Parents' Guide to Nemesis

Nemesis Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Michael Berry By Michael Berry , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Big surprises in action-packed thriller about re-dying girl.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 13+

Based on 2 kid reviews

What's the Story?

Death is repetitive but unpredictable in NEMESIS. Since the age of 8, Min has been killed by a stranger on every second birthday. No matter what she does, the man in the black suit arrives to murder her. Resurrected, she always returns to consciousness as good as new. Now, at 16, she's determined to get to the bottom of a vast conspiracy that involves the 64 members of her high school class, the military, and many of the adults she trusts the most.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 2 ):
Kids say ( 2 ):

A killer concept drives this intense thriller, as a haunted young woman unravels her small town's secrets. In Nemesis, author Brendan Reichs doesn't waste any time in kicking off the action. Min, Tack, and Noah have different ideas of how to handle their town's natural and man-made crises, and their individual struggles make for compelling reading. There's plenty of twisty plotting, but some readers may be disappointed in the big reveal, depending on how savvy they are when it comes to science fiction. And readers will have to wait for at least one more volume to know how everything turns out. Most will eagerly await the next book.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Nemesis portrays the authoritarian takeover of a small town. Why do people obey dictators?

  • What do you think of the way violence is handled in Nemesis? Is it appropriate to the story or over the top?

  • How do people react to a natural disaster? In what ways can they prepare for such an event?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Nemesis Poster Image

What to Read Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate