In Beta

by Prescott Harvey

“Prescott is one brilliant dude.” (JJ Abrams)

It’s 1993, and Jay and Colin are small-town geeks. Senior year is nearly over, and they’re still as unpopular as ever.

Everything changes when they discover a disk containing a computer program called The Build, a pixel-perfect replica of their hometown. As the boys tweak its code, they discover they can bend the laws of reality. With godlike power, they react as any teenager hacking high school to make it more awesome.

But someone - or something - is watching. And as their friends and neighbors begin acting increasingly strange, they buckle in for an epic battle. Jay and Colin must pull out all their cheat codes to save themselves, their town - and the very fabric of existence.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult

Audible Audio

Published July 13, 2021

Reviews

[The SciFi Book Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So yeah, have you ever thought you were living in a simulation? Like the world isn’t real and is just some computer program and we’re all characters in it. I know I have. This one time I did some shrooms with my buddy Kyle. I punched a hole in the wall and saw the green scrolling code from the Matrix behind it. I punched more holes and there was more Matrix code. I was seriously freaking out but not as much as Kyle’s mom when she saw all the holes in her basement wall! I’m still not allowed to go back over to their house. Anyways, I don’t know if I experienced the real world or if I was just trippin’ balls, but that’s the premise of this book. The world is a simulation, there is no spoon, whoa!

Jay is this mega dweeb living in mid-90s small town Oregon. He’s got one friend named Colin and their lives revolve around playing video games. They eat junk food and pull all-nighters trying to beat the toughest bosses. His favourite game is Sim City and he loves building and running the town. As I was reading this, I was beginning to get worried that I was Jay, bro! We both eat cheeze puffs and play video games all-night, but our Sim City styles differed. I’d use the cheat code ‘FUND FUND FUND FUND FUND FUND’ to buy this rad city and then send in like eight Godzilla’s to destroy it. So, I guess I’m only partly like Jay, what would that make me? A dork? I dunno man, after reading this I’m definitely not as cool as I thought, but chicks dig me, so I got that going at least.

Anyways, on his birthday, Jay gets a floppy disk included with his video gaming magazine. It’s called ‘The Build’ and at first looks like a Sim City knockoff. Jay then discovers that this game actually controls the town. Changes made in the game take effect in his world, so Jay begins to play God and changes things to make his life better. He fills his bank account, cranks up his strength and intelligence, humiliates the jocks, sends a tornado after the bully who took his gal. Dude, that power would be insane! I’d probably pump up my muscles, load up the bank account, take a couple inches off *wink wink, nudge nudge*, fill my house with babes and beer. We’d party so hard dudes!

Jay’s having a blast until he pieces together that this world is a simulation and its creator, Hal, wants Jay to inflict pain on the jocks and be a real fucking douche. Jay faces a big-time dilemma. Does he live like a god or be good and get rid of this douche Hal but risk getting deleted? Duuuude, live like a god!! Go for it! Doooo it! But nah… Jay is a good dude even if he’s a spaz. So this epic battle sets up at Prom night between the creator and his creation. It’s like a battle between Neo vs Agent Smith in Sim City at prom!

We dip our toes into some pretty deep philosophical elements on sentience, simulation theory, and other big brainy areas. But really, it’s more of a fun romp through 90s geekdom. Bit of a big heads up though bros, this book is heavy on 90’s nostalgia. Like problem with the Earth’s gravitational pull type heavy. I think there was a quota of at least five 90s references on each page. As a bit of a 90s child it was amusing but a little overkill.

Anyways, that’s about all I got, adios amigos!


Also, check out my rad site for more content like this: The SciFi Book Guy

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

#InBeta #NetGalley

I was very intrigued by the description of this book and I’m very happy that NetGalley was able to provide me with an Advanced Reading Copy.

The basic premise is that two geeky high-school kids living in a dull, small town in cascadia stumble upon a computer game called “The Build”, which is a simcity-like computer model of their town. But then they discover that changing the settings in the game starts to make corresponding changes in real life.

The premise did intrigue me, and I figured that with it, the story could turn out to either be very silly or really good. Fortunately, it turned out to be the latter.

I won’t go into more details about the plot as it would give away spoilers. But suffice to say that the story does not follow an entirely predictable storyline and there are a few interesting plot twists to keep the pages turning. The only downside I found was that it did start to get a little silly at one point towards the end (again, I won’t say because of spoilers). But aside from that, it was a very enjoyable read.

There are a whole lot of 90s pop culture references in this book. There are definitely elements of The Matrix and Ready Player One in here. If you enjoy that type of story, then I would recommend this book.

[Simoné Eloff · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

After mulling this over longer than I likely needed to, I have come to the conclusion that the enjoyment I had reading the first half of this book unfortunately does not outweigh the definite issues I had with it later on. As my beloved MasterChef Australia judges would say: "The concept was fantastic, but unfortunately, the execution just didn't do it justice".

I do hope that Prescott Harvey will continue to work on and hone his craft, though; a creative mind like Harvey's will eventually find its sweet spot, and I think it's going to be a good one.

[Donna Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you were a really a character in a video game??

That's the premise of In Beta, an intriguing, fun and thought-provoking read. Jay Banksman lives in Bickleton, a small rural town where nothing ever seems to change. Jay and his best friend Colin are seniors in high school, gaming geeks and frequent subjects of the baseball teams abuse. One day Jay receives a free game disc called The Build in one of his gaming magazines, but when he tries it out, he finds a perfect replica of Bickleton, right down to the people in the game. That's when things really start to get weird. Jay finds out that by a simple click, he can change what happens in his world, need some money? Click. Need a new car? Click. Then the weirdest thing of all happens, Liz Knight, the most popular and beautiful girl in school, asks him to prom. What now?? All of these changes and events attract attention from a mysterious man and then the battle for the future of Bickleton and everyone in it begins.

This is one of those stories that is just easy to get lost in. I immediately liked Jay and Colin and their high school experiences are so relatable even if it's been a while since you've been in high school!! Love how Bickleton is perpetually stuck in 1993 and all the TV, movie, music and gaming references are so fun to look back on. The tension in the story just ramps up throughout and the twists certainly keep you hooked and wanting to find out what is going to happen to Jay's world. And there are definitely times when you do begin to question the nature of your reality. If you are a science fiction fan, even if you are not a gamer(I am not) and looking for a quick, stand alone to break up maybe a longer series, this is a great option and very entertaining.

Thanks to Inkshares and NetGalley for the ARC.

[greta · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was my first book by this author and i wasn't really a fan of this one unfortunately.

the male characters were full of huge egos and the bully thing i've seen done a billion times, so i was a bit bored.
i didn't really end up caring for any of them on a deeper level.

the writing style wasn't the best as well, it felt a bit simplistic and by the end it was a bit confusing, the concept started to not make sense anymore for me personally.

now, the main idea of this book was fascinating at first and i liked the book at the beginning, but once i found out what was actually going on, i was underwhelmed and it went downhill from there for me.
the ending was unrealistic and convenient for the story too. i found myself wanting to just be done with this and that's the indication for me that i unfortunately didn't really enjoy my time with this book.

[Matt Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me of a lot of things. From early-90s pop culture references to the difficulty of growing up unpopular on the poor side of town, it’s got it all. A bunch of bullies named John, a tight-knit group of nerdy friends, a high school with a 0% college acceptance rate, a town with some very odd qualities, and a strange diskette that seems to control the very nature of reality. It was, at times, a very funny story, which I appreciated. I enjoyed the characters, the narrative choices, and the ending was also pretty great.

I wouldn’t say that In Beta is a deeply philosophical novel. It’s escapism with a brain (so whatever the opposite of mindless escapism might be). I sped through it in a matter of a few days, and it’s definitely worth a read. If you’re looking for a fun book with sci-fi elements that hearkens back to the time when you were just trying to make it through Secret of Mana and avoid failing out of high school, this is definitely going to be your jam!

Sometimes a book comes from out of nowhere and surprises you with its readability. In Beta is one of those books. Read it.

If I hadn’t gotten a free advance copy of In Beta from NetGalley, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it when it comes out on July 6th (the day before my birthday, no less)!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jay is your usual nerdy early 90’s teenager in a small town surviving until graduation and planning on getting the hell out. Receiving a game called The Build with a monthly gamer magazine, Jay discovers he is living in a simulation ran by his 30 yr older self in the real world. His older self is a cruel god and is kidnapping people to upload their consciousness into The Build and then murder them. While having an existential crisis, Jay and his fellow AI stand up to his older self to stop him.

Originally published in 2018, In Beta is getting a well deserved re-release this month. Fans of Wayward Pines and Ready Player One will enjoy this the most. Also, the people in the simulation theory documentaries except for the one guy who thought he was in the matrix and is now in prison.

https://piratetwinkiereadsblog.wordpr...

[Terence DeToy]

*Spoilers ahead*

Prescott Harvey’s 2020 novel In Beta is an inverted LitRPG—a video game novel with an existential twist. Harvey’s characters aren’t human at all, but bits of code. The game’s central payer is the game master and villain. The novel’s final level takes us not to some ultimate battle-level, but into reality.

