Elusion

Elusion

By Claudia Gabel, Cheryl Klam

Published on March 18, 2014
Published by Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Edelweiss

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.

This cover kills me with how gorgeous it is.  I love love love the colors and the fact that it is a LIGHT cover instead of a dark dreary black cover.  The cover of Elusion does such a great job of reflecting the plotline of Elusion and is a good representation of the book.

The book, however, was meh.  I seriously want to cry that I said that.  The book was good- I enjoyed reading it.  But NOTHING happened.  I really feel like a lot of the plot (and the big reveal) should have been halfway through the book, not at the end.  It really made the middle of the book suffer, because I felt so bored in the middle of the book.  It was predictable and I wasn't surprised by anything going on.  I was frustrated that Regan sees all of these disturbing things and is like, "Oh ho hum" instead of doing something about what she sees. (I can't tell you what though, it would give away the plot line).

The plot idea is great- it is incredibly interesting and a sci-fi story that I could totally get into.  I just wanted it to pick up the pace.  I found myself not caring about either of the guys in Regan's life- they both seemed like jerks.  I am sure we will find out more about why they acted the way they did in book two, but it just seemed like Regan was attracted to both boys and they were attracted to her- they both treated her badly and so she threw herself at the "new" one.

I did enjoy reading Elusion, although at times I did consider DNF'ing it.  I just hope that book two picks up the pace- this series really does have so much potential.