Metawars by Jeff Norton [Review]

Synopsis

In an unforgiving future, two warring factions – the MILLENIALS and the GUARDIANS – are locked in a brutal battle over control of an online virtual world called the Metasphere. Jonah Delacroix has always known which side he’s on – the same side as his dead father. But when he assumed his father’s avatar, he learns that things aren’t as black and white as he once believed. He’s catapulted into a full-throttle race through both worlds – but can he find the truth?

MetaWars : Fight for the Future is the first instalment in a fantastic futuristic adventure series with dast-oaced, cinematic narrative. Set in the near future MetaWars suggest a fascinating – but also scary – prediction of what might be to come, covering already topical issues such as fuel shortage, climate change and economic meltdown.

Review

Well, let’s be honest, I was a little leery at first about this one, because so much of the concept about living in a virtual world, rather than a decaying real one sounded so much like Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, that was so successful last year (and a book I bought for myself to read, at about the same time as this one dropped though my letterbox) Thankfully, having now finished this one, and am a good way through the thoroughly fantastic Ready Player One, I can say that MetaWars: Fight for the Future, can stand pretty proudly on it’s own..

Metawars, opens with with Jonah, tearing though the streets, taking part in a thrilling race, trying to win enough credits to look after him and his mum for a little bit longer, and the action pretty much doesn’t slow up from there, dragging you from those first few pages right though to the exciting climax.

That’s not to say it’s just action, action, action, Jeff Norton, mixes is some pretty interesting concepts as well, like before you die, you can upload your memories and personalty to the Metasphere allowing you to ‘live’ on at least in your avatar form. I also liked the fact that, with the two warring groups in the book, the Millennials and the Guardians, it’s not a clear good guy = angels /bad guy = devils division. Both believe their way is the right way forward, and will do some pretty questionable things to further their cause.

I also liked main character Jonah and his family’s secret history and the way which it is woven into and forms an important part of the main story.

Overall Metawars: Fight for the Future, is a brilliantly paced book, packed with likeable characters, that will excite a teen reader as well as make them think.

Rating

[xrrgroup][xrr label="Characters:" rating="4.5/6" group="s1" ] [xrr label="Plot:" rating="4/6" group="s1"] [xrr label="Writing:" rating="4/6" group="s1"] [xrr label="Just One More Page:" rating="5/6" group="s1"] [xrr label="Overall:" overall=true group="s1" ][/xrrgroup]

Buy: Metawars by Jeff Norton
My copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Metawars was released on August 2nd by Orchard Books