A layered, immensely clever novel, In Beta gives us a world within a world. Jay and his friend Colin are your typical geeks coming of age in 1993 in Bickleton—“The most isolated town in the state of Washington.” (The real Bickleton, as of the 2010 census, has a population under 100 people.) Their world is your prototypical high school war zone. The battle lines have been drawn between A-Court, where the jocks and the pretty girls hang out, and C-Court, which is for the nerds, the dweebs, the geeks and other class rejects.

Jay and Colin’s classroom is called Tutorial: it’s filled with the school’s most gifted students, as well as something that proves to be their most important asset: a computer. Their tormentors are the Johns: the members of the high school baseball team, all named John except for their leader Jeremy.
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is In_Beta_cover-1.png
In Beta by Prescott Harvey. $8.99—Inkshares. Non-affiliate.

When the town beauty (and Jeremy’s girlfriend) Liz asks Jay to prom, he thinks he’s hit the big-time. They have been childhood friends and he uses this tenuous connection to rationalize away Colin’s naysaying. Life at Bickleton High bunches up like a jammed conveyor belt when Liz begins to act severely out of character. Meanwhile, Jay has received a special edition of his favorite gaming magazine for his birthday, this edition in particular containing a floppy disk of a new game called “The Builder.” Similar to SimCity, it’s a world-building game that Jay uses instinctively to build an exact replica of Bickleton. At this point, the cat is safely out of the bag.

There are, of course, hints that Bickleton exists in its own virtual world. The baseball team has never actually played a game. The college acceptance rate is 0%. No one seems to leave, ever.

Jay realizes the changes he makes in the game affect the real Bickleton. He modulates his own stats, inflicting a series of vengeful humiliations on his jock foes by increasing his own strength and intelligence. He inflates his bank balance and summons tornadoes. It’s all childish fun until he meets Hal, the game’s creator. Hal is human in our conventional sense. He’s a computer programmer—complete with ponytail and fanny pack—and has designed the game. He casts himself as an avatar in his own game to interact with his game’s characters, chief among them Jay.

Jay takes all this is stride. I recall reading Nick Bostrom’s Simulation Theory with an agonizing sense of existential claustrophobia, but Jay is astonishingly comfortable with his ontological status. Perhaps this is because Jay isn’t human at all, but a technological automata. But then, the In Beta ultimately hinges its narrative on Jay’s sentience and his ability to make moral choices. It’s a very clever set up, but the reader has some untangling to do.

We learn that Hal too is from Bickleton. After a tech career, he has returned home and spent years creating a Sim-like game based on Bickleton, which Jay and his pals inhabit. Something dreadful happened to Hal at his senior prom. Liz, the most beautiful and popular girl in school, had asked him to go and he, like a sap, accepted the invitation. However, it was a setup for her boyfriend Jeremy to pounce and play a humiliating prank.

Like Carrie White, Hal never recovers from his prom humiliation and turns to vengeance. We learn that he has abducted Liz—the real Liz—and cast her into the game in the role of her own youthful self. This explains her strange and angry behavior. Hal is planning to upload her consciousness to the game and kill her, trapping her in the game world forever.

Jay, himself asked to prom by game-Liz, realizes he’s being setup for the same prank. Hal (whose personal recreation is, of course, Jay), proposes they team up and kill the Johns in revenge. He then, presumably, can share a lifetime of virtual courtship with his trapped would-be date.

However, Jay shucks the plan when he hears Liz’s story. He, Colin and the gang fight back against Hal in his own game using The Builder. When they eventually outsmart him, Hal exits and starts to delete the game. Jay sees whole sections of his world start to go blank.

He and Colin manage to eject themselves from the game in time and find themselves in the real world. They’re able to cast their programming into toys (Hal seems like the kind of guy that would have some high tech toys). Jay, who is now a drone, finds the real Liz, middle-aged and unconscious from intravenous drugs. Jay escapes the house and leads the neighbors to Liz. They call the police, who free Liz and arrest Hal.

The novel ends with Liz visiting Jay and Colin in a government laboratory. They’ve survived on a little island of programming and are engaged in rebuilding their world. In a fascinating twist, Jay’s sentience has alarmed the government. He is, after all, the first fully conscious AI. The novel begins with the disappearance of Todd, Jay and Colin’s friend and ends with the menace of conscious programming, taking us from Stranger Things to Terminator. There is something ominous here and it’s hard to tell what Harvey wants us to walk away with.

