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Renegades is a book that I have been putting off for a while. I have been very hesitant in diving in because of the lackluster early reviews. It’s unfortunate, really because Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite YA authors. I finally listened to the audiobook this month and I liked it?

So, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. Let’s just say that it is a very sloooooow book. I mean, the world building is amazing! In fact, it’s as vivid as her world building in The Lunar Chronicles, but I think this book was like an introduction to the whole Gatlin world.

The whole feel of the book reminded me of a mash of X-Men: First Class, Watchmen, and The Hunger Games. In a sense that there were young kids trying out to be a Prodigy (~~mutants~~ people with powers), there are superheroes and villains, the whole world knows about the ~~mutants~~ prodigies, there is a Professor X-type character and the prodigies age (fairly similar to Watchmen). I think this is just too close to the superhero blockbuster movies that are the current rage, so it took me out of the book quite a bit.

I also have to say that I KNEW THE TWIST IN THE END halfway through the book! Ugh! This is really depressing! I don’t know what this has been happening, because I also knew who the villain was in another YA sci-fi fantasy that I read this month.

I know this review kind of sounds like a negative review, but this is actually a more meh review.

Nova as a character was okay. By the way, she is half-Filipino half-Italian which is an AWESOME thing because – #diversity. And I’m also Filipino, so. But that fact didn’t really affect the book in a larger sense. Adrian was pretty cool, though. I liked his powers and it was pretty interesting where Marissa Meyer went with his character. I am intrigued by a character named, Max.

The prodigies here also have superhero and villain names, and at some point, some of it seemed too cheesy. I liked Nova’s villain name Nightmare!

Renegades is written in the third person but in 2 POVs – Nova and Aiden. However, the book does not alternate between the two POVs. I thought that was unique and refreshing.

Thoughts on the Audio

I listened to the audiobook and it’s read by Rebecca Soler and Dan Bittner. Rebecca narrated The Lunar Chronicles series, so her tone and voice aren’t new to me. I will have to say that she is not using a lot of variety in her voices.

Dan Bittner was an awesome narrator, though. I liked his tone and pacing and his female voices weren’t in that annoying high-pitched voice. I think his old person voice is very good.

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