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Zeroes
(Zeroes #1)
by
Don't call them heroes. But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart
Ethan aka Scam has a voice inside him that'll say whatever people want to hear, whether it's true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn't - like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren't exactly b ...more
Ethan aka Scam has a voice inside him that'll say whatever people want to hear, whether it's true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn't - like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren't exactly b ...more
Paperback, 546 pages
Published
September 24th 2015
by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
(first published September 23rd 2015)
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Start your review of Zeroes (Zeroes, #1)

It’s always a great experience when you go into a book with no expectations and it turns out you really enjoy it. That’s what happened to me with Zeroes . I hadn’t read a single review beforehand, hadn’t read anything by Scott Westerfeld (though I think I will remedy that now) and have never even heard of the other two authors.
The reason I picked up this book was the premise. I read the summary on Goodreads and was immediately intrigued. I read the tagline and I was even more convinced. If ther ...more
The reason I picked up this book was the premise. I read the summary on Goodreads and was immediately intrigued. I read the tagline and I was even more convinced. If ther ...more

Jul 10, 2015
Evelyn (devours and digests words)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
“These things we have, they aren’t mental issues; they’re powers. Like superheroes have.”
“You think?”
“Sure. We just suck at them right now.”
It is not everyday that you come across a great book without its usual YA tropes plaguing every pages.
Follow by the textbook, Zeroes did not. Instead what these three authors do is turn the tables around, thrash all the methodical/formulaic shit there is out there and laugh in the face of clichés and tropes. The end product? It’s this. A story so orig ...more

Jun 24, 2015
Sarah Elizabeth
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley-edelweiss,
fantasy,
r2r-complete,
read-2015,
read-with-abbie,
contemporary,
young-adult,
sci-fi,
as,
paranormal
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK Children's and NetGalley.)
“The Zeroes, they’d called themselves as a joke. Like heroes, but not.”

This was a bit of an unconventional story, about some kids with superpowers.
There were several characters in this, although the story was told in third person. I didn’t really like Ethan, he really was a bit of a con-artist and I didn’t like that, but I did like Kelsey, especially t ...more
“The Zeroes, they’d called themselves as a joke. Like heroes, but not.”

This was a bit of an unconventional story, about some kids with superpowers.
There were several characters in this, although the story was told in third person. I didn’t really like Ethan, he really was a bit of a con-artist and I didn’t like that, but I did like Kelsey, especially t ...more

The reason I wanted to read this book - Margo Lanagan is a co-author. Unfortunately, I didn't find Lanagan's distinct voice anywhere in Zeroes. Three people had written this novel (although Westerfeld's name is in a much bigger font, why is that?), but all parts of it sounded remarkably similar.
Did I like it overall? It was OK. It's a story about teen heroes with moderately interesting super powers. A lot of action, some romance. Not a bad book, but with not much of a crossover appeal, IMO. Remi ...more
Did I like it overall? It was OK. It's a story about teen heroes with moderately interesting super powers. A lot of action, some romance. Not a bad book, but with not much of a crossover appeal, IMO. Remi ...more

Jul 28, 2015
joey (thoughts and afterthoughts)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc-review,
physical-arc
[See the full review at thoughts and afterthoughts.]
I am jello.
Thank you, Bilanafeld...? Westerlanacotti…? (this sounds like manicotti or biscotti--WHATEVER, IT'S NOT THE POINT)--for curing my half a year reading slump. This is my attempt at a ship name for this wonderful trio much like how you gave my favourite ship a name in this book. I also require the sequel. Now would be nice.

Rating: 4/5
Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:
— The superpowers in this story aren’t ...more
I am jello.
Thank you, Bilanafeld...? Westerlanacotti…? (this sounds like manicotti or biscotti--WHATEVER, IT'S NOT THE POINT)--for curing my half a year reading slump. This is my attempt at a ship name for this wonderful trio much like how you gave my favourite ship a name in this book. I also require the sequel. Now would be nice.

