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Dream State Saga #1
Stuck in the Game
After a terrible car crash puts seventeen-year-old Noah Newbolt into a coma, he is hooked up to the innovative Dream Engine—a virtual reality helmet that immerses the player in an online fantasy game. The Dream Engine keeps Noah’s mind alive while doctors frantically work to heal his body, but his death in the game could result in irreversible brain damage.
While Noah learns to navigate the Dream Game, his girlfriend, Sue, suffers injuries from the same crash. Then the doctors’ attempts to connect her to the game result in her apparent death. When a mysterious avatar drops notes suggesting the last remnants of Sue’s consciousness are being held prisoner in the most dangerous part of the game, Noah takes it upon himself to rescue her.
He allies himself with a group of high-level players to help him in his quest, but his rise through the ranks earns him a bounty. With top players across the world gunning for Noah, can he stay alive--and awake--long enough to save Sue and escape the game?
While Noah learns to navigate the Dream Game, his girlfriend, Sue, suffers injuries from the same crash. Then the doctors’ attempts to connect her to the game result in her apparent death. When a mysterious avatar drops notes suggesting the last remnants of Sue’s consciousness are being held prisoner in the most dangerous part of the game, Noah takes it upon himself to rescue her.
He allies himself with a group of high-level players to help him in his quest, but his rise through the ranks earns him a bounty. With top players across the world gunning for Noah, can he stay alive--and awake--long enough to save Sue and escape the game?
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2016
164 people are currently reading
914 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 2, 2016
A great read for gamers as it really relates to the addictiveness of games and how easy it is to get hooked. The book describes the virtual world brilliantly so you get a real sense of being there
Characters are very relatable too and not too many as you could easily get confused
Thank you very much Christopher Keene
Characters are very relatable too and not too many as you could easily get confused
Thank you very much Christopher Keene
August 6, 2016
Stuck In The Game by Christopher Keene
Rating 2.5 Stars
I would like to state upfront that I was sent this ebook for free from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Noah has recently been in a car crash and lies paralyzed in the hospital. There’s only one was for him to currently communicate with the real world, and that is using Dream Game, the newest virtual reality game that hooks straight into the brain. There’s one catch. If Noah dies in the game, he won’t regenerate - he’ll slip into a coma and possibly never wake up again.
Review: I was sent an ebook ARC of this book by Future House Publishing. Personally, I was not a fan of this book. It reminded me a lot of an anime that I love called SwordArtOnline. Everything from being trapped in the game to having to beat harder levels Even the concept of having someone so sick that they have to use the game as a way of communication (which happens in the second season.) That started me off on a bad foot. I know that this book was intended for YA, However, I felt it would be better as a middle-grade level. The wording was very repetitive, simple, and concepts were explained over the top.
The beginning was very rushed, Noah was your typical everything-works-out Mary Sue, and there were many things in the book that were random and not clearly explained. There was also some weird attempt at a love triangle that was more awkward than anything else.
This book wasn’t for me, but it might be for someone younger than me who might struggle with reading.
Rating 2.5 Stars
I would like to state upfront that I was sent this ebook for free from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Noah has recently been in a car crash and lies paralyzed in the hospital. There’s only one was for him to currently communicate with the real world, and that is using Dream Game, the newest virtual reality game that hooks straight into the brain. There’s one catch. If Noah dies in the game, he won’t regenerate - he’ll slip into a coma and possibly never wake up again.
Review: I was sent an ebook ARC of this book by Future House Publishing. Personally, I was not a fan of this book. It reminded me a lot of an anime that I love called SwordArtOnline. Everything from being trapped in the game to having to beat harder levels Even the concept of having someone so sick that they have to use the game as a way of communication (which happens in the second season.) That started me off on a bad foot. I know that this book was intended for YA, However, I felt it would be better as a middle-grade level. The wording was very repetitive, simple, and concepts were explained over the top.
