Nexis by A.L. Davroe

In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.

And it’s been waiting for Ella.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised by Nexis and the world the author created.

In the future people live in the virtual world called Nexis, an invention of Ella’s father that she uses to interact with other people. As she is the only “Natural Born “amongst genetically altered aristocrats, Ella spent her time in this virtual world as a way of living and staying away from real human contact.

I liked the main character, she tended to dwell a bit in her sad situation yes, but once it was time to act she took matters into her own hands and went for it.

The side characters were alright, though I wished they had been developed a bit more. They seemed more like stereotypes than real people.

One thing that bothered me to the point where I started considering to stop reading it was the pace. It would start super-fast and action packed, only to get to a snail pace out of the sudden with little action going through each chapter, and then it would pick up again. It was like a roller coaster but I wished the transition had been made a little smoother instead of providing this sharp contrast.

To sum up, Nexis is a creative story with likeable characters and an interesting plot. I’d recommend it to anybody who is into futuristic tales.