Blurb:
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.
Nirvana is a fast-paced, page-turning young adult novel
combining elements of science fiction, mystery, and romance. Part of a trilogy,
this book introduces readers to a young woman who refuses to give up on the man
she loves, even if it means taking on an entire government to do so.
About the Author:
J.R. Stewart has worked on many corporate projects
throughout a prolific IT academic and consulting career, and is involved with
many confidential virtual reality projects. After working on advanced “VR”
technologies for over a decade, Stewart grew concerned about the implications
of this work and the possible psychological effects that it may have on its
users.
[Ed. Note.: J.R. Stewart prefers to remain anonymous and does not publish author photos.]
Review by Rochelle:
Nirvana was a gripping book. Larissa Kenders
has major trust issues due to childhood trauma, but when she meets Andrew, he
shows her that not all men are the monster her father was. Their relationship
on campus is almost idyllic. Then Andrew is offered a job at “The Barracks.” They
get married so Kenders can go with him, which is fortunate. When the bees
become extinct completely disrupting the food chain and the Earth turns into a
dustbowl, most people who survive the famine are crowded into concentration
camps where they work corporate farms. The only people not subjected to this
labor are the soldiers in the Barracks and a few ultra-wealthy or select minds
who live in the luxurious “Bubble.” When Andrew goes missing on a mission,
Kenders cannot move on. She spends him in the virtual world, Nirvana, and
eventually begins to question whether the man she encounters there is virtual,
or if he’s really her Andrew.
I might
have given this book five roses, but I absolutely hate cliff-hanger endings,
and Nirvana ends on a cliff-hanger. I
suppose it goes back to Tolkien, but he wrote The Lord of the Rings as one book and his publisher split it up. If
you don’t mind cliff-hangers, then Nirvana
is a good book.
Heat Rating: G
Length: 201 Pages
Digital Price: $5.99
Thanks for visiting. Donna, Julie, & Rochelle
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