Authors: Claudia Gabel, Cheryl Klam
Publication: Katherine Tegen Books (March 18, 2014)
Description: The mind-blowing beginning of a futuristic series about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.
A new technology is sweeping the country. To enter Elusion®, you need an app, a visor, and a wristband and you'll be virtually transported to an exotic destination where adventure comes without the complications or consequences of real life. When there are accusations that Elusion is addictive and dangerous, Regan is determined to defend it and is pulled into incredible new worlds to discover deeply buried truths and to make the ultimate choice between love and loyalty. . . .
Full of thrilling mystery, romance, and intriguing technology, this Inception-inspired thriller is perfect for fans of dystopian and sci-fi novels such as Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Matched by Ally Condie, and Partials by Dan Wells.
My Thoughts: When this story begins Regan Welsh is grieving for the sudden loss of her father and coping with a mother who is also grieving. Her father was working on a computer program called Elusion which lets people go to fantasy world virtually to get away from the very polluted world that is reality.
After her father's death the company was taken over by her father's protegee Patrick Simmons. Regan and Patrick have been best friends since childhood. But things are changing between them. Patrick seems stressed and Regan is convinced that he is lying to her.
Rumors are spreading - pushed by Regan's school enemy Avery Leavenworth who has a vlog and is determined to prove that Elusion is dangerous. At first, Regan is convinced that Avery is just blowing things out of proportion. Then she meets Josh Heywood who used to be Patrick's friend. Josh has questions because his sister is missing and he is sure that Elusion has something to do with it.
The story is filled with action both in the real world and in the worlds created by Elusion. Regan is torn between believing her childhood friend and the new boy who could be more than a friend. While I admired Regan's loyalty to her friend Patrick, I thought she was pretty wishy-washy as a character. She kept throwing out threats to Patrick that she would have no way to enforce. She also kept changing her mind about who she wanted to believe.
Readers who get invested in this story should be aware that it is the beginning of a trilogy. Very little is resolved in this story.
Favorite Quote:
Sometimes I desperately miss the beautiful numbness that gets you through that first stage of grief or, if you're lucky, makes you think that what's happening to you isn't even real.I got this eARC from Katherine Tegen Books via Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.
It is always frustrating when authors don't resolve things, even if it is supposed to be a trilogy, IMO.
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