While it was relatively exciting and fast paced, this book seemed to lack something that makes tech Sci Fi and cyber stuff more interesting

I wanted to like this book but even though I found the idea interesting and the characters fleshed the plot failed to keep my attention and it fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Hi and welcome to my review of A User’s Guide to Make-Believe!

Looking back, I’ve become aware of the fact that I compared quite a lot of books to Black Mirror last year… I tried not to make the same comparison now, but it was literally the first thing that popped into my mind. A User’s Guide to Make-Believe takes life as we know it, life as we’re living it today, and adds a technology that seems highly plausible and too good to be true, rubbing our noses into everything that could go wrong (if that doesn’t sound like a Black Mirror episode, I don’t know what does). The technology in this case is called Make-Believe™. And doesn’t it sound enticing? Being able to escape reality by creating your own little world in your mind? You want to fly like a bird, or on the back of a dragon, be a princess or a warrior, veg out in a hot tub with a bunch of Victoria’s Secret models, or relive quality time with someone dear but lost to you, whatever it is your heart truly desires, you can make it happen, even if it’s only in your imagination and for only a few hours a day.

Working for Imagen, the company responsible for Make-Believe™, Cassie was one of its early users, but when she became addicted, she was sacked. As such, the story starts out with Cassie down on her luck and her money, living in a rowdy, smelly bedsit in a dilapidated low-rise. From there ensues a tale that I found entertaining but that made me feel a little incredulous at times. I’m a huge Blake Crouch fan, I know how to suspend disbelief in these kind of stories, in order to allow the story to take over and I love nothing more than to give the book free reign, have it take me on a wild ride, the wilder the better. Unfortunately, however many things I enjoyed about A User’s Guide to Make-Believe, it never completely grabbed me and I failed to truly connect with Cassie. I loved the premise but I couldn’t help but find the execution a bit lacking. I can’t go into the reasons why without talking about plot lines and giving away too much, so let’s just keep it at that.

What I did love was the way A Guide is constructed. Despite having an obvious main character, Cassie, many chapters are told from the POV of other characters. Quite often a chapter from Cassie’s POV is followed by a chapter from the POV of the character with whom she has just interacted, allowing us to see the same interaction, or its aftermath, from a different perspective. I don’t think I have ever read a book constructed in this manner so it felt unique, and it’s a technique that I really enjoyed.

To my mind, A User’s Guide to Make-Believe is an entertaining enough read with an amazing premise that didn’t fully live up to its potential.

A User’s Guide to Make-Believe is out today on Kindle and will be out in paperback in June.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free eARC! All opinions are my own.

You create the fantasy. They control your mind.

Make-Believe is the game-changing virtual reality escape. People can imagine anything and everything they want - flying is always people's first choice - for two hours per day. But what happens when there's more going on beneath the surface?

When Cassie finds out, she's cast out and forced into quiet by the all-too-powerful Imagen. Finding others in a similar situation, they pool together to see what - if anything - they can do.

Cassie is a strong lead who carries everything, and those surrounding her, well. A cool concept, ripe with moral questions on corporations, personal autonomy, real life vs imagined, and easy read. If this sounds your sort of book, you won't be disappointed.

Make-Believe is the latest immersion game/experience. Legislation and software is in place to prevent users playing too long. But nothing is infallible and there are those who abuse the system. Including those who work for the company. People like Cassie who worked at Imagen, the company behind the game. Her immersions have lead her to discover something quite shocking. But she was found out, sacked with a gagging order, cut off from the game, and now her life is a mess. But the she meets someone who appears to be in a similar situation to her. Can they pool their resources and bring down the giants that now run Imagen and stop the nefarious dealings that appear to be happening?
I really enjoyed the concept of Make-Believe. Users can play out their dreams. They can fly, become superheros, get their dream job. They can also experience more darker things; bit scary. It appears that anything goes. But there's a new side to the technology coming and it is this expansion that worries Cassie. This side must stop. And our story basically revolves around Carrie trying to do just that. The minnow fighting the sharks! There's action galore both within and outwith Make-Believe and, as with other similar books of the genre, the lines blur occasionally. But it never gets confusing and I managed to follow everything very easily.
Characterisation was good. I took to Cassie from the off which helped me with all the rest of what was going on around her. She's just someone with a goal, and she's gutsy enough to take what she knows about what is going on and go all in to do something about it instead of sitting back and trying to get on with what is left of her life. She chooses to become involved and that impressed me. Other characters are just as well drawn although I can't go into specifics as it might inject spoilers.
Pacing was good. There was a good solid build up as the scene was set and then the action ramped up all the way to the end. Description complemented said action rather than distracting and the story got on with itself very well.
All in all, a good solid read that held my attention nicely throughout, leaving me satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I really liked Cassie as a character, and I thought the world of the story was richly imagined. I particularly liked how Cassie felt real, and had a host of issues, some of which we came to understand well, and others that remained partially obscured throughout the novel. I also thought the idea of Imagen was intriguing and raised interesting ethical questions, especially given the emerging popularity of VR games. However, the plot, and the ending in particular felt far too convenient for me.