In Beta is a very curious novel. It’s a highly entertaining read, but it also touches gloves with some weighty philosophical questions and narrative complexities. For instance, the novel casts its own setting at four different levels. We have, after all, four Bickletons: the real (in our sense) Bickleton, the Bickleton of the novel (Hal’s), Jay’s Bickleton, and the Bickleton of The Builder (which Jay calls “Poopville”). Does Poopville contain its own Jay manipulating his surroundings? It’s like a set of mirrors facing one another: you get an infinite regress.

There is also the question of consciousness. Interestingly, we get the POV of a sentient AI watching its own programming—its own world—disappear. What would that be like? Harvey doesn’t linger on these questions. The narrative is devoted to swift development. Action sequences keep coming: Jay confronts Jeremy again…and again and again.

There are riots and tornadoes and foes and last-stand battles—it’s such an unceasingly visual novel. One wonders if it weren’t written with screen adaptation in mind. It’s a terrifically fun novel, but the seriousness of these questions are like dust kicked up by the feet of Harvey’s plot as it trudges continually forward. The narrative seems to be having so much fun it never pauses to dive into any of these philosophical questions. But the dust lingers in the air.

Philosophical musing isn’t a prerequisite for a great novel, but there are so many narrative questions to be asked. Does the reader relate to Jay? I find myself identifying with Jay about as much as I would a video game character in a first-person shooter. He makes the properly heroic choices in the end, but has precious little interiority. How does he develop to be so different from Hal, his creator-self? There doesn’t seem to be much to Jay, but then—does this matter? He is a video game character, after all.

Stevie as well is a promising character, but is not terribly developed beyond girl-genius and love interest. And Todd—Jay and Colin’s hapless friend that is deleted by Hal in the first few pages. At one point, Jay locates the deleted folder and it dawns on him that he could return Todd to the world. Naw. Poor Todd is wiped from existence. Poof! Some friends.

There is a sense of cosmic cruelty that dances through this novel, and through Jay. It’s difficult to discern how much of this Harvey intends and how much is simply the logical byproduct of this extremely unconventional narrative setting. When looking at how In Beta challenges our sense of reality, I have to think of the work of Phillip K. Dick, and that is no happy jaunt through cyberspace.

Ultimately, I enjoyed In Beta more than I liked it, but I appreciate the philosophical aftershocks of having read it. I found myself up late thinking about the novel, though perhaps not for all the reasons Harvey intended. However, whatever its characterological flaws, the quick pace, narrative drive and smooth pace ensure In Beta is an entertaining book.

However, the novel’s great success is in how it constructs the 90s nostalgia that is so central to the reading experience. Every page is jam-packed with icons and references to 90s culture—music, people, food, etc. I recall an initial sense of tedium reading it—a well-crafted narrative creates a sense of the past by doing more than dropping references left and right.

However, when we learn our characters inhabited a game world in a semi-fictional past, we also learn that Hal’s own dwelling is itself littered 90s stuff. A bon-a-fide hoarder, he’s packed his house wall to wall with items of nostalgic value.

Harvey, the game master, has a trick up his sleeve. After all, this is how we remember our past, isn’t it? The toys we got, the fashions, what our parents packed us for lunch: these consumerist objects have become central to how we orient ourselves in time. Harvey’s playful awareness of this fact gives In Beta a distinct charm.

Readers will vindicate this impulse. A virtual world pinned to the past by the items of our youth: like it or not, it makes for delightful reading, and intelligent readers will find themselves chuckling at the irony of it all. Perhaps the philosophical brooding belongs in the background. Who said reality isn’t a game?

[luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ebook

"What do you say? One last game with the fate of the world at stake?"

In Beta is a wild book.
I've never been very much of a gamer myself, actually I've only had one modern videogame console in my whole life and i used it like twice. But i inherited my father's 1984 atari and i absolutely loved it. So I can say i understand this somehow.
If I had to describe this book with one word it'd be COOL.
It's funny and fast paced and action packed and emotional in some parts and has the most important thing of all, the power of friendship.
This next paragraph may be spoilery !!!
- - There's a very specific scene when the creator of this videogame world meets the main character, who's obviously heavily inspired by the creator itself, and that was my favorite part since everyone who has at some point created something would love to go down and have a nice chat with the main characters, wouldn't they? I would, definitely would. - -
Spoiler end.
So yes, i really liked this book, it had many cool stuff and pop culture references and I liked it better than ready player one (though they are different but if you mix the words "retro" and "videogames" your first thought goes to ready player one).
It was very very very cool and entertaining.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing ever happens in the town of Bickleton. The only real jobs are at the factory. The high school has a zero percent college admission rate, the baseball team practices but never plays against any of the other local schools. No one enters town, no one really ever seems to leave. Not until the summer of 1993, when Todd disappeared as though he had been deleted from the world. Not until Jay Banksman finds the disk for a Sims City clone called The Build that somehow has the entirety of Bickleton, down to every detail about its people and their actions, already loaded into it.

