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olivialandryxo 's review for:
Nyxia
by Scott Reintgen
Early copy from Netgalley. This doesn't affect my opinion or my review.
DNF, 63%.
I wanted to like this book. I tried to like it. And honestly, it was good. Good enough to get two stars instead of one. The story was interesting and its uniqueness was the main reason I requested it. However, it was much slower than I anticipated. I read all of part one, over half the book, and they didn't even get to Eden, the mysterious new planet. You can see why that would be disappointing. On top of that, the main character Emmett was really unlikable. He was irritating, arrogant, entitled, and seemed focused only on winning. That might seem cruel, but from what I read, that's what I got from him. I liked, even loved the other characters, but he was unbearable to me. I think I liked literally everyone more than I liked him. Also, the nyxia (a substance found on Eden) seemed a bit too convenient, with it's only known limits being it couldn't create food or water. Otherwise it can be shifted into anything. How helpful.
Around the 45% mark I was torn between continuing and marking it as dnf. Then something happened and one of my favorite characters died, and honestly it was entirely Emmett's fault. After that I knew I was done. I wasn't even intrigued by the interlude right before part two. As bad as this might sound, I was relieved when I got to part two because that's when I let myself stop. Oops.
But in all honesty, I'm making the story sound much worse than it is. Despite what I've said so far, I did like it. I fully believe that Emmett was the main reason I didn't enjoy this book. If anyone else was the protagonist, I think I would've loved it. Maybe that's harsh in itself, but I just really, really didn't like Emmett.
One thing I really liked about this book was the diversity. Nearly all of the characters were POC and of varying ethnicities; Japanese, Chinese, Palestinian, Swiss, Brazilian, Kenyan. I can't speak for any of the rep, but I liked the inclusion.
Lastly, the sleepover scene was my favorite thing. It could've been better if only a certain death wasn't the cause of it. I'll be bitter about that death for a while, most likely. Sorry not sorry.
So, yeah, good book, but slow pace and an insufferable main character. I couldn't make it through, but I still highly recommend this to anyone interested when it comes out in September.
DNF, 63%.
I wanted to like this book. I tried to like it. And honestly, it was good. Good enough to get two stars instead of one. The story was interesting and its uniqueness was the main reason I requested it. However, it was much slower than I anticipated. I read all of part one, over half the book, and they didn't even get to Eden, the mysterious new planet. You can see why that would be disappointing. On top of that, the main character Emmett was really unlikable. He was irritating, arrogant, entitled, and seemed focused only on winning. That might seem cruel, but from what I read, that's what I got from him. I liked, even loved the other characters, but he was unbearable to me. I think I liked literally everyone more than I liked him. Also, the nyxia (a substance found on Eden) seemed a bit too convenient, with it's only known limits being it couldn't create food or water. Otherwise it can be shifted into anything. How helpful.
Around the 45% mark I was torn between continuing and marking it as dnf. Then something happened and one of my favorite characters died, and honestly it was entirely Emmett's fault. After that I knew I was done. I wasn't even intrigued by the interlude right before part two. As bad as this might sound, I was relieved when I got to part two because that's when I let myself stop. Oops.
But in all honesty, I'm making the story sound much worse than it is. Despite what I've said so far, I did like it. I fully believe that Emmett was the main reason I didn't enjoy this book. If anyone else was the protagonist, I think I would've loved it. Maybe that's harsh in itself, but I just really, really didn't like Emmett.
One thing I really liked about this book was the diversity. Nearly all of the characters were POC and of varying ethnicities; Japanese, Chinese, Palestinian, Swiss, Brazilian, Kenyan. I can't speak for any of the rep, but I liked the inclusion.
Lastly, the sleepover scene was my favorite thing. It could've been better if only a certain death wasn't the cause of it. I'll be bitter about that death for a while, most likely. Sorry not sorry.
So, yeah, good book, but slow pace and an insufferable main character. I couldn't make it through, but I still highly recommend this to anyone interested when it comes out in September.