The beginning was very rushed, Noah was your typical everything-works-out Mary Sue, and there were many things in the book that were random and not clearly explained. There was also some weird attempt at a love triangle that was more awkward than anything else.
This book wasn’t for me, but it might be for someone younger than me who might struggle with reading.
March 15, 2018
A very inventive and enjoyable read!
Apart from a few ‘dryer’ moments at the start of the novel (to bring the reader up to speed regarding the online Dream Game structure, and the player’s interactive menu system), this was an enjoyable read.
The premise of players stuck in a virtual game environment was not new to me, and neither was the ‘die in the game’ – ‘die in real life’ restriction, but the variation that our book hero Noah was the only one stuck in the game and the only one who would die if he failed a game challenge, was a new enough twist. Hospitalised and comatose, in an effort to stimulate brain activity Noah is connected up to a super immersive Dream Game world. This is explained very quickly at the start of the novel, so is hardly a spoiler.
As one would expect, Noah does not sit on his hands and hide in the ‘safe zones’ of the game, waiting to see if he will recover enough in the real world to return there, instead he embraces his new situation and gets on with it. With those ground rules in place, we experience Noah’s journey as he delves ever deeper into the game world, meeting and sharing adventures with old friends and new.
The Dream Game world is the usual swords and sorcery on steroids ‘live action’ avatar interface. The fantasy locations and action are well described and exciting, and there are also some very inventive spell and weapon variations and combinations.
Action on its own can become a little repetitive, but Christopher Keene weaves a mystery plot into the story, which adds depth. The mystery thread was introduced gradually, revealing that not all was as it seemed in the game world or real life. To say more would be a spoiler. I was also engaged with the ‘teen appropriate’ relationships that were explored and the distinctiveness of each character.
In conclusion, I’m sure readers of this sub-genre of Fantasy will not be disappointed by this novel.
Apart from a few ‘dryer’ moments at the start of the novel (to bring the reader up to speed regarding the online Dream Game structure, and the player’s interactive menu system), this was an enjoyable read.
The premise of players stuck in a virtual game environment was not new to me, and neither was the ‘die in the game’ – ‘die in real life’ restriction, but the variation that our book hero Noah was the only one stuck in the game and the only one who would die if he failed a game challenge, was a new enough twist. Hospitalised and comatose, in an effort to stimulate brain activity Noah is connected up to a super immersive Dream Game world. This is explained very quickly at the start of the novel, so is hardly a spoiler.
As one would expect, Noah does not sit on his hands and hide in the ‘safe zones’ of the game, waiting to see if he will recover enough in the real world to return there, instead he embraces his new situation and gets on with it. With those ground rules in place, we experience Noah’s journey as he delves ever deeper into the game world, meeting and sharing adventures with old friends and new.
The Dream Game world is the usual swords and sorcery on steroids ‘live action’ avatar interface. The fantasy locations and action are well described and exciting, and there are also some very inventive spell and weapon variations and combinations.
Action on its own can become a little repetitive, but Christopher Keene weaves a mystery plot into the story, which adds depth. The mystery thread was introduced gradually, revealing that not all was as it seemed in the game world or real life. To say more would be a spoiler. I was also engaged with the ‘teen appropriate’ relationships that were explored and the distinctiveness of each character.
In conclusion, I’m sure readers of this sub-genre of Fantasy will not be disappointed by this novel.
July 16, 2021
Video game junkies, heads up!
First off, what an interesting concept!
But explaining first comes a small testimonial: When I first began reading the book, my mother demanded to know why I looked so horrified by what I was reading. That was when I explained that the MC was trapped in a VR reality game because of a terrible, paralyzing accident (and all the stakes for his survival 😝), she was then equally horrified by the concept. It’s a nightmare scenario, even for a gamer. But the point is, even someone who wasn’t reading the book was hooked by the intrigue. It’s that good.
Definitely a great read with unexpected twists, corruption, and a dollop of hinted romance. The world-building - technically designing a video game, rule by rule and world by world - must’ve taken a tremendous amount of thinking on the part of the author.
The only drawback here is it ends on a cliffhanger. You’ll need to read the next book to continue the game! Er, book. It is a book, not a game, right? 😝
First off, what an interesting concept!
But explaining first comes a small testimonial: When I first began reading the book, my mother demanded to know why I looked so horrified by what I was reading. That was when I explained that the MC was trapped in a VR reality game because of a terrible, paralyzing accident (and all the stakes for his survival 😝), she was then equally horrified by the concept. It’s a nightmare scenario, even for a gamer. But the point is, even someone who wasn’t reading the book was hooked by the intrigue. It’s that good.
Definitely a great read with unexpected twists, corruption, and a dollop of hinted romance. The world-building - technically designing a video game, rule by rule and world by world - must’ve taken a tremendous amount of thinking on the part of the author.
The only drawback here is it ends on a cliffhanger. You’ll need to read the next book to continue the game! Er, book. It is a book, not a game, right? 😝
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2019
A Thrilling Ride for Gamers and Non-Gamers Alike!
Having never played a video game or RPG before, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the world of spells and tiers in this story about an immersive video game called The Dream Engine. Noah Newbolt, a 17 year old teenager, is almost killed in a terrible car accident and is kept alive by hooking his brain up to the game while he heals. The problem: he must keep from getting killed or his body in the real world might lapse into a coma. His girlfriend, Sue, who was in the car accident as well, is struggling for survival and Noah believes she is trapped in the game at a higher level. He must advance through the game to try and save her, risking his own 'life' in the game. The different trials and dungeons are varied and well depicted. The various ways Noah solves problems are ingenious and the battles are exciting. He has a cast of friends who are entertaining. Unfortunately for a non-player, I found it a little disruptive when Noah has to pull down a Key Triggers menu to call up a strategy to avoid being killed in the midst of a life-threatening battle. Each time this happens, I feel pulled out of the story. Nevertheless, I found his concept interesting, the characters endearing, and the story well-written. Fun for any reader!
Having never played a video game or RPG before, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the world of spells and tiers in this story about an immersive video game called The Dream Engine. Noah Newbolt, a 17 year old teenager, is almost killed in a terrible car accident and is kept alive by hooking his brain up to the game while he heals. The problem: he must keep from getting killed or his body in the real world might lapse into a coma. His girlfriend, Sue, who was in the car accident as well, is struggling for survival and Noah believes she is trapped in the game at a higher level. He must advance through the game to try and save her, risking his own 'life' in the game. The different trials and dungeons are varied and well depicted. The various ways Noah solves problems are ingenious and the battles are exciting. He has a cast of friends who are entertaining. Unfortunately for a non-player, I found it a little disruptive when Noah has to pull down a Key Triggers menu to call up a strategy to avoid being killed in the midst of a life-threatening battle. Each time this happens, I feel pulled out of the story. Nevertheless, I found his concept interesting, the characters endearing, and the story well-written. Fun for any reader!
December 22, 2019
This story starts with an interesting premise. Noah finds himself trapped in the Dream Game – why? Because he has been in a serious car accident and is both paralysed and brain damaged. The only way anyone can interact with him is through the game's interface. There is a problem, though. If he is killed in the game, he'll lapse into a coma. So his parents pay for a hero rank professional to train him and protect him. Unfortunately, the Hero is expensive, so after a few days Noah's going to be on his own. Best he practises and trains while he has the chance…
September 7, 2016
The premise of this book sounds amazing! But it just didn’t deliver for me.
As the story begins, Noah has been in a car accident and is in a coma. Somehow, the doctors are able to hook him up to the Dream Engine, a virtual reality helmet that immerses him in an online fantasy game. The main premise is that he needs to stay alive in the game or he will go into a coma in real life. Except that he is already in a coma, so that doesn’t make any sort of sense at all. And regardless of this, Noah makes a lot of stupid choices and takes some ridiculous risks.
