Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read a dystopian YA, urban fantasy that is the lovechild of the Hunger Games and Night at the Museum that is also COVID commentary?

Pre-reading:
That is Ronald McDonald on the cover.

Thick of it:
You know, good on this book. I went into it with such a sour mood, but then it opened and I genuinely want to read it. I’m in. But alas, it is 1 a.m. and time to sleep. We’ll try some more in the morning.

No subways in NYC? Complete collapse

I’m picturing the Spooky Island demon monsters from Scooby Doo lmao. (Again!)

No because I’m so down. Rivals to lovers, rivals to lovers

I also don’t know what a whelk is.

Wow, never mind. What a cunt.

Wow, that feels like covid commentary.

I’m gonna need them to explain how the city is still surviving if no one’s allowed in or out because like food? But also, the government would just nuke Manhattan. They wouldn’t even hesitate. I don’t believe this for a second.

Oh, they destroyed the bridges to Manhattan. That’ll stop them. No, it wouldn’t. Build some boats, you losers.

What sort of after-school special line was that?

cheongsam

So her parents are dead, and I’m sure it won’t be for an elaborate government cover-up because they found out that the deathlings aren’t actually evil and are 1000% just mutated citizens. (Why do I even read books if I can just open them and know what happens?)

It’s giving pandering diversity. Stop it right now.

It’s giving Fourth Wing so much

Bread and feral geese is a new metaphor, and I don’t like it.

Oh, well he’s definitely evil. (Master Sasha)

How much you wanna bet she finds a candy wrapper that proves he’s evil?

The government’s just keeping them alive? For why? The government ain’t got pity.

Why would you want to be unconscious? Like I’m sure it’ll be explained, but this book’s got a lot of explaining to do. (Either I missed it, or they genuinely never explain why people would want to take a drug to be unconscious in the field while they huntin’ monsters.)

Is this sapphic? (Sam says yes, author says no?)

This is an anime character. (Storm)

Somebody’s gonna die here so that the author can prove to us that these creatures are super dangerous, but it’ll be an NPC, so we really won’t give a shit. (No death. Wrong, Sam.)

Wow, they really dance-mobbed him.

punctilious

Oh, she’s got an ex-boy? Love triangle? (I don’t like love triangles normally, but I’d be down for one in this book.)

It’s gonna be me

How would you not know your girlfriend's mom?

Oh, not a dead dog!

That had better not be intentionally vague rape commentary because we are absolutely not going to trivialize it like that.

Oh, don’t call Harlem students chimpanzees. How did an editor let that through? OH NO.

Oh, the government told you you can’t talk about it? Ha ha, that works on teenagers.

That’s knockoff Caesar Flickerman.

Gotta catch’em all, he’s Danny Phantom

And he’s the dude from the mask? My god, pick a lane.

Oh, look at that her ex-boyfriend knows the government’s actually evil. What a surprise. (Does he? I may be giving him too much credit. Ask me in book two.)

No, thank you I will not be remembering all these people. (And I didn’t have to :) )

She’s not gonna place.

Have I mentioned that I love being right?

Don’t tell me about the dead dog!

Not to minimize dead dogs, but it’s giving Pippa from A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

If Declan dies, we riot, but like it’s giving Declan is gonna die. (He’s safe... for now.)

Did she really just Pocahontas New York City? Can you paint with all the colors of the pigeons?

Also, I know I’m making fun of this book a lot, but it’s classic dystopian YA, and I’m having a good time.

Oh, so homegirl‘s necklace is definitely the missing artifact.

Lol, it only heals those injuries so that the author doesn’t have to worry about ableism.

Oops, meta-

Oh yeah, he has a super bad sweet tooth, and the deathlings are obsessed with candy, but don’t worry, he’s like definitely not evil, guys. (Ask me in book two.)

Lol it took me a second to remember who Roland was. And by was, I mean is because I don’t believe that that bitch is dead. Because how else would we have a love triangle and honestly kinda hope that he’s the better option. Because other boy ghosted and lied, and that’s not anything to build a partnership on. (I still want this, and I think it will be a better series if it happens.)

