Praise for EXTRA LIFE
“With EXTRA LIFE, Derek Nikitas gives us a weird-science thriller packed with inventive twists, dynamic action and characters we both care about and genuinely fear. Deeply satisfying.”
–Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of ROT & RUIN
"By turns clever, surreal, and poignant, Derek Nikitas has achieved a rare thing with EXTRA LIFE - a high concept thriller with both smarts and heart. An inventive, memorable young adult debut.”
—Gwenda Bond, author of LOIS LANE: FALLOUT
"A clever, fast-paced, and thought-provoking tale." —Publishers Weekly
"Escalating action and suspense will grip readers until the end. A fine first foray into YA lit by veteran thriller-author Nikitas." —Booklist
"Fast-paced, action-packed, and sometimes violent, this novel provides another variation on the time-tested time travel trope. A science fiction novel for die-hard fans of the genre." —School Library Journal
"Nikitas' first young-adult effort, proves a brisk read that ought to entertain all s-f fans, regardless of age."
—StarNews Media
Praise for Derek Nikitas
“Any subject Derek handles, channeled through the lens of his unique sensibility, is likely to be of unusual worth and interest.” —Joyce Carol Oates
“Here is a book to scorch the heart and freeze the blood. Here is a story that leaves the reader gasping in shock and sadness, dry-mouthed and damp-eyed, dragging in air as the final chapters detonate. Here, in abundance, is live-wire language pumping beauty, desire and violence like electric currents; here are characters so exquisitely textured, the pages nearly shudder with their breath.”
—The Washington Post on The Long Division
“Nikitas' stellar first novel isn't just one of the best genre debuts of the year, it's one of the best releases - period.” —Chicago Tribune on Pyres
“A harrowing debut novel in which a girl who witnesses the brutal murder of her father learns the worst is yet to come... The prose is admirable, the mood pure Ingmar Bergman.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Pyres
“Beautifully realized characterizations power complex story lines that meet and connect this disparate group with the inevitability of Greek tragedy.”
—Publishers Weekly on The Long Division
“As he deftly weaves together three perilous storylines, we feel ourselves simultaneously moved, horrified and brokenhearted as the novel spirals towards its breathtaking conclusion. Nikitas finds beauty and pathos in the smallest of gestures, the largest of actions, the darkest of paths. Not to be missed."
—Megan Abbott on The Long Division
11/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—Horace "Russ" Vale has a less than stellar school record. He tries to change his ways and finds an interest in filmmaking. With his friends, Russ sets out to make a film of his own. But when nothing goes according to plan, Russ has the opportunity to repeat the day through a mobile application on his cellular phone. The app warps him back in time, and the teen attempts to make things right for himself. Russ's ability to leap back in time creates parallel universes that pit him against himself as he works desperately to fix the future of his past actions. With each leap and the help of his friends and father, the teen protagonist must combat multiple doppelgangers roaming in the same space and finds that changing the past has exponential and sometime tragic consequences. The mechanics of the time travel are a bit complicated and get more so as each time warp unfolds. Fast-paced, action-packed, and sometimes violent, this novel provides another variation on the time-tested time travel trope. VERDICT A science fiction novel for die-hard fans of the genre.—Vivian Ho, Port Washington Public Library, NY