I feel like Prescott Harvey’s In Beta might be one of those books that feels very like the author had a solid idea that he wanted to play with and a solid idea of how he wanted to use it. But then it also feels like he wanted to show off how amazing what he had given his protagonist was and let that sort of power trip for the protagonist run on for a touch longer than might have been for the best. It was totally in character for Jay, but it felt just a touch over long.

The thing with In Beta is that I do not really remember the fun character moments between Jay and his best friend Colin or about the special smart kids class that their teacher had put together to let the students more or less free learn. I know those moments existed, but they got really lost in this progression of Jay and The Build. Jay Banksman is a loser. The sort of loser who is absolutely hated by the school’s golden boy and all of his baseball team friends. Who cannot even enter the section of the school where the popular kids hang out without being beaten up and then finding himself the one sent to the counselor’s office afterward. His only real interests are video games, especially Sim City, where he has built his home town in detail and keeps running various games of it. And so, once he realizes that The Build allows him to effect Bickleton by just adding stuff he wants, he goes on an absolute spree of giving himself cool new stuff, all the money he could want, a new car like the one the head jock had, expensive clothing, he even ups his stats. It is a joy ride, a teenage power trip of early nineties excess with a science fiction twist.

The town’s search for Todd is lost in it, as is whatever build up there was to who the Recluse is. Jay gets all the material things he could want and tools around in them a bit, and then look at the time the book is more than half way over and it is time for the main plot to hit. Why is the school’s most popular girl suddenly acting so strange? Who is this Hal guy and why does he want Jay to cut loose with The Build‘s power? It leaves a lot of the plot feeling secondary to the setting of this dying town where nothing happens and Jay’s ever growing frustration with his lot in life. Combined with a couple of late novel reveals it leaves In Beta feeling very like the book equivalent to a bag of potato chips, enjoyable but with little substance and readily forgotten.

That is, ultimately, sort of where I land with In Beta. It feels like Harvey had this great wish fulfillment bit and the final boss fight written up and then he had to go back and fill in with a plot that did not matter as much to him. Because the plot does really fall apart if the reader thinks about the antagonist’s motivations and actions for more than a couple of minutes. The character work is largely solid, though I do wish that the side characters were given more room to be more than just the best friend or the smart girl. And the ending would have felt much more solid if it had ending about half way through the final chapter. This is really a book were I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but it is neither something I would read again nor something I would really suggest to other readers. I give In Beta a three out of five.

This book was provided to me through netGalley for honest review. Review was previously posted at https://tympestbooks.wordpress.com/20...

[Joshua Castleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't normally read an indie-published book with less than 100 ratings, but I met the author back when I lived in Portland and I was trying to get into a creative agency. He took the time out of his schedule to grab lunch with me and talk about the agency where he worked. I got to hear about some of the stuff he was working on and I could tell he was a smart, creative, unconventional character. So I was willing to take a flier on this one and see what Mr. Harvey had cooked up.

I would love to title drop a bunch of the wonderfully nerdy and soft sci-fi stories that have clearly influenced this work, but some of those would give away too many of the twists and layers going on in this story, unfortunately. I went in largely blind, knowing only that it had something to do with a small town and some relation to a video game/simulation possibly.

For the most part, this is a coming-of-age, slice of life kind of story. In fact, it rested on that element for so long into the book, I was on the verge of quitting. Just in the nick of time, he started peeling back some more layers and adding that nerdy, other-worldly depth to it I was hoping for.

I think this story had the potential for a fourth star well within reach. The signs of first novel and indie novel showed through though and dragged it down a level. Nothing glaringly wrong popped out, other than some pacing issues here and there. It just felt like it needed one or two more passes to really tighten it up. He does mention in his acknowledgements that he's worked on this book for a decade though and kept making changes to make it feel fresh when other similar stories kept coming out. So I can understand how he would just want to wrap a bow on it, having carried it as far as this, and be done.

That said, by the end it felt clearly like the story was done, then he dropped in a very interesting observation I hadn't considered, which really opened things up in an interesting way. I doubt Harvey will be coming back to this world for his next book, but he definitely could if he wanted, and I would be there for it!

Either way, a fun, easy to read book for anyone who enjoys stuff like Stranger Things, Ready Player One, and that whole vein. And to Mr. Harvey, if you read this, please keep writing and building on all that you learned in this process! If you need any beta readers, hit me up; I would happily offer some feedback if you're interested.