Rating: 4/5
Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:
— The superpowers in this story aren’t ...more

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but when I read the publisher's description, I got really pumped. "Filled with high-stakes action and drama" really caught my attention. I shouldn't have got my hopes high but I did. And I was left disappointed.
I really like the concept of this book and the writing was pretty good but what really got me was all the different perspectives and how long it took to set up each character. It jumped from character to character and nothing really set them apa ...more
I really like the concept of this book and the writing was pretty good but what really got me was all the different perspectives and how long it took to set up each character. It jumped from character to character and nothing really set them apa ...more

5 Words: powers, friends, family, attraction, saving-the-world.
This was an OK read.
It was interesting, but the pace fluctuated too much for me. It didn't keep me hooked, I feel that it peaked too soon.
I didn't really click with any of the characters, I didn't get on with them. And I found that I didn't want to.
And I so badly wanted the author to be brave and kill off certain characters, it would have made this book so much stronger. But it's going to be part of a series, so obviously there can't ...more
This was an OK read.
It was interesting, but the pace fluctuated too much for me. It didn't keep me hooked, I feel that it peaked too soon.
I didn't really click with any of the characters, I didn't get on with them. And I found that I didn't want to.
And I so badly wanted the author to be brave and kill off certain characters, it would have made this book so much stronger. But it's going to be part of a series, so obviously there can't ...more

Oct 15, 2015
Christina
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dnf-didn-t-care-for-skimmed-through
DNF @ 33%
This was my first Scott Westerfeld novel. That being said, I'm not in too much of a hurry to try out his others. The idea for the novel really caught my attention.
Six California teens that have powers that set them apart from everyone else:
Scam- the voice inside him says whatever you want to hear
Crash- brings technology to its knees
Flicker- can see through anyone's eyes but her own
Anonymous- out of sight, out of mind
Bellwether- Focuses the energy of the group on one goal
and the sixth - ...more
This was my first Scott Westerfeld novel. That being said, I'm not in too much of a hurry to try out his others. The idea for the novel really caught my attention.
Six California teens that have powers that set them apart from everyone else:
Scam- the voice inside him says whatever you want to hear
Crash- brings technology to its knees
Flicker- can see through anyone's eyes but her own
Anonymous- out of sight, out of mind
Bellwether- Focuses the energy of the group on one goal
and the sixth - ...more

LINK UPDATED
Within these pages you will meet six unique teens.
Nate/Bellwether (aka Glorious Leader) has the ability to bend the will of crowds, to make them follow him.
Chizara/Crash can crash anything electronic, hence the name. But the downside to her power is that even being near electronics hurts her to her very bones, makes her brain itch.
Riley/Flicker is blind, but can see through the eyes of others.
Thibault/Anonymous finds it incredibly easy to disappear, but the flip side o ...more
Within these pages you will meet six unique teens.
Nate/Bellwether (aka Glorious Leader) has the ability to bend the will of crowds, to make them follow him.
Chizara/Crash can crash anything electronic, hence the name. But the downside to her power is that even being near electronics hurts her to her very bones, makes her brain itch.
Riley/Flicker is blind, but can see through the eyes of others.
Thibault/Anonymous finds it incredibly easy to disappear, but the flip side o ...more

Damn that was an enjoyable ride!
The Zeroes are six not-so-normal teenagers, all born in the year 2000, all with some social-related super power. There are way too many main characters for me to talk about them in minute detail, so instead here are some brief dot points:
- Nate (a.k.a. Bellwether, a.k.a. Glorious Leader) has the ability to bend crowds to his will. He can make them focus in on him, believe him, trust him. Comes in handy considering his aspirations to become a politician.
- Ethan (a ...more
The Zeroes are six not-so-normal teenagers, all born in the year 2000, all with some social-related super power. There are way too many main characters for me to talk about them in minute detail, so instead here are some brief dot points:
- Nate (a.k.a. Bellwether, a.k.a. Glorious Leader) has the ability to bend crowds to his will. He can make them focus in on him, believe him, trust him. Comes in handy considering his aspirations to become a politician.
- Ethan (a ...more

