Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

A look at what the world could look like when the world as we know it comes to an end. Nicole Korner-Stace took some of our worst fears for the future and combined them to build a terrifying tomorrow. The characters reflect the times they live in and the community that surrounds them. While they are busy trying to build a future, the corporation that owns the very land they walk on, is busy planning to keep them from finding the truths behind the world views on their game screens. This is not something I've ever thought about, but it's certainly not a friendly world to live in.

While this story has some elements similar to “Ready Player One,” it focuses more on the corporate malfeasance aspects in this near-future world where there’s a virtual monopoly on most resources, especially water. The narrative offers a few nice action sequences, but it never quite gains the momentum required for a satisfying ending, and one particular nitpick is that the author relies on describing events or details as being “like a movie” way too often. Still, an enjoyable read for anyone who likes speculative fiction.

I've tried to read this book a few times and it doesn't seem to stick with me. I definitely believe this is a case of the reader and not the book.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Cool storyline but I wasn't a fan of Mal. The gaming element was my favorite thing about the whole book. I think I would've enjoyed this more if it was adult and a the MC a little more likeable. It was still a fun read though.

3.5 stars

I really like the gaming aspects of this story, especially the strong female characters and the idea of super-soldiers being forced to become in-game characters. I wished the plot was less predictable and that the world and characters were developed more, especially the MC. I found him irritating and childish. , Mal, was off-putting and irritable and the constant cussing made the characters come off as juvenile and dim-witted. The plot was predictable and the ending was not satisfying. The world-building was underdeveloped and the characters were not fully fleshed out.

DNF at 35%.

I tried, repeatedly, to get into the story. Started reading a few different times thinking maybe I just wasn't in the mood on my previous attempts, but I think it just isn't for me.

This is marketed as an adult novel, but it reads like Kornher-Stace threw some popular YA dystopian series in the blender and Firebreak was the result. *shrugs* It's okay, I guess, if you don't think about it very much and haven't read a thousand other things just like it.

It is great to see this sort of book with a female lead and with a focus on the action/adventure. My one critic of this book would be the excessive use of explicit language. While I do not personally have an issue with it, it reduced my ability to utilize this book for the audiences I had in mind.

I received an epub copy from NetGalley.

Wow! This book was very well written, it drew me in immediately. The world building was well done, the world was different enough to be immersive but not so different that I had a difficult time picturing it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

DNF at 30%.

I tried to get into this one, but the storyline just isn’t pulling me in. I’m bummed because this one sounded so good.

Loved everything about it. Showed a great understanding of fan culture and the nature of loving something and deriving meaning from it even at a distance. The mundanity of the dystopia felt a little too real at times, which is a credit to Kornher-Stace. It was a prequel I didn't know I needed. and I couldn't get enough. I reread Archivist Wasp with new eyes immediately after finishing it

Firebreak deserves all the praise it’s been getting. I have been recommending this novel to a lot of people since finishing it. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author and I wouldn’t be surprised if this book gets adapted for screen in the not too distant future.

One of the most engaging corporate based dystopian novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading. This is like Ready Player One without all the fandom/nerd drama. I really enjoyed the fast pace, the GREAT storyline, and the awesome cast of characters. This book just kept getting better as I read it. A book that I will be telling everyone about for a long time to come.

I made myself a goal this year to finally tackle some of the Netgalley backlist and it took me until April, but I’ve finally done one!

Firebreak is set in a dystopian future where a corporate war changed the face of everything we know. Basic needs are supplied in extremely scarce amounts and purchasing additional quantities is tough due to inflation being out of control as everything is monopolized (is this starting to sound a little too familiar?). Of the several jobs Mallory has, her favorite is playing a VR game created by Stellaxis (the company that owns this future version of America) which pays homage to the corporate war that brought Stellaxis to the top. Mal makes money from viewers (think Stitch or going live on YouTube) while also trying to track down the stars of the game – players curated by Stellaxis. Until one day, Mallory comes face to face with one of these characters and learns a horrifying truth – these players were stolen by the corporation when they were just children and then manipulated and technologically amplified to become super-soldiers. Mallory and her best friend cannot just stand by and continue to let this happen. Defying Stellaxis is a deadly game to play, but we all know the saying ‘freedom isn’t free’ and Mal is prepared to pay the price.

This book was foot on the gas from page 1 and did not stop until the end. The world-building, while on a smaller-scale than I expected, still did a good job at building a picture of what the US looked like. I don’t believe there needed to be a ton of world-building to get the idea across, so the lack of it did not hurt the story in the least. Imagine your worst opinions of New York City living and multiply it by 5 and that’s what I imagine the conditions that Mallory and Jessa were experiencing.

Firebreak is a YA / NA crossover in my opinion. It can definitely be read and appreciated by both young adults and adults. The cussing is a little much for YA, however it really lines up with how teenagers cuss (random and all the time, even when there’s absolutely no reason for it).

Character-wise, I didn’t love or hate anyone. They were kinda just there. Jessa was my favorite, I do love a good ‘voice of reason, but still got your back’ sidekick.

I’m not surprised to see this book compared to Ready Player One – dystopian, video game, tyrant corporate villain – but I do think they are their own separate stories. Firebreak is the less character-driven, more anti-capitalist, and no-romance/all-action answer to RPO.

This book was a lot of fun to read. It reminded me of Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, which is one of my favorite books. The difference is that Snow Crash offers a lot to think about, and this book didn't. That doesn't take away anything from the fun of the ride the book offers, but hopefully it explains why I'm not writing about it.

Techno sci-fi thriller that has strong anti-capitalist themes. It’s fast-paced and easy to get though. The characters are likeable and the relationships are well fleshed out. No romantic plot line. I loved the VR game aspect and could have honestly gotten even more of that. Overall a nice quick read that has a thought provoking ending.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

A bleak dystopian future (and can you think of a dystopian future that isn't bleak?), this book gives an interesting portrayal of people who survive by finding sponsors to follow their online game playing. It actually gets alot of the gaming culture right, and I felt that the portrayal of the main protagonist was pretty realistic. Good action sequences, both in the virtual setting of the game and in the "real" world. Well worth the read, and it even has at least a possibility of having a sequel at some point in the future.

*Arc provided by Netgalley and Saga Press in exchange for an honest review.*

Billed as Ready Player One meets cyberpunk 2077, two things I have absolutely no knowledge on. Something I am familiar with though is post apocalyptic worlds with waring factions in fiction. Firebreak has all the key ingredients you need in a compelling end of the world thriller. You have evil government organizations, conspiracy theories, a somewhat unwilling protagonist, and of course a group of people with very few real choices.

Mallory is a streamer living in a hotel room with 7 other orphans who's survival hinges on playing a game every day and hopefully attracting sponsors to afford water. The game is SecOps a game designed around their war torn world with rare characters known only by numbers who are basically the hero super soldiers of her government. After a brief chance encounter with on solider Mallory's life is thrown upside down.

This did not end how I predicted it would, but definitely set up a potential sequel. Overall, if you're into futuristic sci-fi type reads with a bit of military/government conspiracy thrown in give it a try.