Renegades by
Marissa Meyer
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
The superhero genre is as old as time itself. It feels like every month there’s a new superhero movie out in theatres, and now the genre is becoming more prevalent in the non-comic book world as well. Before reading
Renegades I said to myself, “What in the world could Marissa Meyer have to add to this already exhausted genre?” Well... Somehow, someway, she did.
This book was subverting my expectations since before it even began, starting in the prologue.
(view spoiler)[In the beginning of the prologue I thought that Eva was going to be the badass of the story after the inevitable timeskip, since it’s always the little kid who becomes super powerful when they grow up in these types of stories. But then she got merked and I was like “Welp.” (hide spoiler)] The twists and the turns only continued on from there and it ended up being an unexpectedly refreshing read. There is no info-dumping, as the world-building is done so excruciatingly slowly that I was filled up with so many unanswered questions that I physically could not control myself as I could. Not. Stop. Reading!! This book had me stay up until 4am a couple times. Dangerous book!! I think it added a lot to my experience the fact that I had literally zero idea what
Renegades was going to be about (besides the fact that it had superheros), much less than what you’ll have once you finish reading this review or any other. It also definitely helped that I don't really have too much prior experience with American superheroes, so I don't recognize the tropes as annoying or bad.
The world reminded me of that of
My Hero Academia’s, in that they’ve established some sort of government system that prohibits the use of superpowers in public unless you have some sort of hero licence/affiliation. Where they could essentially both take place in the same world, each series focuses in on a different aspect of it and so each feels fundamentally unique from the other.
Renegades focuses in on the idea of people not wanting to tie down what makes them unique, and therefore rebel against the law. I loved how one of the narrators, Nova, was one of these rebels and therefore we essentially had one of the “villains” at the front and centre of the novel. Our other voice was that of Adrian, someone very much entrenched in the “good guys” side of the coin, so it was very enjoyable to be able to read from both perspectives. This was one of the things that made Stephen King’s
Mr. Mercedes so engrossing, and Meyer also managed to use the technique well.
We’re all probably familiar with the concept of “anti-heros”, but this felt like a new spin on it. Nova isn’t really a “hero” at all, but at the same time she’s not “evil” either, which was a concept I found myself struggling a lot with while I was reading this book.
“There was potential for evil everywhere, and the only way to combat it was if more people chose goodness. If more people chose heroism.
Not laziness. Not Apathy. Not indifference.”-Nova Artino
I don't know why but it took me a long time to realize that Nova isn't evil. During most of the book I had been complaining to myself about how "Ooh she's not evil enough," and it was something that was bugging and disappointing me. When I read that quote it finally hit me and I finally realized that I had been understanding her character wrong all along!
(view spoiler)[She always agreed that the Age of Anarchy had been corrupted, and that that terrible state of the world is not what she’s after. She recognized that it was the evil gangs who were able to rise up to power that ruined it for everyone. (hide spoiler)] Her goal from the very beginning was just for everybody to be free from tyranny. She had been basically beating me over the head with this during the whole book, but I never payed attention because I wanted an evil main character. And in the end she is the same character, independant of how I initially perceived her, and if anything this revelation only heightened my enjoyment of the book because I realized I was bitching about nothing.
I’m usually a very character-oriented reader. As long as I like the characters I’ll tend to like the book as well. I don’t necessarily need a fast-paced or captivating storyline to keep me happy. However, with this book, I feel like this somehow got flipped on its head. I don’t think I really feel all that attached to any character in Renegades, and I don’t see that as a bad thing as I still enjoyed the heck out of this book. For once, the storyline was captivating enough to keep me utterly enthralled, along with the strong main lead. Nova was one of the aspects that made this book great, and the reason stems from the type of character she that is. I tend to never really like main characters all that much, and it’s because the types of characters I tend to like are always the more asshole-ish, blunt, play by their own rules, and questionable morals types, aka the types that are very rarely ever the main character. However, Nova is literally on the side of the villains and is in opposition to society and the other main characters, so that was an aspect that worked out really well for me and which I enjoyed quite a bit.
The other narrator—Adrian, is like... Okay and all... But he's a bit of a little bitch.
(view spoiler)[I would be pissed if someone tried to get the switch on me and have a date with me that i didn't agree to. What a little punk-ass-bitch move. I don't fuck with little bitch boys like that. Grow some balls m8. Also, learn to take a hint. I feel like, in real life, those hints that Nova was sending for him to BACK THE FUCK OFF would have been heard loud and clear. But more than that, I just really wanted Nova to stay strong with her ideals and follow through with the plan that she’s there to do: Fuck up the Renegades. And for that to happen she too needs to stop pulling her punches like a little bitch girl. (hide spoiler)] I don’t really have much that I can say out of a spoiler tag other than that… What I can say is that I think his power is OP af, and it is now my new preferred superpower that I would want to have.
(view spoiler)[Because it is essentially every power, right? Untill he fills his body head-to-toe with ink. He said so himself, that what he draws doesn’t even have to be good or mean anything, it’s just his intention and what he thinks will happen that matters. Jesus, that’s so fricken overpowered. I want. (hide spoiler)]The promotions for this book included things like
“What team are YOU on?!?!?!? Team RENEGADES or Team ANARCHISTS>!>!>>?!?!?!>?!/.FJHIPROMOTIONAL ENTHUSIASM” and I thought that that was the dumbest shit ever. Like, wtf? Who would ever pick team
loser Anarchist?? And like, WHY? The villains always lose, ya silly willies. But, you know, after finishing this book I am totally #teamAnarchists, so I guess I am now a silly willy.