Hey, you know what’s not good optics? Armbands for military things. It’s giving Nazi. Perhaps not, bestie.

Oh, it’s giving annoyingly woke. Like just why? Why do that? I love representation. This is not it. This is cheesy and over-the-top and virtue signaling when you’ve got some bad choices going on elsewhere in the book.

Is she saying Winnie Harlow? You can’t just list off diversity like this, though. It feels inauthentic. It feels like you’re reducing characters to what box they tick for representation.

kigurumi

Did she just say one of them is a furry? Girl, no.

Dude, it’s a bicycle. Who the fuck cares?

What’s more concerning is that no one‘s riding around with helmets. Where is his goddamn helmet hair?

Can you be dreadfully pasty? Are we skin color shaming in this book? What’s up, Bestie?

Why only 10 minutes?

He’s always eating sugar. He’s 100% a demon.

A rat furry? Come on, you’re shitting me.

Don’t tell them what you discussed? You didn’t discuss anything!

They’re literally just playing paintball capture the flag.

That is body shaming.

Like I just don’t understand how you’re going to try and be PC and diverse and then literally make fun of people for the way they look.

Lol and they’re putting it on TV because why not? Nothing says made for reality TV quite like teenagers trying to kill each other.

And obviously they’re playing this game in the middle of Central Park because no one needs to walk their dog or anything.

I’m so weak. I love a sunshine pet name every time.

That’s gay.

How much do you want to bet the prom theme is a masquerade?

You’ve got a box of your ex's nudes? Yikes.

Not god sin lol. I LIKE IT EVERY TIME, SUE ME

Did he have pudding in his pocket this whole time? That’s so gross. Body temperature pudding.

glissades

Sometimes this book is so aggressively YA.

If they’re old enough to drink, then they do not read old enough at all.

A reduced drinking age? Lmao, please.

Oh, deathlings are in the water so they can’t boat away. Helicopters then? Zipline?

Girl, who are you to judge? You brought a gun to gym class.

If anyone reads this book without hearing Ryan Reynolds every time they say her name, you’re a better person than me.

They’re gonna be fine because it’s her necklace that’s actually been blowing shit up. (Oh, never mind, I'm wrong.)

That is a horrible name for a monster.

How do they confirm that? And if they can confirm that people aren’t deathlings, then why can’t people leave the city?

That is the Amazing Race.

I will say the tasks of the competition have very good pacing.

Lol, obviously the arson was a hit to keep them from revealing the syndicate’s secrets.

Oh my god, the powdered sugar sin, but I like it every timeeeee.

Lol but not lol at the Covid commentary.

Sometimes the YA humor in this is spot on and sometimes it’s so cringe.

Oh, I didn’t want Noelle to die.

Oh, is she going to turn into a deathling? I kind of like that if she doesn’t have to die and that’s how it’s revealed that the deathlings are actually people. (Wrong again, Sam.)

Honestly, I love the idea of a magical library lion. That’s so fun. This book is such a love letter to New York.

Wait, that’s so sad. I don’t want the lion to die.

Oh goddamn, I didn’t want her to die either. That’s gory for a YA.

Wow, that was a good scene. This book is really picking up. This is good YA.

Here’s the thing, I don’t believe it’s the subway token. I still think it’s her necklace. (Kinda sorta right?)

It’s a YA. Of course, she’s a chosen one.

Is this a standalone or a series because I can’t imagine us wrapping all this up in one book.

Why would the kidnappers leave two children guarding the masters? That doesn’t even kind of make sense

And there’s that cringe YA humor.

Girlypop passes out every other chapter. I swear to god.

Oh good lord, this is plot hole-y.

Guys, I still don’t believe they’re dead because they keep talking about how they’re dead, so I’m like they’re not actually dead. And I’m gonna look like an idiot when they are dead, but my dumb little brain is like they’re alive.

The book: there’s no denying it. Sam: I’m denying it. (ASK ME IN BOOK TWO DAMMIT)

I love being right.

