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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked it, but I was always waiting for it to get better, which it did not.
Starts strong, tapers off, and never regains its momentum. Its two main parts (the game and the real world) never meshed, and I would've rather had one or the other. Its grasp on its own in-universe politics and our real-world politics leaves something to be desired. Its depiction & commentary is not surface-level but it's not deep either. I liked the characters well enough but I probably won't think about them ever again.
About the worldbuilding, the MC's goal & methods are not feasible if you think about it too long, along with certain plotpoints. She wants to free the (formerly) child supersoldiers but this will not help her situation or anyone else's, and trying makes things worse for a lot of people, which makes this whole ordeal feel pointless. (And she only does that, it seems, because of an obsession with one of the supersoldiers. Would she have cared as much otherwise?) This is perhaps crass but I didn't give a damn about those operatives, not with everything else going on, and the novel doesn't really invite you to. You're meant to care becare the MC cares, which isn't the same as building empathy for them.
Last few points: the MC's presence is almost redundant within her own story after a while. It's adult but it feels YA. The plot simply runs into the MC at convenient times. There are cool concepts that I wish were more extrapolated. The writing could've been tighter. Also, this book could've been either a novella and a series, but not what it currently is.
Starts strong, tapers off, and never regains its momentum. Its two main parts (the game and the real world) never meshed, and I would've rather had one or the other. Its grasp on its own in-universe politics and our real-world politics leaves something to be desired. Its depiction & commentary is not surface-level but it's not deep either. I liked the characters well enough but I probably won't think about them ever again.
About the worldbuilding, the MC's goal & methods are not feasible if you think about it too long, along with certain plotpoints. She wants to free the (formerly) child supersoldiers but this will not help her situation or anyone else's, and trying makes things worse for a lot of people, which makes this whole ordeal feel pointless. (And she only does that, it seems, because of an obsession with one of the supersoldiers. Would she have cared as much otherwise?) This is perhaps crass but I didn't give a damn about those operatives, not with everything else going on, and the novel doesn't really invite you to. You're meant to care becare the MC cares, which isn't the same as building empathy for them.
Last few points: the MC's presence is almost redundant within her own story after a while. It's adult but it feels YA. The plot simply runs into the MC at convenient times. There are cool concepts that I wish were more extrapolated. The writing could've been tighter. Also, this book could've been either a novella and a series, but not what it currently is.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The beginning was quite confusing, and quotes lack quotations that made it even more confusing - I’m a gamer myself, so I shouldn’t have felt as alienated as I did. It took a while before I felt stabilized in the setting.
The characters have an interesting dynamic, and I liked how they really had to work for what they wanted throughout the story. I must also say this story got me into Sci-Fi, I found it’s world incredibly interesting! The characterization was handled well, and no characters felt flat - their motivations made sense and pushed them forward.
I enjoyed most thinks about this book, if not all - and now will be looking into reading more sci-fi and books by this author! I definitely will be buying this when published.
I want to sincerely thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC.
The characters have an interesting dynamic, and I liked how they really had to work for what they wanted throughout the story. I must also say this story got me into Sci-Fi, I found it’s world incredibly interesting! The characterization was handled well, and no characters felt flat - their motivations made sense and pushed them forward.
I enjoyed most thinks about this book, if not all - and now will be looking into reading more sci-fi and books by this author! I definitely will be buying this when published.
I want to sincerely thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC.
adventurous
inspiring
tense
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Going in I thought it was going to be very similar to Ready Player One, but the only similarities are the giant corporations and a VR video game.
Mal was an interesting character but probably had a bit too many internal monologues. You would have also thought given her obsession with 22 she would have at least asked what his name was since she learns 5 and 6.
The book obviously sets up a sequel but I'm unsure if it can be implemented, if it will be. But I'd like to see more world building and explore places outside of new liberty.
Mal was an interesting character but probably had a bit too many internal monologues. You would have also thought given her obsession with 22 she would have at least asked what his name was since she learns 5 and 6.
The book obviously sets up a sequel but I'm unsure if it can be implemented, if it will be. But I'd like to see more world building and explore places outside of new liberty.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated