The Rise of Renegade X

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell
Egmont, 2010
340 pages
YA; Fantasy
4.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.

Damien has been waiting for his sixteenth birthday and the "V" that will appear on his thumb signifying his future as a supervillain.  However on the big day, he discovers an "X" indicating that his supervillain mother slept with a superhero and leaving Damien's future up in the air.  His father and family take Damien in to teach him about heroism with Damien stubbornly resisting all the way. But a villainous crisis sends Damien into questions about what his future path will be.

I really loved Damien; he was so set on being a supervillain and some of his plans were quite ingenious but his compassion keeps tripping him up.  He didn't want to hurt lab rats, he wants to mend his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Kat who had cheated on him but who he still loves, he helps the weird girl in school Sarah, and other deeds.  His narration was amazing and I loved his point of view.  Not only did he describe things well, he also made me laugh a lot!

I also really liked the supporting characters, in particular Kat and Sarah.  Kat got her "V" early with the super cool ability to shape shift herself.  Kat and Damien endure a physical separation as he lives with his dad and he suffers embarrassment over his "X."  Sarah is also cool; she's technically ordinary but she has a brilliant name and comes up with Damian's name.  She creates his costume and gadgets and offers herself as his trusty sidekick.

The world created was okay. The setting is Golden City which has the highest concentration of heroes and villains in the United States.  Obviously there are distinctions because of the presence of them and the Banking and Finances Building, the tallest around, plays a very important role but overall it was the characters that shined for me.

Overall: A cool concept, well-written and executed. Sequel please?

Cover: The cover probably wouldn't make me pick up this book because I tend to look for female narrators but it's definitely fitting.