Oh, that’s a cute little moral lesson for a YA.

Detritus sin

Bitch, Google Translate. Oh lol, never mind.

I hate that I like that line, but again, good YA humor.

I genuinely didn’t see her boyfriend not drugging her.

This other night thing is like definitely her not-sister.

Well, she’s not a human, you idiot.

And bad YA humor again.

Danny Phantom!

Also, how old is the phantom that she can have a crush on him and like the audience isn’t supposed to be grossed out by it?

There are a lot of choices in this book that don’t quite make sense and that are kinda dumb. An editor should have told this author to rein it in and pick a genre, pick a lane. But I’m having so much fun that I can’t see not rating this four stars.

Yep, it's her sister. Have I mentioned that I love being right? (Only once or twice.)

I like how she had to clarify that New Yorkers are humans.

This would make a fun video game.

That’s a nutty after-school special message, but that better not be the actual methodology behind it because that’s fucking dumb.

Girl, you got bright red hair. It’s not like you blend in.

Have we just forgotten about her being drugged?

Hunger Games and Night at the Museum had a baby.

Is this a Remy the rat joke because get out.

I don’t like this mans. (Kieran)

Well, that’s a shitty spot to leave off on. So I wasn’t technically to be continued but not everything is solved, so you have to keep reading.

Also, shout out to this audiobook narrator. She killed it

Post-reading:
This was fun.

Look she’s plotholey, she’s got some cringe YA humor, she’s predictable as hell, but she’s fun. This is not the best YA you will ever read. Even though I enjoyed this, I’m like damn, she needs an edit. But if you want some nostalgic, dystopian YA and you like New York, give this a try.

I get that YA is rabid for representation. This book is diverse, but it does not do it well. It reads like pandering and virtue signaling, and then it’s coupled with some body-shamey comments that really clash with the mentality behind creating diverse characters.

The romance in this could use an overhaul. I can’t believe I'm advocating for a love triangle, but I think this is genuinely one of the times where it would work and would add some delicious tension to the book. There are quite a few bits of this book that read as sapphic, but it doesn't seem like they're actually meant to. I don’t like the love interest. I don’t think they’re mature enough yet to have a healthy relationship.

It has a few pacing issues. She can write good scenes, but getting from scene to scene is where she falters.

The world-building is a bit of a shit show. It doesn’t really make sense, and you’re going to have to let it go, and suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the book.

I went into this not wanting to read it, and now I will be picking up the sequel without a shred of irony. Good job, book.

Who should read this:
Dystopian YA fans
Fourth Wing girlies
Covid commentary fans

Do I want to reread this:
No, but I’d read the next one

Similar books:
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-OG YA dystopian competition series
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros-YA fantasy, enemies to lovers romance, competition, nostalgic
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas-YA fantasy romance, competition
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson-romp of a YA mystery/thriller
Garden of the Curse by Katy Rose Pool-generic YA fantasy romance, whodunnit
Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones-aggressively YA fantasy romance where they battle demons
The Stranded by Sarah Daniels-dystopian YA, ensemble cast

Surprisingly good!

This is my first time reading a Coco Ma book and it exceeded my expectation. I've been a YA reader since I can remember and there's been a lot of attempt to mix fantasy and dystopia but only fee succeeded. I want to add Coco Ma in that list.

This book reminds me of Marie Lu's Warcross, which I absolutely loved, and pair it with The Hunger Games!

Love the book, looking forward to book 2 soon.

I absolutely loved this book. The urban fantasy world that has been created in New York City in this book was so cool and interesting. I loved seeing how the city adapted to this darkness and isolation. I loved Rei and seeing her grow as a character during the book. She is such a badass heroine and stayed strong through so much. I also really loved Boba. Boba was amazing and needs to be protected at all costs. The story in this book was filled with adventure, action, laughs, and heartbreak. The ending really through me for a loop and I was reading with a mouth open in shock. I can't wait till the next book comes out to see what happens next!

