The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes Book Review

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Genre: YA Christian sci-fi fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(You can read The Nightmare Virus’ blurb/summary on Goodreads here.)

The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes

The Nightmare Virus was a new and exciting ride for me! I don’t normally read sci-fi, and I have never read sci-fi fantasy until now. But let me say, this one was super cool!! The worldbuilding was creative (as it always is with a Nadine Brandes book 😉), and  I was sucked in and fascinated by it all! I found it cool to see modern aspects included (e.g. computers, social media, and references to things such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings). I’m used to seeing these modern details and fun nuggets in a contemporary book, so it was new, unique, and refreshing to find it in a fantasy/sci-fi novel. I also thought it was cool that Cain (the main character) was college-aged. I’m not used to seeing characters that old in YA, so again, this was refreshing. His age also helped him feel like a mature and independent character, which I think was crucial for this storyline since he lived on his own and had to take care of himself.

It didn’t take long for me to become invested in The Nightmare Virus. As I already mentioned with the worldbuilding, the story and world were engaging, but the characters were great as well! I loved reading from Cain’s perspective! Stranna was also amazing. How she and Cain “technically” first met in the Real World I thought was sweet and the best way for them to first meet in my opinion! The children were precious, and Crixus—I had my theories about him, but how things really turned out with him was a complete surprise! And the plot twist! Ack! That was the biggest surprise of all! I won’t say any more on that end other than it was SO CLEVER! Why did I not see it coming??? XD Also, though not as major as the plot twist, there were other twists and turns as well. So many times I thought one thing only to find out later that it was really another way.

Okay, if you’ve read any Nadine Brandes book, you probably were expecting this, but one of the best things about The Nightmare Virus was the theme! Eep! It was perfect!! I found it moving, inspiring, and one of the most stunning things about this book. This theme was definitely better to discover along the journey, so I won’t say what it was, but I will say, it made me want to stop what I was doing and go tell people about Jesus. I also loved that creating and, specifically, “creating with the Creator” as Mrs. Brandes often says, had a spot in this book. After hearing Nadine Brandes talk about creating with the Creator, it has changed so much about how I view creating, causing me to focus on creating for God and with God rather than for self or even with putting God as an afterthought. It has been life-changing for me, and I was happy to see this concept included in The Nightmare Virus.

One final note before I wrap up this review is that I wish there was more to the ending. I need more. But other than that, I’m happy and enjoyed the journey so much! This book was amazing!! I’m so glad I read it, and I definitely recommend it!! What are you waiting for? Go read it! 😉

Magic/mythical creatures:
“Nightmist magic.” Dragons, a chimera, and other mythical creatures. Reference to a vampire. Mentions of cannibals. Describes a scream as a banshee scream.

Language:
Uses of “blasted,” “stupid,” “idiot,” and “shut up.” Mentions of a character cursing.

Romance:
Clean and minimal: hand-holding and one kiss on the cheek.

Violence:
Mentions of murder, stabbing, blood, and wounds. Mentions a character’s throat being slit. Mentions of a sword piercing someone’s skull. Mention of a cannibal tearing off the skin of another character. Someone is eaten whole by a snake. People attempt to stone a character to death.

Other:
Mention of a character killing himself in the Nightmare. Referring to someone as a child trafficker.

*I received a free ARC e-copy of this book. This is my honest review.*