Nemesis by Review

Nemesis (Project Nemesis #1)

by Brendan Reichs

I received a complimentary copy of Nemesis from the Children’s and Young Adult Book Review Board of Missouri in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Across a bridged mountain pass in Idaho lies a small, quiet, secluded town.  It seems to be like every other small town in America, but it is not.  Everyone has secrets and tell lies.  Min, a high school sophomore, has a secret.  Every even numbered birthday since she was eight, Min has been killed by a man in dark glasses.  Yes, you read it correctly.  Min has been killed four times.  Each time she is murdered in a different way, but she always wakes up the next morning in a peaceful field completely alive.  There are no signs of blood, ripped clothes, or foul play.  When Min tries to share her secret, no one believes her, so she keeps her mouth closed and simply tries to live her life in a “normal” way, which now includes weekly appointments with her shrink.  Strange things have been happening to the sixty-four members of Min’s class since they were in kindergarten.  She along with all her classmates were vaccinated against a mysterious threat.  Does this have something to do with her birthday murders? Lately, the news has been filled with a new threat, The Anvil, a giant asteroid, is heading towards Earth threatening to annihilate the world. Late at night, convoys of military vehicles cross the only route into the town and head to the uninhabited mountain lands.  Does this have anything to do with The Anvil?  Min can not answer these questions on her own, so she turns to some highly unlikely partners to help her solve these mysteries. Does she find the answers she is looking for or do the new answers simply bring up more questions?

Nemesis is a book filled with twist and turns and will keep the reader on her toes.  Just when you think you have the story figured out, Reichs throws in another twist that will keep you guessing.  I like the characters in this book. They are very dynamic and believable. Each character fits perfectly into place. Reich makes characters that you would trust in real life, untrustworthy; this is very creepy and adds an edge to the story. The plot of this book, I found to be very intriguing.  The murders and plot twist make this one of my new favorites.  I think the timing of this book adds to its intrigue and draw.  It address government conspiracies and “fake news”, which appear all over the news.  I just wonder could something like Project Nemesis really happen?  Not all my questions were answered in this book, but don’t fret.  Nemesis is only the first book in the Project Nemesis series.  

I have tried to find out when book to will be released but I have had no luck.  You can bet as soon as I know the date, it will be added to my Google Calendar.

I think this book is appropriate for high level reader in middle school and all high schoolers.  It will be one of the books that will spark numerous discussion at book clubs, in the halls and on social media.