In a city taken over by monsters, teens train to become hunters of these monsters... but one girl's training leads her down a darker path than she could have ever imagined. Fifteen years ago, The Vanishing happened in Manhattan, New York. The city was plunged into darkness and monsters known as Deathlings have plagued the city ever since. To defeat these monsters, people are trained to rigorously fight and kill them and they must compete and win the Tournament to make it amongst the ranks of the prestigious Deathling Hunters. Rei Reynolds has dreamed all her life of becoming a hunter, she's been hunting illegally outside of school hours, but her skills have not gone unnoticed. When the tournament comes around she finds herself face to face with her ex, Kieran Cross, a skilled rival and the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart out of nowhere. Rei's parents were murdered and she's been living with her aunt, a Master of the prestigious school that is involved in the Tournament... and the person who has hired Kieran to be her new assistant. As the tournament progresses Rei finds herself questioning everyone and everything she's every known as the secret of the Deathlings and how they came to be and what exactly is happening to the city begins to cause her to unravel. Who can she trust? Can she trust the system that she thought was meant to protect her or will the secrets of those in power cause her to break free? Will she finally find out Kieran's secrets and why he is so determined to protect her but why he broke her heart? This is the first book in a series and it gives off Hunger Games x Maze Runner vibes. The story is a urban fantasy that involves teens joining a deadly competition to fight against monsters while there is a group of higherups who run society watching them. The book has a pretty slow start and doesn't pick up until the 40% mark and I honestly didn't care much for the second chance romance between Kieran and Rei. The world building is really interesting and I am intrigued by the monsters/society structure that the story has going on. I liked the tournament aspect but I felt like a lot of the characters could have been fleshed out better because not a lot of them were all that memorable. I am curious to see where the next book goes and how the story progresses for Rei after the events of this book. Overall if you like urban fantasy novels with young adult tournaments and monster survival fights, definitely give this a go!

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Viking Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

”You took all of your broken pieces and made them your weapons.”

This book. It completely snuck up on me in the best way possible, in the way books used to before I became a jaded reviewer. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I used to pick out random books at the library that I’d never heard of (because no social media and no internet access at my house), would take them home, and binge them in a day or two while cooped up in my room over the weekend. The kind of book I’d rush to my librarian aunt who was a “cool adult” who still read MG and YA books and genuinely enjoys them so we could chat about it. I can’t quite describe the giddy nature I felt while reading this, but it made me feel like a kid again finding a new series to obsess over. Yes, some of it was formulaic and predictable, but the fact that even though these two aspects are true and it STILL is a knock out page turner full of suspense, action, and excitement tells me it is well written regardless.

”Kill without remorse. Live without regret.”

I don’t even want to recap the synopsis or plot because it’s really better if you can just jump right in and ride along with the characters, but if I had to compare this to other books I would say it appeals to fans of The Hunger Games and Warcross. Yes, the plot is different than those two books and yes, I do realize that making this comparison might set some readers expectations in a lofty place right off the bat, but if we’re comparing vibes and styles of plot, that’s the best I can do. Nightbreaker stands squarely on its own two feet though, and you should definitely read it for what it is-an action packed urban fantasy full of monsters, danger, unique world building, and even a little bit of second chance romance. Obviously this one ends as a set up for book 2, but I am THRILLED that the author didn’t do us dirty with a cliff that ends in the middle of a scene that has me reeling so violently I want to scream. I’m eager to continue the series, but we do get many answers to the questions plaguing this installment.

I know that the cover isn’t cool in the mainstream marketing way of flowers and swords that are uber popular right now (I do really dig this cover though), but if you’ll give it a chance, I think those looking for a fantasy to get lost in that is both well plotted in pacing and character development, do yourself a favor and give Nightbreaker a try. I loved this so much that I bought myself a finished copy for my favorites shelf, and you’d better believe it’ll be in my top 5 books of the year.

”…the people who always told you to rise above the rest will never be the ones to warn you how far you might fall.”

4 stars

Don’t judge this book by its cover! It is a fun, fast paced book with a tournament, a (not really) puppy, and monsters who like sweets. I loved the New York City setting and hearing some of the ways it had changed. The dialogue is a bit rough in some patches, but I still was able to have a great time. If you are a fan of competition type post apocalyptic paranormal books, I would give this one a try.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Penguin for this ARC
You know those books you can't put down? The ones you stay up all night reading because you're so immersed in the story you can't wait till the next day to find out what happens next? This is one of those books.
Rei has trained her entire life to hunt Deathlings, grotesque creatures that take over Manhattan at night, and have irrevocably changed the city. Her only dream is to become a Maverick, the elite task force that has no equal for their strength and kill count. To do so she must win a tournament and prove herself, no easy task when one of her opponents is her ex boyfriend. (Plus, not everyone survives the tournament!)
This is one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a hot minute. I love the characters, and how diverse the story is. The world building and lore is so engaging and there were no plot holes to be found. Every little question I had regarding the story is masterfully executed and explained. A pitfall of fantasy stories can often be how much exposition is thrown at you in an attempt to explain the world and how everything works. That is not in a problem in Nightbreaker! This story does not shy away from a body count either, I genuinely didn't know who was going to survive, or make it through in one piece.
One of my favorite aspects of this is the technology and all the different artifacts. There are so many different items that all grant different powers, and I can't wait to find out more.
Rei is a badass, she can fight and knows how to hold her own. She isn't that stereotypical "perfect" fantasy heroine either. She has lots of faults, and shows great character growth through the story.
There is a little bit of romance, coming at you by way of Kieran, Rei's ex boyfriend. I really enjoyed their chemistry, plus I love when badass fmc have a supportive love interest. (I hate the trope that modern media is shifting to that you to be independent means no partner!) Also the ending, oh my gosh guys the ending! Quick y'all read this so we can discuss please.
It's very, very, rare that I say this, but I would LOVE to see a movie or tv show made out of this book.
I love this book so much, I want to own a physical copy, and I can't wait for the next book in the series! I HIGHLY recommend this especially if you LOVE fantasy books! This is the first book by Coco Ma I have read, I am now going to go request all her books!

Imagine a world where they’ve flooded and collapsed the tunnels and bridges out of Manhattan. Leaving all who lived or were even just visiting stranded. All because of the things that go bump in the night.

I was pleasantly surprised by Coco Ma’s new fantasy blended thriller & chills! It took me a bit to become fully immersed in the book, but once I was I loved it! Rei was easy to love and the perfect MFC. Sassy, smart & had the best motivations for doing what she was doing. Our side characters were swoon worthy too. I especially loved the fiery competition between her and her ex, Kieran. Honestly what got me through was the world building. Coco blew this dystopian New York (think World War Z but with monsters, not zombies) out of the water! As a Manhattan groupie, I love any setting that takes place in its concert jungle. But this was such a fun twist to the city we all know and love! Though, I felt that the characters relationships could’ve used a little more depth (we need that second chance romance Coco?!?). I wasn’t itching to pick up this book between reads as much as i wanted. I know it’s was YA, but I was hoping Rei & Kerian could’ve explored their new relationship more. They had some great moments!!

I honestly felt like a lot of it was building up for the next book. With some questions left unanswered and a major secrets unveiled last minute, we’ll all be patiently waiting for book two! Excited to see where Ma takes us!

Will be post review to Instagram on publishing date (9/19/23). Linked below!

Rei is an orphan, her parents killed by Deathlings, mysterious monsters that appeared one night in Manhattan and began eating anything and anyone they could lay hands upon - and at the same time, something caused all electrical power to cease working during the dark, although it works fine during the day. To contain the Deathlings - and a related monster, the nightfangs, Manhattan is closed off from the rest of the world; all the bridges are blown up, along with the subways, which are infested with both types of monsters. No person still in Manhattan at that time is allowed to leave, although supplies can be brought in, at great expense.

Driven by a desire to avenge her parents, Rei attends a preparatory academy, designed to teach her how to kill both types of monsters, and she is very successful in her training, graduating near the top of her class. But there is more going on than Rei or her classmates, or, indeed, most of the remaining inhabitants of Manhattan, know, complicated by those who believe that the constraints of living in Manhattan are a plot to control them, that the monsters were made up to help control the population. Only the mavericks, led by the Masters, have a chance of defeating them - but both mavericks and Masters are disappearing.

