It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...NIL

I am super excited to welcome another Valentine book into the world. Today, the wait is over. You can get your grubby little YA-lovin' hands on NIL by the wonderful Lynne Matson

How awesome is this cover? Seriously. 

So here's the book in a nutshell: On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die. 

What a book, you guys. Equal parts tense, thrilling, and romantic. I'm going to break down NIL's awesomeness acrostic style:

N - need answers? You'll get 'em. My biggest pet peeve with sci-fi stories, be them books or movies or TV shows, is when things aren't explained. We just have to accept some plot points as is. LOST was a prime culprit, bringing up questions it didn't answer. Teens wake up on the mysterious island of Nil with no understanding how they got there, nor do they understand how to leave. You need to catch a gate of light, but they don't know what it is or why it works. I was all set to just accept these "facts." Oh, there's no way Lynne can explain anything on Nil logically. Oh yes she did. If you want answers to this creepy island, you will get them. You'll get why Nil ticks, and you will appreciate having a clever author at the helm of this story.

I - island conflicts. You can't just stick a bunch of teens on an island and have everything be hunky dory. That would be like putting 7 famewhores  people in a house and not having them fight. NIL amps up the tension as the teens face life with a potential expiration date. I'll just say you were warned about Rory and leave it at that.

L - Love romance? Well, wait until you meet Charley and Thad, the main characters and star coconut shell-crossed lovers at the heart of the story. Thad is a swoonworthy love interest for Charley -- tan, athletic, smart. Watching their relationship bloom with Nil's lingering deadline -- you only have 365 days -- will have you racing through the pages. I said NIL was romantic, and I am like Shakira's hips. I do not lie. 

So there you go. NIL has intrigue, terror, and flirting. It plays with logic and faith the same way that LOST did before it got terrible. And for those of us suffering through this unending winter, it has PALM TREES and WARM WEATHER. 

via wikipedia

Best of all, if you read NIL, know that you're supporting a fantastic writer and person. But it's not like you need another reason to read this book. 

NIL is available at these fine outlets: 
Indiebound
B&N
Amazon