Review: NIL by Lynne Matson

Title: NIL
Author: Lynne Matson
Release: March 4th, 2014
Genre: YA thriller/sci-fi
Pages: 384
POV: 1st, dual, alternating
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. BYR
Format: Print ARC
Source: Publicist
Rating: The Royal Library, Middle Shelf

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.

Nil begins with a bang as Charley is swept away by a strange shimmer and lands on an even stranger island. That excitement and tension never ceases. Instead, it builds and evolves, keeping the reader hooked and curious. Matson teases her readers with the dangers and curiosities of the mysterious island Nil, and uses her two protagonists to ground her story in reality. The narration switches between Charley¹ and Thad², giving readers two different perspectives as both try to unravel Nil's mysteries and find a way home. As the days tick by, the danger and excitement levels increase, until the novel's surprising conclusion. An action-packed survival-romance story, Nil is a thrilling debut. 

Highlights: The best compliment I can give to Nil is that I never wanted to set this story aside. Nil is a thrilling adventure and mystery from start to finish. This is one of those books where you'll find yourself turning the pages, hours after promising yourself you'd stop at such-and-such chapter. The characters are fresh and easy to differentiate from one another. Nil's wildlife provided plenty of excitement and tension. Descriptions of the island were intriguing, and Nil was undeniably my favorite aspect of the novel - it was almost a character in its own right. 

Lowlights: The romance, while sweet, did seem a little insta-lovey. I do also think it's strange that only Charley was able to find a pattern when it came to Nil's curiosities. Initially, I felt like the dialogue seemed a bit forced (especially when it came to specific accents / dialects). 

Rating: The Royal Library, Bottom Shelf (4 out of 5).

1 Charley: a gorgeous Southern girl, with legs for days, who is quite determined to make it off this island, and is very resourceful. I liked her instantly, she has a strong personality.
2 Thad: leader of Nil city, Canadian, has a body like a Greek god, and a sweet disposition. It took a little time, but he grew on me. 

The Queen's Library (42): February, March, and April

Books Received for Review

Charm & Strange (hardcover)
To All The Boys I've Loved Before (print ARC)
The Body in the Woods (print ARC)
Since You've Been Gone (print ARC)
The Queen of the Tearling (print ARC)
Liv, Forever (print ARC)
Dorothy Must Die (print ARC)
The Lost (print ARC)
Torn Away (electronic ARC)
The Dolls (electronic ARC)
#Scandal (electronic ARC)
Rites of Passage (electronic ARC)
In A Handful of Dust (electronic ARC)

The Balance Keepers: The Fires of Calderon (electronic ARC)

Thank you so much to Amazon Vine, Macmillan, Harlequin, Edelweiss, and Netgalley!

Gifted From My Family

The Winner's Curse (hardcover) (my review)
The Assassin's Blade (hardcover) (my review)

My parents bought me these books to celebrate my acceptance into my college's English master's program!! YAY for grad school and two fabulous books! *dances*

Ruin and Rising Sampler / Swag

I received this package from the lovely folks at Macmillan + Leigh Bardugo, and it's truly a work of art. The box is gorgeous (seriously, check out that design), and the three candles smell outstanding. But the sampler? The sampler is EPIC. Not only were the chapters incredible, but even the interior designs / extra info was lovely. I am so incredibly excited for Ruin and Rising, I wish it was already June! I must know what happens!

I bought more books too (Kindle deals are my weakness), but I'll save them for the next TQL. 

My Weekly Recommendation

What bookish goodies did you get?

Highlights / Lowlights: ALL OUR YESTERDAYS, DEFY, and RUSH

Title: All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
Published: September 3rd, 2013
Series: N/A
Genre: YA Sci-fi / thriller
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
POV: 1st person
Pages: 360
Format: Electronic ARC
Source: Netgalley
Rating: The Royal Library, Bottom Shelf

What would you change?

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend, James, since they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it... at least, not as the girl she once was. Em and Marina are in a race against time that only one of them can win.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Highlights: The concept for this story is fantastic, plus there's time travel. Cristin Terrill's style of time travel is especially fascinating, and I liked seeing the way things changed in the past/future and worked within the story. The romance was (to my surprise) entirely believable, and very sweet. I also really enjoyed the dual POV, and believe each voice was truly well done. The two different, but similar, narrators grow within the story. The pace is quick and gripping. All Our Yesterdays was a fantastic story overall, and an exciting story to read.

Lowlights: I was surprised to find that I wasn't loving this story as much as everyone else. I like it a lot, but I did not connect with it the way other readers have. I found the ending to be slightly confusing (but, time travel paradoxes confuse me).

Rating: The Royal Library, Bottom Shelf (low 4 out of 5).

Title: Defy
Author: Sara B. Larson
Published: January 7th, 2014
Series: Defy #1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic Press
POV: 1st person
Pages: 336
Format: E-ARC / Kindle Book
Source: Netgalley / Purchased
Rating: The Royal Library, Bottom Shelf

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Highlights: Alexa's voice is incredibly accessible, and I was rooting for her from the first page to the last. She's a tough girl who is willing to fight, but she has a vulnerable side. The story moved in unexpected directions, and I was never quite sure what was going to happen next. The world is fascinating, deadly, and expansive. Larson takes readers through a few settings and locations, and each was more intriguing than the last. The fighting scenes, however, were definitely my favorite part, because Larson created so much tension and excitement in those moments. All in all, Defy is action-packed and thrilling to read.

Lowlights: I did have some issues with the romance - Larson somewhat creates a love triangle, but both sides are unimpressive (and one character obviously doesn't even stand a chance, at least in this book). The romance aspect made Alexa less confident in herself and her choices, and that was disappointing. I was really looking forward to the gender-bending aspect, but Alexa's male persona seen through pretty easily by other characters.

Rating: The Royal Library, Bottom Shelf (4 out of 5).

Title: Rush
Author: Eve Silver
Published: June 11th, 2013
Series: The Game #1
Genre: YA sci-fi
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
POV: 1st person
Pages: 361
Format: Hardcover
Source: Won from Epic Reads
Rating: The Great Hall.

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Highlights: Action-packed from the very beginning, Rush is thrilling. I was not sure what to expect, but this story delivered by presenting an exciting story that was undeniably difficult to set aside. The video game aspect was fantastic and one of my favorite parts of the novel. Miki is a very easy to relate with, and she's incredibly realistic about her highly unusual situation. Luka was fabulous, along with quite a few other side characters. Deadly aliens and tough teenagers, this story is a complete thrill.

Lowlights: Carly, the supposed BFF: The reader is told she's usually a great friend, but I don't see it. Jackson, the mysterious and totally badass leader whom Miki falls into insta-love with (after only a week or so of knowing one another). Despite the answers given, I'm a bit confused by certain aspects of the story's concept. And the ending! Honestly, I feel like this novel needed to be stretched out a bit more, with more pages, more time passing, more interactions between characters, and more answers.

Rating: The Great Hall (3.5 out of 5).