Review: Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan & Deborah Biancotti

Zeroes

Author: Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti
Series: Zeroes #1
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Format: ARC
Release Date: September 29, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher at BEA
Rating: 4 Stars
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***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Don’t call them heroes.

But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart. They can do stuff ordinary people can’t.

Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. He’s got a voice inside him that’ll say whatever you want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t—like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days.

Enter Nate, a.k.a. Bellwether, the group’s “glorious leader.” After Scam’s SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. And at the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases.

Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling new series.

My Review:

I’m going to be honest and tell you guys that I didn’t really expect to love this book. After the last couple superhero books I’ve read, I thought maybe it wasn’t for me. But I’ve enjoyed Scott Westerfeld’s writing so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I was shocked, in the best way, to find that I loved this book.

There are six main characters – you would think that’s a lot, too many to keep track of – but these three authors wrote each of these characters perfectly. You got to know each and every one of them and I fell in love with all of them. The only one I wish we got to know a little bit better was Nate, or Glorious Leader as the other heroes call him. He was a bit elusive and I really want to know what his ultimate goal is. But I’m sure we will find that out in subsequent books.

Basic premise is that these six kids all have some kind of super power. One can control crowds, bend their emotions to match their own. Another can see through other people’s eyes. Another can persuade a crowd to do what he wants. Another can crash electronics. And one has a voice that speaks for him to help him get what he wants. The voice knows everything and seems to have no limits. And there was one more… what was his power again? Oh right, it’s similar to invisibility, but not quite. People just don’t notice him. They forget about him. He can cut his ties to people so he can walk through a crowd with no one even seeing him. Together, they make up the Zeroes and they do practice “missions” to grow and hone their powers.

My favorite character, hands down, was Anonymous – the invisible guy. His backstory was so heart-breaking and I just got all the feels. I totally ship him and Flicker. Because seriously perfect for each other. I loved how much he wanted to help his friends even if they would forget about him the second he walked away.

The plot was fast-paced and definitely kept me turning the pages. The chapters are short, which I loved, and always ended on a mini cliffhanger which kept me glued to my couch until the final word. The ending got super intense and I was tearing through the pages, unable to read fast enough, because seriously everyone had to be okay!! The Zeroes certainly aren’t a perfect group and there were things they took on that I think they should probably have just called the police on, but I loved the friendship and the loyalty to each other. I loved watching them work through their issue together and coming out stronger because of it. This is a superhero book you are not going to want to miss!

Have you read this one yet? What did you think?