Tricksters, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Entangled: Teen
December 1, 2015
304
In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then...the crash. Devastated by her father's death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner. Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship...and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the "real" world, and makes her feel whole again.
Review:
How much I enjoyed “Nexis” took me by surprise. Of course it sounded like something I would be interested in, otherwise I would not have read it in the first place. What I wasn’t expecting was to read the last page and five minutes later already be jonesing for the sequel.
There were a few issues at the beginning. It took a little while to get into it, and the prose could be a bit flowery at times. Be patient. By the time you get into the virtual reality game called “Nexis” things pick up quickly. I really wish we had a game like that to play. It really sounded like a lot of fun. You know, aside from it tying into the dystopian outside world. That is most certainly not a place in which I want to live. There was a plot twist I picked up fairly early, but it in no way affected my enjoyment of the book.
The world-building is excellent, both inside and outside of the game. A lot of time was taken to make the reader understand the society. In fact, that was a lot of the reason the beginning was somewhat slow. All of the information actually turns out to be important throughout the rest of the book.
Of course there is a love story. Let me warn you now there is some instalove, but once you read on a bit you realize the game actually encourages heightened feelings. It’s a valid reason, so it didn’t bother me like that normally does.
I can’t tell you how hard I shipped the two main characters. It would actually be embarrassing. What I will say is I am captain, first mate, and all of the crew of the ship, and the ship is the size of the titanic.
I recommend “Nexis” for anyone in high school and up who likes dystopian books mixed with some steampunk and a large helping of romance.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, Abusive Situations
