Nil (Nil Series, 1)

Actual rating 3.75 stars.I went into this without knowing much about the Nil universe other than it was a survival adventure for a group of teens on a tropical island. I certainly did not expect the sci-fi twist, which I found delightful and set up an interesting premise. This book felt like a mash-up of ‘The Maze Runner’ and ‘Beauty Queens.’I got a little worried with the dual perspectives, it is usually a note that gives a lot of repetition in the narrative, but ‘Nil’ managed to dodge this pitfall expertly.There was a little bit of a slow start. The world building took a little bit of time to erect with such a large cast of characters, and the rules of the island inhabitants… and the island itself. It is well worth persevering. I’ve read slower, I think because we learn about the world through ‘show’ more than ‘tell’ it slowed the pace a little. But it’s the kind of writing that I prefer. ‘Nil’ definitely captured my imagination.Protagonist Charley, an athletic, 6-foot, awkward teenage girl awakening naked on a strange island was a great premise. She really works at finding herself, and her place on the island. I loved how her unique perspective of the island, and its reason for being, adds something new to the story. I love how the attributes she found embarrassing about herself were the things that gave her advantages in this hostile environment.The constant ticking clock for all the characters added an urgency that really upped the pacing and kept me engaged right to the last page.Thad, the love interest, was all things hunky hero that you’d expect. The leader, the rescuer. Though he didn’t embody that stereotype completely. He gets to live outside those initial impressions, and lets Charley deconstruct a few of these aspects on her own terms and grow as a person. It was great to read about his doubt and insecurities.The romance between these two felt a bit insta-lovey. I would have liked have read more of a build and a rocky start. So it did feel a bit cheesy and tropey in that respect.Contra to that, ‘Nil’ is brutal. Matson is not afraid to pile up the body count – and any character is fair game. I really did not know who was going to make it through to the end. This air of uncertainty, of living in the now, adds some great tension and had me hooked.‘Nil’ reads more like a romance with a survival setting. Upon finishing, while satisfied with the resolution of major plot points, the mystery of the island remains unsolved. And I am keen to read on in this trilogy to discover what Nil is all about. Though it looks like the sequel ‘Nil Unlocked’ is dealing with different protagonists.There was a contrived element that urked me. Like some big Game Master was pulling the strings. Whether this was intentional, and the role of the island itself, or the author setting up the storyline, it’s something that resonated with me in a slightly negative way.I think if there was a touch more explanation about the island, a little less romance, less of the trope, this would have been a 5 star read. It is still a bonza read. I loved the adventure and the mystery of the island, the challenges to survival, and how visceral the challenges were. Definitely up there with my recommended books. Can’t wait to work out the mystery of Nil in the remainder of the trilogy.

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. I had really high hopes for it, but wasn't sure if it would deliver. And for a little while, I wasn't sure it would. It was a bit slow in the beginning, which worried me. But by the time I reached page 80, it had picked up and I was captivated by the story. Plus, if it's going to be compared to my all time favorite TV show, LOST, then the chances are pretty high that I'll fall in love with it.I had a hard time trying to figure out what genre I'd put this book in. It was obviously YA, but there were several sub-genres that I could have put it in. There was romance, there were paranormal elements and there was science fiction. In some ways, I find these kind of books the most compelling because there are multiple elements involved and they each do their part to tell the story.Even though Charley & Thad were considered the main characters, I really loved Natalie. She was so vulnerable, so realistic. I loved how she trusted Thad and Charley despite all of the craziness going on. She cared about all of NIL's inhabitants. She had a good heart, a caring heart.NIL itself was interesting. Not only was it an island but it also seemed to be personified. I'd never seen this in a book before, so that was captivating. Was NIL also a person or was she seemingly personified because of the mental health of all the inhabitants."To NIL we come, from NIL, some go, and some like me, will stay. The clock winds down, our time runs out, and NIL will have her way."That is probably the creepiest song I've ever heard. Legitimate shivers. Not a lot was said about Ramia, but I was so, so curious about her. I actually had some theories about her and her connection to NIL. I probably spent a bit too much time thinking about her and her possible connection to NIL.Now Charley & Thad. I understand that a lot of people were a bit iffy on how quickly things developed between them, but this wasn't typical life. They were on an island for goodness sakes. It's not like they had a million other life things to attend to, Yeah they were off searching for gates and even newcomers, but there was more time to develop a relationship. I liked them together, I rooted for them to get together and that is a great feeling to be able to do."You're right, Charley. NIL does change the way you see things. NIL makes everything more clear. What's important, what matters. And for me, that's you."This book stressed me out completely. I can't exactly say why it did, as it could be considered very spoilery, and I really don't want to ruin it for others. But, I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. I am giving it 5 stars and I cannot wait to read NIL Unlocked, which I'll be starting ASAP.

