My Review
“An absolutely amazing book! Unique and original take on virtual reality and gaming! A new generation of sci-fi.”

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this book.  If I’m completely honest I was totally outside of my comfort zone with this book and that is the beauty of it because this book has to be one of the best Science-Fiction book I’ve read this year. I didn’t even know legendary Marshall of How I Met Your Mother was an author, so you can tell the shock when I got it through the post and saw it on the dust jacket. 

Otherworld, was born a millennia ago, but it didn’t survive, it became obsolete. Then Milo Yolkin brought it back from the dead, spending billions of pounds to make this game into the ultimate game. Taking AI further than ever. Just imagine being part of world that is exactly like reality, touch, smell, and taste – every desire you ever wanted, right there for you to live in the world of Otherworld. Why wouldn’t you want to leave?

Simon isn’t stupid, he’s clever, resourceful, funny and caring. He parents may think he’s a troublemaker – especially when his arse is in full view of his parents – instantly you want to laugh because you know it’s totally going to wind his parents up and their perfectly manicured lives. Simon cares more than you know too – so when he kept pushing the boundaries between himself and his parents, going against the rules of his probation officer and getting kicked out of boarding school for hacking – which he didn’t do – he didn’t to protect people, like Kat. Kat was obviously the victim of the story but from I knew of her and the way Simon describes you can tell that she’s strong, brave and in a way the perfect match for Simon. There is such a range of characters in Otherworld, split between real world and the game, good vs evil, allies and enemies it’s truly as if you are immersed in the games yourself. That your not Simon but your another avatar with him in the game.

Otherworld is one skilled piece of writing, it’s addictive, pulse racing, enticing, almost surreal. It will hook you in on the first page and you won’t be able to escape it. The style of writing keeps you hooked. I’ve never read anything like this.What I loved about Otherworld makes you think, it makes you reflect on your own reality. It’s scary as hell and that’s why I love this book because in it’s own way it’s so relatable to today. I mean we already have Headgear with Samsung, we have robots that look like us and work in medical… AI is very real – what’s to stop Xbox games becoming like Otherworld. Otherworld kind of plays of the fears of the real world, whilst encompassing our desires – it’s addictive and that’s the beauty of it. It’s designed like that and that’s what Simon and Kat thought too.

Otherworld is beyond this world… it’s in a dimension of its own and you will never forget this book. You’ll keep subconsciously thinking about it even when your not reading it. The book becomes the headgear – you can’t get out it until you’ve read till the very last page – but then you’ll get the worst book hangover of the century. Have I sold it to you? Do you dare enter Otherworld… you won’t be the same after!

Rating – 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