Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Rise of Renegade X (Renegade X, Bk 1)

The Rise of Renegade X (Renegade X, Bk 1)
GeniusJen avatar reviewed on + 5322 more book reviews


Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

Welcome to Golden City, where superheroes and supervillains mingle with ordinary citizens.

We meet the main character, Damien Locke, on the eve of his 16th birthday - the day his "V" is supposed to appear in his thumbprint. The day his fate is officially sealed. The day he becomes a REAL supervillain. His "V" will ensure his admission to Vilmore, the university for aspiring villains.

So, standing in front of a crowd of people as the clock strikes midnight, Damien watches as his thumbprint shifts...

into...

an...

X.

The "X" has only been a rumor - until now. The shock of the "X" is bad enough to send Damien into a tailspin, but the cause of it is downright devastating. The "X" means he has superhero in him. He's never known his father, but always assumed he was another supervillain like his mother - but he was wrong. His fears are confirmed when he confronts his mother and she reveals she had a one-night stand with a superhero in the middle of a particularly heated battle.

Damien is thrust into a world he doesn't want anything to do with when his mother sends him to spend six weeks with his father and his superhero family. He attempts to maintain his supervillain persona in the midst of the enemy, and is forced to make his own decisions about right and wrong.

Damien Locke is a delightful character. His snarky personality fills the book with humor and causes the reader to fall in love with him. Even though Chelsea M. Campbell set THE RISE OF RENEGADE X in a fantasy world filled with superheroes and supervillains, Damien still deals with typical teenage problems. He has to deal with a rotten friend, a cheating girlfriend, and major parent issues.

THE RISE OF RENEGADE X is a fun story. The reader will love getting lost in Damien's world. I know I can't wait for the sequel.