Reboot, A Series by Amy Tintera

About the Series

If you like reverse-gender roles (the heroine is the physical badass, while the hero is the one who possesses EQ) and complex heroines, this is the series for you!

The Reboot series uniquely employs the Romeo and Juliet trope by having the heroine be the most accomplished Reboot while the hero is the least impressive (and most human) Reboot. The action, conspiracies, and slow-burn romance make Reboot and its sequel, Rebel, page-turners.

The review of the series includes reviews on each of the following books (listed in order of release):

• Reboot (Reboot, #1)
• Rebel (Reboot, #2)

Note: The review of the second book may discuss spoilers from the first book.

Reboot (Reboot, #1)

Release Date: May 7th, 2013

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

“He had been willing to die because he refused to take a life. But me, I contemplated shooting everyone.”

Wren is the most dangerous and lethal Reboot in the Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation in Texas. But when she decides to train Reboot number 22 instead of someone over 120, people are confused because the lower the number, the more human they are.

“He turned to me. His expression was serious, but I liked how it softened slightly when he looked at me. Like the way he looked at me was different from how he looked at everyone else.”

Reboot number 22, aka Callum, is closer to his humanity as he only died for 22 minutes. Comparatively, as Reboot number 178, Wren is the only person revived after being dead for so long. Wren feels pulled in by Callum’s humanity but also identifies with the emotions he so easily expresses, which have been long buried underneath Wren’s cold practicality. The forced proximity between Callum and Wren leads Wren to become more in touch with her emotions, eventually leading to feelings developing between the two.

Reboot was amazing! I was shocked–in an excellent way–by how refreshing the novel was. It captivated me right from the beginning. The best part of Reboot was the dynamic between the two main characters, Wren and Callum.

The fact that Wren was 178, the highest reboot ever, and a petite girl at that was kick-ass! You don’t often read about strong (in the physical sense) heroines. Typically, girls are the ones who are more in touch with their emotions, while the guys are the muscles and the hard decision-makers of the couple. Sexist–I know. But in this book, it was flipped. Because Wren’s 178, and Callum is only a 22. And it’s because he’s more “human.” He doesn’t have what it takes to be the Reboot that HARC wants, that is, robot killers.

And so, Wren and Callum escape, as the only alternative choice would be for Callum to face his death sentence since he wasn’t able to perform to the standards that HARC wants: kill when ordered to.

This leads to Wren and Callum on a journey that brings them closer and allows Wren to see that she possesses emotions and does care. It also helps expose how bad HARC is and how much they need to bring it down.

Rebel (Reboot, #2)

Release Date: May 13th, 2014

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Note: This review is of the second book in the series and, therefore, may contain spoilers.

“I still have the scars from when they captured me and beat me in the middle of the street.”
“You don’t get scars.”
“Emotional scars then.”

Both Callum and Wren are trying to get over the stuff that happened to them at HARC, and both are dealing with their trauma differently. But neither of them is happy when they find out that their refuge turns out to be another evil mastermind now trying to terminate the humans instead of the Reboots.

“He’s crazy about you, you know,” she said softly, like I hadn’t just told her things were fine. “I see other girls looking at him sometimes, and he doesn’t even notice. He only sees you.”

Callum and Wren have decided to help and protect the humans from the villainous leader of the Reboot refuge. However, both are struggling with their own feelings about this goal, as in their experience–specifically in Wren’s experience–humans have seen Reboots as abominations. Both are also concerned with how this new goal will affect their relationship.

Rebel is the sequel to the fast-paced, action-packed romantic series Reboot. The series focuses on two people who shouldn’t have met but did and who shouldn’t have fallen for each other but did. It’s about sacrifice and putting yourself out there for the ones you care about, and of course, there’s the fact that they are trying to save the world.

The last book, Reboot, ended with Wren and Callum finding the Reboot refuge site. But they quickly find out that it isn’t what they thought it was and that the leader of this site wants to eliminate all humans, much like how the humans wanted to kill off all the Reboots.

The best part of Rebel? We get Callum’s POV! FINALLY!!! Also, in Rebel (the final book in the Reboot series), we start to see Callum take on more of a leadership role. This I found awesome because it helped Wren and his relationship blossom since neither was confined to being solely superior at fighting/strategy or EQ.

Throughout Rebel, Wren and Callum’s relationship continues growing, and I love them together! And even though they might not always understand each other, they still try. There was a part of Rebel when they were separated, but neither strayed; they stayed faithful to each other and never gave up believing in the other. It was beautiful, and I love how there was no drama concerning their relationship. It was about them and their problems, never how others affected them.

Even though Rebel was terrific, I felt that it fell a little short compared to the first book, Reboot. The first book had a lot more action and was more focused on HARC and the dynamics of the Reboot organization. But that’s not to say that I didn’t adore Rebel, too; there just didn’t seem to be as much action. This was probably because Wren was trying to figure out her moral compass; what qualifies as justified?

Overall, this series was awesome! I’ll definitely be re-reading it!