Reboot

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.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Amy Tintera presents readers with a new spin on the zombie genre in her novel, Reboot. Instead of brain eating, flesh-dripping monsters, there are Reboots. With a slight deathish twinge about them, Reboots are the same but with a little less emotion and maybe a mortal scar. 

At the Rosa facility, Wren 178 is feared. She has the highest number in the entire facility because she was officially deceased for the longest amount of time. Higher numbers are considered the more lethal members of the Reboot race. Readers get to see two sides of Wren in this novel. The first side is the Wren that follows orders. She understands that if she starts asking questions, disobeying, or messing up in any way then her life is over. Wren is a bit of a loner who believes what she's told. Readers will like Wren because of the way her character is written, but forming a connection with her doesn't start until Callum shows up. 

Callum was only dead for twenty-two minutes. Not a long time for his body to accept that it has moved on to the after-living party. He is a very likeable character - full of spunk, easy to laugh, and interested in the how and why. Callum immediately forms a weary friendship with Wren and she struggles to accept the fact that she likes him and his company. When his Reboot status is up for debate against a quick elimination, Wren chooses her friend over the rules. At this point, readers will truly connect with Wren, after her stone cold mask begins to crack. Her brief history as an alive human will garner sympathy while her focus on keeping Callum alive will solidify the bond between her and readers. 

The plot of the book is deliciously adventurous. Wren works at a facility as a sort of Reboot Criminal Officer. Basically, she and others are sent out to capture the criminal or ill humans to protect the rest of the human population. Wren is incredibly good at her job. Some would say she's the best. Then Callum shows up for training and changes everything. Her eyes open and Wren starts to see her world as it really is: a prison full of secret testing, threats, and elimination. To save Callum's life, Wren knows he can't stay at the Rosa facility and decides to do whatever it takes to escape. Readers who enjoy love stories, zombies, and adventure will certainly devour this book. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups