Nix Minus One

by Jill MacLean

Fifteen-year-old Nix Humbolt doesn't talk much. He's barely outgrown his "Fatty Humbolt" days, and although he is taller and leaner now, he has learned it is best to keep a low profile. He dreams about his only friend's girl, but of course she is hopelessly out of his league. Lonely and introverted, he is happiest in his father's woodworking shop, where he builds exquisite boxes and tables. The only battles Nix fights are on his Xbox - until the day he finds the guts to fight for Swiff Dunphy's neglected dog. Then there is Roxy, Nix's spirited older sister who always knows just how to get what she wants. But the guy she wants is seriously toxic, and even Nix can see that she is headed for disaster. All Nix can do is cover for her when she breaks curfew or comes home drunk. But this time Roxy is about to spiral out of control and change all their lives forever. And there is nothing he can do to stop it.

Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Canada, Teen, Novel In Verse, Coming Of Age, Fiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2013

About the author

Jill MacLean started as a writer of so-called formula fiction, but many years ago turned to poetry, its polar opposite; her collection was shortlisted for two awards, while her five literary novels for young readers have won four awards and received numerous nominations, four of them international. She’s now working on a novel for adults, set in the early years of the One Hundred Years War, in the shadow of plague.

She lives in Nova Scotia, has been a palliative care volunteer and a dog walker for two humane societies, and is a keen reader who loves libraries (they’re full of books and they’re free). Time with family and friends is of the essence. Gardening, music and solo canoeing are also high on her list: picture her paddling into the sunrise on a mist-wreathed lake (edit out the blackflies). She has a strong sense of adventure: she’s hiked the high Arctic tundra, driven the Dempster Highway, tramped lava fields in central Iceland, traversed very scary, unlit, one-way tunnels in the Faroes Islands and been much too close to a grizzly in the Mackenzie Mountains. Medieval peasants, war and plague? An adventure of a different kind. Add to this curiosity and a propensity for eavesdropping, along with a passion for vibrant characters and a well-told story, and you begin to understand what keeps her at her desk, day after day.

Jill needs an update here - a busy few years. Her first medieval novel, "The Arrows of Mercy," was published in 2023, and was a finalist for the Whistler Independent Book Awards sponsored by The Writers' Union of Canada. It received a stellar review in The Miramichi Reader and was one of their Best Books for 2023. The Historical Society highly recommended it.
Since then, she's written a standalone sequel, called "The Arrows of Fealty," which will be launched September 21, 2025. The advance reviews are excellent, and it received a 5-star review (based on the ARC) yesterday.

Reviews

[Winston Stilwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nix is your typical, verbally challenged teenage guy. In Jill MacLean’s Nix Minus One we are able to scratch this surface to uncover something much deeper. Through an almost journal of free-flowing poetry of inner thoughts we are introduced to Nixon Humbolt. He is a man of few words, his emotions clenched as tight as a fist. He’s not the most popular, most athletic or the most intelligent guy in school, but he’s pretty good at being average which allows him to sink into the sidelines of his own life.

All his free time and energy is poured into his father’s workshop, a sanctuary from his family. Here he is able to hone the delicate skills needed to craft some of the most elaborate pieces of woodwork. It is through this medium that he is able to harness the current of energy he otherwise safely contains within his own mind in his everyday life. Much like the stoic wooden boxes he creates, he has constructed around him a life that asks little of him and a cast of characters that at first seem to easily overshadow him. We meet Roxy, his wild older sister who’s fallen for Bryan Sykes (for better or worse), a politician’s son and all around bad boy. We also meet Chase McCallum, Nixon’s best friend and top scorer for the local hockey team, and Blue, Chase’s bird-watching little sister.

As we get to know Nix, we learn there are quite a few things that make his heart pound, be it a fight with his sister, to Loren Cody – the off limits girlfriend to his best friend, or even the hopeless mutt he comes to affectionately name “Twig”. As his relationships strengthen, so does his hold on his life and his ability to shape what he finds around him.

Nix’s life, like many, deals with issues including bullying, animal cruelty, first loves, underage drinking, family strife, and death. And just like in life, Nix experiences the highs and the lows of living as we learn what it means to grow up male, with the expectations that emotions are kept far from the surface.

Nix will make his way into your heart, as he did mine. From the complex family dynamic, his struggle of fostering friendships with those around him (the family we create for ourselves), and his enemies, those who always seem to close in when we’re at our very weakest. Jill MacLean’s masterful treatment of all the characters results in a story the reader will find sweetly familiar and sadly poignant.

In Nix I have found myself and so many others. For allowing me in, I owe him a debt of gratitude.

[MeggieBree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this book for the library in the spring, and couldn't remember why. I picked it up today because it looked like a quick read, and I am super behind on my reading goal, and I am so happy I did. What a fantastic read. I love that it's Canadian, but, more importantly, I love the writing. It is written like a novel in verse, but it didn't really seem that way to me. It's incredible how much emotion and detail the writer put into such sparse prose. It gutted me. I will be looking for more from this author!

[Abby Franks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heart wrenching, but a beautiful and fun read. Loved Nix and Blue.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astonishingly brilliant. This is the absolute top book I am recommending right now for adults and teenagers alike.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreakingly beautiful

[Time to start reading again · Rating 1 out of 5]

Or, A Promiscuous Girl Gets Her Just Desserts, as Told by her Histrionic and Permanently Depressed Brother .

I was gonna give this three stars. But as I thought about it, two. And then one. But here's why I started with three stars:

This is a well-written poetry-style book. The format didn't at all get in the way of the meat of the story. In fact, the few times where the author altered the general free verse stanza thing, man it was good. It helped me understand. This I did not expect.

And also it wasn't some high-falootin', tutti-frutti attempt at book sales. No, the reason I picked it up was because the back cover did not say "romance" or "dystopian" and it didn't have the usual tag line of "I'm so useless - a hot guy kissed me!". What the book was actually about: realism. Or, as I adjudicated it, a rather frightening twisted view on what I really hope IS NOT happening in the world.

Problems:
1) Any plot action STOPPED completely after The Big Event.

2) the sister had three pages where the author totally spun her around from sinx=1 to sinx=-1 just to try and convince us she was really a nice sister, and we didn't believe it for a minute. It was the most processed cheesy act and it ruined the whole book.

3) THE BUBBLE OF DOOM. the author surrounded her characters and their lives in a bubble. This brought down her attempt at realism. We don't really know if anyone comes to buy stuff from the Dad's shop, or what the Mom does for a living of what she looks like or what he looks like and do they have any friends at all? What goes on outside Nix's interactions with them? In my mind, there's their house, shop, and a foggy forest of vagueness surrounding....

4) What completely did it in to a 1-star: I can't rant about this enough A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD. What fourteen year old boy spends his days drowning in misery and poetic thoughts? And seriously, he never makes a joke. He never says anything funny. His friends don't either.

This is wrong.

How do I know? My brother's 14. He is nowhere near that. I am laughing in fright as we speak that maybe there is a 14 year old who is. I know some of his friends too. They basically eat, play sports and have one electronic obsession. Woodworking? My brother's the weird one, he actually has a non-electronic hobby. And I hope to high heaven he is not near to the stage of having arousing sexual dreams about girls, yes that's right, at the age of fourteen-- Jill you need to do something about wherever you live if that is what is happening there.



Onto the sister. She's eleven months older, so as the boy turns 15, she turns 16. Ok, I can get she is promiscuous. But when Nix goes all sappy and she goes all sappy as mentioned in point 2, it doesn't make sense. We can understand she was a perfect angel when she was six. But all this memento-hoarding was a little too much. Nix at one point "realizes" she really loved him a lot. *noises of stressed mental wrestling* That sister expressed love the worst I have ever seen. I hope no one reads this in case they get the slightest idea that love should be expressed by hating a person's habits and hobbies and verbally demeaning them, bribing them, pushing their help away and having NO grace at all for mistakes. She was a complete douchebag--who cares about the pictures she kept of Nix in her dresser? She had no care for the fact that her actions affected other people.

As I am 17 and my brother is 14, I can tell you we're not both sex- and romance-obsessed maniacs like in this book. Me, I hardly believed it was all true at his age. We had some wind yesterday and we both started yelling a wind-related quote from one of thirty stories we wrote together. And after that we watched some YTP and after played Mariokart and we each acknowledged where one was better than the other and we don't swear at each other or have some "complex relationship" and really - it's better that way.

And also, the love story is 100% predictable. *shrugs* And the dog? I don't like dogs. *shrugs* At least the message about animal cruelty is more legitimate than the message about brotherly and sisterly love.

