April 2022 Review: Dystopian World in Virtual Reality

Apprentice

Author: Kristen Young

Published by: Enclave Escape

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It has been forever since I reviewed a book. Honestly, life got very full for a while there, and reading has not been a luxury I’ve had the last few months. I am pleased to say that I am back at it…slower and at a more realistic pace, but there will be more reviews to come. And there’s nothing to bring me out of the silence like a book with such interesting world-building.

And it doesn’t hurt that it’s my favorite genre…dystopian.

There’s nothing worse than being labeled a Hater, especially in world like Apprentice Flick’s which defines itself by love. The Love Collective is all she wants to serve at the highest levels, so Flick wants nothing more than to attend the Elite Academy. But…when love is brainwashing and mantras and blind obedience…is it love?

It is no secret that I am a sucker for a well-written dystopian novel, and I think Kristen Young’s world is beyond intriguing. It’s scary realistic. It’s not hard to imagine a future in our world where free thought and anything less than touting the party line is paramount to treason. Wrap that up in a squeaky clean, tech-laden future, and it wouldn’t be hard to convince everyone to live this way. Young pulls off the best dystopian offers by making the future presented believable. You’ll think twice before trying out the increasingly popular VR headsets.

Flick and her compatriots are well-written. They are driven young people who strive to the best, but they are still kids. They think and act and talk the way you would imagine, which pulls the reader into the story very quickly.

The book is a clean read. No language, sex, or gory violence as I can remember (it has been a few weeks since I finished the story).

And did I mention it was the Realm Award 2021 Book of the Year??

I would recommend this book to anyone, especially lovers of dystopian (like me!). I am excited to see what more is to come in the world Young has created.

Available on Amazon or through your local bookseller (support local business when you can!).

No disclaimer. I did not receive anything from the author, nor was I requested to write this review.