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ninegladiolus's review against another edition
4.0
Repo Virtual takes the reader on an action packed cyberpunk adventure which is perfect for fans of William Gibson and Ready Player One. Part speculation on a very plausible future where multiple realities are controlled by a single Corporate Entity, part sci-fi thriller with a crunchy combination of technology and violence, with a backbone of philosophical questions around AI, Repo Virtual provides a thoroughly enjoyable ride from start to finish.
One of the biggest draws for me on a personal level was the diversity. The protagonist, JD, is a queer Black man, and his relationship with his ex-boyfriend Troy plays a significant role in the story. Other characters that feature prominently include a non-binary person, an older queer woman, and a trans man, among others. Though we see character archetypes common in this kind of science fiction, like the jerkface kid genius hacker and the drifting grifter, I felt each protagonist in the novel was developed enough to have their own unique presence on the page.
In addition to the diversity, I loved the vivid, precise pictures created of Neo Songdo, the hybrid physical-virtual city where the events of the novel take place. Every scene immersed me and allowed me to clearly visualize the environment and the action both. The ending is, in my opinion, thought provoking and impactful; though I can see others disagreeing, it has the potential to generate discussion either way.
My only critique of Repo Virtual resides in the pacing. The first half of the novel felt slow with some extraneous scenes. The back half by contrast felt rushed—some plot threads were resolved in an unsatisfying manner as a result.
Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend Repo Virtual for people looking for an entertaining cyberpunk thriller with a diverse cast, topped with considered messages about the consequences of capitalism and the nature of AI.
Thank you to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
One of the biggest draws for me on a personal level was the diversity. The protagonist, JD, is a queer Black man, and his relationship with his ex-boyfriend Troy plays a significant role in the story. Other characters that feature prominently include a non-binary person, an older queer woman, and a trans man, among others. Though we see character archetypes common in this kind of science fiction, like the jerkface kid genius hacker and the drifting grifter, I felt each protagonist in the novel was developed enough to have their own unique presence on the page.
In addition to the diversity, I loved the vivid, precise pictures created of Neo Songdo, the hybrid physical-virtual city where the events of the novel take place. Every scene immersed me and allowed me to clearly visualize the environment and the action both. The ending is, in my opinion, thought provoking and impactful; though I can see others disagreeing, it has the potential to generate discussion either way.
My only critique of Repo Virtual resides in the pacing. The first half of the novel felt slow with some extraneous scenes. The back half by contrast felt rushed—some plot threads were resolved in an unsatisfying manner as a result.
Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend Repo Virtual for people looking for an entertaining cyberpunk thriller with a diverse cast, topped with considered messages about the consequences of capitalism and the nature of AI.
Thank you to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
dguthrieadams's review against another edition
All right! I’m just gonna jump right into my review. Repo Virtual is a cyberpunk action/adventure in three acts that centers around virtual reality repo man JD and his heist of a virus which turns out to be AI. Yep, it's as cool as it sounds. I'm a sucker for Be Gay, Do Crime, yet this book has me split right down the middle. Brass tacks: the first act and I didn’t connect. I never grew to like the characters, and, despite the gorgeous descriptions, the world took me a bit to sink my teeth into. I love the juxtaposition between the shiny galactic online game Voidwar going on in the skies while the streets are ragged and dirty below, but JD and his crew almost lost me.
BUT. Then the second act of the book started and WHAT?
I repeat: WHAT?!
Act two begins with Enda Hyldal, a private investigator with a dangerous past hired (blackmailed) by Zero Corp to retrieve their stolen property, and friends, in this reader’s humble opinion, she stole the show. Honestly, if she were introduced sooner, my opinions might be different about the beginning of the book. Who knows! And then the emergence of the AI is so wonderfully done, and I don’t want to say to much and spoil anything, but the AI’s perspective is *chef’s kiss*— it got me. I think it’ll get you, too.
And although I loved the last 2/3 of this book, I want to mention the diversity, which on the surface is excellent. A non-western location with POC and everyone’s queer. However, I'd be remiss if I didn’t mention that the nonbinary character felt underdeveloped, simply there to be used by other characters. As a nonbinary person who wants to see more rep on the page, this was a major miss for me.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. And go read White’s Voidwitch Saga, STAT!
BUT. Then the second act of the book started and WHAT?
I repeat: WHAT?!
Act two begins with Enda Hyldal, a private investigator with a dangerous past hired (blackmailed) by Zero Corp to retrieve their stolen property, and friends, in this reader’s humble opinion, she stole the show. Honestly, if she were introduced sooner, my opinions might be different about the beginning of the book. Who knows! And then the emergence of the AI is so wonderfully done, and I don’t want to say to much and spoil anything, but the AI’s perspective is *chef’s kiss*— it got me. I think it’ll get you, too.
And although I loved the last 2/3 of this book, I want to mention the diversity, which on the surface is excellent. A non-western location with POC and everyone’s queer. However, I'd be remiss if I didn’t mention that the nonbinary character felt underdeveloped, simply there to be used by other characters. As a nonbinary person who wants to see more rep on the page, this was a major miss for me.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. And go read White’s Voidwitch Saga, STAT!
typedtruths's review against another edition
3.0
➸ Trigger warnings for racism & racial slurs, classism, transmisia, deadnaming, misgendering, blackmailed outing*, alcohol consumption, recreational drug use mentioned, blood & gore depiction, graphic physical injuries, chronic pain due to an old injury, gunshot wounds, death of a friend (op), murder, attempted murder, torture, physical assault, explosions, gun violence, strangulation kidnapping, hostage situation, cult, car accident, fire, blackmail, flood, war themes mentioned, animal death mentioned, poverty themes, and homelessness mentioned.
note: one of the queer protagonists is blackmailed to investigate a crime by a man with documents that would out her as a trans woman .
▷ Representation: JD (mc) is black, queer (mlm) and has a chronic knee injury; Troy (li) is black, queer (mlm) and has vitiligo; Enda (mc) is a sapphic trans woman; Soo-hyuan (mc) is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns; other queer, disabled and poc scs.
◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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note: one of the queer protagonists is blackmailed to investigate a crime by a man with documents that would out her as a trans woman
▷ Representation: JD (mc) is black, queer (mlm) and has a chronic knee injury; Troy (li) is black, queer (mlm) and has vitiligo; Enda (mc) is a sapphic trans woman; Soo-hyuan (mc) is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns; other queer, disabled and poc scs.
◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Blog • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram
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