Thursday, March 13, 2014

[Review: Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam]

"Elusion" 
Author: Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam
Series: ?
Pages: 400
Genre: YA, Sci Fi
Date Published: March 18th, 2014
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.

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.
-Goodreads 
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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Elusion,

Okay, so this letter isn't going to be one of those warm and fuzzy love fests, I just thought I'd let you know that right now.  For a book, you didn't have much of a plot.  Honestly, I felt like a two year old at Easter, trying to find an egg and no one would stop what they were doing to help me get my hands on one.  That's how hard it was to find your plot.  I just don't know where it was.  And in the end I didn't even get candy out of it.  Major party foul book, party foul!

-The White Unicorn

I wanted to like this one, but alas that didn't end up being the case.  Gabel and Klam actually managed to build a decently interesting world, but a book can't survive on that alone.  Both writers seem like they are tech savvy ladies and that showed in how they wrote the book.  This will be a wonderful thing for some people.  I have to admit that even though I am a nerd at heart, all the tech talked bogged down the little bit of story that filled this book.  Sure it was well detailed, but it just didn't flow right (IMO).   

The descriptions of the world were also detailed, even if they were a bit flowery.  Stepping inside of Elusion was fun.  I enjoyed those bits of the book.  I also liked how dark Detroit was when the characters weren't in the virtual world.  The contrast really worked for me.

That being said, there was almost no plot in this book.  It felt like I was just reading about tech building, seeing what Elusion looked like and following Regan around her daily life.  The same bits of plot kept being brought up over and over again.  But the book didn't really go anywhere until the last 20% (I was reading an eARC) and even then, it didn't really blow me away and I saw the ending coming a mile away.  Also, I'm not sure if this is a series, but the book didn't really end.  So, I'm hoping that the fans of this one get to finish the story and that wasn't the actual conclusion.

Oh, there was also this really weird love triangle.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good love triangle when it's executed right and the thing is that this one wasn't.  It felt like a plot point and too much of the book rested on these two boys.  Josh and Patrick themselves had some good character traits, but seeing them through Regan's eyes didn't work for me.  Which, I guess, means that Regan wasn't my favorite character.  She felt too stereotypical to me.  There wasn't anything that made her stand out to me.

In the end, I think that this book had a great foundation, but the execution and lack of plot took what could have been epic and turned into something that won't be sticking around in my mind for long.

Rating:
    2 Unicorns = It was okay, but something just didn't work for me!       

4 comments:

Tammy Sparks said...

Oh bummer! The cover is so pretty, you want the story inside to match, right? I'm kind of glad I decided not to request this one. In any case, I'm glad you reviewed it, so I don't have to! Thanks Christianna:-)

Unknown said...

Ugh, so with you on this one. I really disliked it. I mean, it was fun being in Elusion and everything, and that part of it was pretty interesting, but there was nothing, and like you said, no plot. It just bored me really, and WHERE WERE THE PERSONALITIES? And what really annoyed me was the calm one minute then just ANGER with a flip of a switch. Grated fast.

I guess it's just another pretty cover, content fail. :(

Natalie @Natflix&Books said...

Argh. I have this one on my Kindle (I couldn't resist that cover), but I haven't seen a single positive review...so I'll probably skip it. Too much tech talk, a love triangle, no plot, AND no ending. Nope, nope, nope. Great review!

Nicole said...

I am going to pass on this plot-less one. hah. Ashley actually has an ARC of it, I wonder if she will like it...