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//RENEGADES
by Marissa Meyer
Setting the Stage...
The most important world-building elements of this novel.
Need To Know
PRODIGY - a person with a superpower
AGE OF ANARCHY - the period of time where lawlessness ran amok in the city of Gatlon (lasted about thirty years previous to the novel)
ACE ANARCHY - Nova's uncle, who took her in when her parents were killed. He was the leader of the Anarchists, and was eventually killed by the Renegades at the Battle for Gatlon
Point of View
The novel is written in third person omniscient: an outside narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of more than one character.
The novel is written in past tense.
Setting
This novel is set in the city of Gatlon in the present day.
Some specific locations from the novel include...
Nova's Old Apartment
Nova's old apartment, from the beginning of the novel; it's described as derelict and rundown. This is the apartment where her parents and baby sister are shot dead when she is six. The apartment is only mentioned a few times in the book, but it is the main setting of the preface and a very important place in Nova's life.
Renegade Headquarters
The Renegades' Headquarters is the nerve center for all the prodigies who call themselves Renegades. It includes training facilities, a cafeteria, meeting rooms, surveillance offices, a hospital, a prison, and labs with technicians, as well as many other rooms and functions. The tall, glass skyscraper has many floors, some of which are completely devoid of anything.
The Anarchists' Subway Tunnels
"Now the abandoned [subway] tunnels belonged to the Anarchists... The few surviving Anarchists would be permitted this tiny bit of autonomy, this pathetic little life underground, so long as they never again used their abilities against the Renegades or the people" (Meyer 80).
The Anarchists' tunnels are dirty and filled with trash, but they direct their thoughts toward the future revenge they will take against the Renegades.
Cosmopolis Park
Cosmopolis Park is an old (but still running) amusement park in the city of Gatlon. It is used as part of Nova's cover story when she infiltrates the Renegades' ranks, and it is where the climax occurs at the end of the novel .
Characters
The major characters are mostly either Renegades or Anarchists.
The Anarchists
- Enemies of the Renegades
- Live in abandoned subway tunnels underneath the city of Gatlon
- Officially, they've promised not to use their abilities against the Renegades or civilians ever again... in reality, they're plotting against them as they speak
- Consist of six villains
Nightmare
Nova Artino
ALIAS: Nightmare
POWER: never sleeps; can put others to sleep with her touch
Nova was brought up by her uncle, Ace Anarchy, during the Age of Anarchy, after her parents and younger sister were brutally murdered. She is the protagonist of the story.
Other Anarchists
THE PUPPETEER - Winston Pratt
(turns people into mindless puppets who do his bidding)
THE DETONATOR - Ingrid Thompson
(creates explosives from the air that can be detonated at will)
CYANIDE - Leroy Flinn
(generates acidic poisons through his skin)
PHOBIA - True Name Unknown
(transforms his body and scythe into the embodiment of various fears)
QUEEN BEE - Honey Harper
(exerts control over all bees, hornets, and wasps)
The Renegades
- Started off as a group of four young heroes who wanted to make a difference during the Age of Anarchy
- Now is a worldwide corporation that trains prodigies to help people in need
- Hold the Renegade Trials every year to accept new recruits into the patrol teams
- Enemies of the Anarchists
Original Renegades
THUNDERBIRD - Tamaya Rae
(generates thunder and lightning; can fly)
TSUNAMI - Kasumi Hasegawa
(generates and manipulates water)
THE DREAD WARDEN - Simon Westwood
(can turn invisible)
CAPTAIN CHROMIUM - Hugh Everhart
(has superstrength and is nearly invincible to physical attacks; can generate chromium weaponry)
These original prodigies ended the Age of Anarchy and defeated Ace Anarchy. They set up their own government in Gatlon afterwards.
The Renegades: Sketch's Team
MONARCH - Danna Bell
(transforms into a swarm of monarch butterflies)
RED ASSASSIN - Ruby Tucker
(when wounded, her blood crystallizes into weaponry)
SMOKESCREEN - Oscar Silva
(summons smoke and vapor at will)
Adrian Everhart
Name: Adrian Everhart
Aliases: Sketch; The Sentinel
Superpower: can bring his drawings and artwork to life; fire elemental, super speed and strength, a really awesome laser that he can fire out of his forearm
Adrian is the adopted son of Hugh Everhart and Simon Westwood (both Renegades). It's revealed later in the novel that he creates another identity, The Sentinel, to see if his power will work in another way - giving himself powers (i.e. he tattoos himself with them). His experiment works, and even though he works for justice for the Anarchists, both them and the Renegades are confused and unsure of who this new prodigy is, especially one with multiple powers.
He is the love interest for Nova Artino.
Max Everhart
Max Everhart
Max Everhart is the adopted son of Hugh Everhart and Simon Westwood, making him Adrian's brother. He has very dangerous power, though - absorption. This means he can take any other prodigy's power away and use it for himself. Max is kept in a quarantined area in the Renegades' headquarters. Nova (and the reader) do not discover this information until about three-quarters of the way through the novel.
It is also learned that baby Max was used to strike the killing blow at the final battle between the Renegades and Ace Anarchy - he absorbed Ace Anarchy's power, levitation, and therefore left him powerless, allowing the Renegades to defeat him and his forces. This is partly what sets Nova spinning about her allegiances; she questions the Renegades' decision to bring a baby into harm like that.
Plot Summary
Conflicts
Conflicts
Man vs. Man - Nova and the rest of the Anarchists fighting against the Renegades
Man vs. Self - Nova's struggle with her allegiances during the novel - does she belong with the Anarchists or with the Renegades?
Important Rising Action
- Nova tries to assassinate Captain Chromium and fails
- She decides to infiltrate the Renegades as a prodigy herself; Leroy Flinn helps her assume a fake identity and put her plan into action
- At the Renegade Trials, Nova only tells the crowd about the fact she doesn't sleep - keeping her real power hidden. She defeats Gargoyle, another prodigy, in battle, and is accepted onto Adrian's team
(Continued)
- Sketch's team (including Nova) stakes out a library for evidence of Nightmare. It ends with Detonator trying to kill the Renegades while the library goes up in flames. They escape with their lives, but Nova is miffed that Detonator is so willing to blow her cover
- The team interrogate The Puppeteer, who is in captivity, about Nightmare. He betrays nothing, to Nova's relief.
- Nova learns that on the night her parents were murdered, the Renegades came too late. This sends her reeling again.
- Nova sees Max hurt his hand, and rushes into the quarantine to help him. This leads to her discovering his power.
(Continued)
(Continued)
- Nova and Detonator make a plan to fake their deaths.
- Nova and Adrian visit Cosmopolis Park, where the battle with Detonator (the climax) eventually takes place.
Climax
The climax occurs when Nova, undercover within the Renegades, and Adrian are checking out Cosmopolis Park for any clues of Nightmare's location. This is an example of dramatic irony because the reader is aware that Nova herself is Nightmare, but Adrian and the other characters are not.
Before Nova and Adrian come to the Park, Nova and Detonator set up a plan - they will fake their own deaths in a battle put on for Adrian's benefit.
(Continued)
(Continued)
They believe that the Renegades will stop their searching for Nightmare if this is the case. But Detonator tricks Nova; she is actually trying to kill her when they fight, and after a particularly bad explosion, Adrian is convinced that Nightmare is dead. Detonator gives a whole cliché villain speech, including how she is going to blow up innocent civilians at the Park, before Nova comes out of the rubble and shoots her point-blank. The reader is aware that Nightmare is not dead, but the Renegades believe that she is, and that Nova is the one who killed Detonator.
Resolution
Resolution
Nova finally decides that she is meant to be with the Anarchists after all. And with the Renegades thinking that Nightmare is dead, she is free to complete her undercover work.
There is no resolution for the conflict between the Anarchists and the Renegades, unfortunately, but the author is writing more books in this series that will most likely solve this conflict.
In the last sentence of the book, the reader learns that Ace Anarchy is actually alive. This is an example of situational irony (plot twist) because it is something different than expected.
Final Verdict
Symbol
Max is a symbol in this novel. He symbolizes free will because he is kept within a quarantine for most of his life and he was used in the Battle for Gatlon to strike the killing blow, without his permission. Even though Max's dads want to keep him and other people safe, he is never actually asked permission for anything that is done to him. Max did not have a choice to join the Renegades, and this is what Nova struggles with.
Theme
Theme
Never dismiss someone as unimportant; you never know where they've been or where they'll be.
This is a recurring theme in the novel. From the preface, when the Renegades don't rescue Nova's parents in time, to the end of the book, this theme is present almost everywhere you look.
My Rating
I would give this book four stars out of five because I really enjoyed the action scenes, but I felt like it needed more romance. Also, there were some incredibly cliché moments between heroes and villains that could be rectified.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys action, heroes who aren't quite as super as they seem, and plot twists.