Book Review: Renegades

Renegades (Renegades, #1)Renegades by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

For those who prefer video I uploaded a youtube review https: here

This book put me in a slump. The reason I’m giving it 2 instead of 1 (and honestly it’s more of a 1.5) is cause at least it’s still a well defined story it follows basic rules of structure and someone could probably find some enjoyment from it.

I was not so lucky. This review will contain some spoilers because I’ll be including some of my annotations.

My god I’m too tired of this book to even do a deep dive. Let’s just start with how incompetent the characters are like they make every situation worse I honestly felt like I was reading a non-comedic version of team America sometimes like there were no consequences for their actions the two main characters spent more time denying if the other person liked them or like liked them.

Like these huge events would happen, a library would be blown up, a carnival would be the site of a huge battle, ona parade would be destroyed and nothing in their every day life changes? Like people just shrug and go on with their day is if it were just a minor annoyance. I mean they treated a terrorist attack on a public building the way I treat a cold.

All these characters felt sooooooo flat only nova had some internal battle but it wasn’t much of a battle it was renegades are bad but this one is hot so I guess they’re alright but nah they’re bad and ya know what maybe the villains are bad too.

The tone was all over the place. There would be a serious fight scene or dramatic event then the descriptions would be over the top comedic and characters were more interested in who could give the best one line singer than actually fighting.

Also I usually reward books for rep but Adrian’s two gay dads had no identity beyond their sexuality. Like every time they were brought up it included a backstory of cute things they did together almost as if Meyer didn’t trust us to remember they were gay unless it was their only character identifier.

Speaking of backstories, why did she give some I consequential a solid 2 paragraphs of exposition backstory that has no impact on the plot just to make us feel some emotion for them before they go to jail or die? Like annoyed me cause it was so manipulative.

Ugh anyway here are my notes on this book if you want a bit of a play by play how I felt reading it.

Ch 4:

Why are all the descriptions comical? Aren’t they on a serious mission? There’s some tone whiplash going on

Ugh corny banter and weapons that just happen to be there

Ch 16
Rock Paper Scissors? Paper beats rock okay the dialogue is so corny

Ch 21
If she wasn’t supposed to know about the Bandit why did they take her there

Ch 23
This origin story scene is one info dump after another

Ch 25
On what a shock the girl who walks through reflections is named narcissa, a nod to mythology to create intrigue. Okay are names personality traits now?

Ch 27
How many times can you write tuck and roll on one page?

Ch 28
I love plot convenience. She better not trust Ingrid again

Ch 31
Adrian’s dads have no identity outside of their relationship. Whenever one of them is mentioned the rest of the scene talks about how they’re married and act cute together.

Ch 32
This flirty dialogue is giving me hives

Ch 33
Oscar threatened to take his tacos away? See this book tries so hard to be funny but all it does is snap my willful suspension of disbelief because Oscar isn’t coming across as funny here he’s immature and stupid in a serious scene- the tones in this book give me whiplash

Ch 36

Okay what’s happening that served no purpose to plot or character development just random descriptions

Okay again these characters’ motivation seems to be witty dialogue above all else

Ch 38
Unless these weapons are going to be used later I don’t need detailed descriptions and backstories of them

Ch 39
I love when the protagonist is too incompetent to see their love interest likes them to create fake tension in the plot and stir some emotion for two characters I have no feelings for

Ch 41
Really she’s just now learning that the villains also caused some damage? What gave that away? The lack of consequences in this book is ridiculous. Like they blew up a library and they talk about it like a minor inconvenience. If there is a terrorist attack on your public library that’s in the news cycle constantly the city reshapes people would revisit security laws—everyone just shrugged

They are such kids and it’s not cute since they’re also police officers like I get it teens care about romance more than anything else but maybe this society would’ve figured that out by now and not put teens in charge no matter how powerful they are

Ch 42
I rolled my eyes so hard at Adrian’s dialogue that I think I concusses myself

Ch 44
He really just discovered the villain named the detonator has the ability to detonate things? How stupid is this guy? Also why does Nova keep trusting Ingrid she’s done nothing but betray her.

Wow she really can’t figure out they’re planning on using the bandit to steal powers? They literally said it involves max and that soon they won’t have to deal with people’s powers anymore. How blatant can they get?

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