NIL by Lynne Matson

Title: NIL

Author: Lynne Matson
ISBN: 9780805097719
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Released: March 4, 2014
Page #: 374
Source: ARC from publisher

Summary:
"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. When she wakes up she's lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley can find 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 hidden dangers, their greatest threat is time."
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First Lines: (Quoted from galley, see final version for edits)

"Heat.
Inexplicable, consuming heat - choking like smoke, burning like fire.
That was my last memory before the invisible flames spiked into icy nothingness, along with the crazy thought that if I survived this bewildering bonfire, my dad would freak when I was late returning his new car."
Page 1
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Review:

Yep, pretty sure this is my favorite book of 2014. So this is me attempting to review this title without gushing too much.

NIL might be an alternate universe. It might be a random island that is unexplored. It might be a nightmare. No matter what, the people who are sent there only have one year until they either catch a gate back to the real world... or they die. Gates aren't easy to catch and they're certainly sporatic... sometimes the search for them drives people nuts. This is the world the Charley gets pulled into, whether she wants to or not. Luckily, there are people who have been there longer and help her figure out what's going on. In particular, Thad... the insanely attractive leader who takes her under his wing.

I really sort of hate it when books are compared to others, but I'm gonna do it here anyway. It's just so obvious! This book is a cross between The Maze Runner and Lord of the Flies. I was thinking about listing the ways they're similar, but that would take the entire review. I think at the core, NIL has that feeling of desperation you get in some of the best books... people in dire situations trying to figure out how to escape. It pulls you into that feeling seamlessly and doesn't let go until literally the last page.

Oh Charley... I wish we were best friends. She seems like the coolest person in the world. I had a little bit of a hard time buying the whole "I don't know I'm beautiful" thing she did with Thad, but otherwise I really loved her. She's inquisitive and accepting of the things that happen to her. That makes her a really strong contender in the world of NIL. And she's just straight up a survivor. I have a teeny obsession with maps, so her whole map-making focus made me happy.

This was one of the first times when I truly thought the story benefitted from the dual perspectives. There's a lot you learn about NIL through Thad's chapters. Things that you wouldn't understand without them. He knows about the land, he understands the cruelty that is NIL, and his relationships with previous inhabitants brings a whole different light to the things that happen.

Obviously I'm not going to tell you how this book ends... but I really want to! Because it's insane!! I've got a list of people in my head that I'm going to make read this book... just so I can discuss the ending with them. Hopefully they will all get the same feels I did. And there were a BUNCH! Now... it seems like this is a stand-alone book. I'm kind of hoping that it is. We need more amazing single volume stories like this! We'll see if there's more to come (you know I'd read it no matter what).

This is the book I walked around with in case I might find a second to read. This is the book I read while I paced around the room yelling "oh my god!!!". This is the book that basically made me stop breathing while I waited for the end. Are you getting that I think everyone should read it? That's what I was going for.
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Other Blog Reviews:

Xpresso Reads
The Book Addict's Guide
Jenna Does Books
Books As You Know It
Wastepaper Prose
Teen Librarian's Toolbox
My Friends are Fiction
Two Chicks on Books
Conversations of a Reading Addict
The Best Books Ever

Out This Week (May 4-10)

This looks like a good week for realistic fiction. There are definitely some that I need to check out. Have a look... 

 5.6.14 Blonde Ops by Charlotte Bennado and Natalie Zaman

5.6.14 Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

5.6.14 The One (Selection #3) by Kiera Cass

5.6.14 Pulled Under (Sixteenth Summer) by Michelle Dalton

5.6.14 Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga #1) by Jennifer Donnelly

5.6.14 Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey

5.6.14 Killer Instinct by S.E. Green

5.6.14 Will the Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up? by Sara Hantz

 5.6.14 Monument 14: Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne

5.6.14 Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

 5.6.14 After the End by Amy Plum

5.6.14 Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

Exile by Kevin Emerson

Title: Exile

Author: Kevin Emerson
ISBN: 9780062133953
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Released: April 29, 2014
Page #: 320
Source: ARC from the publisher

Blurb:
"Summer Carlson knows how to manage bands like a professional - minus the whole 'falling for the lead singer of the latest band' part. But Caleb Daniels isn't an ordinary band boy - he's a hot, dreamy, sweet-singing, exiled-from-his-old-band, possibly-with-a-deep-dark-side band boy. She also finds herself at the center of a mystery she never saw coming. When Calbe reveals a secret about his long-lost father, one band's past becomes another's present, and Summer finds it harder and harder to be both band manager and girlfriend. Maybe it's time to accept who she really is, even if it means becoming an exile herself..."
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First Lines: (Quotation from the galley, check final book for edits.)

"Just after dinner on the night before the start of senior year, Dad polishes off his guacamole garden burger, looks at me seriously, and asks, 'So, now what, then?'"
Page 1
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Review:

Summer has managed a band before - and she lost them to a big label. Now she has to start fresh and scope out new talent at her performing arts school. It's pretty easy to find someone new, but she has to contend with a lot of baggage. More baggage than she realized. But that also sets the new band up for future successes and a pretty epic treasure hunt. And quite a few shady characters mill around making things all mysterious.

I'm not a band girl. Well, not a rock band girl. I was the other kind of band girl...
Anyway, there's is a whole mindset of this book that is a little above my head. I mean, I get the basic concept. I understand the draw of the band. And I even can imagine the insane personalities that you encounter. But all of the rock references... yep, didn't get those. Something about Zepplin? Erm. A Beatles record? Okay. So I feel like there was something I missed out on a little bit, but it didn't keep me from enjoying the book.

I wasn't expecting the epic mystery element of this story. I think my expectation was just a cute story about musicians and touring and all that. Instead, this is a story about family and learning about what's important in life. I was a little impressed at how much deeper things went. Of course, you have to have the love triangle (which gets blown up) and the dramatics between the band members. And that there are several people who aren't who they say/think they are?! Gotta love that piece of intrigue!

There were a few times that I really wanted to strangle Summer. I get that she feels like she can't be herself around her parents. My parents were very understanding about things, so I have a hard time believing that her parents wouldn't understand her wanting to be a band manager. But that's just because of my own life experiences. I know a lot of families are more like hers, but it was hard to watch. I just wanted her to be truthful and loving. Instead she snuck around and lied to her parents. Oh god... does me noticing this make me old? Probably. But she's also constantly worrying about things and talking about how bad of an idea it is to date a band boy. And she does it anyway.

One very cool thing about this book - there is music that comes with it. Check it out: http://www.kevinemerson.net/2014/04/the-exile-soundtrack-is-here-three.html
I'm all about an interactive reading experience. No, the music isn't my taste (I'm an EDM fan), but it's still really cool. I know that sometimes authors put out soundtrack lists... but I haven't seen it done like this. I imagine that a lot of readers will really go for this.

All in all, this was a fun, entertaining story that I think people will really enjoy. I'm sure some of you will want to shake Summer as hard as I do, but the overall story is redeeming. This may be perfect for your beach reading this summer. (get it? summer? yolo.)
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Other Blog Reviews:

Nerdy Book Club
Candace's Book Blog
Snuggly Oranges
Books YA Love
The Book Hookup
The White Unicorn
The Storybook Kingdom
Reviews from a Bookworm
YA Romantics
Sarah Elizabeth's Bookshelf

Out This Week (April 27-May 3)

There are some really amazing books coming out this week - and some that I'm excited to finally get my hands on. Take a look:

5.1.14 Hunter (Super Human #4) by Michael Caroll

4.29.14 The Taking by Kimberly Derting

 4.29.14 Catch a Falling Star by Kim Culbertson

5.1.14 The End or Something Like That by Ann Dee Ellis

5.1.14 Scan by Walter Jury and Sarah Fine

4.29.14 Tease by Amanda Maciel

 4.29.14 Exile by Kevin Emerson

5.1.14 Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan

 4.29.14 Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike

5.1.14 Shattered (Slated #3) by Teri Terry

5.1.14 A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

4.29.14 The Treatment (Program #2) by Suzanne Young



Tease by Amanda Maciel

Title: Tease
Author: Amanda Maciel
ISBN: 9780062305305
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Released: April 29, 2014
Page #: 321
Source: ARC from the publisher

Summary:
"Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault.
At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that lead to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media.

