not a fan of this romance anyway but the fact that Wren starts as the distant Reboot and somehow ends up on the other end of the spectrum. I would have liked to see this development take longer and move a little slower, which probably would have been more realistic for the story.

Even so, I enjoyed the other plot points of Reboot though everything did seem to work out a little too easily. Authors need to get rid of these deus ex machinas that keep popping up. Reboot does end on a cliffhanger so I'm happy to see that a sequel will be released soon. I'll definitely pick it up but I hope it's a little better than it's predecessor so I can enjoy it even more.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library.

2013/HarperTeen/365 pages.