The first several chapters were backstory, probably necessary for setting up the parameters of the tale, but boring nonetheless. The extensive tutorials were especially mind-numbing. And that’s from someone who is a non-gamer, who probably needed at least some basic framework for what was happening. For people familiar with game play, it would probably be even more tedious. There’s no way my teenage kids would sit through all of that in a tutorial, let alone read it in a book. They just jump right in and start playing the game. Overall, there really isn’t anything that pulls you into the story.
Noah’s real life girlfriend, Sue, was also involved in the car crash, and she is near to death throughout most of the narrative. Not only do we learn hardly anything about her during the course of the entire book, but Noah doesn’t seem to have any real connection to her, even less so than he does for the other characters in the book, most of whom he has only recently met in a virtual setting. He actually refers to her as having a “mousy face.” Seriously?? That’s how he thinks of his girlfriend that he is supposed madly in love with? At the same time, he very minutely describes the face, hair, and especially body of every female character that he runs into in the game. He certainly doesn’t let his feelings for Sue stop him from getting involved in a very weird and awkward wanna-be love-triangle with a couple of girls in the game. And yet we’re supposed to believe that he is so in love with her that he’ll risk everything, including his virtual and real-world life, to try to save what he believes is a portion of her personality? It just doesn’t ring true for me.
At every turn in the story, there is suggestion of a conspiracy. Some things do end up being part of a bigger agenda on behalf of the corporation running the game. But many others are just never explained or followed up on.
And what in the heck is going on in the real world while all of the game play is happening? If the powers that be for the Dream Engine are so intent on finding information that they believe Noah or someone close to him has, why aren’t we hearing about them harassing his friends and family in real life?
I really wondered why, if they can cut Noah off from being able to access his spells and possessions, as they do in one of the final battles, why couldn’t they have just haven taken the item they are seeking from his inventory long ago? Or even just deleted it, since it is, after all, just a virtual game.
The ending had to be the dumbest part for me. Noah knows that his friends are in danger, and that the culprits won’t stop going after them, in the game, and quite possibly in real life. But he just proceeds to leave them, with hardly even a farewell or explanation. Is this really the end of the story?? Or is there a sequel in the works? Either way, I found it to be a totally lame ending.
If you enjoy monotonous stories with extensive descriptions of gameplay, and if you have a very strong ability to engage a willing suspension of disbelief, this may be the book for you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t really recommend it.
I received a digital copy of this book from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
As the story begins, Noah has been in a car accident and is in a coma. Somehow, the doctors are able to hook him up to the Dream Engine, a virtual reality helmet that immerses him in an online fantasy game. The main premise is that he needs to stay alive in the game or he will go into a coma in real life. Except that he is already in a coma, so that doesn’t make any sort of sense at all. And regardless of this, Noah makes a lot of stupid choices and takes some ridiculous risks.
The first several chapters were backstory, probably necessary for setting up the parameters of the tale, but boring nonetheless. The extensive tutorials were especially mind-numbing. And that’s from someone who is a non-gamer, who probably needed at least some basic framework for what was happening. For people familiar with game play, it would probably be even more tedious. There’s no way my teenage kids would sit through all of that in a tutorial, let alone read it in a book. They just jump right in and start playing the game. Overall, there really isn’t anything that pulls you into the story.
Noah’s real life girlfriend, Sue, was also involved in the car crash, and she is near to death throughout most of the narrative. Not only do we learn hardly anything about her during the course of the entire book, but Noah doesn’t seem to have any real connection to her, even less so than he does for the other characters in the book, most of whom he has only recently met in a virtual setting. He actually refers to her as having a “mousy face.” Seriously?? That’s how he thinks of his girlfriend that he is supposed madly in love with? At the same time, he very minutely describes the face, hair, and especially body of every female character that he runs into in the game. He certainly doesn’t let his feelings for Sue stop him from getting involved in a very weird and awkward wanna-be love-triangle with a couple of girls in the game. And yet we’re supposed to believe that he is so in love with her that he’ll risk everything, including his virtual and real-world life, to try to save what he believes is a portion of her personality? It just doesn’t ring true for me.
