No longer interested in reading this. Clearing out old galleys.

Tried to read this book but couldn’t get through it.

Couldn't get in to this, DNF! I didn't find myself connecting with the writing style at this time, and couldn't get on board with the plot. Might try out at a later date, but when reading, this really wasn't doing it for me!

I wasn't able to finish reading this book before its archive date, so I apologize for not posting my review. I do remember however, that the pages I read were really interesting and super creative!

As YA dystopian novels are very common lately, they go more and more crazy with the genre. That's what happened here, too. I was quite surprised when I recieved an e-mail, saying there's a new, re-written version of the book available but I've given it another chance, even though I didn't like it much for the first time. But I have to say, the extra work on it really was worth it, since the result is much better than the first version was.

Cleaning out my netgalley of books I don't have downloaded. Sorry I never got to this one.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

The year is 2086. The world is crumbling. The bees are extinct, there's almost no water, and food is dwindling. Everyone either lives in bunkers, or the bubble, but only the rich live in the bubble. The air is thick and polluted and stings when you breathe. Virtual reality is taking over the world in the form of Nirvana, here you can sit in a completely immersive room and do literally whatever you want. It's addicting, and that's exactly what the company Hexagon wants. To some Nirvana is the best anti anxiety, anti depression medication. You just plug in and you're weightless, everything making you tense just dissolving as you can do literally anything in the virtual reality. People spend all their hard earned money for Nirvana sessions.

Larissa Kenders, seventeen, is in an animal rights activist band called Sixty Sextet that plays mostly in bars by night, and by day she works at Hexagon recording peoples Nirvana sessions. Her fiancee, Andrew, is the head programmer for Nirvana. People only live to be about forty or fifty these days, and Kenders and Andrew are convinced Hexagon spying on everyone and everything is not for the greater good. Everyone who lives in the bubble uploads their consciousness to the server, making them essentially immortal.

I was sucked into this story from the moment I started reading it. Although I'm not usually a big fan of viewpoint changes, I really liked getting to see both sides of the story like in this book. I loved the characters, they seemed so cool. The story is exciting and I didn't expect what was happening next. It's so unlike any of the other dystopia books I've read lately. I want to read the next book but it's not out yet! Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

This was a story about one woman, and her insistence that her husband wasn’t dead, no matter what anyone told her.

The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback. (via NetGalley)

3.75 stars. Pretty engaging, fast paced story for me. I would have given it 4 stars had the ending not been such an abrupt cliff hanger.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

When the real world is emptied of all that you love, how can you keep yourself from dependence on the virtual?
Animal activist and punk rock star Larissa Kenders lives in a dystopian world where the real and the virtual intermingle. After the disappearance of her soulmate, Andrew, Kenders finds solace by escaping to Nirvana, a virtual world controlled by Hexagon. In Nirvana, anyone’s deepest desires may be realized - even visits with Andrew.
Although Kenders knows that this version of Andrew is virtual, when he asks for her assistance revealing Hexagon’s dark secret, she cannot help but comply. Soon after, Kenders and her closest allies find themselves in a battle with Hexagon, the very institution they have been taught to trust. After uncovering much more than she expected, Kenders’ biggest challenge is determining what is real – and what is virtual.

This was a disappointing story. And there were a number of reasons for this:
1) I just did not connect with the majority of the characters – Serge really being the only exception.
2) The story itself felt disjointed and the VR stuff was just a wishy-washy for me. The changes, sometimes seemingly at random, was really hard to take and keep up with. Maybe that was an ARC thing, not being properly formatted…but somehow I doubt it.
3) The “bad guys” – aka Hexagon – didn’t instil any sense of dread or panic for the characters for me. It all just felt a little ho-hum
4) Finally, the dialogue seemed to be “forced” – like this was what we think teenage rock star activists would speak like. I found it just below average.

Anyway, I would still be willing to read the second book in the series, just to see if the author had improved, as I think somewhere in this confusing book there is actually a good story. I hope it comes out…


Paul
ARH

I didn't connect with this book and didn't finish it. I won't leave a review anywhere. Thank you for the chance to read it

Nirvana is a good story with a lot of potential. On some levels it reminded me of "Invitation to the Game," a title I read in the 90s which, just like Nirvana, is set in a dystopian world with virtual reality. I found the plot engaging, the worldbuilding was great for me. However, I believe I read an early, barely edited draft that was in great need of further revisions and editing. I like what I've seen and I'd love to read the final, published version.

It was interesting, but I had a bit of a hard time getting into it.

I didn't find this particularly engaging. I was a little intrigued by the set up, the hints of governmental conspiracy, the questioning of reality. I just found it too slow moving to keep me engaged.

DNF. I couldn't finish this because it was just too all over the place and forced. I know there is a new revised version out which made it easier for me to decide to put this down.

Sadly this book was decidedly underwhelming. It failed to capture me in any way which is a pity because I love the setting in a world where virtual reality is... um, reality, and I think that the characters were bland and unmemorable while the world is so boring I could yawn.
But then, it's just my opinion so I'm sure that some people have absolutely loved it and that's good.

I am a fan of the dystopian books. When I read what this book was about I knew I wanted to read it. A decade has passed since the Extinction which left Earth a wasteland. People are reliant on the corporate giant, Hexagon, for survival. The company controls food production, housing and, most importantly the virtual reality simulator known as Nirvana. Every week workers give up half their pay for fifteen minutes in Nirvana—a place where they can play out their wildest fantasies, relive old memories, or simply escape from the nightmare of their daily lives. Larissa Kenders is no exception. He soulmate, Andrew, disappeared but she is able to see Andrew in Nirvana. When virtual Andrew asks for her help she can't help but comply. I really like this book and I want more!