Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

        A little while ago I read Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta. I was quickly pulled in by the interesting characters and dystopian setting. Gearbreakers is set in Godolia, a futuristic world where giant wind-ups are used as weapons by the government to control the land. Wind-ups are ginormous metal suits controlled by pilots whose minds merge with the armor. They share a similar idea with the Jaegers in Pacific Rim, which I actually did not enjoy much. However, unlike in Pacific Rim, these mechas don’t fight giant monsters, just normal people. One of the protagonists, Bellsona Steelcrest, is one of said pilots. To avoid spoiling, I’ll just say that her story is complicated. Her intentions don’t always lie exactly where a pilot’s are expected to. Eris Shindanai on the other hand knows how her life works. She is the leader of a motley band of teenagers who are part of the larger Gearbreakers. These rebels spend their lives taking down wind-ups any way they can. I’m sure you can imagine that having the two main characters on opposite sides of this fight causes quite a few complications to both Sona and Eris’ lives. 

Something I especially liked about Gearbreakers was the complexity of the characters, especially the protagonists. Eris juggles many responsibilities. She leads, but also protects her ragtag crew of Gearbreakers in an extremely dangerous lifestyle. Having authority over her found family has to be balanced with respecting and caring for them. She is also incredibly loyal to her cause and willing to sacrifice for it, and must figure out what takes precedence: her desire for freedom or those she loves. This isn’t treated as a completely binary choice though, which reflects more of a real life “give some and take some”. Sona is less conflicted in her priorities, but she has more difficulties following through with her goal. She is in a tricky position where the way she acts cannot reflect her true feelings. Neither character is perfect, in the beginning or the end, because character development doesn’t only happen in a positive way. 

I would definitely recommend Gearbreakers to fans of the sci-fi genre, and to anyone else who is willing or interested in hearing about the futuristic adventures of two complicated kickbutt young women and their found family.

        -Marina