[Books Outside]

Video game nostalgia in fiction is becoming a big part of the zeitgeist. There is, of course, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline which received such a big budget recent movie adaptation, and several recent prize-winning novels that slowly reveal themselves to be simulations (which I won't name for the sake of spoilers). In Beta references Ready Player One as a comparison in its blurb, but its story is somewhat more sinister.

Jay Banksman lives in Cascadia in the '90s, a small town where nothing ever seems to change. That is, until Jay receives a mysterious floppy disc containing a game called 'The Build', which holds a perfect replica of Cascadia. Jay discovers that when he makes changes in the game, they are echoed in the 'real' world.

Jay already has a long and loving relationship with The Sims, a game which I never managed to get into. I personally never saw the joy that Jay gets from building replicas of the world around him. But this idea of building the world around you, and the way that build reveals your own perceptions about that world, is a theme running through In Beta. It proves that we don't all see the world the same way, and the differences between simulation and 'reality' say far more about the builders than the world.

Although I enjoyed In Beta, and the slightly darker take it had on the borderline between nostalgia and an unhealthy preoccupation with one's past, I was slightly disappointed that the story nevertheless followed paths with which we are all familiar. An imbittered, bullied straight white boy grows up to be an imbittered, ignored straight white man. It feels like male fragility has been very thoroughly covered, especially in the teen movie genre -- and with its cinematic descriptions and set pieces, In Beta does feel at times like a movie. An adaptation, I think, would be very popular.

In Beta is a fun, cinematic and, at times, has a sinister look at the nostalgia simulation story we're pretty familiar with. It's well written and has a pleasantly black humour running throughout. I'd recommend to fans of William Gibson and early Stephen King.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley.com for providing an e-advanced review copy.

[Desi Wolff-Myren · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Beta is about a nerdy high schooler who has high hopes of leaving his small town life. He finds out there is much to learn about his little town.

Spoilers: Jay starts playing a game that seems very SimCity-esque, but instead of a random town, it’s his own town. With all the current townspeople as characters. With endless opportunities, Jay seeks to become the best version of himself to gain the status and respect of his classmates. He soon realized that everything is not what is seems. He himself is a character in the game. His world is a living simulation created by a version of himself in order to get revenge on his high school tormentors.

Overall, the book was okay. Not an entirely original premise, but interesting enough to keep me reading. I was initially drawn to this book for its 90’s references. However aside from video game, movie, and song references, they were limited. I was hoping for some level of references like in Ready Player One.

The characters weren’t developed as much as they could have. I really wanted to know more about Jeremy’s dreams. That seemed like a wasted opportunity. Overall, 3/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

[Acidrazzor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book and it kept me entertained which is what I ask of a book. I do think this is more of a YA book which isn't a bad thing. I was confused at the beginning with the whole trapped girl thing but I ignored it for the rest of the story and later it kind of made sense even if it was never fully explained. I do wish the kids had had more fun playing with the powers or playing with them at the end. I have to say that I hate that A.I. is almost always portrayed as evil. In my opinion if we create true A.I. there is a good chance it won't want to have anything to do with us. It can create its own worlds and populate them as a machine god. Basically all it needs is time and space to build the hardware to run its various universe’s. This book is my thoughts and dreams about A.I. You did a great job with this book. I'm sorry to see that you haven't written anything else since this was so good. I like that we don't really know their future so it is up to us to imagine but I also think it would be interesting since there are so many LitRPG books out now that they come out of Beta and create real world games or something.

[Keylime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a difficult one to talk about without getting into spoilers, but I'll do my best in this review as I unfortunately had the biggest twist spoiled going in and felt I had missed out on some of the fun as a result. That said, the book still had several surprises in store, some good, some less so.

In Beta joins the sub-genre of what I'll deem nostalgia-punk, marrying the memories, memorabilia, and eccentricities of a beloved (at least by some) bygone decade with something, um, new (avoiding spoilers). While this novel doesn't follow its spiritual predecessor Ready Player One much in story detail (premise, setting, etc.), it has a very similar pop culture focus, bombarding the reader with small details and call backs to the 90's much in the same manner as RP1 did with the 80's. I personally really enjoyed this aspect of both books, but I could also see how it may prove irksome to others.

For large sections of the book, the story and characters felt secondary to the setting, but I still found it a compelling read, exploring this odd little 90's town. The character dynamics seemed rather flat and predictable with only one or two more exciting elements, yet the book is self-aware about this and even dips into satire as these characters are explored more. As plot progressed, secrets were revealed, and stakes were raised, I felt the book became both predictable and plot convenient with several character/setting inconsistencies that I found confusing, leading to an ending didn't really feel earned. While the climax was a fun, action-packed power fantasy, I preferred the more thought-provoking Twilight Zone/Black Mirror-esque feel of the early book which the ending returns to but doesn't quite pull off in a manner I found very satisfying.

