Book Review: Nona the Ninth
Nona's terminally optimistic perspective was so over the top that it became funny and never a drag to read.
Like its predecessors, Nona the Ninth feels like a very different book from the others, but in a good way this time. Nona is an innocent, endearing character living on a refugee world where, if discovered, "her kind" are killed on sight. Muir continues the amnesia theme, resetting the board once again with Nona, a girl who looks young (and a lot like Harrow!) but remembers nothing before a few months ago. Not only does this give her a fresh perspective on a very dingy world, Nona has a naturally wonderful outlook that provides a stark contrast to her war-torn surroundings, and made reading it a delight.
Nona is bunking with Camilla of the Sixth House and Pyrrha, an ancient Lyctor who doesn't seem to care about anything beyond getting the next pack of smokes. But Nona loves them. Despite her guardians' efforts to keep her isolated, Nona ends up enrolling in a nearby school, where she meets others of her mental age and becomes accepted in the group. She loves them dearly. And the main teacher. And the science teacher. And especially the science teacher's six-legged dog.
Sensing a theme? Yes, but rather than feeling campy, Nona's terminally optimistic perspective was so over the top that it became funny and never a drag to read. The school scenes lent it a coming-of-age feeling, with Nona trying (and not trying) to discover who she is and navigate a world that would execute her and her family for who they are, overlaid with very adult themes and end-of-the-world-important stakes. I highly recommend this brilliant apocalyptic tale.
My other Locked Tomb reviews:
Ryan Southwick
Ryan Southwick