Nil

Nil #1

by Lynne Matson

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery

384 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

I love books--both reading and writing them. When I'm not reading or writing, you can find me hanging out with my husband and four sons. At any given time, at least one of the 6 of us is up to no good.:)

My books: NIL, NIL UNLOCKED and NIL ON FIRE are out now; NIL REMEMBERED is a recently released free ebook prequel. Join the #NILtribe...we have cool snacks.:)

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

"If you want, I’ll finish combing your hair.”

I stared at his outstretched hand, totally floored.

I loved getting my hair brushed. More than getting my back scratched, more than getting a massage, more than anything, and I’d always dreamed about having a cute boy brush my hair.

Thad had just served up my secret fantasy on an island platter.

Teenagers trapped on an island "RIFE WITH DANGERS." Oh my. Oh my goodness. Could it be...Battle Royale? Could it be Lost? FUCK YEAH!

*chants* BLOOD! MURDER! DEATH!

...MODELS?!!

I sat on the bed while Natalie messed with my hair. It was the latest surreal Nil moment of the day. Less Survivor, more like America’s Next Top Model, island-edition.

Wait, what?

It's less...



And more...



This was truly an atrocious book. There was no sense of danger, no sense of imminence, despite the fact that death looms if they overstay their welcome on the island. This is mainly because there is such a tremendous amount of insta-love and romance that it overshadows everything else. The book completely fails at creating any sense of urgency because of the utterly silly way the setting and the characters are portrayed.

The book is told from two POVs, a boy and a girl (both of whom fall in insta-love). If you did not read the chapter titles, you could hardly tell which narrator was whom because the male narrator is completely unconvincing as a boy.

The Summary: Charley is a tall, gorgeous girl who thinks she's a "freak show," while in a Target parking lot, she spots a shimmer in the air. Ok, that's weird---but then the shimmer eats her. The next thing she knows, Charley wakes up stark naked on an beautiful island. She is completely alone.

It's ok, she's not naked for long. Conveniently, she finds a pair of clothes, boys' clothes that just fits her perfectly, considering she's a freak show and all.

When all the girls grew curves, I’d just stretched, growing like crazy until I hit six feet. Recently my chest had made a small effort to catch up— the key word there was small— but I still had no hips. The boyish Bermudas were perfect.

Lol, that's funny. Where I come from, we call 6 feet tall and flat-chested "supermodel material."

Meanwhile, Thad is with his peepz in the "City," also on the island. He's talking about this woman--island---thing named Nil. Nil "whispers," at him. She, it, whatever "cackles," in his head. We're not sure what the fuck is going on here. But lo and behold, he finds a girl! Our "freak show" girl. Charley!

Charley thinks she's hideous.

For a second, I saw myself through his eyes: gaunt, sunburned, not a speck of makeup, looking like some six-foot wild child from the bush after twelve days of oceanside camping. I was a tropical freak show.

Thad sees something else completely.

She’d stood on the black sand, chin raised, Kevin’s shorts slung low on her hips and his bandana wrapped around her chest, her dark hair whipping around her shoulders, like a kick-ass character from a graphic novel.

Aaaaaaaaaand cue insta-love!

Life is hard, so hard on the tropical island. It's so dangerous. Lives are at stake. It's terrifying. A complete battle for survival.

Life is so difficult because they have such limited food supplies. You know, because it's a tropical island with temperate weather and everything. Every day is a desperate fight for survival, right? I mean, it's not like pineapples and coconuts are everywhere.

Oh, wait, they are. Pineapples and coconuts are everywhere. They suffer so much, having to eat pineapples and coconuts, fresh from the trees, day in and out.

“Is that breakfast? Something smells delicious.”
“Definitely. I’m guessing roast fish, warm pineapple. It’s a break from yesterday’s roast fish and warm pineapple.”

It's horrifying, really. Teenagers forced to eat freshly caught fish on a tropical island. My heart weeps.

White and flaky, with a hint of citrus, the fish melted in my mouth.

It's such a limited diet, I mean ALL THEY HAVE TO EAT IS SEAFOOD. Luckily, they can improvise. Like plump, sweet shrimps.

Expecting fi sh, I was thrilled to find shrimp. The only thing better would’ve been a big ole pile of cheese grits on the side, but shrimp was shrimp, and this shrimp was good. Plump and tasty, it was seasoned with coarse sea salt and chopped fruit.

And thankfully, they can spice things up with wraps with edible leaves!

It's a tough life, eating freshly caught seafood. The landscape itself is treacherous. Terrifying.

The Cove. Beautiful water as clear as glass, cascading into a black rock pool as cold as ice. Trees with deep green leaves the color of lush magnolias, kissing an Easter egg blue sky, lime green moss clinging to life on damp charcoal rock that will never burn.

Oh.

Well, um. It's dangerous and difficult, because every day is spent fighting for survival! Right? I mean, there wouldn't be any time for parties or bonfires...

There was a pit in the sand, lined with coals and an honest-to-goodness pig. There was a bonfire surrounded by black rock. Fish and crabs steamed over the fire, and yams baked near the crabs.

Or playing volleyball.

Up the beach, Heesham and Rives were pounding two wooden poles into the sand. A net stretched across the middle. Talla held a green ball; it appeared to be woven from the same green strips I’d tried to fashion a net from on my second week here, only these strips were cross-hatched in a tight pattern, forming a ball.

A volleyball.

Nor would we have time for surfing.

Afternoon, a group of us went surfing. I managed to actually stand up for more than two seconds without falling off.

Or paragliding.

Slowing in the headwind, we glided over the rocks about seven meters off the ground. Jason cruised ahead of me. Landing was its own little rush, not quite like takeoff, but close.

Nor would every single teenager look like they just stepped out of the pages of Abercrombie & Fitch, they wouldn't be CHILLING. I mean, let's be realistic here!

A fire pit wafted lazy smoke into the air. Around the fire, kids laughed and talked. Two shirtless boys were playing catch with a coconut, throwing it like a football, their shoulders and backs rippling under a sheen of sweat. A girl built like a Playboy bunny was sprinting down the beach beside a tall boy with dreadlocks, like an advertisement for island athletic wear. Other kids floated on surfboards past the whitewater.

And surely, they must be more concerned about survival than on relationship drama!

“How do you know I kissed him?”
“Please. I think everyone saw that kiss by the fire. And it’s about damn time.” She smiled.

WELL, FUCK THIS BOOK.

The Setting & Premise: The problem with this book is that it creates no sense of urgency whatsoever, because this book is mainly concerned about describing a beautiful island, with beautiful teenagers, with wonderful, fresh foods, and spectacular scenery and heart-rending romance. Everything else is secondary.

In order for me to believe in the danger, I have to feel that there is darkness lurking beneath the surface of the beauty. There isn't. The island itself is so spectacularly beautiful that it fails to impress on me the idea that it is dangerous whatsoever. We have lovely coves, beautiful scenery, flower fields.

Blue sky shone ahead, and when we broke through the trees, an open meadow burst with color: purples, blues, pinks, reds, yellows, and lots of white. Riding the breeze, the colors shifted in gentle waves.