This book is full of blame. Grace is never given. If this all is somewhat true, the world is dying. And by the good lord, and as he said, listen to your parents,, because where they've got one downside, you've got five.

[Chantale Pard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book! I've been dreading having to read any novels in verse - I've tried a few times before but could never get into it - they always felt too cheesy. I had placed this book on hold after reading the synopsis - it sounded great, but somehow I missed the whole "free-verse" part of the format during my initial scan. If it hadn't have been for my YA Book Club Challenge / Read-Across-Canada challenge, I would probably have just returned it without trying. But a quick read of the first few pages felt easy, and I enjoyed the flow. Finding out it was set in Newfoundland and written by a Nova Scotian author, I couldn't resist trying it out (I'm an east coast gal, born and raised!).

This free verse novel worked really well for me. Sometimes it read like regular prose, which I enjoyed because I was able to really get the details of the story. The more poetic parts of the free verse were placed throughout the story at just the right places - enough to really convey the emotions. I loved the Nix/Roxy relationship, and also the Nix/Twig one, too. The setting was laid out perfectly - I could really feel Newfoundland in the verse.

I wasn't expecting some of the twists - I found myself tearing up once or twice, when I really didn't expect to. All in all, it was a beautiful, emotional little book that made me miss home! (Which is Nova Scotia, but I've been to Nflnd, and I miss there, too).

Also - I love it when I have an epiphany about the cover. You start reading the book, thinking the cover art means one thing, but in the middle of the book it really hits you as to WHY that image was chosen. It just clicks. "Awww, and the cover is wood shavings! Yes! Perfect!". If you've read the book we can discuss my perfect scene from the novel that I feel fits with the cover. Great choice, Pajama Press!

[Ms. Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason I picked up this book was the quote on the back: "The first time I came across the word introversion was the first time I recognized myself. Like, there was a category for me. I spend thirty hours a week in a school where extroversion is the only version." Wow. Nix Humbolt is the main character, quiet, brooding, bullied. Right at the beginning of the story, while bringing some mail to a neighbor, he notices a sad, lethargic dog in the yard. He decides it will be his mission to engage the dog, and the parallel between the dog's development and his relationship with Nix and Nix's own journey is quite moving. This story got to me - it's an emotional ride that's well worth taking.

[Stefanie Carlson cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tears ran down my face for at least half the book. This is my new favourite Jill MacLean book. She gets better with every novel. Perfect characterization. Also the fact that it's fully in poetry format is outstanding!

[Christa Yoshimoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved, loved this book. A favourite from the spring list from Pajama Press!

[Whos Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Likey Likey

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it. Almost made me cry on public transit.

[Zee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

Jill Maclean’s "Nix Minus One" tells a moving story of grief, growth, and resilience. The protagonist, Nix, navigates the complexities of family, friendship, and self-discovery. Maclean's writing is immersive and rich in emotional depth, pulling readers into Nix’s world.

This book introduced me to a new genre, and the writing style was different from what I'm used to. However, the powerful themes and authentic portrayal of a young teen grappling with loss kept me engaged.

When Roxy died, I was shook and heartbroken. That moment hit hard, showcasing Maclean's talent for creating emotionally resonant scenes. Despite its flaws, Nix Minus One is a touching read that will leave a lasting impact.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I've said it before, but I'm a sucker for a novel in verse. This one got off to a bit of a slow start, but made up for it by the end. Some of the plot was a bit predictable (hence only 4 stars...really would prefer to give it 4.5) but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Gisele]

4.25 stars
Quite enjoyed this novel written in free verse...finished it in one sitting. Very touching...

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

In tiny Bullbirds Cove, Newfoundland, fewer families survive after much of the primary industry dried up from over-fishing. In first-person verse, Nix tells about his life: growing up and out of his fat boy childhood but not leaving behind his introversion and preference for working in his father's wood shop, video games, and crushing on his one friend's girl.

Nix begins to transform somewhat when he discovers an affection for the mistreated sad sack of a dog he finds at a neighbor's up the hill. Trying to coax the dog back to life with Milk Bones to take it on walks is a slow process but results in his making an effort to get outside and active--and a love for the quiet of the countryside. One love that never much alters for Nix is for his polar opposite sister Roxi, who worries him with her devotion to a local user of a guy.