In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment - and ultimately consider her role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

 

In this powerful debut novel inspired by real-life events, Amanda Maciel weaves a narrative of high school life as complex and heartbreaking as it is familiar. Tease is a thought-provoking must-read that will haunt readers long after the last page."
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First Lines: (Quote from the galley - see final copy for official quote.)

 

"'Did you ever have a physical confrontation with Miss Putnam?'

'Did what?'

'Did you ever have a-'

'Oh. Yeah. Uhm, yeah, I guess there was that one time in the locker room.'

The lawyer writes this down, even though the tape recorder is on, has been the whole time."

Page 1

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Review:

 

Hearing the story from the perspective of the bully is pretty intense. She's torn about what's right and what's wrong - especially when there are lawyers telling her what she has to think.

 

Sara is being charged with harassment because her classmate committed suicide after being bullied by her. She's not the only one - her best friend is also being charged, along with some guys who went out with the girl. They all have various charges, but it amounts to them being responsible for the girl who hung herself in her family's garage. The problem is that none of these people actually think they're to blame. They're not allowed to see or speak to each other, so Sara feels very alone in all of these meetings and therapy sessions and getting through summer school.

 

It was really hard for me to like Sara. And Emma. And Brielle.

Okay, so maybe I wouldn't want to be friends with ANY of the characters in this book. It seems like everything they do is petty and stupid. And I'm not just talking about the bullies - yes, they act horribly towards Emma and don't care about anything. But Emma also does some pretty horrid stuff herself. I mean, assuming all of the rumors and stuff were true. It's hard to feel for someone who seems so weepie and possibly-slutty.

 

I know, I know. The story is being told from the perspective of a bully. That means we probably aren't getting an accurate picture of what Emma is actually like. But without that other side of the story, it's hard to feel compassion towards any of them. Maybe in the last, like, five pages. But throughout the entire story, I didn't know what to think. Was Sara bullied into doing the bullying? Did Brielle make her do those things? Maybe she's just as much a victim.

 

All of that being said, this book seems extremely close to real life. I can imagine all of these things happening in a high school right now. Which is sad for many reasons, obviously. It might have been nice to have more of the post-trial story. How did Sara pull herself together after all of this? What will she change about friendships and boyfriends in the future? There's a little glimpse of that, but it might have been helpful (for teens reading this book who are looking for some guidance on the "what next.").

 

It's a pretty raw book emotionally. I appreciate that Sara is not immediately apologetic for the things that happened. She deals with things in a very real and logical way. She can't see how she can be blamed for someone else's actions. It's a hard thing to grasp, for sure. The way she is written and the thought process she takes is really wonderful. Again... real life. That's definitely where this author excels.

 

I can't say that this was my favorite book of the year or anything, but I think it will be worthwhile for people looking for books about bullying. It's such a hot topic right now and I know a lot of schools are dealing with it in various ways. Hopefully the title of this book won't hinder anyone from getting it for a school. The perspective is worth it and is something that people need to read. Seeing things from the bullied standpoint is also very important, but it's nice to have something that explains the other side a little more.

 

So, good book. Worth a read. Be prepared to struggle with liking the characters. But it's a story that will stick with you long after you put the book down. There's a lot to chew on.

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Other Blog Reviews:

 

Mab is Mab

The Young Folks

Xpresso Reads

The Irish Banana

As the Crowe Flies (and Reads!)

Social Potato

Great Imaginations

Me, My Shelf, and I

Lit Up Review

Looking for the Panacea