Monday, November 11, 2013

Review: Reboot by Amy Tintera

Title: Reboot (Reboot #1)
Author: Amy Tintera
Published: March 7th 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

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.

Dude! This book seemed like it had all the elements of a perfect dystopian novel. A great cover? Intriguing blurb? Heavy on the action? Possibly spiced with a little romance? I thought it was going to be amazing. Which it was at the beginning. I remember seeing very average ratings prior diving into it. Once I started reading Reboot, I couldn’t possibly understand why it had these mediocre ratings. Then I got to halfway and downhill it went...

“Humans had a brightness to them, a glow that only death extinguished.”

Reboot started out as a mystery to me. Wren is on an assignment and the person she is after is terrified of her after seeing Wren’s number: 178. You see, she is basically without emotions and when you start the story, she is pretty much colder than Antarctica. She is the perfect soldier and it was intriguing. I was all:


The way the system was described and how Wren found it to be righteous was the making of a good dystopian. You know, the way the main characters always discover themselves fighting against the system they previously thought was superior and built on the right reasons? I knew it was sailing towards that way and I was happy about it. To see Wren explore her human side again and to take this cruel system down and free the people of fear, slavery and murders? I was all about that. Until it happened...

See, we have Callum—a guy who brought light and color to this depressive system. He was dead for 22 minutes and is the opposite of a great soldier. He tries to befriend Wren and pushes the boundaries everywhere he goes which made me instantly like him. We all knew the romance was just around the corner and I love my romance in books. However, while there have been very rare cases I've liked this kind of happenings, I usualy do not like when books are disguised as dystopian, fantasy, thriller etc when it’s more about the romance. If I was running for my life, I wouldn’t stop to make out and forget myself making out in a battle field. These two just couldn’t get enough of each other and were making out or looking into each other’s eyes the entire time they were on the run.


Do you think Katniss and Peeta would have made out while they were fighting for their lives and the guys who were trying to kill them were right around the corner? Do you think Tris and Four would? What about Rose and Dimitri? I know not all couples are the same, but seriously? Seriously? This was just too much to handle. Were they high on adrenaline? If someone could explain this to me, it'd be very appreciated. By the time I was half way through, I was just hoping the book would be over soon, plus I already predicted the ending..

I tried writing my review after I finished the book, but the second half of it made me so frustrated that I couldn’t type a word. Here I am, three months later, and I still don’t know how I feel about Reboot. I want to read the second novel because I would love to see how things go with the world building and other characters, but I do not care for the romance and that’s a first. I have absolutely no interest in reading a romance book while I’m hoping to find a character-driven dystopian novel. What a huge disappointment Reboot was though. It was a book with great potential that turned into a big, big mess. Not impressed.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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14 comments:

  1. Sorry this wasn't all you wished it would have been

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  2. Heey, you changed your introduction at the side-bar, right? I like it :D!

    It's a shame you didn't enjoy this book. I quite liked it and I was surprised that the romance didn't bother me. Normally I'm the first one to say it's annoying, but it just worked in this case. I hope your next read is better! :)

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    1. Haha, I did! Thanks :D

      LOL. I'm the last person to complain about romance, but enough is enough! Idk what happened. One minute I was enjoying myself to no end and the next minute I was wishing this book to turn into ashes. I do kinda want to read the sequel though just to see how it goes, lol. Thanks, Mel :-)

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  3. Oh I liked this more than you, but I have to agree about the romance. Although it didn't bother me too much in the end, I did think there was way too much of a focus on it, which was a shame, as the first half was really strong, like you mentioned. I'm curious about the next book, but I'm not sure if I'll read it immediately. Great review, Siiri! Not that I like to feed off your frustration or anything... but it made me laugh. ;D

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  4. Making out in the middle of a battle? Seriously? Gah! My co-blogger was also disappointed in Reboot but I held out some hope. I don't think I'd like it though because in general I don't like straight up romance. I was hoping this book was a thriller or something with romance mixed in. Sigh.

    Thanks for the review!

    -P.E. @ The Sirenic Codex

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  5. Yikes! The story seemed to have potential but was overwhelmed by that romance. Sorry the second half didn't work for you.

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  6. I don't mind romance in my dystopian/action novel, in fact, I want it. It sounds like the romance was poorly executed and that's a shame. Sorry this didn't work out for you, Siiri. It is something that you still want to read the second one. Great honest review. :)

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  7. Hehe, I'm like Rachel. I'm that girl that totally wants making out on the battlefield because I'm such a fan of romance in my books (of all genres) and was therefore rooting for all the Wren/Callum moments. I can see where you're coming from though, dystopians are typically dark and gritty and Wren's rather abrupt turn from emotionless machine to Callum's girlfriend is likely to be off putting for many a reader in the context of this world. Still, I'm glad you're thinking of giving book two a try despite your reaction to the romance in this one!

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  8. I wanted to read this one a while ago, but then I started seeing some reviews and I realized it would annoy me. Actually it annoys me more and more when a couple is so IN LOVE that they cannot stop looking at each other or making out or whatever, regardless to the place and circumstances. Yeah the big dragon is flying over our heads, let's kiss. No logic there. Great review Siiri :)

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  9. Sorry this book didn't work out for you! I'm so over dystopians, but I might get behind a dystopian disguised as a romance novel, especially if I know that's what I'm getting. I'll admit that this review amused me a great deal, especially when you talk about those power badass couples stopping to make out at inappropriate moments. Ha! Fun review, friend!

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  10. Gah! I totally agree with you on pretty much everything you said here, Siiri! I did not like this one at all, which makes me sad because it did start off pretty strong for like... 1 chapter lol Great review darling!

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  11. Firstly - there are so many Wrens lately!! I'm watching a show with a Wren and just read 2 books with a Wren!! ENOUGH OF THE WRENS!! haha. I have not seen the best things said about this book though it sounds like it's readable but nothing very memorable. The whole making out in a life or death situation thing... urgh. That happened in a book I read recently where they were making out next to a dead body instead of running away from the thing that killed it. Wtf? I think I made the right decision to skip this one lol.

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  12. I had opportunity to read this novel, but I skiped it and judging by your review I made the right decision. Too bad, blurb sounded so promising.

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