Reboot

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%E2%80%94including Callum and Wren's roommate Ever%E2%80%94are 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%E2%80%94Wren's conversion from borderline sociopath into caring human, in particular%E2%80%94but strong world-building and sweeping action sequences should exert a strong hold on readers. Ages 13%E2%80%93up. Agent: Emmanuelle Morgan, Stonesong. (May)