ALA Booklist

Postapocalyptic novels are everywhere, but debut author Tintera's vision incorporates reanimation and rebellion in a Texas devastated by disease. Five years ago, Wren Connolly died at age 12, only to come back to life 178 minutes later as a Reboot. The longer one is dead before rebooting, the stronger, faster, and less emotional the Reboot is. With her high number, 17-year-old Wren 178 is the most formidable Reboot around, and she is both feared and revered. The government uses her and other Reboots to capture and kill civilians in the name of security. It's a fascinating premise, delivered in gory and glorious cinematic detail d with a healthy dose of romance for Wren in new Reboot trainee Callum 22 (so low in number as to be practically human). Tintera's world is fully imagined and richly described through Wren's initially detached voice, which becomes progressively invested and passionate as she rediscovers her human emotional attributes. The quick pace, familiar yet altered setting, and strong humanitarian message will draw Hunger Games fans. An abrupt ending hopefully indicates successive titles.

Horn Book

In a dystopian future, young people are reanimated after death as soldiers; the longer their death takes, the less humanlike--and more lethal--the Reboot is. Wren, an emotionless hunter for the government, has her world shaken up when she falls for sensitive newbie Callum. The plot is compelling, the romance tender and realistic; a satisfying ending welcomes future installments.

Kirkus Reviews

This compulsively readable science-fiction debut will appeal widely. Seventeen-year-old Wren is one of many young people who, after dying of a widespread virus called KDH, came back to life. Called reboots, they are stronger and more aesthetically refined. They also tend to be more aggressive and less empathic; these traits become more pronounced with each minute spent dead. They are confined to Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation facilities, where they are forced to train as soldiers who carry out the will of their captors. Dead for a record 178 minutes before she reanimated, Wren commands respect and is reasonably satisfied with her second life. But the introduction of a new detainee, Callum, to whom she's inexplicably drawn coincides with her sickening realization that the humans have been experimenting on the lower-numbered reboots with terrifying results, leading her to forge a desperate escape. Though undeniably derivative of so many in the genre, this is a well-imagined story in its own right. Superb concepts and plotting will hook readers from the start, and though Wren echoes the reluctant-heroine trope common to many recent dystopian adventures, she is sympathetic. The tension between Wren and Callum is playful and often sweet, offering plenty to those who appreciate romance. Though the story is neatly resolved, the possibility of a sequel is still tantalizingly possible. (Dystopian adventure. 14 & up)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Tintera's debut covers familiar dystopian territory, but a riveting premise, a romance with substance, and the urgent narrative voice lend it a burst of fresh energy. When Wren was shot in a Texas slum at age 12, the virus she'd been infected with caused her to "Reboot" after 178 minutes. Reboots who have been dead as long as Wren come back strong and often emotionless, and are the best hunters and killers for the government (who offer them no rights or freedoms). When Wren, now 17, begins training Callum, who'd only been dead for 22 minutes, he challenges her beliefs in the rigid order of their society, as well as her own lack of emotion. And when Wren discovers that the weaker Reboots-including Callum and Wren's roommate Ever-are being experimented on, it sets off a desire to escape and to fight the system she's worked for since dying. Tintera occasionally rushes character development-Wren's conversion from borderline sociopath into caring human, in particular-but strong world-building and sweeping action sequences should exert a strong hold on readers. Ages 13-up. Agent: Emmanuelle Morgan, Stonesong. (May)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Wren 178 is a Reboot-one of the lucky (or unlucky) few who rise from the dead following contamination from the virus KDH. The disease kills most people, but the young and strong come back, although they don't come back quite human. After dying five years ago at the age of 12, Wren is now a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation). Because she was dead for 178 minutes, the longest time on record, she is stronger and deadlier than all other Reboots in her center, which entitles her to first choice of each new batch of trainees. Generally, she chooses the kids who also have high numbers, but there's just something about Callum that speaks to her. As a 22, he is almost still human. He's slow and fragile, he questions everything, and he cares too much. Although he creeps Wren out, she finds herself becoming attracted to him and wanting to do everything in her power to keep him aliveto the point of disobeying a direct order to eliminate him when he refuses to kill a prisoner. The first half of this novel is engaging as readers are introduced to this dystopian culture, but the second half begins to drag a bit and some readers may lose interest. There is a nice setup for a sequel, but teens may not care by the time they reach that point. Better dystopian novels abound. Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK