March 4th, 2014 · Henry Holt
Source: Won
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 384
From Goodreads:
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.
Nil is quite the genre bender of a book. As I was read, I tried to put my finger on what it fell under exactly. It has all these interesting, cool elements, but one thing is for sure, Nil is definitely an adventure.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.
Quickly upon starting, you're flooded with all these questions, which is a common occurrence with books that are shrouded with mystery and are set in unknown, new worlds. We do get some answers, but I think a lot more will be revealed in book two. Even then, I wouldn't expect Nil to tell you all her secrets, she's not one to share and tell...
I'd had pretty big expectations for Nil and they definitely lived up. This book came along at just the right time, when I needed to get away and be sucked into a whole other world, and for that I'm so glad. Another thing, Nil is extremely addictive. I started it on a Sunday night, having only wanted to read a few chapters, but then I didn't want to stop. I read it whenever I got the chance and loved every minute I had with this book.
Nil switches between Charley and Thad's perspective and I have to say, the author did an absolute fabulous job with their voices and giving them life. Their voices felt like they belonged to a teenage and were realistic. Before I read Nil, I'd just finished a book that was also told in two perspectives, so considering that, Nil had some competition - it definitely kept up. In fact, I think I'd have to say Nil is the best book I've read containing multiple POV's. I don't think it's an easy thing to pull off (establishing two voices, instead of just the one), but Lynne did it with such ease. I never once wanted to hurry back to the other character, which is such a rare occurrence. I was perfectly content and happy reading from both Charley and Thad. I definitely don't think it would have had the same effect had it been told through just the one voice.
If I had to nitpick, there were a few cheesy moments. But hey, the world can always use some cheese. There is also a slight case of insta-love, which I'm not a fan of, but I didn't really notice it until someone pointed it out a review. The circumstances on Nil are definitely not normal - if you don't get off the island in 365 days, you're dead. Bonds tend to be established pretty quickly, as the people of Nil only have each other to rely on for support and friendship, in this world where nothing is what it seems.
As you can tell, Nil made a great impression on me and I definitely recommend it to readers wanting to escape into a unique setting and captivating book. I absolutely can't wait to see what Nil Unlocked brings - you can definitely count me in.
4.5/5
