Book Review: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

11/27/2017

SYNOPSIS

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies-humans with extraordinary abilities-who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned...

As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice-and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to the villains who have the power to end them both.

Synopsis from Chapters.Indigo.ca

PERSONAL REVIEW

Yes, a new Marissa Meyer series! I adored The Lunar Chronicles and how Meyer’s reintroduced so many classic fairy tale characters in a very fresh new way, so I couldn’t wait to pick up the first book in her newest series. Renegades reads like a classic Meyer’s book, with dynamic characters, fast-paced story and gives us some very different points of view then what we might be expecting.

What I Loved:

Dual Perspectives: I loved getting to be inside the head of both Nova and Adrian and reading about how they interpret the world so differently, especially the actions of the Renegade heroes. It was smart of Meyer’s to give us both, because we quickly realize that not everything is black and white. Adrian loves being a hero and loves his dads, but notices that they have become politicians more than heroes and doesn’t appreciate the division. On the other hand, Nova sees herself as a villain and thinks the Renegades are the villains because of their lack of action, but also cannot stand to kill people which makes us question what category she really falls into.

No Easy Answers: I love that Meyer’s doesn’t make this a simple “superheroes are the best” world. There’s so many grey areas that become apparent as Nova dives deeper into the Renegade world, like why doesn’t a “normal” police force or firefighting force exist? Why have non-super powered humans just given up on taking care of their own affairs? Is the testing on Max a heroic or villainous answer to what the Renegades see as a “villain” problem? It really makes you think about how information is interpreted and what makes a villain or a hero.

Unexpected but Really Cool Superpowers: When I think superpower, I definitely think of flying, telekinetics, and your classic Justice League/Avengers level of powers. I definitely wouldn’t think of someone’s drawings coming to life and how this could make them a really great team leader. Or how someone who can turn into a flurry of butterflies could be a strong hero…and what it’s like when some of the butterflies are killed (this was a great explanation by Meyer’s). I loved the characters we meet and the abilities they have, and am not surprised that Meyer’s did a great job finding unique powers to give her heroes.

I’m a huge graphic novel fan, so reading this really made me think about how so many “heroes” could easily be seen as “villains” depending on your perspective. Touche, Meyers, touche. By the end of Renegades, we are left with so many questions (and directions) for Meyer’s to answer in the next book:

What is Ace Anarchy’s real goal (because it just seems like a poorly thought out plan at the moment)?
What really happened to Adrian’s mom?
What is the connection between her death and the deaths of Nova’s family? (there must be some kind of connection there…)

I had such a great time reading Renegades and seriously cannot wait for the next one too come out; I need to know what happens to all these characters!

FINAL RATING: 4.5/5