NIL by Lynne Matson

by TPS reader mcanallya20

Nil by Lynne Matson is the first book in the Nil series. The book begins with Charley, one of the main characters, landing on the island of Nil. Immediately Charley begins collecting food and building shelter. A couple minutes before she was at Target, and now she is alone, naked on a mysterious island. She doesn’t panic but instead has a clear head. After days of being alone, Thad, one of the people living on the island of Nil, finds Charley and takes her to the City. Once Charley enters the City, her relationship with Thad develops. There is a connection between Charley and Thad from the start, and by the end of the book they are an amazing couple. There are also others who live in the City like Natalie, who becomes good friends with Charley. I would have liked to see more about other characters like Li, Rives, and Sabine. Most of the book was centered around Thad and Charley’s relationship, but I wish there were parts of the book from the other characters’ point of view. I also wish there was a reason people were stuck on Nil. The book briefly glanced over a possibility, but I was hoping there was a reason specific people were on the island. Another thing that makes Charley such a strong, pragmatic character is that she figures out the pattern of the waves. The waves are the only way in and out of Nil. Most people on Nil are centered around surviving on the mysterious island, but Charley decides to create charts to find a way out of Nil, saving Thad, herself, and many others. Overall, Nil was an interesting book. I am excited to read the next book in the series called Nil Unlocked to see more about Rives and the others on the island of Nil.