(view spoiler)[#fuckTheRenegades. Evil motherfuckers are tryna take people’s powers away!!! Like what the heck!?!? Like yeah, it’ll probably make the world more peaceful or whatever, but like, shit, that seems like such a breach of, I don’t even know, something. Fuck off. (hide spoiler)]Sorry if this review is slightly all over the place, all I want to do right now is read the next volume of
My Hero Academia but I need to finish writing this, and I’m just trying to make sense of my jumbled notes and somehow make a review out of them. All I have left are some quotes I liked and I don’t know what to do with them, so here you go!
*Spoiler Free* Quotes: (view spoiler)[“‘I have an entire bin full of olives!’ Oscar shouted. He lifted his plate off the table, holding it as far out of her reach as possible. ‘Go get your own!’”
Lolololololl
“He continued to stare, his lips parted, his head cocking curiously to one side…”
I don’t get how Nova’s team haven’t noticed how literally every single villain becomes super flabbergasted and stare very obviously when they see Nova.
“‘Where does she get her supplies?’
Winston held his gaze. Blinked. Licked his lips. Opened his mouth. Hesitated. Swallowed. Coughed. Finally responded, ‘The hardware store?’”
This whole interrogation scene was so effing funny. There actually a lot of funny lines in this book, and this time it’s been extended to a whole scene. Great stuff.
“‘Here’s an idea,’ said Danna. ‘How about you stab yourself with an ice pick, and Nova and I will make small talk while we wait for the healers to notice.’”
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GET REKT.
“When he was looking at her, she felt compelled to look back. And also, illogically, to look away.”
Have you ever read a sentence that was so utterly unrelatable that it shocks you to your core, and then immediately the next sentence is so utterly relatable that you feel like throwing up from this emotional roller coaster. (hide spoiler)]Spoiler-y Quotes: (view spoiler)[“How has she forgotten the dreams and intentions of Ace Anarchy, who had saved her, who had dreamed of a society in which all people where free of tyranny?”
You tell me, bitch. This what I been wondering while Nova been gettin all soft and mushy during her mission.
“After all, one cannot be brave who has no fear.”
Oh my god… the quote… “FEAR”… “PHOBIA”... how have I not gotten it until now!?!?!? Phobia killed Lady Indominable!!!!!! Scared her into jumping off of the building.
“[...]Nova looked into the small chamber and saw Uncle Ace levitating three feet in the air, legs crossed and face serene."
I always had my suspicions that this bad bitch wasn’t dead. Never trust a death if they ain’t no body left to confirm it. Also why did my eyes slightly start to burn once I realized it was confirmed that he’s alive???????????? (hide spoiler)]
Some *spoiler free* background between me and this book:
(view spoiler)[When I first heard that Marissa Meyer was going to write a book about superheros, say, about two-ish years ago (jeez it’s been a while) I was not at all impressed. Her debut series The Lunar Chronicles is what first hooked me, and I had a jolly ol’ time being in that fandom, and even participated in a Lunar Chronicles Ship Week, wherein I worked on seven pieces of themed Lunar Chronicles artworks a month in advance to then post alongside my fellow Lunartics every day over the span of the ship week. ( Click here if you want to see those.) I was not ready to move on, and the abundance of superhero movies flooding the market had made me sour towards the entire superhero genre. I somehow became uninfatuated and even disinterested in Marissa Meyer’s books—even The Lunar Chronicles, as I still haven’t gotten around to reading the last few side-entries in that series.
About, say, a month back, I was browsing my library’s e-book collection and added a bunch to my holds list. For a long time I’ve struggled with trying to make myself utilize libraries and read e-books, as my passion for reading also extends to collecting physical books for my own personal library. However, lately *cough*for the past three years*cough*, since I’ve had less time to read and have been reading more manga and buying less books (that aren’t manga, for some reason there’s a distinction between them in my head) my need to own the books I read has waned, and I’ve been able to utilize my library more. It helps that I predominantly pick out books that I wasn’t planning on buying anyway, including Renegades. I’ve managed to find a few gems this way, such as Beauty Queens, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock (which I recently also had to buy in paperback), Dairy Queen, and now added to that list is Renegades. (hide spoiler)]Please consider giving this review a "Like" if you've made it this far, it helps me out a lot! And follow me if you want more!Click to read all of my Marissa Meyer Reviews
★The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, Winter
★Heartless
★Renegades: Renegades, Archenemies, Book 3
~~~~
A *spoiler free* reenactment of me when I finished reading this book:(view spoiler)[*Reads the final sentence*
*Looks at the page count, sees that there's twenty more to go, is happy and relieved that there seems to be at least one more chapter*
*Flips the page*
*Reads the word "Awknowle-*
*Immediately flips Kobo across bed, followed by the nearest pillow, then the next, and so on, across my room*
*Continues to flip pillows across my room as I circle my bed to re-flip previously flipped pillows and blankets as I strongly whisper (mind you this was at 2am):
"What do you mean" ~x10
"Oh my god" ~x7
"What the fuck"
"What do you mean" ~x10
*Pauses for a moment*
"Oh my god"
*Continues flipping and throwing pillows*
"Jesus christ"
"Oh my god" x3
*Fin*
I can't believe they've done this. My old nemesis, ads at the back of a book... Which serve only to pad the pages and provide a false sense of security and hope that no, no, the book really isn't going to end just yet, not here, not now, just before you turn the page and it immediately rips your heart and hopes and dreams to shreds. And sometimes also your Kobo, and your pillows, and honestly your whole room while it's at it. I thought I had escaped this menace by reading an e-book, but I had been naive... And terribly unprepared. (hide spoiler)]
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