There are resources in abundance, and it's hard to pity a bunch of teenagers who are feasting on fresh fish, fresh fruits like pineapples and citrus fruits and mangoes, day in and out. Nor is their food limited to that, because they hunt wild games, and occasionally, a pig just walks by to be killed.

They have milk (because conveniently, a cow appears through the portal). They have bread because one of the island inhabitants is a baker (never mind how the fuck they found yeast on the island).

There is no sense of danger because they spend their time doing stupid ass things like making soap.

Soon everything smelled like coconut-lime shower gel from Bath & Body Works.
“Who makes the soap?” I asked.
“Li. She’s crazy good with floral stuff. Her sandsoap’s the best.

And there are convenient things like a motherfucking paper tree. The premise of the island is stupid, it doesn't make any sense because it's not the top priority. It's just a bunch of teenagers who are slightly panicked because there is a deadline, but otherwise, they're enjoying a tropical motherfucking vacation.

Teenagers? More Like Abercrombie & Fitch Models: And speaking of teenagers, the kids in this book are all ridiculously good-looking. From the love interest, who looks like he stepped out of a romance novel.

Blessed with high cheekbones and sandy blond hair that brushed his broad shoulders, he looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of a cheesy romance novel in the grocery store book section.

To the female side cast, who are Swimsuit Illustrated-ready.

“Talla.” Straight blond hair, knockout body. I missed her day
count because I was so distracted by her chest. No one should get boobs and muscles, but Talla had gobs of both.

To the model-material men.

Perfect latte skin, model-worthy dreadlocks, the shade of summer limeade.

Everyone is absolutely stunning in this book.

The Main Characters: I could hardly tell the two narrators apart. The male narrator had such a feminine voice, so overwhelmed by unnecessary romantic observations that were the chapters not titled for the narrators, I would have the most difficult time distinguishing them.

For example, here is a sample of the male, Thad's narrative.

I love you.
The rush of emotion hit me so hard, the words stuck in my throat.
Unable to speak, barely able to breathe, I twisted my fingers in her hair and pulled her lips to mine. Then, breaking away, I held her tight. No words, no expectations, just Charley in my arms and my eyes wide open.

Thad is incredibly emotional, incredibly feminine. I'm not saying that guys do not have a right to be emotional or act feminine, but most female authors write a completely unconvincing male character and this book is no exception.

Charley stepped onto the sand. Wearing Kevin’s shorts and a simple chest wrap, she wore her hair long and loose; it blew around her shoulders, like the first day I’d met her.

Charley herself barely made an impression. Charley is completely useless, until she pulls a hat trick out of thin fucking air. Thad makes a big deal out of Charley surviving on her own, but hello? They're on a motherfucking tropical island with abundant food and shelter material everywhere. Everyone else on the island has done it, too. Charley can't do much more than take care of her own skin. She can't contribute anything to the island and its inhabitants, all of whom have a role to play.

I couldn’t spear fish, weave a stupid net, or make fire. I’d no clue how to bake island bread. At home I made cakes from a box.

That pretty much says it all.

The Romance: It is horrible. Frankly, I expected romance, it is a YA novel, after all, but there is an incomprehensible amount of insta-love in this book. From the first moment, Thad and Charley are captivated by each other. And from that moment on, they never, ever, ever stop noticing how they other smells. How the other looks. How their fart sounds like musical windchimes. Not even 48 hours has passed since the moment they meet, and Thad thinks the sun shines out of Charley's asshole.

Watching Charley smile, I was dying to kiss her.
I fought the urge to wrap my arms around this girl I’d just met less than forty-eight hours ago.

Barely knowing Charley, Thad wants to stay on the island, knowing that it is his death sentence, in order to be with her.

To stay.

To be with Charley, a girl I didn’t know but wanted to—more than I’d wanted anything in months. For the first time since my feet hit Nil dirt, there was something I wanted more than leaving: time. Time without limits, time to get to know the girl who made me feel alive again.

Incessantly, Thad notices Charley's "honey" voice, her "golden eyes." The observations never stop. I just wanted to smack Thad on the head. And let's not forget this horrible, horrible play on Charley's name. The cheesiest hit line ever made. If my name was Charley and a guy tried to sell this line to me in real life, I would sucker punch him in the face after laughing at him.

How to spell Charley's name:

“Tell me how to finish...i-e or e-y?”
“E-y,” I answered.
He chuckled. “So right.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He said, “Because for your name to end in a lie doesn’t fit. You’re the most real girl I’ve ever met, on or off Nil.”

[Ben Alderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 MILLION STAR.

NO LYNNE.... THIS BOOK
I CANT ACTUALLY DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK.

Like its my perfect read, survival, mystery, hot boy and so much more.
I am blown away THAT ENDING OMG
I need to know what happens in the follow ups now!

[Trudi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really want to tear this book a new one, but it would be the equivalent of beating the shit out of the 80 pound asthmatic kid at school who wears glasses and stealing his lunch money.

See, here's the problem: I picked up this book with entirely different expectations of what it's actually about. The blurb caught my eye immediately:

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die.

My mind immediately began racing with awesome possibilities and potential -- Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, The Long Walk -- yeah, no. NIL is not any of these, not even close. What I should have done was keep reading the plot summary after that initial sexy blurb, which states:

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love.

But I don't want a teenage love story on a deserted island!!!



I want death games, and blood and danger and action and running and characters I can root for and scream in agony when they meet horrible, unpredictable ends.

Yeah, that is so not this book. There's a little bit of that -- about 13.36% (the rest is all lurve and angst of the teenage variety, my favorite kind). If the author really wants to have a love story (and let's face it, these days it's almost impossible to publish a YA novel without one), then it should have been more balanced. There are some great ideas and plot devices introduced here, but none of them ever get the attention they deserve, or are they ever fully fleshed out.

We never get an explanation of what is bringing teens (and only teens) to the mysterious island for their 365 days. Why is it only teens (other than the fact that this is a YA novel), when the event also brings other objects and warm-blooded animals across too? And that stunt that Thad pulls at the very end, his LAST FUCKING SHOT TO LIVE as far as he knows ... why would he push Charley through the gate? That's not romantic, that's just motherfucking stupid, I'm sorry. Ah, but of course, we know there will be some miracle to save him after all, so there's really no tension or upset at this dumber than a bag of hair sacrifice. Sigh.

Young teens put off by violence seeking a more tepid adventure on a desert island may find some appeal here. I found it mostly pedestrian, safe and largely unsatisfying. The only positive I can think to throw out right now is that at least there was no love triangle. At least there was that.


A free copy was provided by the publisher through Netgalley for an honest review.

[Giselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Survivor meets Lost (pre Epic fail) in this exciting survivalist story set on a bizarre island filled with monstrous beasts and only one way out, and if you miss your chance to leave, you die. Imagine walking to the store when this heat wave comes, and suddenly you find yourself naked and having to rough it out in this unnatural wild with countless death traps and no supplies or food other than what you can find on the island. Luckily, Charley found others in the same predicament. I found it rather ingenious, the way these kids built a kind of society where everyone does what they can, pulling their own weight to survive this alternate dimension of sorts they were all unfortunate to land into. As a result, the book has a large cast of characters that we meet throughout. Some you get to know more than others. Some you'll like, others you'll hate. Don't get too attached, however; deaths are frequent, and often unexpected.