Where to begin...Nil is the story that once you have finished the book you just sit there and imagine yourself in that situation and what you would do, whether you would be a survivor or struggle to cope with what has happen to you. I'm so pleased I got the chance to review this for Lynne. When I found the book I was extremely excited to read it, and I wasn't disappointed.Nil is written in two point of views, the first of which we get is Charley's as she starts a normal day in Georgia, then all of sudden everything has changed and she's naked on this mysterious island known as Nil. Charley survives twelve days alone before meeting two guys (Thad and Jason) who show her there's a lot more to Nil. They show Charley Nil City, the place where most survivors live helping each other, trying to get back home. Charley soon learns that getting home isn't easy, and that they only have a year to do it.One reason why I think this book is so great is because you can tell Lynne thought alot it through, it was inventive. From the way everyone pulled their weight and made things they needed, to the cravings and shimmers/gates. It's something I wouldn't have ever come up with, but makes me glad Lynne did. It's a brilliant story. Although the book leaves you with a few questions and some "what if's", I believe that's part of it. You can give yourself your own answers, never knowing if that would be true or not. It's like even after you finish Nil, It's still there making you think! The mysterious Nil.So as I said Charley is the first point of view we get, a very strong girl who soon learns to just about survive for those twelve days, but she still has those conscious feelings. The description of Charley is a very beautiful long blonde haired girl with a twist, she's very self conscious of her height and that featured throughout the book. It's makes Charley much more relate-able to other girls, having that one thing you worry about like crazy. Charley also has the brains, looking for more information about Nil trying to figure Nil out.Then you have the second point of view from Thad. The leader of the Nil City. If anyone has a problem or needs some help Thad was the person they would go to. Even though Thad definitely has his strong, independent side he cares for everyone and would do anything to protect them.Of course we have to have some romance, and that would be between Charley and Thad, instant connection the moment they laid eyes on each other. Reading both of their POVs knowing they had these feelings but not doing anything about them was sending me crazy, I wanted to swoop on into the book and make it happen! So when we finally get what we want, their relationship is so open and honest and just so lovely to read. It's definitely a relationship we would all want, just without the whole Nil part! Charley and Thad's, no regrets.There's a lot more characters in the book who you grow to love. It's like a big group of friends with a time limit, knowing it isn't going to last forever. Just brilliantly written. This book will take you on a roller-coaster with all the happiness, sadness and everything else in between. I won't say anything else about what happens in the book, it's better if you don't know everything before going into it, adds to the mystery. I cannot stress how much I would like everyone to check this book out, give it a chance.

this was a present for my grandaughter she loved it

The best book I've read for ages !

Ohne große Erwartungen habe ich mit diesem Buch begonnen und der Einstieg konnte mich auch direkt packen. Das Setting auf der Insel und das ganze Szenario mit dem plötzlichen Verschwinden fand ich sehr spannend und war neugierig was mich noch so alles erwarten wird.Leider setzte dann irgendwann die Langeweile ein, denn es ist nicht wirklich viel passiert und es hatte eher was von Teenie-Survival-Camp. Dies konnte auf Dauer mein Interesse leider nur bedingt halten. Es gab dann leider nur noch ab und an ein paar spannende Momente. Die Charaktere fand ich sympathisch, aber werden mir nicht unbedingt im Gedächtnis bleiben.Die Liebesgeschichte war mir leider viel zu sehr insta-love und konnte mich daher nicht wirklich mitreißen. Lange Zeit hatte ich dann die Befürchtung, dass das Buch mit einem fiesen Cliffhanger enden wird, da es sich ja um den ersten Teil einer Reihe handelt, aber das Buch ist in sich abgeschlossen und der nächste Teil handelt von einer anderen Person auf der Insel. die man hier bereits kennengelernt hat.

