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And he’s my favorite person for a reason, because he reads them immediately. But then he gets hooked and will steal the next book and read it before me. Oh no, that is not okay. The bathroom door stays shut and I get first reading rights. These are fundamental marriage truths.
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YA novels that fall into this category of course are The Hunger Games series and The Maze Runner series. But there is a new series releasing Sept 12, 2017, that has the potential to join these phenom series. I believe Nxyia will be the “it” book to get for any guy or girl this Christmas. It could possibly be my fave YA novel I’ve read in 2017. And that’s saying a lot because there have been some power hitters from some great authors this year.
A YA SciFi from debut author, Scott Reintgen, Nyxia is as high key as it gets. Fathom? Oh you don’t like SciFi? I’m gonna nope that with extra nope sauce, because you do. Just as much as you like kids killing kids in an arena or kids running around an elaborate maze (full of weird slugs) so they don’t turn into zombies. Now you’re not going to be a better person for reading this book and you’re not going to go build schoolhouses in India after three cups of tea; but you’re going to escape to a final frontier while asking yourself: At what price can morality be bought?
More about Nyxia by Scott Reintgen
*arc provided by publisher in exchange for honest review
Ten teens are picked to mine a hostile planet for the most valuable substance in the galaxy. It will take a year to travel to the Earth-like planet, where the teens will learn the skills they need to mine and survive their new environment. To ensure the teens will take this seriously, only eight will make the cut to go down to the planet and receive the fame and fortune that comes with it.
Nyxia follows a poor African American boy, Emmett, who is desperate to make the cut. The money and health care benefits are everything his family needs to save his dying mother and set his family up for life. But as the competition increases, Emmett fights to find the medium between winning a spot while not compromising his integrity.
Why I can’t stop raving about Nyxia
You love/hate all the teens and understand their need to make the cut. Pulled from all around the world, each comes from a tough situation, and none of these diverse characters is a pampered pup. Every day the teens are reminded of where they stand in the competition and if one gets injured, it can cost them—leading some to unite while others look for opportunities to sabotage.
The twists. I can’t reveal because that’s wrong. Just know they exist and you won’t see them coming…at all. Even after I’ve told you. Well played, Scott Reintgen, well played.
Nyxia is pure adventure. While set in space, it doesn’t feel high SciFi. My daughter and I both devoured it in a day. That’s saying a lot for a SciFi book. It reminded me of Ender’s Game but it’s definitely its own thing.
Other YA series your boyfriend will want to read
The Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown
My husband and I still geek out over this series. And the best part, a fourth book is coming out in 2018. I don’t know if it is a new series or a continuation from the first triology. Either way, I can’t wait. Red Rising is about Mars colonization. That’s all I’m going to say about plot because I don’t want to give anything away. During the beginning of the first book, you might ask yourself: do I really care about Mars colonization? Stick with it. It was at about page 80 when I realized I care deeply about Mars colonization. Still do. You will too. All three books are out. Buy it.
Mask of Shadows by Lindsey Miller
*arc provided by publisher in exchange for honest review
A YA fantasy where twenty-five compete for a coveted spot in the Queen’s guard of assassins. There are only three rules: kill your competition, don’t get caught doing it and no collateral damage. Yup, awesome. Insane. Brutal. Awesome. The main character is a thief with a loose moral code and a heart full of revenge. S/he is also gender fluid which was a new LGBT perspective for me. This is the first book in the series. Buy it.
The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey
This is alien invasion at its best. Although don’t see the movie, it’s straight terrible…which is kinda funny because Nikki saw it and loved it, but she didn’t read the book beforehand which I’m sure helped.
Bent on taking the planet from us, aliens invade–systematically exterminating the human race. How do you survive after four waves (EMP, earthquake, plague, and snipers) of total annihilation?The novel starts after the fourth wave and flips between several perspectives including one of the aliens. All three books in this series are out. Buy it.
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
This is a zombie book. I hate zombie books, mostly because they creep into my dreams and I hate battling them all night long. But this series is soo fun. It’s creepy amazing. It does have one of the worst names for a main character: Deuce. Good thing the plot is cool because it was almost a deal breaker. There are three books in this series and a fourth book just released. Although the fourth book is set ten months after the third book and focuses on different characters. Buy it.
