CTRL S
CTRL S
by Andy Briggs
2 out of 5Synopsis
Life in the near future's NOT ALL BAD. We've reversed global warming, and fixed the collapsing bee population. We even created SPACE, a virtual-sensory universe where average guys like Theo Wilson can do almost anything they desire.
But ALMOST ANYTHING isn't enough for some. Every day, normal people are being taken, their emotions harvested - and lives traded - to create death-defying thrills for the rich and twisted.
NOW THEO'S MOTHER HAS DISAPPEARED. And as he follows her breadcrumb trail of clues, he'll come up against the most dangerous SPACE has to offer: vPolice, AI Bots and anarchists - as well as a criminal empire that will KILL TO STOP HIM finding her . .
Review
When the virtual world is becoming a staple of everyone's lives, Theo and his friends have to find his missing mother, and uncover dark secrets.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
In the future, taking part in virtual and augmented reality is as common and everyday as meeting up with friends in the park.
When Theo makes the choice to give up his dreams of university, and gets a dead-end job in a burger joint, to help his mother out with spiralling debts, going into SPACE is his only escape. Especially when his three closest friends are all moving on with their lives, doing everything he never will. Every game played together should be savoured.
Theo's repetitive cycle of work and gaming is interrupted when his mum mysteriously disappears, and dangerous people start to come after him.
It's up to Theo and his friends to follow the clues, to find answers.
Along the way, they come up against "dark web" activity, showing that even in this shining future with brand new technology, there will always be sick demands, and people abusing the system.
I really liked that this aspect was explored, and I think it was the strongest element of the book.
I really struggled to read this. It's a great idea, but was as dry as reading an instruction manual. There were reams of techno-babble that had no bearing on the story, it just felt like padding and going overboard to satisfy the "science" in science-fiction.
For me, it felt like Ready Player One, without the heart.
I felt no connection to any of the characters, you have typical angry girl (who isn't like other girls), big lumbering guy, and slightly-popular guy. They basically go on a scavenger hunt, with clues getting dropped very conveniently, to move the plot along.
Theo's mum constantly pissed me off. At the beginning of the book, she basically bails, doing a runner and leaving her teenage son to deal with the gangsters. I know that she had her reasons, but leaving Theo, with no training and piss-poor instructions was a crappy move.
Overall, this book was not for me. This is more for those who like the technical side of sci-fi.
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