Renegades Series, Book 1

Starred review from October 9, 2017
The night that Nova’s parents and infant sister were murdered, the Renegades—superheroes who protect her city—never came to save the day. Ten years later, the time has come for 16-year-old Nova to infiltrate the Renegades and exact her revenge: her power to induce sleep has been honed by the Anarchists, the so-called villains of her world. In a vividly dark and fully imagined universe where special abilities are feared unless they can be strictly controlled and labeled, Meyer (the Lunar Chronicles) celebrates and subverts popular superhero tropes while mining the gray area between malevolence and virtue. Third-person narration builds suspense as it shifts between Nova and Adrian, a Renegade with his own secrets; the worldbuilding details and many combat sequences will captivate devotees of superhero comics. Beyond the capes and masks is a strikingly grounded story of star-crossed would-be lovers, deception, and the recognition that most of humanity exists between the extremes of good and evil. A twist ending casts doubt on a key aspect of the story’s history and leaves the door open for future exploration. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

November 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-From the author of "The Lunar Chronicles" comes a story of superheroes and supervillians. After the chaos of the Age of Anarchy, when some humans discovered their superhuman abilities and used them to wreak havoc on the world, a group of superheroes came to power. Calling themselves the Renegades, these heroes have established order in a disorderly world. However, some resist the rule of the Renegades, among them Nova, a teen with powers of her own who resents that the Renegades were unable to save her family. Bent on revenge, Nova plans to join the Renegades and destroy them from within. Meyer delivers a balance between intricate world-building and fast-paced action sequences. Nova's childhood tragedy will draw sympathy from readers as they watch her integrate into the group of Renegades in order to seek vengeance. Back-stabbing, plot twists, and hidden agendas will have readers turning pages in an attempt to discover the truth. Give to fans of Brandon Sanderson's "Reckoners" series. VERDICT A first purchase for most libraries.-Jenni Frencham, Columbus Public Library, WI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

bookstory14 - This. Book. Is. AMAZING. In a world where the government has fallen and normal people emerge with superpowers, the Renegades come into power. This group fights evil, stands for justice, and is what every kid (and adult, for that matter) wants to be in....but there is always a shadow when there is light, and the Renegades can't always save you. Nova's parents and little sister were killed, and the Renegades didn't show up to save the day. Ever since then, Nova has had one goal -- overthrow and destroy the Renegades. But when she infiltrates their force and gets to know them, she learns that the Renegades aren't the snobby, self-absorbed heroes that she thought they were....they're people too. As she learns to recognize their worth, Nova finds it harder and harder to harness the anger inside of her. I love this book because it's about a villain who learns to forgive (or does she?? the series continues...). I also love this story because ordinary people have SUPERPOWERS! Who doesn't want superpowers? I love this book because it is super engaging and you'll want to just keep reading and reading and reading!! Also, it's by Marissa Meyer (my favorite author). Experience the awesomeness firsthand and read Renegades!!