Renegades

Title: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

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Genre: Science Fiction

Justification:

          The award-winning author Marissa Meyer released a new series called Renegades. This novel won the 2017 Publishers Weekly- Starred Review and received 4.16 stars on Good Reads (Goodreads, Inc., 2019) (FictionDB, 2019). Marissa Meyer is also the author of the Cinder series and the book Heartless. Her dystopian novels are fantastic with developed characters, interesting setting, and relatable dynamic villains. Upon hearing about her new series this became a must-read book.

Evaluation of the book:

Marissa Meyer has written multiple novels. Her novels take themes and archetypes and she then transform them into dystopian novels. In Renegades she uses the archetypal theme of good verse evil. In this story she tells the story from two perspectives and allows the reader to determine if the protagonist is good or evil. He flipped roles and character development model how the main character Nova must battle internally with her scheme and balance of good and evil. Throughout the book she deals with guilt, loss, and understanding what family and a support system is. As she grows as a character Marissa Meyer then throws in one shocking piece of information that sends the reader spinning. This information about Max changes the perspective she has gained in the book at the last second and then the book ends. This makes the reader itch to grab the sequel and determine who will win good or evil and who is good and evil.

Nova and Adrian live in a tense world. This book uses tension to tell a story of superheroes who help to salvage a dystopian world.  There are multiple tensions throughout the book. Therese is the tension of will Nova be caught, will Sketch be discovered, as well as the tension between the Anarchistic and the Renegades. The greatest tension however in Nova’s inner battle. She battles guilt, family, and the notion of good and evil. She works hard to protect those she loves and begins to form friendships and bonds. She life has led to a war then has impacted society and a family she never expected. As she goes on her challenges and works to solve the mystery the reader is concerned about her getting caught, with Adrian admit he likes her and how will she handle it. She has to choose between the family in her past and the family of her present and future.

Marissa Meyer has a gift in developing her characters. When she made her new series Renegades, she follows her tradition process. She beings by slowly bringing in the characters and letting them develop naturally and through her book. Nova grows significantly though out the book. The shifting view points help the reader to see different perspectives and understand the characters motivation. The reader can see Adrian’s need to succeed and Nova’s need to avenge her family. The book become about the character development instead of just a book with superheroes and villains. The portrayal also does not follow the traditional model. The protagonist in the book can also be deemed the villain. It is an interesting take. The characters that are not seen also have a profound impact. For instance, Adrian’s Mom and Uncle Ace. These characters are not seen but lead to significant character development and motivation.

Response:

          Marissa Meyer has a gift with words. She storytelling is intriguing and profound. (a) In this new series she discusses the two sides of a coin good and evil. This is an internal battle that I have faced as a mother. This decision of am I making the right choice or the wrong choice. When making decisions it is hard to determine the impact those decisions are going to have. Nova is trying to decide to help others while still respecting her family. When registering for classes I had to decide to I rob my daughter of time now and finish grad school or go slow and rob my child of time longer but for less intense hours? We all have battles we have to face and do not know what the final consequences will be.

(d) Although, we do not have superhero powers like the ones listed in the book we each have our own superhero traits. The book talks about how a lot of the Renegades got their powers though traumatic events. Rubi and Oscar were both faced with trauma before their powers emerged. There are a lot of superheroes today who are the same way. New parents go months without sleep (just like Nova), teachers find strength to support their kids through secondary trauma and sickness, volunteers feed the hungry, donate food and assist others. Women who have gone through rape and other trauma rise again and keep going just like Oscar coming from the fire. We do have superheroes and they are made stronger from their adversity and challenges.

(g)  Marissa Meyer is a favorite author. This book was enjoyable and a book that will be reread with the luxury to time. I am excited to finish reading the series and to see how she has her character continue to grow and develop. This book is not as strong as Heatless and Cinder, yet it is still an enjoyable read that makes the reader think. Her character development is meaningful. It will be interesting to see how she continues her internal battle and to see what is going to happen as Uncle Ace reenters the picture. This book would be a great book for young adults and a way to teach multiple perspectives.

Conclusion:

          Reneges might look overwhelming at first but it a wonderful novel. This is the first book of a new series of superheroes battling good verse evil. It is so far a trilogy. The book features theme, tension, and strong character development. This enjoyable text. Is a must read for people who like dystopian novels, superhero books, and those who need to find inner strength. Sketch and Nova portray a lot of inner strength and provide a good model for those who need this. This coming of age book will be great for young adults and adults as well.

Citation:

FictionDB. (2019). Award-Winning Books by Marissa Meyer. Retrieved from FictionDB: https://www.fictiondb.com/author/marissa-meyer~book-awards~67458.htm

Goodreads, Inc. (2019). Renegades. Retrieved from goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28421168-renegades

Meyer, M. (2017). Renegades. New York: Feiwel and Friends.

The University of Texas at El Paso. (n.d.). How to Write a Reaction Paper or Reader Response. Retrieved from Reader Response: http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl0310link/readerresponse.htm