Amy Tintera’s Reboot is a summer blockbuster of a novel that questions our very understanding of humanity.
No one knows why some humans wake up after dying and some don’t. But if they do Reboot, they become the property of Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation. Now Wren is 17, a soldier, and the most lethal weapon HARC has.
As her newest trainee, Callum 22 is hopeless. He can’t run, he can’t fight, and he won’t kill. He is basically human. In all of the ways important to Wren, he is useless. Trainees come and go, so why does Wren care so much?
Wren is convinced that her only path in life is as a Reboot soldier. But when Callum is in danger, she realises she may be more emotional than she believed. Now it’s up to her to save them both, before they are eliminated for good.
Review: ‘Reboot’
Amy Tintera’s Reboot takes off like a novelised summer blockbuster. The hook drags you into the story instantly: “5 years ago, I died. 178 minutes later, I woke up.” Don’t try to fight it, it’s one of the most well marketed books we have seen in a while.
The novel runs at a breathless pace – seriously, count the running scenes. Tintera makes the Reboots seem like a completely believable occurrence in humanity’s future. She also takes the time to establish the layered relationships between humans and Reboots, which fall very clearly into a grey area. In contrast to the many dystopian novels stuck in an “us and them” mentality or structure, Tintera’s story is a glorious rush of fresh air.
Wren is a more complex character than we often find in dystopian YA. She embodies the typical loner, strong female characteristics that are fairly common – but the most interesting aspect of Wren’s character is her own doubt in her humanity. Tintera cleverly alerts the audience that Wren may not be as emotion-free as she believes, long before she herself becomes aware of it.
The concept of humanity runs through the novel, and looks to remain at the centre of the sequel. The contrasting experiences of Wren and Callum are all the more interesting, given that we experience it all from Wren’s perspective and have to become increasingly aware that Wren is not a reliable narrator.
Reboot is clearly set up for a sequel, but it is stil satisfying as a self-contained story. This summer, instead of heading to the cinema for the latest action blockbuster, sit down with Reboot instead.