Die Ausgangssituation von Lynne Matsons Jugendroman “Nil” klingt vielversprechend: Jugendliche landen auf einer mysteriösen Insel und haben genau 365 Tage Zeit, diese lebend wieder zu verlassen. Simpel, aber durchaus reizvoll. Der Einstieg in die Geschichte lässt dann aber schon erste Zweifel aufkommen, ob das Buch wirklich so cool wird, wie es die Inhaltsbeschreibung (und auch das wunderschöne Cover) verheißen lassen. Denn wie die Hauptfigur auf der Insel Nil landet, ist doch eher unfreiwillig komisch: Sie wird auf einem Parkplatz von einer flimmernden Hitzewelle erfasst und wacht wenig später im Paradies auf. Dass es die 17-jährige Charlie dann recht mühelos schafft, auf dieser scheinbar verlassenen Insel tagelang alleine zu überleben, muss man dann ebenfalls einfach so hinnehmen. Interessant wird es erst, als das Mädchen auf ihre Leidensgenossen trifft und sie und die Leser mit den Spielregeln des Eilands vertraut gemacht werden: In unregelmäßigen Abständen landen Jugendliche durch Portale auf der Insel und haben genau ein Jahr Zeit, um diese durch ein weiteres Portal zu verlassen. Blöd nur, dass diese völlig willkürlich auftauchen, in einem Höllentempo durch die Landschaft fegen und sich nach Sekunden schon wieder schließen. Wer es in 365 Tagen nicht schafft, ein solches Tor zu erwischen, fällt im Prinzip tot um.“Nil” hat mich beim Lesen sehr häufig an James Dashners “The Maze Runner” erinnert, was vor allem am ähnlichen Setting (man ersetze lediglich das Labyrinth durch ein Inselparadies) liegt. Man hat keine Ahnung, was es mit der Insel auf sich hat und wer oder was für die Portale und die Todesfälle verantwortlich ist. Und auch die Bewohner erinnern ein wenig an Dashners Gladers. Regelmäßig werden Spürtrupps losgeschickt, welche die Insel nach Portalen absuchen, während der Rest sich um die Erhaltung des Camps kümmert. Die Ungewissheit des Szenarios erzeugt zwar Spannung, allerdings macht sich Lynne Matson einen ähnlichen Suchtfaktor wie bei “The Maze Runner” durch unzählige Kopfschüttel-Momente selbst zunichte. So erschreckend es auch ist, dass Jugendliche um ihr Leben kämpfen müssen – die Dramatik rutscht ins Lächerliche ab, wenn diese zwischen Beerdigungen toter Kameraden und lebensgefährlicher Attacken seelenruhig Volleyball spielen oder im Meer surfen.Ein weiterer Knackpunkt ist die sich durch das gesamte Buch ziehende Romanze, die man wohl am besten mit “Insta-love at its best” beschreiben kann. Okay, es sind extreme Bedingungen und die Autorin wird auch nicht müde zu erwähnen, das man aufgrund der ungewissen Zukunft den Moment leben müsse – aber dass zwei 17-Jährige sich auf den ersten Blick Hals über Kopf verlieben, sich dann ewige Treue schwören und immer wieder beteuern, dass sie den jeweils anderen ihr ganzes (17-jähriges!!!) Leben lang gesucht haben, ist dann doch etwas des Guten zu viel. Damit man das Liebesdilemma auch in vollen Zügen auskosten kann, darf neben Charley auch ihre große Liebe gleichberechtigt die Ereignisse auf Nil erzählen – und zwar ebenfalls aus der Ich-Perspektive, was häufig ein wenig für Verwirrung sorgt. Fairerweise muss man der Autorin aber auch zugestehen, dass das Pärchen in manchen Momenten dann schon recht niedlich ist und dass gerade der Schlussakt der Story wohl auch nicht funktionieren würde, wenn man diese Love-Story nicht total auf die Spitze treiben würde.Es fällt mir wirklich schwer, zu diesem Buch eine Wertung abzugeben. Einerseits fand ich das Setting toll, die Charaktere sympathisch und auch die Mysterien der Insel haben mich dann schon immer wieder zum Weiterlesen animiert – “Nil” ist halt einfach kurzweilig und auch durchaus spannend. Dem gegenüber stehen jedoch unzählige Passagen, in denen man ob der schmalzigen Dialoge oder unfreiwillig albern wirkender Ereignisse einfach nur mit den Augen rollen möchte. Auch das aus meiner Sicht sehr unbefriedigende Ende sammelt nicht gerade Pluspunkte. Man kann mit “Nil” wirklich Spaß haben und einige Stunden seichter Unterhaltung erleben – man sollte nur ein wenig Kitschtoleranz mitbringen und nicht unbedingt immer alles genau hinterfragen.