Mostly, we focus on our two main characters. Told in dual POV, we've got Charley who's tougher than she thought and able to take what's thrown at her. She's also very intelligent and starts to study the island; what it all means, patterns, clues, etc. This is what I enjoyed the most - I craved answers! Then we've got Thad, a leader with a lot of anger towards this Nil island. I liked both characters well enough, but they still could have used some more characterization. I didn't get to know them well enough to be fully invested. The two POVs were also very much alike. Their voices almost identical. And an annoyance for me was Thad's Canadian stereotype. While we do say it occasionally, we don't actually finish every other sentence with "eh". That on top of him mentioning Canadian only stores and the fact that he loves hockey and has an affinity for snow was a bit overkill. (And he had to explain that SportChek - which was misspelled - was a Canadian sporting goods store because it's not obvious enough). Anyways, in the end this was easy enough to ignore and did wane off in the second half, thankfully.

The major disappointment in this novel was the romance. Charley and Thad meet each other on Charley's 12th day, and as soon as they do it's all about how hot he is, how perfect her legs are... On her 13th day she was already going on about how she "couldn't imagine Nil without Thad". On her 26th day Thad knew he loved her. On her 33rd day (remember they met on day 12!) they declared love to each other and knew they were meant-to-be. Bleh. What could have been a fantastic survivalist story with awesome twists and clever discoveries was crushed by love and romance and how-will-I-go-on-without-yous. I get what the author was going for, though. This doomed-from-the-star tragic love story was a good angle, but it lacked the foundation that it needed to put readers in the right emotional state.

Nevertheless, the mystery of the island kept me fully captivated. It had me theorizing until the end, wondering what misfortune would be brought upon them next, but also curious about the mechanics of this island and its meaning - though I can't say I was altogether satisfied with the answers or lack thereof. The final part was the most exciting and incredibly adrenaline filled; running for the gate on Thad's final chances of survival. I was quite surprised by the turn this took (I also thought this was the first in a series), but I was equally unsurprised by the happily ever after ending.

While it may be leaning on the lower end of a 3-star rating, it's not a bad book and I did find it was entertaining throughout most of it. It just could have been so much more! It had incredible potential that got consumed by this epic insta-love romance that, regrettably, lacked the emotional impact this story was clearly going for.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good dystopian, in fact they have quickly become one of my new favorite genres. Not only do I love a good dystopian but I also love a good romance even more, combine the two and I have one read I am really looking forward too and that is exactly what I got in NIL.

If you are going into this one expecting blood and guts and gore, you are going to be sorely disappointed. This isn't the Hunger Games, it is a book all it's own and what a book it is.

I loved every minute of how twisted life on NIL could be. How there was always bad, but sometimes as in the case of Thad and Charley, there was good (and beauty) that came with the bad.

More than anything, this is a story about survival. About learning lessons that the people of NIL never would have been able to learn otherwise. And most of all, this is a love story. About overcoming the odds and against all better judgment and harshness, still having an open heart.

I don't want to ruin anything or spoil anything by saying too much but I will say that this was one heck of a story that had me completely engrossed in the pages. The plot moves quickly as the count down of days begins and relationships are formed. I loved the closeness of the City and how they worked together to help one another as well as protect one another from the reality and brutality of their situation. Danger literally lurked around every corner and only working as one could they survive.

While NIL herself was a mystery, her inner workings and the captives' theories of how it all began, how NIL came about, weren't and I loved that. In one shape or another, all of my questions were laid out nicely and answered without being dumped on the reader or overwhelming with too much too soon.

This truly is a stand out novel and one you do not want to miss out on.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very bizarre and what's even more bizarre is I didn't think I would like it but I did!



The book did remind me of a blend of movies all thrown in together. The Blue Lagoon, The Maze Runner, and Lost. There are just little things from each one that made me think of these movies.



On the island of Nil there are only teens and they just pop out of the air butt-naked. You just wake up any ole place, but it's kinda good if you wake up on your own somewhere first because if you think you feel messed up enough, imagine waking up naked with all of these kids looking down at you!

You get sucked up into one of those heat mirages you see when your walking into a store or some such thing. Charley, she was taking some stuff back to Target and got sucked up there and planted, teleported, thrown out on Nil island.

Also, random animals get thrown out onto Nil as well. It's all good if it's a cow that you can get milk out of but the predators not so much although they mostly left the kids alone. It seems like they had a worse person in their little camp than an animal.

So, Charley is alone for like 11 to 12 days before two of the boys end up on her side of the island and spot her. One of the boys is named Thad and he's the leader of the group. Of course you know Charley and Thad form a love connection but it's not all like that, there ain't no humping in the bushes so get that out of your head!

AND you have to keep up with your days because you only have 365 days to catch a gate and return home or to wherever it takes you. The gate is just some shimmering thing like a little tornado you jump into, but it only comes out at noon every day. So the ones that are closer to death are helped by the others to find one. They have to travel all over to try and get one. That is until Charley starts doing some maps and figuring in her head and can pinpoint where they are going to come out. So run and jump in!



↑Okay that's just some dudes bubble he used with those wands above there but it was the closest I could come to a shimmering tornado thing. :-D

There are also these 4 drawings on different parts of the island. They have a person and some other stuff. They never do find out what those mean in this book, but they hint at some ideas.

I liked the book and to me it was left like it could be just the one book, but there are two more! I wonder what they will find out and I want to know if it's some crazy stuff. It's always some crazy stuff. It better be some crazy stuff! I like crazy. I look forward to the next books.



We shall see!

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, well, well.
Je ne sais pas par où commencer.

Si le livre m'a suffisamment captivée pour que je veuille le continuer chaque fois que je le posais, il y a pas mal de choses qui font que mon avis est mitigé.
- Trop long à mon sens et assez répétitif, je comprends que la vie sur Nil soit répétitive et qu'on soit obsédé par certaines choses, mais à lire, au bout d'un moment, c'était un peu fatigant.
- Il y a tellement de personnages que finalement, on n'en connaît presque aucun réellement. Ce qui fait que je n'ai jamais été particulièrement émue lorsqu'un des personnages quittait Nil ou qu'il lui arrivait quelque chose. J'ai apprécié Charley et Thad mais même là, j'ai senti de la distance. Enfin, j'ai quand même trouvé que Charley était une battante et Thad un mec bien.
- Même si c'est probablement ma faute parce que je vais chercher 12h à 14h (pour ceux qui ont lu le livre, no pun intended here!) , je n'ai pas réussi à me détacher complètement du tome 2 de Hunger Games, avec l'histoire des vagues, des dangers qui surviennent selon l'heure, etc.
- Et enfin, je dois dire qu'au niveau de l'intrigue, beaucoup de choses arrivent très (trop ?) tard, comme la potentielle explication de l'existence de Nil. J'admets avoir été on ne peut plus perplexe pendant un bon bout de temps. Certains personnages n'étaient pas assez développés, c'était long et pourtant la fin était bien trop rapide.

Bref, un avis en demi-teinte donc, parce que malgré tout, j'ai eu envie de connaître la fin, de savoir qui allait ou non s'en sortir. Je lirai peut-être la suite, voir ce que Nil a en réserve, voir ce qui n'a pas été encore exploré jusque-là. On verra bien !

[mich · Rating 1 out of 5]

So lame, I'm out! DNF

The part that grabbed my interest in the blurb was the part that made me instantly think of Battle Royale. I should've just re-read Battle Royale.

So far, this book has:

--ZERO excitement (how the hell is this even possible?! There is a time limit. With DEATH at the end of it. Where is the urgency? Where is the sense of danger? I'll tell you where: NOT FUCKING HERE.)

--corny, corny insta-love, the likes of which I have never before seen (it was really bad). It was insta-love on steroids (and I don't condone drug use, so even more NO).

--dull main characters

I'm finding this book a little too silly and stupid. I'm gonna stop forcing myself to keep reading this, it's no fun.

[Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few points about Nil


The basic premise of this book was kind of exciting, a bunch of teenagers trapped on an island that is not suppose to exist and they have to find their way off the island. There is danger on the island and as far as they know, no one survived more than a year on the island. The rules seem to be simple, you must catch a gate, or you die.
There is a large cast of characters, but we only get two POVs in the book. We get Charlie’s POV and Thad’s. Charlie is a new arrival at the beginning of the book, Thad is the current leader of the group and he seems to keep everything running smoothly and fairly. Of course, there will always be a person or two who do not like following the rules.
The romance was the most frustrating part of the book. It seemed to be instalove but the characters act like petulant children and refuse to give into their feelings. Honestly, they start pouting, brooding and avoiding each other. Other people on the island have to step up and tell them to get it over with because they are tired of their moods.I honestly found myself rooting against the romance because I just did not like it.
The setting and the plot were interesting to me. I did feel this had a bit of holes that were left to uncover in other books, which I guess makes me want to read the other books. The author was brutal and did not hold back any punches when it came to character death. It kept me flipping through the pages and reading.
Overall, not too bad of a story – if you can grit your teeth at the romance, because the premise and the setting I actually did find enjoyable.

[A.G. Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The descriptions made me feel as if I were on a tropical island, and the concept of the "gates" were fascinating. But it's the characters who rocked the story. Thad and Charley are adorable. <3 I will definitely be reading the second one!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Nil by Lynne Matson
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly.

What I Liked:

I was super excited for this book for many long months, so you can imagine my excitement when I LOVED it! It's one of the best feelings, when you wait for a book for like, FOREVER, and then read it, and love it! And it's even better when the author is totally cool and you secretly pray and hope that you love his/her book, so you can fangirl about the book (as opposed to disliking his/her and not being able to fangirl over the book).

One second Charley is in Georgia. The next second, she isnt. She wakes up (naked) on the island of Nil. For twelve days, she is alone, and then she meets two boys - Thad, and Jason. Thad and Jason take her to the City, where there is a group of teenagers living, hunting... surviving. To get off the island, each teenager must go the way they came - through a shimmering gate. But the gates don't seem to have a schedule to them, and come unexpectedly. And no one stays more than a year - if they do (without catching a gate), they die.

One thing that immediately jumped out at me is that I really liked Charley. She is not weak or stupid, two traits that I'm sick of seeing in YA literature (not ALL YA books, obviously. In fact, most do not feature such a heroine). She is actually pretty strong, both mentally and physically. She's an athlete (that's something we don't see often), and she's TALL (also something we don't see in YA books). She doesn't go completely insane in love with Thad, nor does she act like a complete nutcase on the island. I really like Charley, and I feel like she and I would actually be very good friends, if she were a real person. Both of us are resilient, mentally strong, physically strong, compassionate, passionate, and intellectually intelligent (analytic, almost).

I also really like Thad. He is an amazing leader - as he should be, as he has been on the island for a very long time (nearly the longest - when Charley arrived on Nil, he wasn't too far away from a year). He's kind and thoughtful, yet uncertain and human, as we see more when he is around Charley than not. I loved the thread of indecision that plagued him throughout the book, whether it was his number of days left, or Ramia's warning, or the threat of danger and rogues. And I'm not going to lie - he sounds HOT. That definitely does not hurt!

The plot of this book really had me interested and invested. I wanted to peek at the ending of the book SO MANY TIMES, to know how it ended, but I did NOT do it (yay!). I read through the entire book in one sitting, and it took everything I had not to read the end. But I'm glad I didn't. The ending is really great. But the plot of the book would lead you to believe that the ending could not happen. The plot was very complex and intricate. We weren't just concerned with finding gates - there were rogues and crazy beasts and patterns and island life. Crazy stuff!

Matson keeps things interesting by layering the plots, as I alluded to above. This book is all about survival. Charley, Thad, and the others in the City work together to Search for gates for those with Priority (those who are closest to being on Nil for a year). It's curious how this works, as there the conflict of stealing someone else's gate when you don't have priority is addressed. I must say, this book does have some creepy scenes, with skulls and feelings of being watched and sleepless nights. So freaky and weird and great!

This book is like a contemporary version of Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I read that book a few years ago, and enjoyed it. This book is also like the TV show "Survivor". I bet people are going to be all like, ooo, this book wasn't original, it was a ripoff of Lord of the Flies and "Survivor"! Well, I don't think so. The basic idea of being forced to survive on an island is constant, yes, but no one knows how or why the teenagers are chosen to be on Nil. It's mysterious...

This book is told in the perspectives of Charley and Thad, alternating between the two, in first-person point-of-view for both. I really like this - it's a great way to connect with two different characters, and see things from the perspectives of two different characters. Also, we get to see Charley and Thad's feelings for each other slowly develop and change, and that's cool.

This book is set up so that each chapter counts the amount of days that either Charley or Thad (depending on whose point-of-view we're reading). This is really cool, but it's also handy because Matson skips days (or weeks) at a time. It speeds things up, right until the climax - which is Thad's "expiration date" (when he reaches 365 days on Nil). I like this, and it didn't seem like Matson rushed things at all. The pacing of the book was excellent, even with Matson skipping days at a time.

The ending. The ending is really great, in my opinion. I'm going to talk about it a little in the next section, but I'm mostly satisfied. DO NOT PEEK. Whatever you do, read the entire book, cover to cover. Do NOT look at the end before reading the rest of the book. You will not want to read the rest of the book. Just read the entire book.

What I Did Not Like:

The only things I really had trouble with was several areas of plausibility. YES, this is fiction. YES, I could just use my imagination and let the story be. But I found loopholes. Like, why exactly were the teenagers on the island? Who chose them? Where did the island come from? Who made the rules? What happened when the teenagers died? Why teenagers?

You can't just give the answer of "No one knows", every single time. Many of these questions are raised in the book (Charley asks Thad or others), but I feel like none of them are actually answered. There is a theory tossed around, about parallel worlds or universes or alternate realities or basically holes in time and space, which makes sense (and I would totally roll with any of those), but none of them are solidly accepted as the explanation.


Like, I wanna know. Don't leave me hanging! If this book were part of a series, even a companion series, then I would totally NOT question these things! Or, I would question them, but in my head. I wouldn't see them as "negative" aspects of the book, because I would hope that they would be explained in the future books of the series.

But ending this book with no key explanations? Don't do that! I need to know!

Would I Recommend It:

Despite whatever I just typed in the "What I Did Not Like" section, I definitely think you should make this novel one that you'll read in 2014 (or in the future). I think science fiction fans will like this one (though they might question EVERYTHING, like me), and definitely romance fans and contemporary and thrillers fans will enjoy this book. It's really great! It pulls in a lot of cool aspects, and while I wasn't completely satisfied with the lack of explanations, it has a riveting plot and superb ending.

Rating:

4 stars. What a fantastic debut! I'll definitely be looking out for more novels by Lynne Matson.

[Lindsay Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow...AMAZING!!! I freaking loved it. I loved the characters, the adventure, the romance, the writing style. couldn't put it down!!

[Sara Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a ride! This book is so interesting and unique--I loved it! And the love story between Thad and Charley is tender and moving--as well as many of the supporting cast of characters. Lynne does a great job making you feel like you know every single one of her characters, good and bad, strengths and flaws. All of the relationships are real, raw, and powerful in their own ways. And the island of Nil is an entity unto itself. If you are looking for SURVIVOR on crack + an awesome, sweet romance, NIL is the read for you!! (And even if you're not, you should still read it.) It. Is. Awesome.




(*warning for my younger fans: there is one character who uses very strong language, it fits who he is and the world she's created. Just wanted to give you the head's up.)

[Natalie (Never trust a duck) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel nothing was resolved. I thought Charley was going to discover (THIS MIGHT BE SPOILERY) something that would ensure no one would ever go to Nil again, or maybe save everyone on Nil. I don't know, just something. Instead, she went all


And I, along with every other person on the island INCLUDING the love interest was like


And when we weren't delving deep into feelings, Thad and Charley had moments like


I don't want to mislead you, it wasn't a bad book. It was just okay. It was like the show Lost sort of, a bunch of rag tag kids on an island trying to survive with random animals popping. But like I said earlier, nothing about Nil was solved. It's still an island where kids wind up and have a year to get off unless they wanna die. Charley got to the island and started finding all these carvings and I figured she was going to decipher something that would save them and explain Nil. But no. They just sort of hunted gates to try and get back to Earth.

And, this was probably the fourth book I've read recently where the boy brushed the girls hair. I would love to know when that actually happens, oh wait, IT DOESN'T. That's just begging for awkward moments of hair tugging and silence followed by the girl trying to untangle the mess. But apparently Thad was skilled in the art of brushing girls hair. Whatever.


Happy Reading!!!

[Ömer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Çok güzeldi. Yorumu için: http://kronikokur.blogspot.com.tr/201...

[Sara Raasch · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES. Just -- yes. Over and over. Islands and death and mysteries and YES.

Thad + Charley 4 Ever.

[Gamze · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5

http://gamzeninkitapdunyasi.blogspot....

Natalie bir keresinde Ada'da şans diye bir şey yoktur demişti.
Yanılıyordu.
Şans kişiseldir; herkes kendi şansını yaratır. Bazen iyidir, bazen kötü ama senindir ve nereye gidersen git peşinden gelir, Nil Adası'nda bile. Şans değişebilir de, çünkü büyükannemin üstüne basa basa vurguladığı gibi şans, bir düşünce yapısıydı.
İhtimalse, öte yandan, farklıydı. İhtimal bir yazı tura atmaktı, ihtimal olma olasılığıydı. Tablolarım Thad'in ihtimallerini arttırmıştı ama şansını değiştirmemişti.
Sebebini anlayamıyordum.

Bitirdiğim bir kitabın yorumunu sıcağı sıcağına girmeyeli uzun bir zaman olmuştu.. Dönüşü bu güzel kitapla yapmak iyi geldi :))

Yaşları 13 ile 19 arasında değişen çocukları tehlikeli topraklarına kaçıran bir ada düşünün. Ve oraya adımınızı attığınız andan itibaren yaşam ve hayat arasındaki o çizgide en fazla 365 gününüz varsa.. Sonrası ise tam bir muamma.. Baş karakterimiz Charley'de kendini birden çırılçıplak bir vaziyette kayaların üzerinde buluyor.. Ve o andan itibaren saatin tiktakları işlemeye başlıyor.

Her öğlen vakti belli paralellerde kapılar beliriyor. İçeri ya da dışarı açılan. Eğer kurtuluş biletini kapmak istiyorsa onlardan birini yakalamak zorunda..

Böyle sayfaları birbiri ardına çevirmenize engel olamayan hikayeleri çok seviyorum.

Ve son zamanlarda öyle sıkıcı kitaplara denk gelmişim ki.. Bu benim için resmen cennet gibiydi. Her sayfasından ayrı keyif aldım.

Gerçi hikayenin ortalarında hafif bir durağanlaşma hissetsem de.. Kitabın geneline bakınca yine de bunu göz ardı edebileceğimi düşünüyorum :)

Thad ve Charley arasındaki ilişkiyi ben şahsen sevdim. Zaten kitapta yazar her ikisinin gözünden de bölümler aktarmış bizlere ki bu da daha güzelleştirmiş şahsen kitabı.

Nil adası tehlikeler ve güzellikler ile dolu. Her bölümde farklı bir tarafı ile tanışıyorsunuz.

Ayrıca kitaptaki yan karakterlerin silik durmaması, ikilinin her an ilişkilerinin içinde yer almaları da iyiydi. Kitap her ne kadar Thad ve Charley ağırlıklı olsa bile diğer karakterler de merak uyandırıcıydı ve onları -kötü olanları bile- okumaktan çok hoşlandım.

Son dönemde pek sık takip edemiyorum neler var neler yok diye.. Ama rahatlıkla söyleyebilirim ki distopya dünyasına yabancı yayınları güzel bir kitap katmış, teşekkürler kendilerine.

Sonu öyle çok havada bitmedi. Yani serinin diğer kitapları da çıksın öyle okurum diyen arkadaşlar, beklemeseniz de olur o yüzden..

Nil ve Rabia gizemi hala ucu açık.. Diğer kitaplarını sabırsızlıkla bekliyorum.

Bir de ne bileyim goodreadste 3.91 puani bana çok az geldi kesinlikle daha iyi ortalamayı hakediyor..

Bu tür okumayı seven arkadaşlarıma tavsiye ederim kesinlikle!

[Ceres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wahou!! Quelle sacrée lecture! Je dois dire que j'ai été surprise par ce livre. Il se lit à une vitesse folle et son ambiance particulière fait qu'on ne peut pas le lâcher, en particulier les 100 dernières pages qui ne sont que stress et adrénaline. J'ai adoré le concept de ce livre qui le rend angoissant, les personnages, le fait que l'auteure soit aussi imprévisible que Nil. Et puis il y a Charley et Thad que j'ai adoré. Un duo qui fonctionne à merveille. c'était juste beau!
Et le meilleur? On peut considérer ce premier tome comme un one shot avec une vraie fin!

[Rusty's Ghost Engine (also known as.......... Jinky Spring) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Reviews and more
https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....

A book that had a lot of potential to be reminiscent of the Maze Runner or Lord of the Flies, but instead had a cheesy romance and ending.

This sounded so good from the description, it sounded like it would be similar to a dark dystopia where there are lots of fights and brutal deaths. There were deaths mind you, but other than that this book turned out mostly to be a light-hearted, soppy, insta romance in an exotic setting.

There have been many positive and negative reviews alike for this and for around the first parts I really enjoyed it. But I couldn’t help giving constant eye rolls towards the romance which was practically love at first sight 😛 I mean they’d barely got to know each other and then Charley was insisting on sex?? Then they had this whole teen pregnancy debate which was wholly cringe worthy in itself. 😛 😛 I should also add that this romance had some of the cheesiest romance lines I had the embarrassment to come across..

Let’s talk about the setting, the whole idea of teens being snatched for no apparent reason from all over the world to this seemingly living island was, well amazing to put it shortly. The scene was brought to life very well and it definitely did remind me of the Maze Runner but towards the end it appeared this was quite different. (which is good I guess, cause as readers we are meant to be surprised and books are not all supposed to be the same, but, the Maze Runner was one of my all time favourite novels….) In this book, there are no answers as to how the teens got snatched or what the purpose of the island is, but I read at the end that the author promises to reveal things in the next books.

Like I said the island and the characters were brought to life quite well, but I felt the teens who lived outside the settlement or City and those responsible for the raids on supplies could have been brought to life more. There just could have been more page time for them as I feel that would have made this book the whole lot more exciting, which brings me onto another thing. There was hardly any action in this book as most of it was about the teens daily lives in trying to escape and survive. There also wasn’t a lot of suspense in the writing as like I said it seemed to want to focus a lot on the romance.

But the ideas behind this and the concept of the “gates” was quite well done, but I wish the plot had actually focused more on the whole mystery of the characters situation and more about the dangers of Nil rather than about daily romance.



Who I’d recommend this for

If you like typical insta romance in exotic and unusual settings then this is definitely your type of book. Also if you like slow building mysteries then I think you’d like this too, just don’t expect this to be similar to the Maze Runner.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok so let me start off by saying that I'm pretty torn about this book. I both liked it and hated it. Mainly I just hated it. First off the insta love in this book was taken to a whole new level...It's overwhelming and takes up a majority of the story. There's less cheese in the diary section of Publix than there was in this book. To prove my point I give you: "Thanks for the company. And for this." I touched the delicate lei. "It's beautiful" "Not to sound totally lame, but it doesn't compare with the girl who's wearing it." Then he kind of groaned and laughed both at once. "man, that did sound lame, but it's true" "very lame," I agreed. "And I hate to break it to you, but I think your visions going." "my visions just fine... like I said, it's perfect..."

BARF right... and I bet you had a hard time telling which one was Charley and which one was Thad. If it wasn't for the titles on each chapter I probably wouldn't have known myself. There was NO difference between how Thad and Charley thought. Since we're talking about Charley and Thad let me tell you about them... Charley is a six foot tall super model look alike that has that Oh-what-me-pretty-noooo attitude that is beyond annoying! She does WAY too much swooning EVEN FOR MY TASTE. Then there's Thad the tall buff snow boarder who also happens to be an over six feet tall super model who has jelly beans for brains. And yes they fall instantly in love... That's only the first problem with this book.

They are constantly talking about all the danger that's on the island. There's lions and tigers and bears oh my! Yet none of these things ever mess with them. You think a bunch of animals would eventually roll up to their camp and try to jack their food... NOPE, for the most part all the animals keep to themselves. (Except this one random cat thing that seemed like it held some kind of importance, but actually was as random as the rest of this story.) There also seems to be a pretty endless supply of food just lying around, along with clothes. Half the time everyone's crying about what's on the menu... BOOHOO and to think people out there in the real world are paying 10 dollars a roll for sushi and you just have it there for free. Hard life. Not to mention that the plants around them are edible... yeah you heard me, THE LEAVES AROUND THEIR CAMP ARE EDIBLE TOO. YET EVERYONE IS HUNGRY... HMMM HERE'S AN IDEA, GRAB THE CLOSET SHRUB AND EAT YA IDIOT. Something else I failed to mention was that they are fighting SO hard for their lives... no time for fun and games... Wait I spoke to soon, there's plenty of time. They play volleyball, go surfing, work out, they even have gliders (Another thing that was mentioned like once but was never brought up again)



The island is also dripping with nosy mother f-ers. Everyone is all up in everyone's business, oh wait nope they only seem to notice Thad and Charley's drama EVEN THOUGH THERE'S LIKE FIFTY OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND! But back to what I know we are all dying to hear about... The love. It's awful! It's so over the top and annoying. They seriously fall in love in seconds. A new Ya book record. They are even dropping L bombs all over the place after just a few short weeks. Plus they are always using these "inside jokes" with each other OVER AND OVER AND OVER... Then Thad gives Charley this awful little nick name thing and I thought if I had to hear "Charley with an e-y" one more time I was going to set myself on fire!

He pulled out his pineapple slicer, and with slow, deliberate stokes, Thad carved the first five letters of my name. Then he paused. "tell me how to finish... i-e or e-y?" "e-y" I answered. He chuckled "so right." "what's that suppose to mean?" Thad finished etching the y and blew on my name. Without turning he said, "because for your name to end in Lie doesn't fit. You're the most real girl I've met on or off Nil.

If I was Charley I would have taken that knife right out his hands and slit my wrist because there's no way I'm going to make it another 300 days with this guy. As far as the plot goes, if you've seen the show Lost you already know whats going to happen. Just throw in some shimmering liquid light things that you'll need to be eaten by to be sent home, and you have Nil. I'm not kidding the comparison between the two is uncanny. Purgatory, parallel universes, weird animals, random people everywhere, and there's a strange maze looking symbol written on rocks all around. HMMM why does that last one sound so familiar... I just can't put my finger on it.

There are also so many plot holes in this story. Everything is just so convenient. Kids appear who know all these crazy traits... one is a baker who makes awesome bread... where the hell did the yeast come from? There's a carpenter who just happens to know how to build using wooden nails. LIKE COME ON GIVE US A BREAK! The kids on this tropical vacation don't even have to be smelly because they have some girl who knows how to make fancy soap! With no real world building involved in this story, besides a list of things that are on this island, Which include a sweet snowy mountain, volcanoes, and a wild flower field. The sub character in this book for the most part are pointless. None of the characters really care if they stay on the island or get off as long as they have their gf/bf with them.

Guess I should say something nice about this book... The first like 40 pages of this book are cool, and the last 40 pages are cool too. I liked the ending mainly because it was the end, but I guess it was sweet too. Probably the best part of the whole novel. Over all this was a cluster-F of a book that could of made a cool trilogy or even a better standalone, if some of the fifty things listed above were fixed. I had high hopes for this book, and had heard a lot of good things about it... Sadly I was let down.

[Aslı Dağlı · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vay canina! #Ada bitti. Ve hic beklemedigim kadar surukleyiciydi. Simdi kivirmayacagim... Kitabin yaklasik yuz ellinci sayfasina gelene kadar hikayeyi benimseyemedim, sakil durdu ustumde. Lakin o aralar kendimi bir kaptirmisim; sormayin gitsin! Eger kendi cevirimin son rotuslari olmasaydi ve @yaprak.onur, "Kaaaaaalk caliiiiis!" diye bagirmasaydi kitabin geri kalanini iki gun once bitirmis, o geri kalan 300 sayfayi yalnizca bir gunde yalayip yutmus olurdum.