On his rambles with the dog he calls Twig, he gets to know a strange girl named Blue who loves to go out birdwatching, is his friend's sister, and doesn't much care about how she looks. Blue is interested in helping Nix, and the two slowly get to know one another from their random encounters.

Nix's poem-thoughts deal with trouble for Roxy with her bad boy and fast friends, a girl he can't have, another that troubles him, and the dog he desperately wants to make his own, as well as family secrets and growing realization that wisdom and understanding don't always come with an approach to adulthood.

A quick read, nice for boys with a contemplative streak, this one might put off those unable to grapple with its Canadian setting and flavor. Others will find kinship with the quiet boy who wishes that life was more like making a table: patient work and care on top of skill bring good results. Dealing with people is more problematic by far.

[Arielle R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nix Minus One was a heart-warming tale about a quiet boy, name Nix. He is bullied at school, and has nothing to be excited for except for the time he spends in his father's workshop- his only real passion is woodworking. But when Nix discovers that one of his neighbors has been mistreating his little dog, Nix sets out on a "campaign" to keep the dog against his parent's wishes. Meanwhile, his vibrant older sister, Roxy, starts dating of of the most popular and misbehaving boys in school, and though Nix tries to discourage her from continuing with the relationship, she only starts drinking and staying up more, and because Nix loves her so much he covers for her when she comes home drunk one day. Nix meets Blue, his only friend's younger sister, and soon a rocky friendship is formed. One night- after Nix and Roxy fight- Roxy goes out to a party with her boyfriend and doesn't come home. The police finally find her body and come to the conclusion that she was drinking at the party and tried to walk home. While she was in the middle of the rode, a driver hit her and she was killed. Nix and his family don't know how to cope with the loss, and each of them find their own coping mechanisms. The only relief Nix has is when he is out in the woods with Twig, the dog he rescued from his abusing neighbor. The story ends when Nix finally comes to terms with his loss, and understands that his sister's death wasn't his fault. A great, amazing book.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

All teenagers have problems. Nix Humbolt is a fifteen year old boy who doesn't talk to people, neither does he like the idea of standing out or being noticed. Nix passes most of his days working in his father’s carpentry shop building boxes and tables as he tries not to be noticed by anyone around him; he wants to separate himself from the outside world. However, Nix has one dream; he has a crush on his friend’s girlfriend. But Nix knows that he will never be able to talk to her and she would never talk to him. One day Nix grows interest in an abandoned dog he stumbles upon; he knows he has to do something about the awful dog. But that was only the beginning of Nix’s problems. Roxy, Nix’s older sister, starts to date a guy that is the complete opposite of gentlemen; he is actually dangerous. Nix sense that his sister is heading downhill and he knows he has to do something fast to help her; but the only possible thing Nix can do is cover for her when she is out partying. Nix has no choice but to continue to cover for his older sister, but what Roxy is about to do changes their family forever.

[Chloe Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very well written and was quite surprising for me. I loved the character Nix, because he's such a fighter and he really does love his sister. I always love characters like that because my sister and I fight all the time, it's nice to read of a family with a perfect relationship. This book was a little slow in the beginning for sure, but once you endure the first few chapters it picks right up. I would recommend this book to anyone about 14+, I think many different people will be able to relate to the characters.

Nix Humbolt is a quiet, somewhat unpopular kid. He used be rather large and was nicknamed 'Fatty Humbolt', which inspired him to slim down and just lay low. He spends most of his time in the woodshop with his dad carving. Then one day he meets a dog who he thinks is worth fighting for although no one else does. On top of already avoiding bullies, helping out his older sister Roxy to stay out of trouble and keeping up on his orders for woodworking, he will now take on a new task: rescue that dog.

[Meaghan Birtch · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Slight Spoiler Warning*
Nix Minus One is a story about siblings and how they fight, but are always there for each other. Even after they are torn apart. They're polar opposite brother and sister Nixon and Roxanne. Nix has never gotten in a fight outside of online. Roxy has never missed a party. Lets see what will bring them together and what will tear them apart.
Jill MacLean could have done better on background information on who the characters were, there was some information but not enough to explain about there past well. I also think that she could improve on explaining the ending more, maybe put in an epilogue.
I think that the author did a good job on expressing of the characters feelings in verses. She also did well on displaying the stages of grief and acceptance. What I liked most about the book was being able to relate the main character. I didn't like how the mother acted after the climax.
I would recommend this story to anyone who likes realistic fiction.

