I enjoyed this book and I will definitely be picking the next book in the series up as soon as it comes out. I thought this book was fairly well structured and centred around a quest (which I enjoyed as it mirrored a video gaming experience). I thought this book did well at solving part of the conflict whilst still leaving questions to be answered and things to do in later novels. I sometimes felt that this book was a bit too drawn out and there were certain scenes that I thought should have been cut. The main character is interesting and I definitely felt invested in his story. The book relies fairly heavily on tropes and this is especially apparent in the characters of the 'bad guys'. Overall, I thought this book was fun so I would recommend it.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and thought it was very clever. However by the middle I became a little bored and just wanted to speed read til the end. It was just too long and the twists and turns didn't hold my attention enough to stop me feeling relieved when I got to the end. I thought that the different Elementals in Otherworld were really well thought out and clever. I liked the critique of human nature in the different parts of the game with regards to 'guests' pillaging each others mansions and killing each other and the Children. All in all it was a good book and hopefully in the sequel the dialogue and the storyline will be a little more polished.

A fast-paced and wish-fulfilment Ready Player One for people who don't fetishise 1980's. 

Simon Eaton is kind of a bum. Born to rich, apathetic parents, he takes nothing seriously. Until his best friend becomes comatose after an accident he witnesses, and he learns she's trapped inside a computer simulation. Simon vows to go in after her, and in the process uncovers a conspiracy that puts him, Kat, and a host of other characters in grave danger. 

The concept behind Otherworld isn't original, but it doesn't quite stray into the self-indulgent fantasies of Ready Player One. However, it does maintain a lot of problematic tropes: there is a definitive damsel in distress, an older woman and a PoC are sacrificed to help the hero complete his journey, oversexualised female characaters exist. If you're a reader who can put aside these issues, then you're in for a gruesome, clever, and deftly-plotted ride. But sadly for me, I couldn't enjoy it quite as much because of it.

Excellent book.  Great main characters and a real page turner.  I loved the plot and would recommend this book.

This is a clever book. For many people a virtual reality is pure escapism. Who doesn't love to be whoever they want to be in another awesome world for just a few hours. And imagine if you could use that virtual reality for more than just escape. The potential is endless, and the same is true for the creative world building of this story.

This is fast paced, always progressing and had some creepy (scarily believable) dark twists which will make you think twice about the true appeal of leaving your reality behind for those few hours. The characters take a bit of a back seat compared to the amazing world building, but you absolutely will want to know how it can be possible for one boy to free a girl from locked in syndrome (effectively an aware coma). 

Whilst some of the themes have been seen before, this book is still a fun read - Virtual reality doesn't seem quite so virtual anymore!