I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. It was a random find on Book Outlet that I was drawn to by the pretty cover. I really enjoyed this. If you like the virtual reality aspect of Ready Player One or Warcross, then I think you would enjoy this book. It isn't centered around a game like those, but virtual escapes that some people believe may be dangerous and addictive especially when teenagers start going into comas after spending too much time in this virtual world. ( )

You all know me, if a book is hugely polarized in the blogger world I have to read it. When there's so much hate spewed against it on one side, and so much love on the other side, I must figure out which side I fall on. I had absolutely no expectations one way or the other when I picked up Elusion from the library. I just wanted to give this book a shot and, you know what? I actually really liked this.

Regan lives in a world that is a shattered version of our own. Acid rain falls from the sky, black poisonous clouds hover overhead, and an O2 shield is pretty much necessary most days if you don't want to choke to death on the chemicals floating in the atmosphere. Nature as we know it is gone. So how do people get away from their problems? An Escape. An Elusion. Before he mysteriously died, Regan's father invented this amazing way to take a "trip" to somewhere new. Sounds amazing, right? Or is it?

I have to say, I was impressed with the world that was built around Regan. Although it wasn't flat out explained, it was immersive enough that I didn't even question it. I was lost in the desolation around these people, and the fact that they just ignored it all. I'm a sucker for new technology, and Elusion was amazing to me. Imagine a way to travel to somewhere new, to somewhere that hasn't existed in years, in complete safety. Of course that kind of technology always comes with its fair share of flaws. This one was no exception.

There was nothing I could do but hold on as Regan flew through one part of the mystery after another, uncovering all the dirty laundry that her father's company was trying to hide. Once again I'll admit, it wasn't exactly a perfectly plausible story line. Still, this was a new world. It was a vividly built world, and I was willing to forgive a lot simply because I couldn't help but feel caught up in it all. I wanted to know what Orexis was hiding, and you couldn't have stopped me if you tried.

The absolute only thing that slightly irked me was the quasi-romance that Elusion brings to the table. Regan was such a strong character. She fought for what she believed in, and never gave up no matter how many people tried to break her down. Seeing her loose it over a guy she just met, no matter how handsome he was, bothered me. I can't deny it. It also made for an ending that, although the cliffhanger is killer, was rushed as well. Still, I know I'll be back for more. This series has hooked me. You can mark me solidly on the "I liked this" side of the Elusion camp, and I'm proud of it. ( )

Oh, man, I really hate it when best friends start to hate each other. I mean, honestly, that is what pulled me into this story. ( )

I'd give this book a pretty solid 3.75 stars.

The story is set in our world, however things have happened that have put strains on the environment. The air quality is frequently dangerous and citizens are required to wear O2 shields which regulate their air. They also have 7 day work weeks, with no breaks or vacations, and a pretty constant onslaught of acid rain. Things are pretty bleak. Enter Elusion. The perfect escape to get away from all of these problems.

The main character Regan is the daughter of the man who invented Elusion, but after her father's untimely death, accusations start to arise that there are problems with Elusion that could lead to deadly consequences for users. Regan is determined to prove these accusations wrong, but every time she goes into the virtual world of Elusion, she starts to wonder if the accusations might hold a little bit of truth.

The writing was really great and the descriptions of the Escapes and the world of Elusion were beautiful. The plot was really cool as well and I'm very interested to see where this goes next, however, I feel as though there was a bit lacking in the world building. There wasn't really much of a description or any background info given on how the world got to the point that the air quality is so poor, and that the clouds always pour down acid rain.

I did enjoy the characters and the romantic aspects even though I felt like there was a bit of insta-love going on between Regan and the male protagonist. (I say male protagonist instead of his name because there are kind of 2 male protagonists and I won't give away which one she ends up with, even though it's not really a love triangle either.)

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I will definitely be reading the next one, especially since this one ended in a cliffhanger! ( )

Thanks to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for allowing me access to this title.

3.5 stars overall. Another SciFi virtual reality novel. While this one didn't really have anything new, it was decently written and moved along nicely. Not sure about the ending, but it will leave most readers impatiently waiting for the next installment. ( )