Scene: BEA 2017. I’m standing in line for Leigh Bardugo’s Wonder Woman. Suddenly, some people are joining the line and they have new ARCs. The newbie BEA attendee in me begins to flip out, crying "Need!" Especially after I spy the name of the arc and it says Nyxia. Is it a person? Is it a place? A Thing? MUST HAVE.
Between my creaking bones and pins and needle legs, I’m half tempted to just cry my way through to Leigh Bardugo and find the nearest chair to dissolve into. But the kind people I was in line with, allowed me a brief moment to walk over to the nice man, ask for my copy of Nyxia and go on my merry way.
Months later, I finally pick it up. The first few pages gripped me like a vise and began to squeeze. And as I continue reading, the squeezing does not stop.
This book is a very well-written thrill ride with an intensely visceral but accessible emotional through-line. It’s sci-fi reminiscent of Alien and Ender’s game, with a dash of the Hunger Games thrown in for good measure. However, I cringe at drawing on imageries from those franchises because they do not do the uniqueness of this book any justice.
This is a coming of age story that can be set anytime and anywhere. It’s about confronting the gap between who we are and who we should be given trying and tricky circumstances. In this case, how do you be true to yourself if you’re on a space ship headed to a distant planet where you need to compete against nine other kids for a spot to gain not only a chance to be on the away team for said planet, but secure financial freedom for your family for pretty much ever?
Scott Reintgen wanted to write something for the front-row sleepers and back-row dreamers of the world, hoping his former students would see themselves in this tale. As former front-row sleeper, this book hit me hard. That it’s set in space with some AMAZING plot lines and world-building is a bonus.
This was a BEA ARC dark horse. It came out of nowhere and is suddenly ranking 8 bajillion points ahead of every other ARC. I need this book. I want the rest of the series. Nyxia comes out September 12, 2017. Grab it. Strap in. Enjoy the ride. It’s worth it.
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen | Series: The Nyxia Triad #1
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers | Publication Date: September 12, 2017
Source: ARC picked up at BEA 2017 (Thanks!)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for leaving a comment! I love seeing what you have to say, and will try to reply (here or on Twitter) as soon as I can :)