Book Review: Nemesis by Brendan Reichs

Nemesis by Brendan Reichs (from a Two Thumbs Up reviewer) - McNally Robinson Booksellers
What is Nemesis?

- It's a thrilling YA mystery that leaves you wanting more
- It's full of mind-blowing twists that will actually make you look up from the book to shout to the entire world around you TO READ IT
- It's a dark tale that stabs (quite literally *wink,wink*) you in the heart at every turn and constantly throws all new levels of craziness into the mix

Nemesis shouldn't work, but somehow it does. It managed to have me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It shocked me. It creeped me out. I laughed. I cried. In short, I loved it. It was one of those rare books that glued my eyes to the page and had me devouring each sentence in a mad need to find out what the hell was going on and what would happen next.

The best books are held aloft by a great protagonist and Nemesis is no exception. Min is exactly the type of character I love. She's strong-willed, fierce and brave. She is also angry, bitter and ferocious. Min has experienced her 'murder' and then 'revival' every two years since her eighth birthday. She has lived her life to think that there's something wrong with her, that she is crazy. We soon switch POVs to Noah, our second main character, who is almost the exact opposite of Min. She's like fire, raw and burning, while he's like water, calm and soothing. Noah have been experiencing the same 'murders' as Min, and weirdly he has the same birthday as her. While he is afraid, Min is hungry for answers.

This book opens on September 18, 2017, and an Anvil is predicted to hit Earth. The whole population holds their breath for the final outcome. Oddly, this is one day after Min and Noah's sixteenth birthdays and murders. This book has so many things going on at once, but it never feels overwhelming. The author expertly executes this story by making you think you know where it's going, then making an abrupt U-turn and shouting, "ha! I fooled you all!" The plot is absolutely spectacular from beginning to end. We have Min, who questions everything and is a very action driven character, while Noah is observant and reserved.

In all end, this book is the latest addition to my YA favourites shelf. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a great plot, diverse characters, and hilarious-to-date humor. 9.4/10 stars

FRIENDSHIP

Mew scored another 10/10 for her English essay on “Friendship”. I am truly amazed at her ability to think so originally and put her ideas into words so nicely at such a young age. Because I like this piece of writing very much, I do not want it to get lost somewhere (she did not save her file after printing unfortunately). Someday she may read it again and see a part of herself in the mirror of the past. And now, let’s enjoy the beauty of friendship with her!

For me, friendship is something that comes and goes. The benefits of a good friend is almost endless to name, but most of the time, people move away or drift apart. The point of living is to change and grow - something Peter Pan can never do, and for most people they do grow, and they soon grow apart. Maybe that’s why Peter lost Wendy. It doesn’t mean the love before wasn’t real, it’s just, now, people have different wants and dreams. But let’s talk about the “now”, the experiences and memories. Let’s not worry about the “later”, the future to come. To do this, I have to include all the five senses.

Friendship can be seen. Looking at a group of friends, you see the ease in their bodies. How effortless they can make each other laugh. How they’re living the moment, taking the little things in; like how someone’s eyes light up or a little pixie is trailing behind them. They don’t realize that the spotlight is on them - they’re oblivious upon the spotlight at all - but it’s always there, shining on the groups of friends that make each moment count.

Friendship can be felt in a touch. A friend’s helping hand, for example. They encourage us and lift us off our feet, making the impossible, like flying across the sea to the second star to the right. It can be felt through a gentle touch, like rescuing Tiger Lily from Captain Hook, carrying her gently across the lake. Or when, Wendy had to comfort her brothers, she wrapped them into a hug, tight and safe.

Friendship can be heard. In a cry of help, sharing news, just talking and goofing around. It is heard in the tone of voice, high and longing to be heard. You can hear it in the witty dialogue someone shares. It can also be as simple as calling someone’s name. Calling them, and knowing they’ll answer, coming to your rescue in a heartbeat if needed - not even questioning their motives because it’s a friend’s instinct.

Friendship has a smell. Maybe an ocean breeze or a citrus-y smell. Wendy will think of Peter when she’s near the ocean, the salty air and the heat of the sand beneath her feet. To me, personally, it mostly reminds me of perfume though - at first, nice and refreshing. But the more you wear it, the older it gets, and after awhile, you want something new - of course that’s not in every case, but most of the time, we move on.

Last but not least, friendship has a taste. A bittersweet taste like when you’re going to bite into a chocolate piece, expecting something sweet and sugary, but turns out, it tastes like dark chocolate, bitter - like coffee even. Bittersweet because every relationships has ups and downs. Bittersweet because you might have to let them go, say goodbye. Bittersweet because Peter Pan, the child who will never grow up, loved Wendy - and she loved him, had to let each other go. The most heartbreaking part, though, is when Peter visited Wendy years later on her window sill, their fairy tale seeming too long ago to remember; Peter still remembered. He remembered and he’s still a child and Wendy’s now married with a child - a beautiful, grown woman like she was destined to be. They look at each other, now, and the taste is exactly sour and sweet. They look at each other now, and know, that they’re old friends.

Finally, more than the other senses, friendship is an experience of the heart. It is the language of the heart - a language without words, vowels, or consonants; a language that, whether seen, felt, heard, smelled or tasted, is understood by the heart. Like air fills the lungs, friendship fills the heart, allowing us to experience the best life has to offer: a friend.

(February 2017)