First things first I love superheroes. I adore them. So when I heard that Scott Westerfield had co-written a nearly 600 page book about kids with super powers I was down. I was so down. Young Avengers and Teen Titans is my jam.
Unfortunately, Zeroes is not my jam. It is not my peanut butter either.
I’ve read a lot of Scott Westerfeld. Back in Junior High I went through a bit of a phase where I just read everything of his, so when I saw his name splashed across the cover I was sure I’d like Zeroes. ...more
Unfortunately, Zeroes is not my jam. It is not my peanut butter either.
I’ve read a lot of Scott Westerfeld. Back in Junior High I went through a bit of a phase where I just read everything of his, so when I saw his name splashed across the cover I was sure I’d like Zeroes. ...more

"Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything."
One of the best books I've read all year. Well written, fast-paced, and a heck of a plot. The writing was sharp and beautiful.
I feel like super-heroes are big right now, so much so that it's hard to differentiate between them and get excited about another superhero story. But this book offered a lot. Great descriptive lines, and highly imaginative.
Highly recommend! ...more
One of the best books I've read all year. Well written, fast-paced, and a heck of a plot. The writing was sharp and beautiful.
I feel like super-heroes are big right now, so much so that it's hard to differentiate between them and get excited about another superhero story. But this book offered a lot. Great descriptive lines, and highly imaginative.
Highly recommend! ...more

May 05, 2016
Pinky
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-want-to-own
It took me awhile to read this but it was amazing! I loved it so much, it was a lot of fun to read. There was so much action and I couldn't stop reading, even though I was interrupted a bunch of times. :( The struggles of being a reader! Anyway, I am so glad I picked this up, I was at the library and saw this and grabbed it!
“Wisdom tells me I'm nothing, love tells me I'm everything.”
This book follows 6 teenagers who have a life that is nothing near ordinary. They all have a power, but ea ...more
“Wisdom tells me I'm nothing, love tells me I'm everything.”
This book follows 6 teenagers who have a life that is nothing near ordinary. They all have a power, but ea ...more

Zeroes is the first in a new YA superhero trilogy written by heavy-hitters Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti.
In it, six teenagers, all born in the same year of 2000, have superpowers. They are the “zeroes”, brought together by their Glorious Leader Nate (or “Bellwether”), an ambitious young man who has a vision for the group and had been trying to train and develop their abilities. Then, one year before the story starts, Ethan/”Scam” torn them apart with the truths no one dar ...more
In it, six teenagers, all born in the same year of 2000, have superpowers. They are the “zeroes”, brought together by their Glorious Leader Nate (or “Bellwether”), an ambitious young man who has a vision for the group and had been trying to train and develop their abilities. Then, one year before the story starts, Ethan/”Scam” torn them apart with the truths no one dar ...more

This review appears on Happy Indulgence! Check it out for more reviews.
Superheroes are my jam and Zeroes is a high octane, action-packed story about a team of teenage misfits who also happen to have powers.
Superpowers never get old for me, and I loved hearing about the different powers that each of the six teens had. Kelsie has the power of crowd control, which comes in handy in dangerous public situations. Scam has an all knowing, all seeing voice that gets him in – and out of situations in a j ...more
Superheroes are my jam and Zeroes is a high octane, action-packed story about a team of teenage misfits who also happen to have powers.
Superpowers never get old for me, and I loved hearing about the different powers that each of the six teens had. Kelsie has the power of crowd control, which comes in handy in dangerous public situations. Scam has an all knowing, all seeing voice that gets him in – and out of situations in a j ...more

Bailed at page 127, when I realized I was saddened by the thought of having to pick this up again.
I've been a giant Westerfeld fan, and, although I don't think I even made it to the second act, the setup was masterfully written. Smooth as fuck, man. I just couldn't connect with the characters. I don't know, did I grow out of YA? I'm an old, so . . . I guess so?
Sad panda. ...more
I've been a giant Westerfeld fan, and, although I don't think I even made it to the second act, the setup was masterfully written. Smooth as fuck, man. I just couldn't connect with the characters. I don't know, did I grow out of YA? I'm an old, so . . . I guess so?
Sad panda. ...more

Two stars for being interested enough to finish this book... but I didn't really get the whole point of the book and the characters fell flat to me. *shrug* I like the Leviathan trilogy SO much better by this author.
...more

