Elusion
by Cheryl Klam, Claudia Gabel
Published: March 18, 2014
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Format: eARC (400 pages)
Source: For Review
Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.
A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.
Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be...Suspense, thrills, and romance fuel this near-future story about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world, and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.
Elusion was a fun adventure but it felt like an introduction to a longer novel instead of the first book in a series. I liked that it took the time to set up the world and characters, but I don’t like it when the first book in a series doesn’t resolve anything at all. I didn’t see any story arc that was just for this book. I read this on my kindle and I was expecting to turn the page and see “Part 2” or something like that. I was shocked that it was over in the “That’s it?” kind of way. There is a plot twist at the end but I kind of saw it coming. Part of my disappointment of the abrupt ending was that I felt like things had just gotten started and suddenly the book was over.
The world in this novel is very interesting, especially the virtual reality element. It was easy to imagine the “Elusion” or the virtual reality world. It was vivid, interesting, and almost magical. I liked the blending or illusion and reality and the crazy, unexpected things that happened because of it. Virtual reality was presented in a way that I haven’t read before. It discussed having technology connected directly to your brain and brought up the themes of addiction. What if technology is physically addicting? At what point does technology start making our life worse rather than better?
The characters were confusing to me. Regan is the main character and she has two “friends” name Josh and Patrick (I say “friends” because they are guys and this is a YA novel so….yeah. I think you know what happens as well as I do). On the one hand, I liked how distinct Josh and Patrick’s personalities were. But on the other hand I didn’t like that both of them did some majorly untrustworthy things for kind of lame or even unexplained reasons. I liked Regan. She was a sweet, sad, and likable girl though I don’t understand how she saw either of the boys as remotely trustworthy.
Overall, it was a fun adventure set in a interesting and magical virtual world but I felt like it was more of an introduction to a longer story than a novel.
Content Rating: Medium, for mild swearing and a few make out scenes
This post contains affiliate links and I receive a small percentage of sales made through these links. I received this book for review from the publisher, Harper Collins, in exchange for an honest review. I was not told what to say, I was not paid to write this review and all the opinions expressed are my own. I read an Advanced Reading Copy for this review.
About Cheryl Klam
Cheryl Klam is the author (along with Claudia Gabel) of the young adult futuristic thriller, ELUSION. She is also the bestselling author of several other novels for adults and teens, including THE PRETTY ONE, which was nominated for an Isinglass Teen Read Award. Her work has been published in more than a dozen different languages. She grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan. When she was a teenager she starred in Sam Raimi's first short horror movie, later appearing as a "fake shemp" in Raimi's cult classic: THE EVIL DEAD.
About Claudia Gabel
Claudia Gabel was born in Roanoke, VA, raised in Binghamton, NY, and moved to Manhattan after studying abroad in London during her senior year in college. She received her Masters of Arts degree in English and American Literature from Hofstra University, and planned to pursue her doctorate, until a side-job as an editorial assistant at a large book publisher permanently redirected her career course. Claudia worked as an editor in the adult divisions of several major publishing houses, then made the move to children's books, where she hoped to inspire, educate, and entertain young readers. Along the way, she began writing novels of her own. Her first series, IN OR OUT, was based on her experiences as a freshman in high school. She wrote her mash-up novel, ROMEO & JULIET & VAMPIRES, for readers who were looking to indulge in a fun twist on William Shakespeare. And her latest novel, ELUSION, co-written with fellow author Cheryl Klam, is a glimpse into the near-future, where a girl discovers that a popular alternate reality app is not exactly what it seems. Claudia lives in New York City with her husband Ben.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
Intro books are boring. I probably won’t read this one.
Your reviews are always so good. I wish I could describe my feelings about books as well as you.
It’s too bad this wasn’t an amazing book. I generally don’t read many science fiction because I don’t care for it, but sometimes, if I keep seeing positive reviews, I’ll give it a try (The Lunar Chronicles for example). But this one doesn’t seem for me. It’s too bad the whole book felt more like a too-long introduction than an actually book.