Reboot (Reboot #1) by Amy Tintera

The Blurb …

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.

My thoughts…

The characters:

Wren Connolly/ One-seventy-eight:  One of the top reboots, she was shot 3 times when she was 12 and she rebooted after 178 minutes, she thinks she doesn’t have feelings and loves to hunt down her targets because she’s good at it and it’s the only thing she knows (she’s been on the HARC facility for 5 years), she doesn’t remember much about her human life.

Callum Reyes/ Twenty-two:  The newbie, everyone thinks he’s going to died ‘cause he isn’t fast or strong enough after being death only for 22 minutes, also he still seems emotionally human, he’s playful and funny and immediately likes Wren even though she’s always distant.

Ever/Fifty-six: Wren’s roommate and best friend (even if Wren doesn’t realize it), she’s victim of a reboot medical experiment and kills herself.

The story:

There is a very deadly virus called KDH that wiped out most of the population but some people have a different reaction to the virus, their body “reboots” rising from the dead stronger, faster, and almost invincible but they become colder and emotionless. The longer someone stays death before rebooting the stronger, more powerful and emotionally detached they become.  When humans realized the power of the reboots they stared to execute them, the reboots fought back and a big war began. The reboots lost the war and became enslaved under the HARC project. HARC trained the reboots to create an army to be used to capture alleged criminals (this part is important ‘cause like every totalitarian regime nothing is as it seems) and new uncontrolled reboots.

Wren and others reboots are in charge of training the newbies, that’s when Callum makes his appearance. Everybody thinks that he’s going to be a failure because he has the lowest number. He asks Wren if she can train him, at first she’s resistant but he makes her think about the whole training system, maybe the lower numbers don’t stand a chance ‘cause they aren’t trained by the highest numbers like Wren, and maybe Wren’s trainees are the best because she makes them the best, so the question is what is the key of success: the trainer or the number?

In their training sessions Callum is always playful and asking all kinds of questions trying to get to know Wren, little by little Callum gains Wren’s trust and affection. Their interactions are always funny and adorable; I liked a lot all their little moments and conversations.

 “You’re not going to break anything else, are you? he asked.

 “No. Not right now.”

 “Oh, so later, then? Great. I’ll look forward to that.”

……

”Are we doing my leg next? he asked. “Can I get some warning next time? A quick ‘Hey, I’m going to snap your bone with my bare hands right now. Brace yourself.”

After all the training Callum gets better but he refuses to follow orders i.e. kill people and that doesn’t makes HARC happy.  Furthermore HARC is doing medical experiments with under- sixties reboots. Ever is the first one to show side effects from the experiments and let me tell you it ain’t pretty.  That’s why Wren decides to escape HARC with Callum, she doesn’t want him death or used like guinea pig. They escape (with help from the rebellion) but Callum begins to show side effects. Wren wants the antidote but in order to get it she has to break in HARC main facility. And that’s all I’m going to say I don’t want to spoil the ending.

Hotness factor:

I think this excerpt from their first kiss resumes it all:

He had to give his helmet a little shove and dip his head down to kiss me, but I didn’t believe he was actually going to do it until I felt his lips gently press against mine. My body jolted in surprise and I felt him smile against my lips.

And I was totally gone.

My toes needed no urging this time. I rose up on them as far as I could go and wrapped my arms around his neck. He dropped his hands to my waist and hugged me against his body.

It wasn’t how I thought it would be. Kissing had sort of puzzled me. As a human I had thought it seemed dangerous – an easy way to spread germs. As a Reboot it had confused me. I wasn’t entirely sure why people liked doing it.

Now I was only confused as to why a person would want to kiss anyone but Callum.

If that isn’t enough to paint you a picture then read this:

“When we do have sex, there will be none of this keeping-your-shirt-on nonsense.”

“But-“

“Nope, sorry. I don’t care about the scars and neither should you. All or nothing.”

“Then you may get nothing.”

“Please. You’re not going to be able to resist me for much longer.”

(And I totally agree!)

Unpredictable factor: I liked that it didn’t ended with a cliffhanger, for a minute I thought it was going to end without fixing Callum or with Wren trapped inside HARC facility, instead it ended with the setting for a new story that I can’t wait to read.

Verdict: I love this book!!!!!  What’s not to like? Lovable characters, interesting story, fast paced, with tons of action, and nice ending without a dramatic cliffhanger.  It’s my new favorite dystopian crush and I want the second book right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 5 amazing stars!!! By the way, did I mention I’m in love with Callum?