Publishers Weekly
01/20/2014
Gabel (Romeo & Juliet & Vampires) and Klam (Learning to Swim) team up in this near-future tale of the seductive virtual world of Elusion, which people can plug into and escape the realities of a seven-day work schedule and pollution so bad oxygen masks are needed to venture outdoors. Regan Welch’s father invented Elusion and died in a mysterious accident, leaving her best friend, computer prodigy Patrick Simmons, and his Orexis corporation to develop the next generation of high-definition “Escapes.” Regan is a staunch defender of Patrick and his technology, despite allegations that it’s harmful and additive, until a series of cryptic clues from her late father, a number of teens turning up comatose, and hunky bad-boy Josh make her question Elusion’s safety. A predictable love triangle (childhood friend vs. Josh and his “devastatingly beautiful amber-colored eyes”), heavy exposition, and Regan’s obliviousness bog down the story’s second act, though corporate intrigue and a dangerous venture into the virtual realm enliven the cliffhanger ending. Ages 14–up. Agent: (for Gabel) Christy Fletcher, Fletcher & Company; (for Klam) Esther Newberg, ICM. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
This series debut features a smart, surprising teaser of a plot that keeps readers off balance—in a good way—to the last page. An ingenious, compulsively readable cure for the blahs. — Kirkus Reviews
Corporate intrigue and a dangerous venture into the virtual realm enliven the cliffhanger ending. — Publishers Weekly
Fans of near-future distopian stories are going to eat this up. — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
A tense read full of twists, mystery and romance. Be ready for a mind-trip! ELUSION will leave you breathless! — Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of the Firelight series and Uninvited
Alluring, tense and mysterious, ELUSION will pull you into its reality and you won’t want it to let go. With plot twists you’ll never see coming, you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough. — Elizabeth Norris, author of UNRAVELING and UNBREAKABLE
Elizabeth Norris
Alluring, tense and mysterious, ELUSION will pull you into its reality and you won’t want it to let go. With plot twists you’ll never see coming, you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Fans of near-future distopian stories are going to eat this up.
Sophie Jordan
A tense read full of twists, mystery and romance. Be ready for a mind-trip! ELUSION will leave you breathless!
Kirkus Reviews
2014-01-04
This series debut features a smart, surprising teaser of a plot that keeps readers off balance—in a good way—to the last page. Regan missed her dad even before his tragic death. Elusion, the form of virtual reality he developed with her best friend, Patrick, took most of his time. Now, Elusion's launch is a bittersweet triumph. For an hour, users are immersed in a beautiful Escape, forgetting life in a polluted Detroit subject to damaging acid rains, where oxygen masks are essential gear when outdoors. Not everyone is thrilled with Elusion. Regan's classmate Avery is making damaging claims that though regulators have approved it as safe, Elusion's highly addictive, putting users who've figured out how to stay longer at serious risk. While Regan rejects this, her attractive new friend, Josh, takes it seriously, and Patrick's evasions don't help. There's something wrong with Elusion, and it's been carefully covered up. The more Regan and Josh investigate, the worse it looks, causing Regan to question her dad's role as well as Patrick's. Exactly what's behind the euphoria Elusion generates is unknown, but as her father tells her when he turns up in an Escape, it's dangerous. Regan's appealing though—minor quibble—perhaps a tad too rational when responding to the reality-twisting scenarios that are thrown at her. An ingenious, compulsively readable cure for the blahs. (Science fiction. 14 & up)