This is a fast-paced, action-filled novel with a mystery built into the plot, which makes it enjoyable for readers in a variety of genres. Recommended for readers eighth grade to adult.

Nightbreaker was a fun exhilarating read. If you like action packed books with a competent MC this book is for you.

Rei was a likable main character who wants to protect people from the deathlings that appeared one day. To do so she must win a tournament against other contestants from schools in the different burrows of new York.

This was an enjoyable YA dystopian reminiscent of the Hunger Games and Skyhunter. I wasn't a huge fan of the competition aspect but the story was engaging enough to keep me reading. The character grew on me especially Noelle.

The characters were complex with their own reasons for wanting to compete and win.

A few things I didn't enjoy as much:
- the romance, it didn't feel necessary and I didn't feel their chemistry.
- The world building was a little confusing and needs a suspension of belief since it's set in our world but with magic elements.

Overall, I can't wait to read the sequel!

Thanks netgalley for the e-arc!

Nightbreaker was the perfect book to get me out of a month-long reading slump. Action-packed yet filled with some timely real-world allusions, Nightbreaker is a fun addition to the YA dystopian canon that I highly recommend to any genre fan, especially those who loved Marissa Meyer’s Renegades and Marie Lu’s Skyhunter.

While not the most innovative or original, Nightbreaker is solidly-written and successfully hooked me with a feisty main character and intriguing premise. The author described FMC Rei as an “Asian girlboss,” and while I’m always wary of books proclaiming to have “strong” girlboss FMCs, Coco Ma did a good job of adding depth and dimension to elevate Rei beyond physical badass. She’s headstrong and impulsive, and while her physical gifts can often get her out of combat situations, Ma also takes care to show the repercussions of her actions. She dedicates time to show the psychological effects of living in a traumatic dystopian world, and I especially liked the portrayal of Rei’s grief over her parents’ death. Refreshingly, her combat skills are the result of her fear of failure and loss and not just to show the reader a strong female character.

The alternate New York City setting was really fascinating. Though it bears somewhat of a resemblance to the world of Skyhunter (giant monsters, an elite task force of young adults, technologically-advanced monster-hunting weaponry, etc.), I appreciated the real-world allusions. The isolation and collective trauma that permeates every description of the city felt authentic, and the pervading unease closely mirrors the unease of the early pandemic lockdown. I thought the Deathlings (the monsters) were properly scary without feeling tacky, and their diversity and evolution added some much-needed realism. While I guessed their mysterious origins early in the book, it was still fun to see it play out on page as the characters considered the implications of the Deathlings and their jobs as monster hunters. The only thing that really detracted from the world was the vague magic system and flimsy explanation for the existence of stardust and Artifacts, but hopefully this will be explained in the next book. I’m willing to overlook them because I enjoyed all other aspects of the world.

Nightbreaker had all the makings of a five star read for me, but it fell flat on a few aspects. First was the lack of nuance in the side characters—they often felt like YA archetypes. I appreciated that two of these side characters were better developed towards the second half of the book, but I wish that could have been applied to the rest of the (very) large cast. Kieran Cross, Rei’s love interest, was a fine character, though I found him to lack a bit of personality outside of whatever is told to the reader based on his previous relationship with Rei. There was great thematic potential in several parental and familial figures, but that was unfortunately glossed over. I also thought the plot and pacing were a bit strange, especially past the 60% mark. However, I really appreciate the deliberateness of the testing and tournament arc, especially after a few books I read this year failed miserably with this trope.

Overall, Nightbreaker was a thoroughly entertaining read that I enjoyed from beginning to end. It definitely skews upper YA (the second half contains a lot of profanity and graphic depictions of wounds and monster slaying), but I highly recommend it to anyone longing for a return to YA dystopian à la Marie Lu.

