Virch

by Laura Resau

Mind-bending, fast-paced YA sci-fi with heart.

In the year 2154, virtual reality is an enticing escape… but just for the privileged. For others, like sixteen-year-old Liv, reality means living by a contaminated bay that’s sickened her little sister to the brink of death.

Liv is determined to find a cure. She ventures to a mysterious tropical island to infiltrate a tech empire owned by the world’s most powerful man. When she encounters his son, Wolf, she’s shocked. He isn’t the shallow celebrity portrayed in the virtual world—he’s an idealist with heart, committed to righting his father’s wrongs. And when Wolf promises to help save her sister, he might just capture Liv’s heart, too.

But as Liv and Wolf confront a danger beyond anything they could have imagined, they must unravel the deadly scheme at the core of the tech empire. And their world starts to crumble . . . just as they’re falling in love.

Rooted in futuristic science and ancient wisdom, Virch explores truth and illusion, human and environmental rights, and the forces of love behind it all.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Dystopia, Young Adult Science Fiction, Thriller, Teen

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2024

About the author

Laura Resau is the author of The Alchemy of Flowers, The River Muse (May 2026), and eleven acclaimed books for children and teens. Her books have garnered nineteen starred trade reviews, five Colorado Book Awards, and spots on “best-of” book lists from Oprah, School Library Journal, and the American Library Association. Trilingual, she’s lived in Provence and Oaxaca, and has a background in cultural anthropology, languages, and ESL. She teaches graduate creative writing at Western Colorado University. You might find her writing in her cozy vintage trailer in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she lives with her rock-hound husband, musician son, wild husky, and a hundred house plants.

Reviews

[Laura Resau]

Hello, dear readers! I haven’t done a Goodreads post for any of my other books so far, but this one was *ten years* in the making so I figured I’d give it some extra love! 😉 I hope this story engages your heart, mind, and soul—this was my intention during all those years of brainstorming, writing, and revising. You can read an interview about why I chose to dive into the sci-fi realm and what inspired the book via the Virch page on my website: https://www.lauraresau.com/virch . You also can find a book club guide there, complete with ideas for refreshments, music, and décor. May the story bend your mind, expand your soul, and fill your heart in the best ways. Happy reading!

xo,
Laura

[Devan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! The pace is fast without ruining the flow of the story. I wasn't sure what to expect going in but I enjoyed the rich world-building and character dynamics. Liz, the main character is kind-hearted and really just wants to make the world a better place for her sister. The dystopian society take is great. Overall I just really loved the book and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes YA and Dystopian Society stories.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2154, society is even more fragmented than at present. Virtual reality holds an escape for those privileged enough to afford it, but for people like sixteen-year-old Liv, whose home is a contaminated coastal bay, reality is all they have. Liv's younger sister is desperately ill & needs treatment that only the richest can afford, so Liv applies to do an internship on an island owned by the world's most powerful man, Casper.

The cure for her sister is available there & Liv plans to steal it & save her sister's life, but when she arrives, Liv realises that something isn't right on the island paradise. A fellow intern, Wolf, turns out to be Casper's prodigal son, but he has no intention of reconciling with his father, rather he is there to right the wrongs that have been happening on his father's watch. Wolf & Liv are attracted to each other but can they trust each other?

This turned out to be a good read for the most part. The start draws you in & the premise is intriguing with the virtual reality tech etc. Liv & Wolf are your usual YA main characters - the rebel girl & the love interest & their usual squabbles & misunderstandings before they decide to work together. I did think that they might have realised sooner that telling those in charge wasn't working - they kept doing the same thing over & over & it never turned out any differently.

The world-building was okay but I think it could have been better as I felt as if certain aspects were not explained as well they could have been & some characters were rather shallowly drawn. I also felt that the conclusion seemed rather hurried compared to the rest of the book. Maybe the book might have worked better as a duology or even just a longer book to allow some of these issues to be addressed. It was, however, an entertaining, fast-paced read that kept my attention well. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Owl Hollow Press (IBPA), for the opportunity to read an ARC.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book I had no idea at all what to expect. I loved the cover the second I saw it and I knew I had to read this book. All I knew about the book is what genre it was and that Laura Resau wrote this book.

This story is so fast paced that I read it in Two sittings, I could not stop reading! The world building is absolutely amazing, it is layer within layer and worlds within worlds. Everything is described so detailed that I could perfectly visualise this story in my own head. It pushed the edges of reality and you start wondering what is real and what’s not. There’s a Blue pill reference in there somewhere cause it sure made me feel like we live in a digital reality and that we should unplug asap. It made me question absolutely everything because for all we know we might be living in a simulation ourselves?!

The main character Liz has such a big heart, she wants to make the world a better place for her family and goes above and beyond to make it happen. Without giving any spoilers, I have to say I love the character building in this story.

I really had to focus while reading this book because it is quite heavy, this felt more like an adult dystopian sci-fi to me than sci-fi for young adults. I took so many notes and went on a bender on Google doing research, it definitely made me use my brain for the better!

I managed not to cry throughout this entire book, until I read the acknowledgment page. The message Laura left in there towards her husband made me tear up.

Thank you to Laura Resau, Owl Hollow Press and Netgalley for giving me this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions here are my own.

5-star read
Genres: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance, YA, Dystopian
Release date: June 4, 2024.

[My Humble Thoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Virch" is a thrilling YA sci-fi novel set in the year 2154, where virtual reality offers an escape for the privileged, but for Liv, it's a stark contrast to her reality by a contaminated bay. Determined to save her sick sister, Liv infiltrates a tech empire owned by the powerful Wolf, who surprises her by being an idealist committed to righting his father's wrongs. As they navigate danger and a crumbling world, the story explores truth, illusion, and the enduring power of love, rooted in futuristic science and ancient wisdom. The author masterfully blends a fast-paced narrative with pressing issues of human and environmental rights, delivering a thought-provoking and compelling YA adventure.

[Jolene Gutiérrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where most people enjoy virtual reality, Liv is just trying to live. . .and trying to save her little sister, who is in a medically-induced coma and needs a cure that can only be found on a tropical island owned by the wealthiest man in the world. Liv meets Wolf on the island, but is he all that he says he is? The ticking clock, romance, and awesome characters will keep you turning the pages, and the ending might surprise you!

I loved this book and highly recommend it!

[Emily Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brimming with lyrical prose and the sweetness of first love, this scifi will leave you breathless and asking yourself: real or not real?

[Kiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen- was this book a masterclass in prose? No… but it did read like an episode of Black Mirror and I. LOVED. THAT. I had no idea what was going on or who to trust and felt deeply unsettled while reading it. Like Black Mirror, it explores the dark side of technology and left me in a state of existential crisis, which is exactly my type of content🙂‍↕️

Howeverrrr, some of the seemingly twisty parts weren’t really twists at all, and there were some loose ends, but overall it was a fun, fast read! Def recommend.

[Angela Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world building is great. While it's recognizeably sci-fi, the idea of Virch and its world is fresh. Liv is a great character, who is curious, strong, and determined. Wolf and Spiro are interesting, and it's cool to see how their pasts impact their lives. This novel has enough mystery and adventure to hold someone's attention with a bit of romance thrown in. The romance was a bit rushed to me, but given their situation, it had to be.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Resau’s newest YA novel addresses the nature of reality, the efficacy of virtual worlds, and the meaning found anywhere there is consciousness. It’ll have you pondering the possibilities of our digital and real futures the whole way through. If you’re a fan of science fiction, you’ll love Virch.

[Ashley Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Sweet romance and saving-the-world thrills. The characters are so grounding and authentic, inspiring me to be the best version of myself!

[Deborah Zeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Virch" is a non-stop, wild ride, YA dystopian novel set in the year 2154, where virtual reality offers an escape for the privileged while the rest suffer in a contaminated reality. The protagonist, Liv, driven by her love for her sick sister, ventures into a tech empire owned by the formidable Wolf. Surprisingly, Wolf is an idealist striving to rectify his father's misdeeds. As they confront danger and a crumbling society, the story delves into themes of truth, illusion, and the enduring power of love. Lots of rich world-building, compelling character dynamics, and pressing issues of human and environmental rights. With its fast-paced narrative and thought-provoking exploration, "Virch" is a must-read for fans of YA and dystopian society stories.

[Cyn Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Beautiful world building. Fell inlove with the characters. The technology in this book was intriguing. Hare to tell what is real and what is a simulation. Absolutely love it would definitely recommend if you love dystopia.

[Sarah Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible. If you love the movie Inception and those kinds of stories, then this is for you. If you love happy endings, then this is for you. If you love sweet love, then this is for you. If you love apocalyptic stories, then this is for you. No spice so definitely okay for YA readers.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great mix of young love and sci-fi. It keeps you guessing, and then the ending leaves you wondering what if?

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cool, twisty, mind-bending novel VIRCH is! Laura Resau has built an immersive future world that will keep readers guessing about what's real with every page turn--and asking big questions about where our own high-tech society may be heading. High stakes, layered characters, and sweet romance round out a story readers will find impossible to put down. I won't soon forget Liv, Wolf, and the incredible world of VIRCH!