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato
I wanted to love this book. I really really did, but unfortunately, Zeroes didn’t blow my mind the way I had wanted it to. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy reading the book, it's just that I wanted so much from it. Scott Westerfeld is one of my favorite authors and superpowers are always incredibly fun to read about so I went in expecting to love this book. When it turned out this book wasn’t everything I had wanted it to be, I was sad and ...more
I wanted to love this book. I really really did, but unfortunately, Zeroes didn’t blow my mind the way I had wanted it to. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy reading the book, it's just that I wanted so much from it. Scott Westerfeld is one of my favorite authors and superpowers are always incredibly fun to read about so I went in expecting to love this book. When it turned out this book wasn’t everything I had wanted it to be, I was sad and ...more

A fascinating ensemble cast of characters combined with a bunch of not-quite-controlled superpowers makes for a rollercoaster ride of a book. I love that this is book one of a trilogy but completely self-contained, and I can't wait for what comes next. Also, could we please have a TV series?
...more

I’m not sure how much of a compliment this is, what with the low opinion I have of most CW shows (Supernatural notwithstanding), but Zeroes is one of the first superhero novels I’ve read that could be a CW show. It reminds me a lot of the well-intentioned but ill-fated attempts like Alphas (which I know wasn’t the CW, but that’s neither here nor there), in that it follows the standard formula: a group of people have powers, or abilities, and come together clandestinely to tackle your everyday gr
...more

Every power has a price.
It was a cute origins story. How the Zeroes, a joke on Heroes because they can’t control their powers, came to be. It took me a very long time to actually care for any of them and by the time I did the book was over. There was a lot of action and I might return for book two. Just because I’m wondering so much about their powers. For example are the powers hereditary or was it just them, all born in the year 2000? Are there more? I looked and see that in book 2 they fight ...more
It was a cute origins story. How the Zeroes, a joke on Heroes because they can’t control their powers, came to be. It took me a very long time to actually care for any of them and by the time I did the book was over. There was a lot of action and I might return for book two. Just because I’m wondering so much about their powers. For example are the powers hereditary or was it just them, all born in the year 2000? Are there more? I looked and see that in book 2 they fight ...more

You can read this review and more @Book Enthral
First Thoughts 28/10
Such a great first instalment to the series! I loved all the POVs, everyone had such a unique presences and brought something new to the book. I loved how their superpowers seemed so mundane and yet can achieve so much! I will most certainly be keeping up with this series!
Review to come :)
Review 29/10
This was my first Scott Westerfeld book and I gotta say, he definitely lives up to the hype. Or maybe, him, Lanagan and Biancotti ...more
First Thoughts 28/10
Such a great first instalment to the series! I loved all the POVs, everyone had such a unique presences and brought something new to the book. I loved how their superpowers seemed so mundane and yet can achieve so much! I will most certainly be keeping up with this series!
Review to come :)
Review 29/10
This was my first Scott Westerfeld book and I gotta say, he definitely lives up to the hype. Or maybe, him, Lanagan and Biancotti ...more

Hm. Not too sure what to say about this one. There are some things I liked, some things I didn’t, but overall I feel quite indifferent about this one. Not a bad book by any means but maybe not for me.
Zeroes follows a group of people with superpowers, who all experience a big downside to the powers they have. We follow Ethan at first, whose power is a Voice that he can manipulate to say things to suit his needs, which can say any personal information that he himself does not know. This Voice brok ...more
Zeroes follows a group of people with superpowers, who all experience a big downside to the powers they have. We follow Ethan at first, whose power is a Voice that he can manipulate to say things to suit his needs, which can say any personal information that he himself does not know. This Voice brok ...more

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
This book is due to be published on 23rd September 2015!
I absolutely loved this book, I loved all the different powers the group had, I loved the problems they got themselves into and I loved the fact that they were just kids who had no idea how to be heroes or how to control their powers.
This was such a brilliantly written novel, fast-paced and action packed. Of course, superhero stories have been done, kids with superpowers have been ...more
This book is due to be published on 23rd September 2015!
I absolutely loved this book, I loved all the different powers the group had, I loved the problems they got themselves into and I loved the fact that they were just kids who had no idea how to be heroes or how to control their powers.
This was such a brilliantly written novel, fast-paced and action packed. Of course, superhero stories have been done, kids with superpowers have been ...more

