Nightbreaker by Coco Ma (review)

Reviewed by: Nightbreaker by Coco Ma Aaren Tucker Ma, Coco Nightbreaker. Viking, 2023 [448p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593621462 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593621486 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 8-12 Rei Reynolds has always been the top student at Manhattan's Financial District Prep, learning to slay the monsters—called Deathlings—that terrorize New York every night. Joining the Syndicate that runs the city and becoming a maverick Deathling hunter is the only thing Rei has dreamed of ever since her parents were killed by Deathlings before her eyes. So, she's devastated when she learns at graduation that another student has outmatched her, meaning Rei won't be able to take part in the televised Tournament to determine the next maverick. Lucky for Rei, the Syndicate shocks everyone by announcing that this year, for the first time ever, each of the city's district masters will be able to choose a nominee for the Tournament and the Financial District master has chosen Rei. While fighting to prove her worth and earn her place, Rei comes to realize that the masters are keeping secrets and that not all within the Syndicate is as it seems. Hunger Games-style competition in the style of a shounen anime makes an appealing setup, but uneven pacing and worldbuilding, plus awkward dialogue, prevent the book from being the crowd-pleaser it could otherwise have been. Extensive info-dumping in the introduction details the apocalyptic background, and the narrative momentum is frequently derailed for unnecessary side adventures and flashbacks, although some of these threads may be picked up in a planned sequel. Despite the book's structural flaws, Ma is a competent, cinematic prose writer, and this story offers plenty of violence, excitement, and likable characters for action-loving readers with patience. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois