This novel was such an unexpected breath of fresh air, I absolutely loved it! The world building is so different, the monsters that exist in this world are actually really terrifying and you can't help but root for Rei. This book goes by fast and is a great pick up for anyone who enjoys their ya adventure novels with a side of horror!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group for this opportunity to read rare and review this arc which is available September 19,2023!

Move over Buddy there is a new demon slayer in town and her name is Rei!

Oh this book was goooooooood! Rei is a Deathling hunter in post apocalyptic NYC and is out for revenge for the death of her parent a yr ago. She enters a tournament to become a member of the elite hunters. Her ex boyfriend Keiran Cross is also competing. There is love, betrayal., a shadowing council and revenge.


I dug this so much. Totally buying it.

Rei has trained for years to become on of New York's most elite fighters, who prowl the streets at night protecting people from the Deathlings. This book is part dystopian fantasy, part horror with a fantastic atmosphere and a spine chilling plot. I was gripped from the start and have so many questions about what might be coming next!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

Thank you so much NetGalley and PenguinTeen For accepting my request!
“These days, the only time I have to kill monsters is after school.”
Rei, a teenager seeking vengeance for her parents’ murder by vicious monsters roaming a postapocalyptic Manhattan enters a cutthroat tournament in which the winner joins an elite group of monster hunters.
When I first started to read this book, one of the things that caught my attention was the Nightlings. I found it similar to the shadow monsters from Shadow and Bone but not in a bad way, I found it really cool that that kind of magic was being used in different stories. When the Syndicate was first mentioned my first thought was of course, yeah, sorry, let’s see that do a 180 soon. When Rei first met kieran my Enemies to Lovers radar turned on like the swifties coming up on the Richter Scale during Shake It Off. One of my favorite moments was the chaos and the rush of the final battle. I loved how the plot grew and answered questions while I mentally added more in my head that were ultimately answered. I am very happy to know there will be more superhero books on shelves. I love this genre and how people find ways to surprise the reader with some different and memorable.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loved Renegades by Marissa Meyer

I should’ve known going in that would be the case because I’m not a huge fan of urban fantasy, but the cover caught my eye and I liked the synopsis, so I wanted to give it a try. This isn’t to say it was a bad book, I just wasn’t the targeted audience for it. I did enjoy the writing and thought it was super faced paced, and I liked the academy setting. I’m also a sucker for fantasies that include a tournament element, so that was fun. Despite all that, I just never found myself invested in the characters or the story. Even though it wasn’t my cup of tea, I would still recommend it to those who like post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories.

I loved this! I was super drawn in by the premise and I loved exploring this world and these characters. I love a strong MC and fascinating world. The subtle romantic subplot was fun and well done, and I had a blast reading this. I cannot wait to get a physical copy of this not only for myself, but for my library--I think our teens will love this book!

Prepare to immerse yourself in a captivating, dystopian rendition of New York City, where monsters and magical artifacts inhabit every corner of this enchanting yet treacherous world. The book, though its cover may not initially do it justice, exudes thrilling superhero and comic book vibes, creating a unique and engaging experience for readers.

Throughout the story, the author masterfully employs onomatopoeia, adding a delightful lightheartedness to an otherwise dark and dangerous narrative. As you delve into the pages, you'll accompany the main character, Rei, on a tumultuous journey, facing numerous challenges in her all-too-brief lifetime. Determined to prove herself worthy of monster hunting, Rei's character is an absolute joy to read, striking the perfect balance between strength and vulnerability, never veering into excessive headstrong or overly independent territory.

Amidst the action and peril, there lingers a subtle and intriguing romantic subplot that enhances the depth of the character development. This romantic tension weaves seamlessly into the narrative, enriching Rei's journey and making her interactions all the more enjoyable to witness. However, it's essential to note that the romance doesn't overpower the primary storyline but instead enhances it with a touch of emotional complexity.

Personally, I found immense pleasure in delving into this enthralling story. For those who revel in the realms of dystopian literature interlaced with a touch of magic and death-defying tasks, this book is an absolute must-read. Prepare to be whisked away on an unforgettable adventure through the extraordinary world of NYC, where monsters lurk, magic abounds, and the resilience of the human spirit shines through in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Please note that I got the digital arc through Net Gallery. Everything about this book has everything I am mainly looking for - strong heroine, Asian MC, and fantasy! For me, I find it to be a fast pace read which says a lot. I really wish I got a physical arc but that's ok. What that means that I have to buy the physical official copy when it releases!

Highly recommend!

Thanks Viking Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This one was really exciting! Rei Reynolds’s is living in a dystopian New York, after The Vanishing, New Yorkers don’t go out after dark because of the Deathlings. But Rei is determined to fight them since losing her parents, she is competing in the Tournament to become a Maverick, elite fighters that protect people from the Deathlings. Not only is she going through the Tournament but so is her ex-boyfriend. Also something seems wrong with the rulers and how they want to keep things. I enjoyed Coco Ma’s dystopian world and felt like it was well done! An exciting adventure with a slow burn romance that’s enjoyable! Super ready to read what’s next for Rei! Can’t wait to read this one again.

I absolutely fell in love with this book. I loved Ma’s writing and the whole plot. There were so many unexpected twists and I need the sequel right now.

I received an E-ARC through NetGalley. This is my personal opinion about the book.

I give this book a 4.5/5.

The cover does not give the book justice. It is a captivating, dystopian world of NYC with monsters and magic artifacts. The book does give superhero/comic book vibes. There is a lot of use of onomatopoeia but if adds lighthearness to a dark book. The main character Rei faces many challenges in her short lifetime and is trying to prove herself worthy for hunting monsters. Her character is a joy to read and doesn't come off to headstrong and super independent. It does have a romance super subplot but it's more tension than anything else but it's not a main focus. It adds a lot of depth to the character and the interactions are fun to read. I absolutely enjoyed this story. And if you like dystopian books with a tad a magic and deathly tasks this is for you.

If I had to guess, I'd say Nightbreaker was pitched to an agent with the phrases "Hunger Games meets Mazerunner meets The Walking Dead" and "great movie and video game adaptation potential." The protagonist and her peers attend special schools where they learn to either hunt monsters or conduct research on monsters. When the end-of-year exam goes badly, students have to hunt monsters to save other monster-hunters. Eventually--shock! (not)--we learn that the monsters used to be human and that the monster-hunters who "keep the city safe" are pretty terrible themselves. There's a lot of running and fighting but none of the characters are terribly developed and when people die there's not much of a sense of loss either to the other characters, the reader, or the plot.

I am always happy to revisit the YA Distopian/Fantasy genre. I knew this book would be fun based on the cover and blurb, and I was right.

This was my first Coco Ma book, but I would read more in this series. The book definitely reads YA, but I found it really enjoyable overall. The book was well-written and bingable and my favorite part was the tournament. This was reminiscent of early 2000s Dystopian while still having fresh ideas.

Thank you for letting me be an ARC reader.

I really enjoyed this book! It has both fantasy and dystopian vibes, a cool plot, and interesting characters! The writing and characters did feel a little juvenile but I still liked the book. The world building was done very well and the romance was a nice slow burn.

Utterly fantastic from start to finish. I couldn't put this one down! Imaginative worldbuilding and strong characters that I was rooting for so hard - so hard in fact, I shed tears for some of them. A gripping mystery that had me making wild guesses and reading for hours because I simply NEEDED to know the truth. This New Yorker loves Rei Reynolds. More, please!

I will never rate a Coco Ma book less than five stars because they deserve the five!!!!! Coco has truly perfected how to write the classic book in every genre because she's been doing this for years and she's so good at it!!
First, characters. I will say this: This book is SO YA dystopian that you can see where things are going at times, and characters are one of those times. We have all those typical arcs of the chosen one of sorts, the mean girl, the benevolent ex, the side best friend, etc. However, I feel like they all have a lot more dimension than I might've seen in some of those older dystopian books. There was a lot of complexity, and I enjoyed seeing where everything went.
One thing I liked about this book was that, while the romance was big, it didn't actually have a lot more screentime of sorts than the friendships and familial relationships. Rei has Kieran, but also all sorts of friends and her mentor and adopted family. I loved seeing where everything went, and Rei's relationships felt so raw at times. I desperately need to know what'll happen.
For worldbuilding, it's pretty simple and outlined in the first few chapters. Although there's a lot of information at once, I don't think it's an infodump at all, which is awesome. For plot, it was at times predictable, but constantly moving and left me on edge. This is one of those books where you start outlining it to someone and it flows well enough that you don't even know when to stop describing it. I couldn't put this down, and I didn't want to.
In summary, Coco has done it again! I've been a fan since 2019, and I'm ecstatic this book exists. An easy five as usual for Coco Ma, and I'm desperately hoping I can tell her that at a launch event.

OH MY GOD. To put it simply this book was perfection. I simply did not want to put it down. It’s about 450 pages and I finished it in 2 days. The plot and plot twists were so unexpected. I cant stop gushing about this book. I need the sequel already.

Ummmm we absolutely needed a YA superhero who hunts monsters after school??? I didn't even know this was a thing missing from my life until I met Rei. Goblet of Fire meets Renegades, this action-packed fantasy will have you dying for the next one as soon as you read that heart-stopping introduction. I loved the way the creatures were described, the tournament, the absolute FIRE chemistry between Rei and Kieran, and the apocalyptic setting that brought it all together. I really need this to be a tv show.

I adored the story, the world building was amazing. I love meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it. The writing was also really nice. I couldn't put the book down and I can't wait for others to read and enjoy this story as well.