Review: Reboot by Amy Tintera

Reboot (Reboot, #1) by Amy Tintera
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication date: June 1st, 2013
Number of pages: 384 pgs
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | 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.

Wren Connolly was shot and killed at twelve years old. 178 minutes later; she came back at a Reboot. This is not quite a zombie, but not really alive either. I think somewhere in the middle.

The longer someone is dead, the less human they will be. Wren happens to be one of the people who was dead longer than most and hence she doesn't have many emotions. Her humanity; lets be frank has been lost.
Wren follows her orders; doesn't have many friends and does what she is told. Why should she do anything else?
When the new Reboots turn up, there is one boy who is very much human and isn't very good at the physical stuff; so what does she do? She takes him on as a trainee.

She knows Callum will have to improve, and if she can't make it happen, then he'll be eliminated (because what's the point of having a reboot who isn't any good?) and she'll be forced to be the one to do it. She knows this. Wren will have to make sure not only does he improve, but he doesn't prove to be her own downfall.

Wren was an interesting character. She is basically a shell. Someone who goes around and acting like she should, but inside, there is nothing there.  She does what she is told. She doesn't understand those who are more human than others and she is stone cold, almost like a robot.
I really adored the way she went from not caring, to having this new person in her life; Callum who she finds emotions coming back to her, and falling for him. It's the last thing she ever wanted, or expected, but by the end --- she wouldn't trade it for the world.
In a way, being around Callum helped her regain her emotions and humanity again. It's something she has not had since before she was shot, and even then she never had the best life, but Callum makes her see the world differently than she did before. You might even say... he makes her believe again.

The world these Reboots are in I found quite fascinating. Amy Tintera did an amazing job at building up such an interesting world. Where the world is different from ours, but you can see how it could happen; and how things could be.
There was so many elements I would classify this as... you'd find things from love, to terror, to power and strength.  These characters show you something different about the world, about the story... and such an imaginary view to the Dystopian world.  I'd say it would be a mix between sci fi and Dystopia. Both genres I have been loving lately.

If this is your kind of thing.. I'd totally recommend it. :)

Rating: 4.5/5