4/5 stars

Nightbreaker had me hooked right away with the plot and the games. It felt like the hunger games with a little less to risk - but with less death. I love seeing the character grow and learn from the challenges and lessons she went through.

I liked this story so much i would have read it in a day if I did not have to get up to catch an early flight. It has a tournament like Hunger Games but no one dies. I love games so this appealed to me. The world falls into dystopian/fantasy. Early on I felt the aunt and cousin were hiding a secret. Rei is a strong female who of course kicks a**. Interesting romance. Cannot wait for the sequel.

Compelling, fast-paced, and dark, Nightbreaker is seriously excellent science fantasy. Someone on Goodreads said that this book is essentially These Violent Delights meets Warcross, and having read both of those before this, I can attest to that. This combines the best parts of both (monsters! mayhem! high-stakes tournaments! capable yet vulnerable and realistically flawed heroines!) into one unique package that makes for one heck of a ride.

Rei Reynolds kicks butt while also contending with some serious trauma that has left her with some blinders on about the world she lives in, which makes her an unintentionally unreliable narrator. Some of the twists that I had guessed at were connected with this, which made for an interesting contrast between points of view.. But of course, the blinders do come off over the course of the story, and by the end, Rei is learning to ask questions and accept more help from those around her (at least one person in particular).

Thus, she and the wider story are perfectly set up for the next book. I can’t wait to learn more about Rei, her family and friends, and the world with its monsters and magic, and see how it all ties together. I highly recommend this book.

I was hooked from the first line. I enjoyed the fast paced plot, vivid imagery, and wonderful characters. And I’m seriously invested in the romance. I know that’s not the main plot but I want to know more about Rei and Kieran’s past and I’m really hoping to see more of them together in the next book in the series. And I’m interested in seeing how Rei is going to rise to the challenge and deal with everything she learned throughout the book. I’m so immersed in this world and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

This story is definitely action-packed, and features likable characters. Rei is a fun character to follow and it's impossible not to root for her. The Deathlings are frightening and fascinating monsters, and I love the details given about them; particularly that they're drawn to sweet treats but hate coffee. The concept of mavericks and academies that train people to fight Deathlings is really fun; like a gritty Hogwarts. I also enjoyed the family dynamic between Rei, Maura, and Aunt Minyi.

All that said, I felt that the world building was maybe a little too overly-ambitious. It was sometimes hard to keep track of the details and I often had some trouble suspending my disbelief.

But overall I enjoyed this enough that I'll gladly read the sequels.

I have never read a book by Coco Ma before Nightbreaker but after reading this book, I need to read more from this author. This dystopian universe was dark, adventurous and full of mystery.

Fifteen years ago, The Vanishing occurred. A deep fog that surrounded Manhattan for several days. When the fog finally vanished so did the thousands of people who were outside when it occurred. Since the event, horrid monsters called Deathlings have been roaming the city hunting during nightfall. Only the Syndicate has the resources to exterminate these monsters. Rei has always wanted to be part of the Syndicate, fighting for the number one spot in her elite Prep School to secure her position in the tournament to discover the next Maverick. However, she soon finds that everything that she knew about the Vanishing and Syndicate could be wrong, putting her and her friends in danger.

There were so many aspects of this book that I loved. I enjoyed Rei as a main character. She is fierce and smart, determined to be a Maverik to avenge her parents that were killed by Deathlings. Her Chemistry with Keiren, her ex-boyfriend, made me wish that they would make up but also wanting to know what he was hiding. The two of them in the tournament together brought another level to an already exciting event.

Nightbreaker had me asking so many questions, I wanted to keep reading to get the answers and left on such a cliffhanger, that I need book two immediately. This is easily one of my favorite books of the year. If you are a fan of mystery and science fiction, this is the book for you. Be sure to buy this book when it comes out of September 19th.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read Nightbreaker. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Kill without remorse. Live without regret.”

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Loved this! For me it felt like a cross between Hunger Games, All These Monsters and The Q. If you haven’t read any of those, I highly recommend them also.

“You may wish to seek vengeance, but always remember that the greatest motivation is not to kill what you hate, but to protect what you love.”


