Tuesday 18 February 2014

ARC Review: Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam

ElusionElusion

Author: Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam
Series: Elusion
Pages: 384
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release date: 18th March 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.

Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.

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.

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

I would buy Elusion for the beautiful cover alone; the dreamlike setting suits the story within beautifully.

Regan is the daughter of the inventor of Elusion, a new virtual reality piece of technology which is about to be released in to the world. Regan is grief stricken since her fathers death and avoids ‘Escaping’- spending time in an alternate world to avoid the feeling she is left with afterwards, mainly loss and heartache.

I liked Regan as a character, she was believable and eager to defend what her father had created at any cost, I admired the way she supported not only him but her best friend Patrick who now oversees the invention in any way possible, her loyalty was wonderful.

When Orexis, the organisation responsible for releasing Elusion to the world comes under fire for it potentially being addictive and extremely dangerous Regan seeks to find the truth behind the conspiracies surrounding the product and does it with the help of Josh who had his own interesting back-story and agenda and I found myself never fully trusting him unfortunately so I’m eager to see how their relationship will progress.

I haven’t read anything more recently that slightly resembled Elusion so I was pleased by its originality but there were a few YA clichés which stood out but thankfully weren’t over the top or took away from my overall enjoyment of this book. My biggest gripe was there was information overload and the technology aspect I didn’t find interesting at all unfortunately, I wanted to find out more about the Escapes and the conspiracies that surrounded the product instead. Also, we get to know the MC quite well but other characters weren't as well developed so I'm hoping we learn more about each of them in the sequel.

I found the pacing to be consistent and the plot intriguing, mysterious and suspenseful as we see the characters take a thrilling journey to find out the truths surrounding Elusion. It was written very well and kept me riveted, I enjoyed spending time in the escapes where everything seemed to be enhanced and perfect, I just wish we had more time in them.

Overall, Elusion was a fun filled, exciting adventure and despite having a few minor issues, I enjoyed learning about this virtual world. The concept is creative and I am definitely eager to read more in this series.

Thank-you kindly to Katherine Tegen Books for the opportunity to read and review Elusion, it was a nice start to the series.

 

7 comments:

  1. I loooove this cover but I don't like information overload. Too complex for my poor brain and I start to get sleepy. I love that this is unique so that might keep my interest :)

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  2. Interesting, I think I might like the technology aspect, so this might be a great book for me. I for some reason am not as in love with the cover, but I don't know why, haha.

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  3. I hadn't heard of this before but it sounds quite good despite the couple of cliches, and I too love the cover!

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  4. Ohh I hate information overload :/ but I think I still may give this a shot!! Awesome review Sharon thanks for sharing! (:

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  5. I wonder how I would respond to this since I love the geeky aspect and can handle info dumps if they world-building is solid. This does sound refreshingly original. Lovely review Sharon!

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  6. Interesting. Do wish the world-building was better, since this seems to be a book driven by it but I am totally glad you enjoyed it otherwise. Does look like a wonderful book.

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  7. This cover would have totally sucked me in also. I am glad that you enjoyed it overall. Nice review!!

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