Evet. Tanitim metnini okudugumdan beri Ada bana #Lost'u animsatiyor. Okurken de oyle oldu, kitabin son sayfasini cevirdikten sonra da... Kitabi bitirdigimde sanki bir sezon Lost izlemis gibi hissettim kendimi. Her bir bolum, dizinin bir bolumune karsilik geliyordu adeta. Tek farki, Ada'nin belki biraz daha genclere hitap ediyor olmasi. Sayet karakterlerin en buyugu 19 yasinda olmasaydi kimseyi bu kitabin genc yetiskin kitabi olduguna inandiramazdik. Ada'da birbirinden farkli onlarca duygu vardi; genc ya da yetiskin herkesin kendine pay cikarabilecegi anlar...

Acikcasi baslangicta ceviriye odaklanmakta zorlandim. Birebir ceviriden kaynakli anlamsiz cumleler ve benzetmeler beni rahatsiz etti. Ote yandan, hikaye sarmaya basladikca ceviriye cok takilmamaya ve belki de alismaya basladim. Ne de olsa her cevirmenin kendine has bir dili var ve herkesin dili herkese okunakli gelmek zorunda degil. Kitabin edisyonuysa gayet basariliydi. 450 sayfalik kitapta en fazla dort, bes yazim hatasiyla karsilasmisimdir.

Simdi kafamda soyle bir soru var: Yazar kitabin devaminda ne yazacak? Bence Ada tek kitap olarak sahaneydi; kitabin sonunda bazi seyler cozume kavustu, bazi seyler nihayet buldu. Ikinci kitap esegin kulagina su kacirmak gibi olmaz mi biraz? Ama bu, serinin devami cikinca okumayacagim anlamina gelmiyor. Kelimenin tam anlamiyla ustune atlayacagim:)

Tatli okumalar:)

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have known by the fact that the two main characters are named Charley (girl) and Thad that this book wasn’t going to be any good. I also should have known when the main character used the phrase “dadgum Egypt” on page three to describe an obscure hot place.

The premise with this one was just too cool; I mean, teens trapped on an island they have to escape from within a year or they’ll die? Sounds kinda like Lost, and I loved that show! The potential for this book was fantastic, but the execution wasn’t even close to what it could have been.

The main issues I had with this book were the weak characters and MAJOR instalove.

Let’s a look at how Charley and Thad first describe each other:

“A girl. Tall, lean. Long legs, long muscles. Great shoulders. Full lips. Even though she looked island-thin, she was hands-down the most gorgeous girl I’d ever seen.”

(Thad’s first time seeing Charley. What the fuck are long muscles?)

“I was captivated by the taller boy.”

(That’s what Charley says the first time she even SEES him. If that’s not instalove I don’t know what is.)

Charley, of course, doesn’t think she’s beautiful, even though everyone else does. Charley is a bland, cardboard protagonist. There is nothing new or interesting about her.

Thad also narrates, and I thought his perspective sounded exactly the same as Charley’s. His inner voice was very feminine, and while there is nothing wrong with guys having a feminine personality, Thad was obviously not supposed to come off that way. It’s merely the fault of the author not knowing how to write a convincing male POV.

Here’s an example:

“As Charley spoke, the words rolled off her tongue like sugar. I’d never met anyone like Charley, not on Nil, not anywhere.”

(Never in my life have I heard a dude say someone’s words “rolled off their tongue like sugar”)

The island they are trapped on is called Nil. Thad constantly describes Nil talking, giggling, and cackling in his head, and I was so confused as to whether or not there was actually someone giggling in his head.

Nil, the island, is also weirdly personified throughout the story. Take a look:

“Nil’s like that girl you spot in the lodge after a full day of kick-ass boarding, when you’re stoked and high on life. She looks good, freakin’ hot. Long hair, tight body, killer smile. Has a name like… Mallory.
But once you get to know her, the truth rips your guts out. The truth is, she’s cruel. Heartless. The kind of girl who sleeps with your best friend when your back is turned. And once the mask falls off, so does the glamour. That’s the island of Nil in a nutshell. Blow-your-mind gorgeous, until you peel away the facade and see her for who she really is.”

(Dude, do you realize you’re talking about an island? WHAT are you going on about?)

The romance between Charley and Thad was just a cringe-fest. Like the time where they go on for THREE PAGES about how Thad offers to brush her hair.

“He stuck out his hand, gesturing for the comb.
I stared at his outstretched hand, totally floored.
I loved getting my hair brushed. More than getting my back scratched, more than getting a massage, more than anything, and I’d always dreamed about having a cute boy brush my hair.
Thad had just served up my secret fantasy on an island platter.”

(BAHAHAHA! She’d always dreamed of a cute boy brushing her hair? She loves having her hair brushed more than anything? Omg, too funny)

Let’s see how Thad viewed the hair-brushing situation:

“This was a first for me, combing a girl’s hair. I really didn’t know why I’d offered, and as sure as the Canucks need a decent defense-man, nine months ago I never would have. But it felt… right. And after 278 days here, I didn’t have much to lose. Just a no.
But Charley had said yes.”

(Thad needs to chill out. It’s not like he asked to marry her, he offered to brush her hair. Why did we need three pages of this shit about how much a huge deal brushing someone’s hair is?)

And this bullshit:

“‘Tell me how to finish… i-e or e-y?”
“E-y,” I answered.
He chuckled. “So right.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Thad finished etching the y and blew on my name. Without turning, he said, “Because for your name to end in a lie doesn’t fit. You’re the most real girl I’ve ever met, on or off Nil.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.”

(NEITHER DO I, CHARLEY)

As far as the writing goes, it wasn’t too horrible, but at the same time there was random capitalization (City, Search), and weird phrasing like “dadgum Egypt”, “hotter than an Easy-Bake Oven”, and “beat the tar out of”, so I wouldn’t say I was impressed.

The island itself should have been rife with danger, but they seemed to be having a pretty great time. They had volleyball games, bonfires, lots of food. The survival story and tense atmosphere I was hoping for was completely absent.

Anyway, definitely not recommending this one to anybody. There are plenty of YA books out there, don’t your time on this one. I will most likely be reading the last two books because I hate myself (just kidding, my library has them and I like to finish out series). If you’re looking for island survival story, just watch Lost.
*****
Edit: Decided not to continue on with the series. Even though I usually try to finish out series I've decided I really shouldn't waste my time continuing on with one star series. I good about this decision. :)

[Myriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah, what a book! This is the most thrilling, compelling, heart-pounding, nerve-wracking story that I've read in a long time.
The characters are maybe a little cliché and the love story might be a little bit too fluffy, I already read much worse in the romance genre. I've still really enjoyed it... in fact, I freaking LOVED each page of this first book and I can't wait to know what's next!
Lucky me, the second book is already waiting for me in my TBR pile!

Review (in French): http://unjour-unlivre.fr/2016/02/nil-...

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
17-year-old Charley gets hit by a heat-wave and somehow ends up on a random island, with no idea of how she got there.
When she eventually runs into two guys (who incidentally are really hot), she discovers that she is on an island called ‘Nil’, and that she has 365 days to get off it again, or she’ll die.
Will Charley get off the island in time? And is everyone on the island really attractive?


I knew from the first page that I wouldn’t like this book, and unfortunately I was right.

I don’t even know where to start with this book. I just didn’t like it. I was bored, I was confused, and I didn’t really care what happened to the characters, although I am pretty sure I’ll remember how weird this was!

Charley was an okay character I guess, but I didn’t really like her, and while everybody on the island commented on how good and wonderful she was, to me she was a bit vapid.

The storyline was just strange. At times it reminded me of the TV show ‘Lost’, and when a fellow reader commented that it reminded her of ‘The Maze Runner’ I could see that also, especially the closer to the end I got. We seemed to get left in the dark a lot, and at times the characters seemed more interested in how attractive everyone was, than in figuring out what the heck was going on.
There was some romance, but it was very much of the ‘Oh my gosh! I’ve never met you before, but I know that we were totally made for each other! Lets have lots of sex and babies!’ variety, and I just wasn’t buying it.

The ending was a relief, but unfortunately it wasn’t a relief from the nonsense. Why the heck a certain character did what he did was quite beyond me, and cemented him as the most stupid of the lot.
Overall; not good,
4.5 out of 10.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a lil bit toooo romancing for my liking.
Everything else was hectially fantastic.

[Léa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une très bonne lecture avec beaucoup d'action et de rebondissements. La lecture est très fluide et assez addictive.
J'aurais cependant préféré que la romance soit moins présente et laisse un peu plus de place au mystère.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un melange du Labyrinthe et de Lost, c'est rempli d'action et de tension, et on a droit à une belle romance en prime.
Curieuse de lire la suite pour en savoir plus sur Nil.

[Galleane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un premier tome qui repose sur de très bonnes idées avec un cheminement qui possède un petit côté répétitif, mais globalement un tome sympathique. Entre survie en milieu hostile, avec un danger que l'auteure nous oblige à bien garder en tête grâce à des retournements bien envoyés, des recherches pour s'en aller, qui cachent toute une organisation derrière, et une romance qui n'est pas juste là pour faire belle, qui a une certaine importance et une belle place dans tout ça, le lecteur a de quoi faire. Si je n'ai pas autant été prise par l'histoire et que je n'ai pas autant apprécié le contenu qu'espéré, en plus d'avoir eu l'impression à la fin de ma lecture que le contexte servait plus la romance plutôt que cette dernière bonifie l'histoire, bien qu'elle reste adorable, j'ai quand même bien envie de lire le tome 2. Vu la fin de ce premier tome, qui change la donne sur certains plans, le choix de l'auteure pour la suite peut être très sympa.

Ma chronique complète : http://bloggalleane.blogspot.fr/2016/...

[Evey · Rating 5 out of 5]

COUP DE COEUR!!!!!!

NIL est juste génial! J'ai adoré de la première à la dernière ligne.
Les rebondissements sont peu nombreux mais parfaitement maitrisés. Et vous laissent sans voix.
Les personnages sont tout particulièrement attachant et touchant.
L'idée de NIL est originale et assez complexe pour nous mener en bateau.

[Celeste_pewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two-second recap: Lynne Matson’s debut novel NIL, is a book that defies any current popular YA genre out there.

Part science-fiction mystery, part survival story, with just a hint of a star-crossed romance, this is a book that will stay with you long after you’re finished.

***

Full review:

I’ll be honest: I don’t reread a lot of books these days.

My to-be-read pile is often teetering with a number of intriguing, exciting books that are demanding to be read as soon as possible, so I’ve developed a tendency of reading through a book, and then putting it down and beginning another book as soon as possible.

But when I finished Lynne Matson’s NIL, I put it down and then immediately picked it up again. I reread my ARC again in the same afternoon, and still felt like that wasn’t enough. I wanted to revisit sections, revisit characters and just spend more time in her intriguing, mysterious world.

Why? Because Matson’s book is quietly stunning. Readers will likely go into it thinking that it’s another dystopian/mystery, but they’re going to find themselves immersed in a world that they won’t be able to stop thinking about, long after they’ve finished reading.

With that being said, let’s get on with the review!

***

Things that worked:

* The characterizations

Charley is described as being extremely beautiful, almost as soon as the book opens.

But don’t let this fool you – she’s anything but a stereotypical perfect YA heroine. She’s self-conscious about her height, she’s extremely savvy and fast-thinking in challenging situations, and despite all evidence to the contrary, she also has an unfortunate tendency to think that she can’t measure up to people who are already on the island.

I don’t think Lynne Matson necessarily intended for Charley to be read this way, but Charley is an excellent example of someone who is in fact extremely capable (and beautiful) in her own right, but doesn’t necessarily realize the degree of her own strength, until she’s forced to face NIL’s machinations.

I think younger readers will particularly relate to Charley’s journey from being already capable, to being more in-touch and more aware of her gifts and talents.

At the same time, I think that readers will also connect with the innate leadership shown by Thad. This is a guy who had once envisioned a very different life, but now clearly knows how to do the right thing, even when it’s tough and awkward.

He leads the team. He tells other island residents off, when they step out of line. And at the same time, he also allows himself to experience and see beyond his preconceived notions, when he finds himself developing an attachment to Charley.


* The writing

Matson’s prose is smooth, realistic and a breeze to read. She utilizes a dual narration technique, switching flawlessly between Charley’s narration and Thad’s.

Both narrations offered intriguing insights into the background of the two characters, while also highlighting the diversity of the people who have had the misfortune of landing on the island, and how people adapt to circumstances that are beyond their control.


* The pacing

Matson makes excellent use of an ongoing countdown clock for all island residents, to begin with.

However, she emphasizes that disparity even further, when she pairs countdown clocks against one another. Without giving any spoilers away, this a book that moves quickly, and will have you gasping at the ending, in the blink of an eye.


* The mystery of the island

When it comes to the mystery of the island, Matson beautifully demonstrates how a setting can be a significant character in its own right.

Matson does a fantastic job of setting up the understanding that there are certain rules which must come into play on NIL – e.g. just how the island residents arrive there in the first place, and how (and when) they can leave – but doesn’t spend too much time unnecessarily dwelling on how or why the island came into being in the first place.

The details that she does choose to share, along with the things that remain unexplained, maintains the fine balance that good mysteries require – a sense of continued eeriness, a plethora of unexplained questions, and the unmistakable feeling that for many of the people in her world, NIL is still waiting out there.

***

Things that didn’t work/Things to consider:

My one (very) minor quibble with the book is the angst that developed at the halfway point between Charley and Thad.

While the thought process behind the angst was admittedly true to the plot and to the two characters in question, I still had something of a knee-jerk reaction to reading it.

It reminded me a little too much of the whole I’m-staying-away-from-you-to-protect-you theme that became incredibly popular after Twilight, and I was immediately crossing my fingers, hoping that the book wasn’t going to go down that route. Fortunately, it didn’t, but I can sort of anticipate other readers having the same reaction while reading.

***

Final verdict:

It’s books like NIL that reinforce the idea that this is a golden age for YA literature right now. This is a book that’s exciting, innovative and will make readers think and ponder about the impact of an island like NIL, long after they’ve read the final page.

Readers will likely wonder how they would react if put into a similar situation like Charley and Thad, and will likely question what kind of leadership positions they would take on if they were to live in NIL city.

I recommend this book for fans of dystopian and science fiction, but I also recommend this book for fans of shows like LOST and Caprica.