Amy 
Lynnie Unfinished
young adult, fantasy, action
There have only been a handful of times in which our ratings were different by 2 hearts or more! This one has an explanation provided by Lynnie below.
Nova has been raised by her uncle and his gang of Anarchists since her parents were killed by a rival gang. She blames the law-enforcing group of superheroes, the Renegades, for not coming to her parents' rescue and wants to remove their power. So, she decides to try out to be a Renegade in order to infiltrate their headquarters and learn secrets in order to undermine their authority, fight them, and bring them down.
Amy's Review
What fun! I enjoyed the characters and the world of Renegades. I like a story with action and forward motion and this one had it. In Renegades, the reader is uncertain who the real bad guys are because everyone has a little bad and a little good. Arguments are made for both sides and, as happens in real life, the younger generation learns from their parents' mistakes. I like the kindness of the "families" and the way those families gain their understanding of the world from different points of view. It makes for an interesting read. I also really enjoyed all the superpowers described even if a crime-fighting organization of superheroes seems a bit cliché. I especially like Adrian's superpower of making drawings become real objects (and the tattoos!) and the fact that Nova's superpowers are not flashy yet she is still brave and heroic.
The huge gaping flaw in this novel is the big clue that was given to Nova which she did not recognize. Now, I have to wait for the next book to verify my interpretation of that clue and see how things pan out whenever Nova finally figures it out. Smaller flaws in the novel revolve around situations where Nova did not sufficiently cover her tracks yet the Renegades didn't catch them and a couple overly-convenient situations. These flaws are why I'm stopping at 3-1/2 stars for this one.
Marissa Meyer is a wonderful author. I've enjoyed all of her novels! These characters have a lot of heart and I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
P.S. I am not a comic book reader (see below).
Lynnie's Review
So look, normally if I don't finish a book I give it 1 star, but I'm not even going to rate this one; I don't think it's fair.
I have spent 40+ years reading comic books and graphic novels, mostly about super heroes, and here's the thing- if you have spent any time at all in that genre, this is not going to be new or interesting and will in fact feel like a mashed up retread of a lot of stories and characters you've already read. BUT, I do think that for people that would never step foot in a comic shop, which is probably most of you (you people are totally missing out, by the way, but I digress), this book will be fantastic.
I have always said that if I could have a super power, it would be to control sleep- of myself and others- so Nova was a great character. And Adrian can draw things into reality which is a tremendously cool super power. Aaaaaand... that's about where I lost interest because they do the same things that every other super hero does. So, I'm jaded, and to be fair, my super hero attention span is about as long as a your average comic book. This book isn't for me so it's not fair for me to rate it.
If you're not a comic book nerd like me, I bet you'll love it.
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Added 3/29/19:
Archenemies (Renegades #2) Amy
young adult, fantasy, action
This was a fun sequel! I always enjoy Marissa Meyer's novels and, once again, she has amazed me by writing a sequel which is even better than the first installment in the series. This is a fabulous habit of hers that not many authors can pull off. I really liked the storylines, hidden identity pitfalls, and teenage insecurities being exhibited by superheroes. I was so bummed that it ended when it did and that I will, undoubtedly, have a long wait before the final novel in the trilogy is released. If you enjoyed Renegades, you will enjoy this one.
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Added 12/12/19:
Amy
young adult, fantasy
The final book in the trilogy is very satisfying. There was
a lot of action, surprise, drama, frustration, and success. There was excellent character growth and lots
of heart. I also felt it had some creative plot points—especially the twisty
epilogue!!!!! If you enjoyed the other books in the series you will certainly
enjoy this one. The moral of the story
is that we need to get along, treat each other with respect and fairness, and
accept each others’ differences. Melissa Meyer is a fabulous storyteller and is
always creative.
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