I haven’t ever read anything from Coco Ma but I have to say that she has intrigued me. These are the types of books I love for teens and myself obviously). There are tough characters fighting for their beliefs and their families and while it’s full of entertainment, it also has a great message.

“…we can’t always be the person we want ourselves to be, and being brave enough to take our best crack at it nevertheless.”

Teens (of course it’s teens! In a real world it would be adults but still, it makes it exciting) are the ones who are hired to fight monsters that have taken over Manhattan. They train and go through a tournament to find the best to fight and kill these monsters. Manhattan has been cut off from the rest of the country so it’s up to the tough New Yorkers to find them and finish them off so the bridges can be built again.

“You took all of your broken pieces and made them your weapons.”

It’s the perfect dystopian world with intense leadership, problems within the leadership and those that are fighting against them. There is always a secret the government is keeping and it’s always a huge reveal when found. A lot of the pieces of the puzzle aren’t put together until the end but I loved the ride along the way. This was pure entertainment and I’ll be reading Coco Ma again!

Thank you to Penguin Teen, Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy!

The book releases September 19, 2023.

High energy, fight scenes, a little romance, and a kick ass teenager who kills monsters! What is not to love about this. Post apocalyptic New York is home to monsters who roam the streets at night and kill humans. In a humorous aside, they are attracted to sweets. Rei is one of many students in a special preparatory school program where students are taught to either be killers of these monsters or scholars to study ways to destroy them. There is a lot of world building necessary here starting with the vanishing and many of the details are murky in the beginning and you need time to uncover them. Even at the end of the story, there are a few areas which remain unclear but this is only the first half of a duology, so there is more to come. There are many mysteries and secrets hidden in the story. Some seemed obvious and others are quite startling. You never know who is working for whom and who is working for themselves and more importantly, where did these monsters come from, and are they all evil? This was a fast read, hard to put down, and now I can't believe I have to wait a year for the next book in this duology. Coco Ma continues to impress me with her multiple talents.

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an advance copy. My opinions are my own.

pre-review: thank you so much to penguin teen for an arc copy of this book!

this is going to be my next read for sure, I am so stoked it sounds amazing and exactly like what I'm looking for in a book right now 🤩

3.5 ★

Overall, I enjoyed this book.

The first 30-40% is a little rough, the story jumps around a bit and it's kind of confusing to follow. Once the tournament really begins however, and then closer to the 60% mark, I was really engaged with the action, it definitely had a Hunger Games-esque feel. I think this has a lot of potential and I would be interested in reading the sequel as well.

<I>Nightbreaker</I> falls short on a few points. Firstly, the world building felt a bit klonky. The beginning of the book has odd pacing and timing, I wasn't entirely sure of things or where the story was going. It was a slow start, for sure. I'm still honestly pretty lost...I don't really understand the structure of the city and it's various districts, Deathlings are very vague, and there are also Nightfangs? And the overall concept of the prep schools and the Artifacts and the Stardust...there's so many elements that make the story unique but unfortunately without more explanation much of it is lost.

This book feels like a tease. I feel like we get a small amount of information on a lot of different factors in the story (ie Deathling lore, the general structure and districts of post-Vanishing Manhattan, the Vanishing as a whole?, Kieran's secrets and their ex relationship, etc etc). This leads to the story ending and feeling like there's a lot of loose ends and paths leading to dead ends. I think if there was more focus on just a few of those things, and then gradual introduction of more throughout the series, it would've been better.

With so many different leads, the reader is left confused. It feels like we are thrown right into the middle of a story and assumed we already know the important details. This comes into play with the history but the characters as well. Kieran in particular, who I feel could've had a lot more screen time, but numerous others.

Reading <I>Nightbreaker</I> was kind of like window shopping...you see a whole lot of stuff, but get the details of very little. It has great potential but so many of the fantastic, magical elements get lost due to the overabundance of concepts. It was overall a fun read, and I would recommend for fans of classic YA dystopia, <I>Renegades,</I> <I>Hunger Games,</I> and <I>Warcross</I>.