Review: Ruined

RUINED
Ruined #1
Amy Tintera
Young Adult/Fantasy
368 pages
HarperTeen
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
A revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

MY THOUGHTS
Ruined is a tale strong in story, with an easy flow that allows for the rapid turning of pages as we follow Em's journey to find her sister and unleash vengeance on those who murdered her parents.

Em, despite the need for revenge driving her initially and the ease with which she murders the young woman whose place she's taking, is a young woman with whom it's easy to settle in. She despises the royal family for systematically executing the Ruined and kidnapping her sister, but she easily keeps her rage in check and uses her time in the castle and with Cas wisely. She's also not so blinded by her hatred that she refuses to see the differences between Cas and his father, nor is she unable to acknowledge that neither side of their war has hands clean of blood. Her romance with Cas is thankfully insta-love free, an arranged marriage slowly shifting into a begrudging friendship and then finally genuine feelings, but we're spared the bold declarations of love that can often read as disingenuous.

While there's much to enjoy about this first installment, especially for those who just want to be entertained, many will likely take issue with the overall lack of world-building and history of the Ruined. We're given almost no backstory on Em's people other than fleeting glimpses here and there of an all-powerful queen who was a monster in the truest sense, and very little information on how the Ruined magic came to be, why no other race of people in this world possess any kind of magical abilities, or how the war between kingdoms started. Hopefully book two will delve deeper into Ruined history and highlight Em's mom in particular, as she was a special kind of nightmare who has the potential to be hugely memorable should we get to take a closer look at her.

Even with a distinct lack of history in this first book, there's still something deeply intriguing about Ruined, the crowns on both sides of the battle equally deserving of the title of villain, thereby ensuring we question who is and is not deserving of our loyalty throughout.

Rating:
Story/Characters: 4/5
World-building/History: 3/5

Find Amy:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday: Ruined

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

RUINED

Amy Tintera

Young Adult/Fantasy

Releases May 3rd from HarperTeen

From Goodreads:

A revenge that will consume her.

A love that will ruin her.

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

Given that YA fantasy is my very favorite genre and I thoroughly enjoyed Amy's Reboot series, this book went on my list the minute Epic Reads revealed the cover. I have to admit to being deeply intrigued at the mention of Em's marriage to the prince as there aren't too many YA books out there that explore a married relationship. While this particular marriage is clearly a stepping stone in the path of a much larger plan, I still think the dynamics could be fascinating. Sign me up for a story of love and revenge!

Goodreads • Amazon

Review: Reboot

REBOOT
Reboot #1
Amy Tintera
Young Adult/Dystopian
352 pages
HarperTeen
Available May 7th
Received via Edelweiss for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

MY THOUGHTS
Dark and gritty, Reboot presents us with a very different possibility for life after death, one of rigid control, demanded compliance, and excessive violence. It's made clear to us early on that Reboots are considered less-than; their human deaths a temporary end for them physically, but to the rest of society, it's a permanent end to them mentally and emotionally as well. Our anger ignites almost instantly as we follow Wren through the cold and brutal world that rewards ruthlessness and disposes of weakness, teeth grinding at the pain Reboots experience each day in the name of “training”, hoping against hope that the little girl who is the strongest of them all will bring this world to its knees in the coming pages.

Wren, having been dead for a full 178 minutes before her body rebooted, is the most feared and revered Reboot in her facility (and as far as we can tell, in any of the Reboot facilities). She's extraordinarily lethal and seemingly merciless, carrying out assignment after assignment with ease even as other Reboots fall dead at her feet during the course of the same mission. We worry initially that what everyone says about Reboots is true–the longer they're dead, the less humanity left in them–but it doesn't take long before we see the lie for what it is; simply a way to instill fear of Reboots in the human population and yet another way to manipulate them into feeling inferior. Wren is neither cold nor unfeeling, and her hesitant steps into back into the world of human emotion from the lonely existence of the world's best soldier are a joy to watch, each page tightening the grip she has on our hearts.

Callum is a young man we don't really know all that much about even after we reach the last page, but his unshakable positivity and infectious personality win us over easily, and we simply can't keep ourselves from falling a little in love with him when a smile crosses his face at a time it should be contorted in pain. He bears his horrifying training with a humor we are nearly one hundred percent sure we wouldn't be able to conjure in his shoes, and his unrelenting campaign to show Wren she isn't what the numbers tattooed on her wrist tell her she is has us rooting for the two of them from the onset. Their relationship progresses fascinatingly as Callum gives a little humanity back to Wren and Wren puts a little fight in Callum, and we find ourselves grinning stupidly at their initial interactions and then sighing loudly as their affection deepens, grateful to Ms. Tintera for sparing us unnecessary angst and premature declarations of love.

One of the only small quibbles keeping this first installment from a higher rating is the relative ease with which Wren and Callum get in and out of certain high-risk situations, but we so desperately want to see them succeed that it's hard to do anything but say a quiet thank you when they emerge on the side of life from one of their many life and death situations. The ending is also a touch abrupt, adrenaline still pumping sweet and fast through our bodies when we suddenly find ourselves on the last page, leaving us just a little off kilter for a little while after reading. Overall though, Reboot is a beautifully electrifying beginning to this series, grabbing us by the throat from page one and never easing in its grip until we reach the end, breathless and gasping for more.

Rating: 4/5 

More information on Amy and Reboot can be found here:

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