I Love That Book!

4 STARS

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Let your unique traits shine through. 

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REVIEW: Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Release Date: September 12, 2017

Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure

Age Group: 14+

Add it to your TBR on Goodreads

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Disclaimer: 

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review.

This is a long review originally posted on Goodreads here. If you’d like to read what I’ve marked as “Spoiler”, please visit my original review. That being said, this review may or may not contain unintended spoilers. 

One of my biggest regrets when I first went into Nyxia by Scott Reintgen is that I was not in the mood. I was on a contemporary kick and I knew I had to read this book for review. The result of this was me only “kind of” liking this book for the first half, but then, wow, it picked up. Despite a few moments of forced chemistry and a slight pacing issue at the beginning, Reintgen’s novel was a fun read with great characters. 

Emmett, the protagonist, is one of those characters that you want to root for and who is surprisingly real. He isn’t the perfect, gorgeous, and always-ready male character. He’s a black teenager who is, like his competition, fighting for a better life for him and his family. By the way, I’m not…I’m not sure I’ve ever read a YA Sci-fi novel with a black male protagonist. Either I’m not reading enough Sci-fi, or this is an important YA read just for that fact alone. 

The concept of Nyxia is not entirely original, but it’s fun. It has that fun feel of competition and the corrupt multi-billion dollar company theme that somehow always appeals to me. In theory, this novel should have been amazing from the start, but the beginning lacked that gripping factor. Couple that with the slow pacing of setting up the story and the characters and their roles, the story read on the heavier side. Instead of being unable to put the book down, I found myself going back and forth between this book and countless others. I’m really glad I held on though because the story really picked up the moment some major events happen near the halfway point. 

I think one of the contributing factors to the slow pace was the monotony of the challenges. I know time is marked by the occasional mention of the challenges, but the first half was a little boring because of it. For example: Then this happened, and this happened, and this happened, etc. The second half changed a little bit because there was something else thrown into the mix. As the stakes grew, the more invested I became. 

One of the reasons why I’m giving this more than a three star rating is because of the characters. The plot may have lost some of its footing at times, but I loved the characters and their development. Emmett’s growth was my favourite. He’s so imperfect that he’s relatable. He’s caught in the middle of what is right and what is wrong. His constant struggle to remember who he’s been raised to be is realistic because everyone changes. I like that he doesn’t immediately become either a ruthless villain or a heart-of-gold protagonist. He’s not a walking cliche–at least not 100% of the time, anyway. 

Emmett’s friendships were another point of awesomeness in this book. They were complex and added another layer to the store. They were an added emotional investment for the reader since they were written so well. Bilal was especially well created as a personification of the good that Emmett could be, while Kaya was the personification of who Emmett wishes he could be. 

But while the friendships were well created, the rivalries were both well-created and a little depressing. A part of you wants to hate the antagonists but another part of you knows exactly why the events happen. Like I mentioned earlier in this review, Emmett is one of many desperate contestants in this competition. The humanization of the antagonists is what made them so well written. 

One of the biggest flaws in this book other than the occasional issue with pacing is the forced and awkward relationship, or love interest. Even Emmett was confused about how it developed. I honestly did not see it coming since it (view spoiler). It almost felt like a second thought–like the author forgot to include someone for Emmett to get with before the end. This book would have been fine without romance. It’s almost sad that it was even included in a book that was about so much more than a potential insta-love relationship. Honestly, this book isn’t about romance or broken hearts. This is a book about friendships, the fight for survival, and the internal fight we all face when we’re challenged to be something beyond ourselves. Oh, yes, and aliens. Those too.