Elusion: An Addictive Dystopian Sci-Fi Thriller of Virtual Worlds and Hidden Truth

Elusion immediately took me in and captured my attention! I finished the book and ran to the computer looking to download the next book in the series only to find it hasn't been written yet! I can't wait! The descriptions of future Detroit and the new world were beautiful done and I could picture them in my minds eye a sign of a great author. The story line was new and unique.

Good book

I liked this book and will be reading the sequel when it comes out. I saw some really negative reviews of it after I finished (on GoodReads) and don't really understand why. I thought it was a pretty good effort. It's a YA story, but even as a 58 year old man I enjoyed it and could relate to the characters. I'd like to give it a half star more but that's not possible. I thought the authors did a good job of developing the characters and spinning a very enjoyable story. I read voraciously and am always on the lookout for new authors 'cause I can read 'em much faster than they can write 'em! Thumbs up from me!

It was a little slow at first. I liked it, but it wasn't pulling me to keep reading it.... UNTIL I got about halfway through the book, and then I couldn't stop reading. It was interesting to see the take on a future polluted world and how much people would seek out a glimpse of the beautiful views of a healthy Earth. Following dystopian style, the system doesn't work how it is meant to, causing many problems, and forcing characters to realize that they need to fix the problem. I liked the twists in the story, some expected, some unexpected. The end is definitely a cliffhanger! I can't wait to read Etherworld when it comes out. Though I dislike how so many books get made into movies and aren't as good.... this book (and series) would make a great film! It would enhance the visual aspects of the escapes in my mind!

The plot is predictable and the writing is OK. The first part of the book drones on and on about her dad. The phrase "my dad" was just hurtful after a while. No one EVER calls him her "Father". It's just Dad. No one in this book has their own voice or manor of speaking, they all sound a like in their sentence phrasing and structure. A big deal is made about the pollutants of sectors and the caste system which does or does not deal with it. A good scene is written when the main character can't even open her mouth or she'll be coughing the pollutants all night. I thought the author might take this good scene and tell me what happened. No. Why? What happened? I suppose we are to simply guess as to why the world is or how the caste system was formed. It is sort of writing about the gun above the mantel and then never using it. It's a fundamental flaw. Like saying, "Hey, this world has dragons! But, you will never see one so, yeah, dragons!" I really didn't care about the characters, I was never really given any reason to. Simple things like the lock box where her mom doesn't show up to open it. It's said Regan will have to come back tomorrow, then her internal monologue freaks out about how she can go on without knowing what's in it ... what ... one evening? She's in high school but wants champagne, "the bubbly"? Her father invented Elusion but they are poor, this is pointed out but she never seems to be upset that Patrick is rich, only that he took her father's thunder. When Patrick points out that she ran out on his speech where he gave her father all the credit, she is STILL angry that he took all the credit! When she decides her father is alive and has a job to do to save him, all she can think about is kissing the boy she barely knows? A boy who has lack luster personality and the reader doesn't really care about anyway. The book isn't bad, it's just lack luster, predictable, and easy to put down and forget you ever started it. It is an easy read and somewhat entertaining, but not one I would pick back up to read again.

Regan has grown up living for precious moments spent with her busy dad. That’s what happens when you’re dad is obsessed with an invention he feels will make people happy; help them escape the sad, dark world they’ve left themselves to live in. It’s not often that I’m a fan of stories set in dystopian or future “broken” worlds. But the thing is, there is so much more to this story. This isn’t just a dystopian story where everyone tries to escape reality into a virtual world. It’s a relationship story, a growing up story, and a learning to go with your gut/who to trust story. Six months ago Regan unexpectedly lost her dad and has been coping with the loss as best as she can. The company that her dad worked for is going ahead with his invention and submitting it for government approval for widespread public use. Up to this point, it has only been tested in three cities: Miami, Los Angeles, and Detroit. And it’s become hugely popular, at least in Detroit where Regan lives because everyone is wearing a headset and has gone off to the make believe world of Elusion on mass transit, in cafes, everywhere. The first thing that got me excited about this story was the “real world” setting of Detroit. Being that I only live an hour up the road, I’m extremely familiar with Detroit. The authors could not have picked a better city to set this story of a city destroyed by pollution, acid rain, and a depressed economy. Every location that the authors gave for their future Detroit was closely accurate to today’s Detroit. *glove clap to the authors* The world of Elusion was absolutely stunning. I thought the authors did a fantastic job painting this vivid, colorful, and fanciful world for me. I was able to clearly picture it in my mind and there would never be any special effects crew that could make the world I came up with in MY mind ;) So, Elusion is pretty and the real world is dark and dreary. But what about the story? I thought it was great! Regan had to deal with her best friend, Patrick, using her father’s invention to further his family’s company. Actually, Patrick is super smart and had been Regan’s dad protege for years so he has worked on Elusion for years himself. Anyways, then Josh comes along looking for help to find his sister and putting ideas in Regan’s head about Patrick. Who do you trust? Only yourself… And that’s why I liked this story. It wasn’t super deep, like delving into the inner workings of the brain. This was a much simpler story extremely suited to its intended young adult audience. Yes, there is a love triangle but I’m pretty sure it’s resolved by the end… err, or I think it is. Or it was in the beginning? Heck, I’m not sure! It could go either way. It might not even BE a love triangle for all I know. For the young adult crowd, this is a smartly written story that keeps you on your toes and constantly guessing. For me, I had to tax my brain for a bit on this one at a couple of points but nothing that killed any brain cells… just the way I like my books. I want to be entertained, not burdened! Oh, I almost forgot, the characters!!! Loved them all! Except maybe mom. I read the ARC and there was something off with her that I don’t want to say in case there’s something coming up in the next book that explains it all or mom was just written kind of kooky. Speaking of the next book… Word is that the next book in the series is Etherworld and is expected March 2015. I WILL be reading it, oh yes I will. Even though Ms. Klam went to that school up north…