NIGHTMARE VIRUS
AUTHOR:
Nadine Brandes
GENRE:
Dystopian
Fantasy
AGE:
13+
RATING:
5/5 Stars
REVIEW:
The Nightmare Virus takes place in a dystopian world where dream technology falls apart and a virus takes over the world, but this virus doesn’t go after the body, it goes after the mind. The virus traps people who have fallen ill into a universal dreamscape, where you have to fight in a Nightmare Arena much like the Romans of old, to earn your freedom to live in a new world that exists only in your mind. The main character, Cain Cross, is searching to find a cure but when he gets infected he has only 22 days until he is trapped forever. And navigating this world is a lot more complex than anyone thought.
Nadine Brandes has woven a fantastical story, creating engaging characters and a rich world for them to discover. I was instantly brought into the character’s internal conflict and immediately resonated with them. The emotions that this book dug into were so deep and I truly was left amazed.
The book was fast-paced and full of tension and high-stakes and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Yes, there were dark and some scary things in it but at the same time full of hope and goodness. An epic battle between light and darkness, good and evil, truths and lies, that fully captivated me. A faith-based story that wasn’t cliche, cheesy or preachy, but real, vivid and true. A story that speaks to the heart, and doesn’t shy away from dark things, but shows the light shining through to give us courage.
WARNINGS:
Deadly virus // Scary beasts
TAKEAWAYS:
This is a story with a character that I would want to fight for. A character who inspires courage and hope even in despair. In this book Nadine Brande’s teaches us the value of creating with the Creator. It delves into the idea that alone we cannot create anything, but it is not until we invite the One who created everything, in and let Him work and fill in the gaps to our imperfections, is when the magic happens. The idea that we were not made for this world, but for the world to come and how we should live in light of that. A greatly inspiring story!
Reviewed by: Adalyn E. Skains
The Blurb
Some viruses go after the body. But the Nightmare Virus goes after the mind.When dream technology goes wrong, a virus spreads across the globe, trapping people in a universal dreamscape. They call it the Nightmare Virus.Cain Cross is determined to find a cure . . . if he can decipher his brother’s chicken-scratch formula notes. But when he gets infected, he has only 22 days until he’s trapped in the mental prison forever. Now, every time he falls asleep, he must fight in a Nightmare Arena until he earns his freedom to live in the “new world” that exists only in the mind.Then he finds a way to manipulate the Nightmare—to change it by mere thought.Forced to navigate a world of nightbeasts, mistblades, and half-truths, Cain turns his focus to survival. When the Emperor offers him a LifeSuPod—and access to a cure—in exchange for a dangerous favor, Cain thinks he’s found a way out. But Cain’s new power threatens to take him on paths that jeopardize his very soul.Will he continue searching for a cure, or will he swear allegiance to the Nightmare? And the bigger question might be . . . will he even have a choice?
About the Author
NADINE BRANDES has been known to do wild things (like ride a sleeper train across Russia) in the name of book research. She is the 4-time Carol Award-winning author of seven Young Adult novels (ROMANOV, FAWKES, WISHTRESS, THE NIGHTMARE VIRUS, and The Out of Time Series.) While inventing worlds is fun, she is most passionate about Jesus, motherhood, and creating with the Creator. Nadine and her husband strive to live out Psalm 34:3 with their four exuberant children.
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