[Leah Marie isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I read this book with only 8 days left in the year; had I started 2014 with this book the entire year would have been disappointing read after disappointing read because they wouldn't be my favorite book of the year. Thankfully, I have only 8 days of disappointed reading.


The realism is a much needed cold shower after a year of dystopia, cancer, and awkwardly serious romances between two 16 year olds. The poetic prose made the page dance beautifully as each sparse word carried more weight, like birds poised for flight. I can forgive 180 character flips (ahem, Nix's mother, the bipolar nature of Roxy) when they're anchored in a strong narrative and poignancy. This book has many layers to digest that a casual or flippant reader will write off; but a thoughtful mind will be haunted.

[Sue Saunderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Nix Minus One by Jill MacLean, the story written in free verse made it a quick read .. something I think today's youth find appealing, as it's not overwhelming. I loved the way Jill gave Nix an outlet in his woodworking. I could actually feel the smooth wood in my palms. Nix's woodworking allowed him to communicate and interact with the other characters in the story and proved cathartic in the end. I think Jill allowed Nix's relationship with the other characters in the book to develop in a way that felt truthful and real. I will recommend this to our teacher/librarians as a great read for group discussions, it deals with several relevant issues facing teens today, but also feels hopeful about tomorrow.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in first person we hear about Nix Humboldt, a young man to shy to stick up for himself. Chase a hockey player intervenes on his behave when he is bullied at school. Nix loves his sister Roxy and will do anything for her. But Roxy has chosen to live dangerously. Nix starts walking the neighbour's dog to lose weight and to feed and comfort the dog. The dog's owner sells him and his new owner treats the dog even worse.
Maclean handles a number of topics, bullying,dysfunctional parents, teenage relationships and guilt over the death of a loved one.

[Invalid Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING!!! I just love the whole use of poetry and use of words and metaphors. You could just feel the pain Nixon feels, the anger, the grief and finally, the happiness. I actually went back, wondering when he really gets better. There wasn't a specific point. That's the beauty of this book. In real life, you don't wake up feeling better after tragedies. You gradually heal. It was so real and heartbreaking. I loved the part where he finally had his epiphany and was able to forgive everyone. Some intense moments were written very well; I was sucked in.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in only a couple nights due to the format of the book. For one thing, I loved the story and I found the characters really strong and Jill MacLean did a good job making the reader sympathize with the main character. I really did not like how it was written, I would of liked it a lot more if it was just regular format. I did not like the cover,it grossed me out, but overall, I liked this book.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the writing.

The writing was really amazing. I really like poetry books, they fly by so much quicker and this really was written well. I have always loved it when poems are not on the left side of the page, and spread out to create affect. I really liked it here.

I didn't really care for any of the characters, they were the deep thinkers and catastrophes that you see in John Green novels. But they didn't drive me crazy, so it was okay.

[Barbra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nix used to be ‘the fat kid’ and although he has lost the weight, he endures bullying every day. Written in free verse, this sensitive story follows Nix as he deals with all life has to throw at him; his desire to help an abused dog, frustration in trying to protect an older sister heading for disaster, an old infatuation and a blossoming new friendship. Beautifully descriptive, with some mature content, this book is recommended for mature readers ages 12 to 16.

[Laura Gatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nix Humboldt is a typical teenage boy who has difficulty finding his place in the adolescent world. He is an introvert who loves to spend time making things in his father's woodworking shop. His older teenage sister, Roxy, on the other hand, is a popular extrovert who falls for a boy who leads her to become weak and give in to peer pressure. Nix lies for his sister and thinks he is doing the right thing until one day Roxy's life leads to disaster.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent free verse novel. I'm new to this format and wasn't sure I'd like it, but I loved it. Verse is powerful - I couldn't put it down, and read the whole thing in one sitting. I think any mature junior high student or highschool student would relate to this book and get a lot out of it - if not for the sheer enjoyment of reading it, then for the feeling of being - finally - understood.

[Kim Trusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I win the lottery and start my film production company, this is one of the books I'm going to fight for the rights to. I loved the form and the characters and the setting (Newfoundland, one of my favourite places on the planet)... I'm off to buy this tomorrow so I can mark underline all the golden moments.