Jinxed #1 by Amy McCulloch

My name is Lacey, and all I want in this world is to become a companioneer for Moncha Corp. I know I have a special talent for working on bakus, robotic pets created by Moncha, and I've worked extra hard to get the best grades. Carter gets angry when I beat him in school competitions, but I'm okay with that. I was shocked and devastated when I got a rejection message from the elite Profectus academy, but I later received another message saying I was accepted. Strange, but I'll take it! I've learned that baku battles are the most important thing going on at Profectus. I didn't buy a level-three baku like everyone else; I found Jinx at the bottom of a ravine. I totally repaired his mangled body and got him working. However, I know there's something very different about him, as he's more independent and can think for himself. I must keep this to myself, because I don't know what will happen if Jinx's owner ever finds out.

This book was more than I expected. The author built a world based on our addiction to technology and our love of pets. Moncha's image was so stellar that it was predictable that something was wrong with them. If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't. The actual antagonist wasn't clear for most of the book, but there were clues for readers to focus on. Carter was Lacey's main antagonist, and he got especially vicious as the book went along. The baku battles were at the heart of Profectus, but it was surprising how readily the characters embraced them. I mean, their baku companions could be destroyed and become unrepairable. Teams received points if they could fix bakus back to 90% of their functionality by the next day. Jinx was the most entertaining character, as his actions were unpredictable. The robotic cat seemed to have an unspoken mission, and he often scampered away from Lacey. Other students and faculty thought she couldn't control her baku, which technically was true. The underlying problems at Moncha were revealed around the plot's climax, and it will be interesting to see where the sequel goes. I've already started reading Unleashed and recommend you give the series a shot.