Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.
A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, a visor, and a 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.
My Rating: 2.5 stars
Review:
I borrowed Elusion from my local library- Thank God. I am so glad that I didn't pay for this book, and I am going to return it as soon as possible. Why, why must the pretty covers lure me into these stories that promise so much and fail so terribly to deliver?
I really wanted to like Elusion. Really. But the world-building was awful. It was so unrealistic, and the lack of descriptions really didn't leave a lot to be imagined. I mean, I've got a pretty good imagination, but when there's no picture there to begin with I can't picture the world that the characters are living in. And in a futuristic novel such as Elusion, descriptions are extremely important. A good setting with a good description is a must, otherwise you can't get a feel of the world these characters are living in.
And speaking of characters, I didn't like any of them. Every single character who was introduced was only there to help the plot along. And of course they were all there to ensure that the odds were entirely in Regan's favor, which is so unrealistic and annoying. In real life, not everything happens to your advantage. Not everything will turn out exactly how you want.
Regan was annoying. I can't describe what was annoying about her- maybe the way she treated Patrick and the people around her. I don't understand why these two guys were in love with her. I get that it was a love triangle and it was supposed to add more "thrill" to the story, but seriously. Guys and girls can just be friends, and there was nothing special about Regan at all. Except that her Dad invented this Elusion program, and she should be popular and whatever but Regan's just ordinary. And she's the only one who doesn't use Elusion, so of course that separates her from everyone else.
She was so... bland. At least to me, anyway. I didn't like her. If you did, well that's fine for you. Maybe you saw something in her that I didn't see, but I didn't like her and nothing will change my opinion.
And let's talk about the main topic of the book: Elusion. So, it's an app, apparently, that transports you to an exotic destination, using a visor and a wristband. I don't know how it does this. It sounds kind of cool, right? Who wouldn't like to visit Disney World without ever actually leaving home? (Uh, me. Duh.) But Elusion, of course, is dangerous. It's addictive. And people end up dead from using it.
Regan is pretty determined in the beginning to prove that this isn't right, that the rumors that Elusion is dangerous are false. But Josh comes along. Josh is skeptic. Josh thinks Elusion has something to do with his sister Nora's disappearance (which it does). Regan defends Elusion at first, but then she second guesses it after her own Escape shuts down and ends up literally deteriorating. And she starts to suspect Patrick. He only makes it worse when he tries to take her tab to stop her from using Elusion, and looks pretty suspicious and won't admit that Elusion may have a problem. Of course he wouldn't. The kid's got a lot of money tucked under his belt thanks to this program and if he gets sued because something's wrong with Elusion, well... then he's screwed. He's in huge trouble, and he looses everything he's gained. Personally I actually don't blame the kid. Do you think any big company would admit that their program messed up? No way. They'd be tripping over themselves trying to cover it up.
Now, Patrick does kind of go about this the wrong way. He gets all jealous when Josh confronts him, and even goes so far as to say that Josh is only trying to sabotage him and that he's the one who's jealous and some nonsense. Of course, it was so pathetic to me I was barely paying attention.
I don't like Josh. I do not know why. He just seems... untrustworthy to me. Maybe I would've liked him if it wasn't for the whole "insta-love" thing. I just didn't like him. I didn't entirely like Patrick either. I almost, almost felt bad for him. I mean, Regan was his best friend for years, and then Josh comes along and within days he's got her wrapped around his finger. Josh gets Regan to betray Patrick, and I don't think that's fair. Obviously Regan wasn't really that good of a friend in the first place if it was so easy to betray Patrick like that.
I don't really know what else to say about this book. I didn't like it, and by the time I got to chapter 10 I was mostly reading it just to finish it, not really actually enjoying it at all. I do give credit to the authors. The idea was good. It could've been great even, if they'd done a bit more world-building and character developing. I probably won't pick up the sequel, and I will be returning this book to the library ASAP.
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