Review - Renegades

Published by Pan Macmilan UK
Genre- Young Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy, Science Fiction
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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 a villain who has the power to end them both.

Review

When I first read the synopsis of Renegades it seemed like a cross between Avengers and X-Men which are both series I love. And it was, in a sense. The book is written in third person. Having read and loved the Lunar Chronicles (also by Marissa Meyer), I was looking forward to Renegades. Here are my thoughts on the book:

What I Liked:

• The characters which although felt like there were too many of at times, all had varying personalities: Mysterious Nova, The Guy Next Door Adrian, Funny guy Oscar and... you get the gist. And they all had amazingly inventive super powers! Adrien can draw things to life and Nova can put people to sleep with a single touch. HOW COOL IS THAT.
• The romance portion of the book especially towards the end. The romance didn’t overshadow other themes but still was an integral part of the story. And it was harsh when Nova all but rejects Adrian. Adrian was a sweetheart while Nova was well, Nova. Distrusting, vengeful Nova.
• The mystery of Lady Indomitable’s murder. How did a superhero with the ability to fly fall to her death? I found it to be quite intriguing and definitely want to know what will happen next in it’s investigation.

What I Didn't Like:

• I found the word villain to be a tad bit overused, with every criminal gang being referred to as a "Villain Gang".
• Also, there were way too many Alias names which not only made stuff confusing but also made it feel like there were way too many characters. Although, the character list for the principal characters in the beginning was great for reference.
• The premise was a little hard to grasp and I had to read the back cover a bunch of times while reading because of the confusing elements.

After reading the book, I have come to realize that I prefer my Superheroes on the big screen rather than in the pages of the book.
All in all, if you’re going into the book expecting it to be the next Lunar Chronicles then you might find it lacking. But if you’re into superheroes and super villains, I’d say to go for Renegades!

On the basis of my reading and understanding of the book, I have made a few predictions for the sequel. You can find them here. DO NOT read them if you're avoiding all things spoilers.

3 Stars

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