Actual Rating: 3.5
This book is the first in a series by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti. The novel follows six teenagers with superpowers. Except, well, there're not exactly super. These teenagers possess superpowers that basically suck. After a summer of separation due to a cause, the Zeroes are pulled back together to rescue one of their members, Ethan. Kelsey's dad went to prison because of Ethan. Now, all she seeks is a way to get her father out of trouble and sh
...more
I was really looking forward to reading Zeroes; the concept is cool and I really wanted to love it, but it just fell a bit flat.
We don't really get to know any of the characters in great detail because there are six of them and they each have their own point of view. This made it difficult to really care about them and become invested in their story.
The powers that the kids have are one of the more interesting elements of the book. I like that they aren't your typical superpowers and it focused ...more
We don't really get to know any of the characters in great detail because there are six of them and they each have their own point of view. This made it difficult to really care about them and become invested in their story.
The powers that the kids have are one of the more interesting elements of the book. I like that they aren't your typical superpowers and it focused ...more

4.5 stars
I didn't realize until I got to the end of this on audio (spacing out while they did the credits) that the reader was Amber Benson. Amber Benson! She did so many different voices, I never recognized hers. She did a nice job.
I seem to be hitting a lot of sideways takes on super power stories lately. I don't know if more people are writing them, or if that's just what I keep running into. This was a good one. The story's original, and the powers are different from anything I've seen. A c ...more
I didn't realize until I got to the end of this on audio (spacing out while they did the credits) that the reader was Amber Benson. Amber Benson! She did so many different voices, I never recognized hers. She did a nice job.
I seem to be hitting a lot of sideways takes on super power stories lately. I don't know if more people are writing them, or if that's just what I keep running into. This was a good one. The story's original, and the powers are different from anything I've seen. A c ...more

Zeroes exceeded all of my expectations, this is what YA should be. I loved the diverse cast of characters, I didn't think I could get behind a story told from so many perspectives but each voice was so unique, it really worked.
A 5 star book to end the year on. ...more
A 5 star book to end the year on. ...more

Mar 15, 2017
❤Marie Gentilcore
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
giveaway-entry
I liked this book but it didn't quite measure up to Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series. Those books were amazing and this one was good but it was missing something that I wish I were able to explain. I think part of the problem is that there were a lot of characters and it took me a while to bond with all of the Zeroes. There are six of them and they each have an ability or super power. My favorite Zero was Anonymous. His ability was that he was forgettable; he would meet people but once he was
...more

I’ve been eyeballing this book for a while. I’m a fan of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series and thought the premise (teens with special abilities – a concept that never seems to get old) sounded right up my alley. And I liked it!
Before diving in, I wondered if the name Zeroes was a coincidence, or if they were trying to pay a cheeky nod to the show Heroes. I’m not sure which is the case, but there were many similarities between the two. The introduction of several gifted characters that slowly rev ...more
Before diving in, I wondered if the name Zeroes was a coincidence, or if they were trying to pay a cheeky nod to the show Heroes. I’m not sure which is the case, but there were many similarities between the two. The introduction of several gifted characters that slowly rev ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Series where kids discover they have powers but things go poorly for them | 4 | 28 | Mar 25, 2020 08:26PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Zeroes (Zeroes #1) by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti - Restarting August 6th 2019 | 104 | 216 | Aug 21, 2019 04:09AM | |
Goodreads Librari...: ARC Cover | 3 | 17 | Oct 07, 2018 02:52PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Zeroes #1: Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld - Starting 22nd October | 8 | 6 | Oct 23, 2017 02:03AM |
Scott Westerfeld is a New York Times bestselling author of YA. He was born in the Texas and now lives in Sydney and New York City. In 2001, Westerfeld married fellow author Justine Larbalestier.
He is best known for the Uglies and Leviathan series. His next book, IMPOSTORS, returns to the world of Uglies. It comes out September 11, 2018.
He is best known for the Uglies and Leviathan series. His next book, IMPOSTORS, returns to the world of Uglies. It comes out September 11, 2018.
Other books in the series
Zeroes
(3 books)
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