Renegades by Marissa Meyer

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Publication date: 2017
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 552
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 15+

Before the Age of Anarchy, prodigies (those people with special powers) were persecuted and forced to hide. Now ten years after the renegades, the "super heroes" killed off Ace Anarchy and started a new age and government, Nova and the remaining renegades are forced to stay underground and submit to the Council's rule. Nova isn't having this--the Council isn't as great as everyone thinks and it's time that their rule end. The only way to do that is to discover their secrets, which means becoming a renegade herself.

Meyer's writing is solid, just as it was in the Lunar Chronicles, but I found myself taking a long time to get into this book. The characters were interesting, the world well built, but there was something I just felt was missing. But I can't quite put my finger on it, because by all accounts, it was a well-written book.

The characters were hard to keep straight, since they all have a super hero name and a regular name. And then I couldn't keep track of their powers either. There is a guide in the front of the book that I could have referenced, but I don't like having to flip back and forth while I'm reading.

I think that what is really interesting is that we get both sides of the story. It's not that one side is bad and one side is good, but that both sides are working toward what they believe is right and both sides make mistakes but also do good things. And Nova kind of realizes it. So while we do see the renegade side through Aiden, Nova is seeing both sides. She's able to come to terms with what both are trying to do and what can be done.

This does have a sequel coming out this year and so it ends a little bit on a cliff hanger, which I'm not a fan of. But I guess I'll just have to wait until the fall to see what happens.

No language or sex.

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