All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book and would recommend for anyone interested in a 90's-oriented Nostalgia-punk read. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to the eBook in exchange for an honest review.

[Spooky Little Book Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like an adventure to me. All the 90’s nostalgia definitely took me back to my nerdy high school self. There are plenty of video game, movie, music, and pop culture references.

The world building was excellent, pacing was perfect, and there were some scenes the had me on the edge of my seat. There were also plenty of twists so it wasn’t predictable.

I love the friend group so much and seeing how it all came together. Even if it’s been a while since I’ve been in high school, it was still relatable. That typical awkwardness of navigating social circles and trying to fit in.

There were a couple of cheesy moments but I didn’t mind it. However, I would have loved to see them do more with the game’s capabilities. They played it a little safe considering they were teens with all this power at their fingertips.

All that being said, I had a blast reading this. I flew through it and would absolutely pick up another book by this author. I didn’t know I would enjoy a Sci-Fi novel until now. It’s a fast-paced, plot-twisty adventure! Check it out!

[WorldconReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I would like the thank the author and publisher for providing an advance review ebook.

"In Beta" by Prescott Harvey was very hard to put down. As hinted in the description, this book certainly takes the reader back to high school in the early 90's. Even if the reader happens to have not to have attended Bickleton High as a senior in 1993, anyone who has ever attended high school will likely uncomfortably identify with parts of this story. Similarly, the cultural details will certainly bring back memories to those who have lived through the 90's in the U.S. In fact, this reviewer is quite happy not to have lived in Bickleton, gone to Bickleton High in the 90's, nor ever been one of the characters in "In Beta." Fortunately none of those attributes is required to appreciate this story. The world that Harvey creates in "In Beta" becomes increasingly thought-provoking as reality is revealed and the all too human characters strive towards an acceptable outcome.

[Ryan H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook was a whole lot of fun. What a throwback and Great time reminiscing on being a child of the 90s. Some of the pop culture references and food items mentioned that were very popular in the 90s really give this book the added charm and wonder to make it great! There is a wide range of characters some that you will love and some that you will love to hate, that’s what makes this book very very interesting. As the story progresses it introduces some really cool and unique twist that kept me on the edge of my seat. It provides a pretty big bang when you start to realize what’s going on and it all comes full circle. The narration in this audiobook was done fantastically. This was not my first performance by this narrator but he really does bring the words to life and breathe life into the characters. Just a really fun ride and a little bit of a strange ending but it left me very very happy.

[Cass (only the darkest reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for an advanced readers copy.

Jay and Colin are dreaming one day of moving to the big city. ANY big city. They live in the kind of small town where nobody ever leaves. No one gets into college. No one goes on vacation. Everyone stays where they are.

Video games are their outlet, a way to experience a world they otherwise have never seen.

When they come across a computer program called The Build, an exact replica of the town they live in, with avatars of everyone that lives there.

As the boys start playing their decisions in the game alter the code to their reality, and there are real life consequences to the changes they are making. What would you do if you found out that you were a character in a video game?

This is a super quick and immersive book, I really didn't know where it was going to go, and I had a blast the whole time.

[Liberty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect nostalgic read for anyone who survived the 90s. The story is a familiar blend of Stranger Things, 13th Floor, and Hardy Boys. And that's what made it cozy for me. The story has a cinematic feel, I wouldn't at all be surprised if it wasn't made into a PG/PG-13 rated Stranger Things like film. There's high school drama and fights, a lot of action-y sequences, and only a little bit of heavier themed moments. I found the characters to be believable and well fleshed out. The plot was a little predictable but that added to the cozy factor. The ending was a nice twist (fingers crossed for a sequel) but not a cliffhanger. I loved all the mentions of 90s music and products. If you graduated in the early 90s and are looking for a nice walk down memory lane, this is a great pick.

[Rusnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never was a fan of sci-fi or video games but this book definitely changed my mind because I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience.
Such a cool premise (living in a simulation), all the 90s references, a story was fast-paced, extremely gripping. It was such a fun experience having to learn everything alongside the characters (believe me, there were a lot of twists and turns). This story, being so cinematic, would make a great movie or tv series. Also loved how author emphasised the power of friendship and identity. There was one drawback towards the end (something rather silly occuring with one of the characters).
Overall, a great read!
Also kind of hoping for a sequel??
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jeff Cosmi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, this one wasn't able to hold my interests. I got about 20% through and I wasn't grabbed by any elements that usually keep me reading other titles. The beginning started off somewhat okay, there was something unusual and unexplained foreshadowed to attract your attention, but after serval charters nothing happened. I would set the book down and every time I picked it back up I was setting it back down again after only a few minutes of reading. The gaps between picking up and putting down became longer and longer until I was off on to other titles and had no interest in coming back to this one, I wish this author and book all the luck and hope it finds readers who will enjoy the heck out of it.

[Rachel Jennetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I was given this book as an advanced reader and this is my honest review. I was not paid for my review*

Ok so this is by no means a bad book, but I do not believe that I was the target audience for this book. The sentences are short and easy to read, I just personally could not get into the story since I didn't feel that I could relate much to the main characters.

It's an easy read and I do love the story concept, it's very classic YA science fiction, but I personally couldn't get into it. I think a teenager who is a bigger sci-fi fan, and maybe gamers would love this book! If that sounds like you, I recommend it. Prescott Harvey is great at writing for a younger audience in this book, and I hope he is proud of what he has created, because it's definitely for someone, just not me.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Beta contains too many secrets that I'd be loathe to reveal but I can say that those who were teenagers in the early 90s will find a great many reminders of what made the decade entertaining. Harvey uses references to video games, music and movies to immerse the reader in the tiny world that surrounds Cascadia High. Fans of video games, cyberpunk, mystery thrillers, and Stranger Things will find plenty to dig into in this fascinating novel that is not only a whodunit? but also a whatisit? By the time all the secrets of the novel are laid bare, it all makes perfect sense, and you''ll wish you'd seen it sooner. But that would spoil the fun. #NetGalley

[Stephen Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Prescott Harvey’s IN BETA, a story that’s chockful of action and plot twists. The protagonist Jay Banksman lives in Bickleton, a town with a 0% college admissions rate, and yet Jay is optimistic and demonstrates a youthful enthusiasm. When the villain arrives and reveals himself, he is truly malevolent, and the battle scenes with him escalate nicely with vivid descriptions. The book also presents some interesting questions, like, what if God plays Sim City? If your life is a simulation, how do you make it meaningful? Overall, IN BETA is a fun book with tons of early 90’s references that had me grinning while I read.

[Davy Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Beta is one of those entertaining page-turners that you just can't put down. Following a group of nerdy gamer high schoolers from the 90s growing up in a small town in Washington state, you'll enjoy picking up on all the 90s references and perhaps be overly reminded of your own teenage experience. The plot twist helps grab your attention and the finale...well, I don't want to spoil anything but it definitely rivals some of the action in similar genre shows such as Stranger Things and Ready Player One. As someone who grew up in a small rural town, I can see myself in the characters. This keys off my own nostalgia from my childhood, but I think there's entertainment for any generation.

[Jess (thatoneteacherjess) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I devoured this book in just a few hours! We’re thrown into the town of Bickleton, where things seem just a little bit off. When the main character finds a disk with a video game that looks and acts exactly like his hometown, things get even more interesting.

This book seriously hooked me from its concept to its execution. I loved the characters and how the story developed. Halfway through the book I was on the edge of my seat turning page after page, needing to know more! It’s been a while since a book has excited me so much!

If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, sci-if, and video games, you’ll love this!

[Energy Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and when I realized our story takes place in my favorite decade, the '90s, I found it hard to put it down. Who wouldn't love to stumble upon the ability to change things about their lives with the click of a button? Want to be stronger, faster, smarter? How about a new car, a new house, unlimited money? If it sounds too good to be true, it's because it is. Overall, In Beta is a super fun YA read that alters the reality, and is a fun read from start to finish. I recommend not reading reviews before reading this because so many of them spoil the plotline.

[Lanny Zimmerman Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Beta started out following what felt like a fairly predictable storyline only to take a hard left turn and really became a quite entertaining tale of video game NPCs becoming self aware and struggling to survive against a tyrannical game designer. The book certainly has the feel of Ready Player One with its frequent shout outs to pop culture music, movies, and games from the 90s but does so that doesn’t detract but enhances the flow of the story. An entertaining and ultimately hopeful story, it was one that I didn’t want to put down until I finished it.

[Lauren | Pages to Paws On · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although In Beta felt like a cross between The Truman Show and Ender's Game and *should* have been right up my alley, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

The concept is interesting and the writing fairly engaging but by halfway through, I had lost interest. Not only had I guessed the big plot twist pretty quickly into the book, but the story got a lot less interesting once everyone knew they were in a simulation.