REVIEW: Nil 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.

synopsis

3 of 5 stars. Please read my rating system further below. 

Nil was an action-packed thrill ride that involved one of my favorite things in books; survival. My favorite aspect of the book was the overall concept of Nil island. The gates, the patterns, only having one year to catch a gate otherwise you die, etc. I did feel like the world development (more like island development) was a bit underdone. First of all, never in the book was the reason why Nil was named Nil ever explained (even though the people on Nil probably don't know). You have no idea how much I yearned to know why, especially because Nil is such a cool name. The romance between Charley and Thad was definitely "instalovey", and I part understand that because they have to act on their feelings since they have days left together, but I wish that Thad and Charley actually got to know each other better before they were an official item. Nil is told in dual perspective (Charley and Thad), and I enjoyed reading from both, especially Thad's. I loved how I got to experience Nil from his point of view, since he had experienced things before Charley had arrived. Charley wouldn't be considered one of my favorite female characters, but she wasn't exactly annoying, and I liked how she contributed to "Nil City". Natalie was my favorite character because she had other problems to deal with other than catching a gate and surviving on Nil. She had human problems, something the other characters lacked of since they all wanted to get back home. Natalie lost her love Kevin who was also on Nil, and reading about her coping with the lack of someone in her life was so real and invigorating. One thing that I was absolutely bothered with close to the end of the book was how much Charley cared about having sex with Thad. It was annoying to read how she went on and on about how they should do it before Thad's time ran out on the island. Overall, I really enjoyed reading Nil and I would recommend to anybody who would like to read something quick about survival, friendship, and love. 

My rating system: (I do use half stars.) 

5 - I do not use the 5 star. Not because a book might not be worthy, but because a book is never perfect. 

4 - I loved it! There weren't too many flaws, and I had no trouble getting through it. (A 4 star rating is the highest rating I've ever given a book.) 

3 - I enjoyed the book, but there we're flaws that made me enjoy it less. 

2 - I finished the book, but there were too many flaws for me to enjoy it. 

1 - I could not finish the book, and I probably did not finish it....

Reviewer:

Grace