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Virch by Laura Resau is a fast-paced, sci-fi adventure about a teen girl’s race to save her sister and then the world. Liv is starting a prestigious internship at the Virchuous Institute, a virtual reality science center that focuses on the latest tech that can help the world from virtual reality simulations to medical and military needs. But Liv has an ulterior motive. Her sister is sick and currently in stasis to prevent her disease from progressing. From a Null zone, they do not have access to the medications and treatment Shell needs. So Liv works hard at her studies and is granted the internship where the medicine her sister needs is made. However, Liv finds herself in the middle of two brothers, one who wants to save the world and the other who wants to end it. Too bad she doesn’t know which one to trust.

This book moves at such a fast pace. I found myself completely engrossed from page one to the end. Liv is easy to relate to. Her hopes and dreams are being put on hold to save her sister. She doesn’t care about anything else until she is forced to by her dream self who warns her of impending disaster and tells her which brother to trust…that is if she believes herself.

The world in this book is similar to our world now, but also not. Technology has advanced to the point that virtual reality is how most people live their lives. Virchlenses, like contact lenses, allow the wearer to experience the virtual world alongside the real, blending the two seamlessly. Everyone has virchips that record their consciousnesses and allow medical professionals to scan, treat, and diagnosis people. Yet most of this technology is only available to the elite. Those in the lower zones, like Liv, do not have access to the techonology or to care even though a virchip was required at birth. It was an interesting look at different societal classes and how quickly the disparity between them can widen.

Overall, Virch is an exciting read. I found myself riveted as the book takes place over about 4-5 days. Liv is a great character as the narrator. I enjoyed living the book through her. The story brings up questions about reality, what to trust and what not too that I find relevant in today’s world of AI. There is a touch of romance, but mostly the book focuses on the mystery of what is happening and how to stop it. I highly recommend it for fans of YA dystopia and sci-fi.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liv is illegally living in the Cove, an off-limits zone in a dystopian world where people struggle to survive, sifting through the e-waste generated by the “sharks,” the wealthy members of society who live in a highly technological world, increasingly reliant on virtual reality. But when her sister gets fatally sick and they can’t avoid medicine, she gets an internship with Casper Palacios Lim Moiret, the 150-year-old founder of the Virch Empire, a giant corporation that essentially runs the modern world.

Liv is there to steal a vial of the medication her sister needs to survive; that is, if she can avoid anyone finding out who she really is and where she’s from. If they do, she’ll be sent to live in a refugee camp. But she immediately becomes connected with two of Casper’s Progeny, his genetically engineered and very famous children, and after a disturbing dream, she finds herself on a two-day deadline to save the world from complete destruction.

The island setting and the lives of the “sharks” (the body modifications remind us of the Capitol in The Hunger Games) are high glamor escapism, and while there are some clunky parts, the action doesn’t let up, and we think many students will find it highly engaging (we constantly wanted to know what happened next). The novel’s exploration of what is really real and how we know isn’t our particular jam, but we’ve had enough conversations with students to know there’s definitely an audience for it.

Thank you NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

[Aisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC!

First of all, this was such an interesting concept for a book - I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of virtual realities, alternate lives etc. It was different and very pleasant!

Now Liv and Wolf. As cute and sweet as their story was- Wolf really bugged me! He had all these big ideas and plans but it seems only Liv got her hands dirty and did all the hard/dangerous work whilst he waited in the corners for her to be done or crying somewhere. Gave me the ICK! I feel like that ruined their romance a little for me, but nonetheless, it was sweet. Although, I found that their love developed very quickly - there was no work put in or tension built really. They just spent three days together and fell in love - I would’ve loved for it to be a bit more challenging.

Spiro, Spiro, Spiro…is it bad that I felt sorry for him? LOL, he had a very interesting story indeed. However, his death was very anticlimactic. For someone who played such a large role in the book and in such significant events, surely we’d get more than “oh, he’s gone”?!

Overall, this book was decent but I feel had so much room to develop and expand on things.

[Jan farnworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Virch is a fast-paced SF novel with engaging characters that explores the idea that reality may be a complex concept to pin down. When virtual realities are no more than a zig-zag glance away, how do we know that we are living an actual existence and are not "riding our tiny boat of reality in a sea of illusion," as the character Liv describes it? More importantly, does it truly matter whether we live a dream? Do our lives and how we live them matter? Liv lives in the poor part of this world, and her sister has contracted a mental poison that will eventually kill her if her sister can't get the cure. The story has a love interest, but it works alongside the attempt to right the wrongs of the world. The story moves quickly, and at times, I felt it got muddied down a bit with the question of what reality is. What is real? If you like stories about future technology and trying to right the wrongs of the world, Virch would be a good fit.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, thank you to Netgalley and Owl Hollow Press for the ARC, which I received in exchange for a fair review.

I have mixed feeling about this book.I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first. It was a really cool concept, and I wish the author had gone into more depth with the world building. Most of the character lacked depth and did not have much growth, and the main antagonist felt like a cartoon villian. Additionally the main character, Liv, made some rather odd choices about who to trust, which seemed odd even for a teenage main character.

That being said, the plot was interesting and it was a quick read. Also I am not the target audience, so I’m willing to cut it a bit more slack, I hope it resonates better with young adult audiences.

[sierramountainsofbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️rating: 4/5

This was not what I expected in all the best ways. There were constant surprises and you never really know where it’s going. It’s an awesome YA sci-fi/dystopian story with elements of Uglies, The Matrix, and The Hunger Games!

My brain wasn’t quite ready for the philosophy of what is reality vs illusion and what really matters, but I really enjoyed this. It was wonderfully trippy and makes you wonder what’s actually real. What is reality?

It was also a sweet young love story between Liv and Wolf amidst all the craziness that happens. And I like how it all wrapped up, it was a nice ending.

I think my only complaint is that everything happened over the span of three days. It’s supposed to be rushed, but because of that, some things were a little harder to believe. I think it could have had a slightly longer timespan and still maintained the right pacing and urgency. Otherwise, I really enjoyed everything else.

Overall, this was a wonderful YA sci-fi/dystopian novel and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend!

Thanks to Owl Hollow Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Todd Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whirlwind YA novel that combines everything I love—characters I can't help but root for, fiery relationships, and mind-bending concepts—into a fast-paced, lyrically written sci-fi adventure. This is a book that people will be talking about.

Note: I've read and enjoyed several Laura Resau books in the past. This is definitely something different from an author known for her literary YA fiction and poetic writing. I enjoy seeing established authors explore new genres, and Resau brings a great deal of insight into what's ultimately a deeply philosophical sci-fi novel that's extremely entertaining to read. I found myself thinking about this book long after I finished the final page.

[Carola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Owl Hollow Press and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

There aren’t much Sci fi YA books I’ve read in my life and I want to expend my collection of these kind of books so I decided to ask an earc of this book and find out if this kind of book is my cup of tea. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

This book lacked of world building, character development and the story was quit boring so it couldn’t keep my attention from the start.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many of Laura Resau's books over the years and was excited to read her first scifi creation - I was blown away and haunted by the story, consuming it in a single session (something I rarely do!). I immediately wanted a movie version! But for now, I'll have to encourage all readers to hop in, hold on and enjoy the wild ride through a dystopian future filled with intriguing characters and twisty plot turns.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Laura’s books, but I didn’t really like this one. Dystopian stories are not my favorite, too depressing. I read this one quickly; I wanted to be done with it. I found too many holes in the plot, at least it seemed so to me. The constant use of the word virch was annoying, and the layers of reality/nonreality were hard to follow.

[SketchyNewEngland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story was really intriguing. It was an interesting examination of our modern life through lens of our descendants. The writing was smooth and very readable. It drew me in right away. Books like this make the YA genre better.
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC review copy.

[Liv Everhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Owl Hollow Press for an ARC of this book. For me, this one came in around a 2.5 stars. This book was very dystopian which I love and reminded me of the Divergent series in some ways. I thought the story itself was interesting as I wanted to find out what happened next and how it would be wrapped up. I feel, though, that there was a lack of background starting out. While I get that we learned more as we went along, I feel like we could have been given basics like what the intern program was or how Liv got chosen to go. I feel like that could have greatly improved the beginning.
I also did not like finding out the whole thing was a just a sim. While maybe some people would find that to be a good twist, to me it knocked the story down in my rating unfortunately. We got a happy ending, but it wasn’t even real.
I do feel like there were good messages in some parts of the book, but at times it felt forced. Also, I feel like things were too convenient at times, like the main characters assuming something then the another character confirming it in almost the exact same words later even though they weren’t there originally. The story could use a bit of polishing in this sense as well as the connections between scenes and events.
All in all, I feel like the story was interesting and suspenseful, but wasn’t for me.

[jlreadstoperpetuity · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing concept! I like how fast paced this was and the transitions are non-nonsense. It's done so seamlessly

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn’t sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Great read. Received as a Goodreads giveaway.