At every turn in the story, there is suggestion of a conspiracy. Some things do end up being part of a bigger agenda on behalf of the corporation running the game. But many others are just never explained or followed up on.
And what in the heck is going on in the real world while all of the game play is happening? If the powers that be for the Dream Engine are so intent on finding information that they believe Noah or someone close to him has, why aren’t we hearing about them harassing his friends and family in real life?
I really wondered why, if they can cut Noah off from being able to access his spells and possessions, as they do in one of the final battles, why couldn’t they have just haven taken the item they are seeking from his inventory long ago? Or even just deleted it, since it is, after all, just a virtual game.
The ending had to be the dumbest part for me. Noah knows that his friends are in danger, and that the culprits won’t stop going after them, in the game, and quite possibly in real life. But he just proceeds to leave them, with hardly even a farewell or explanation. Is this really the end of the story?? Or is there a sequel in the works? Either way, I found it to be a totally lame ending.
If you enjoy monotonous stories with extensive descriptions of gameplay, and if you have a very strong ability to engage a willing suspension of disbelief, this may be the book for you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t really recommend it.
I received a digital copy of this book from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2016
When I read the synopsis for Stuck In The Game, I was immediately interested. It strongly reminded me of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, if only because the story takes place in a Virtual Reality World, and Ready Player One happened to be one of my favorite books of 2015. So no surprise I was excited to read it.
First of, before I start raving about this story (because yes, I loved it); this is not another Ready Player One. The story line is completely different. Seventeen-year old Noah experiences a terrifying car crash with his girlfriend and ends up in a coma. In a world where playing virtual reality games that feel very real indeed, is very popular, it is suggested his brain gets connected to the Dream Engine; a virtual reality helmet that enables his mind to enter a fantasy game. This way, via the game he can communicate with others and his mind is trained. Only one flaw; if he dies in the game, he will probably die in real life, because his mind won't be able to handle it.
One of the things I loved about this book, was how soon I got hooked to the story. Normally I need some chapters to actually get into a book, but with Stuck In The Game I was addicted from page 1. I loved the idea of the main character continuously playing a game and the challenges, battles, skill building and exciting environments that come with it. I love playing games, so this definitely spoke to me, but I think it would be fun for most fantasy readers. I also loved how Noah meets with new and old friends in the virtual world. Finally, the plot twist came as a huge surprise. When the "end chapters" started I was kind of apprehensive; was this really how this book was going to end? But when it all went down it seemed logic after all.
I really enjoyed this book. The only reason I didn't gave it four stars (although I might change my rating to four stars later after all), was because sometimes the book felt a little young for me. I received a copy of Stuck in the Game from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review, which I'm very grateful for.
First of, before I start raving about this story (because yes, I loved it); this is not another Ready Player One. The story line is completely different. Seventeen-year old Noah experiences a terrifying car crash with his girlfriend and ends up in a coma. In a world where playing virtual reality games that feel very real indeed, is very popular, it is suggested his brain gets connected to the Dream Engine; a virtual reality helmet that enables his mind to enter a fantasy game. This way, via the game he can communicate with others and his mind is trained. Only one flaw; if he dies in the game, he will probably die in real life, because his mind won't be able to handle it.
One of the things I loved about this book, was how soon I got hooked to the story. Normally I need some chapters to actually get into a book, but with Stuck In The Game I was addicted from page 1. I loved the idea of the main character continuously playing a game and the challenges, battles, skill building and exciting environments that come with it. I love playing games, so this definitely spoke to me, but I think it would be fun for most fantasy readers. I also loved how Noah meets with new and old friends in the virtual world. Finally, the plot twist came as a huge surprise. When the "end chapters" started I was kind of apprehensive; was this really how this book was going to end? But when it all went down it seemed logic after all.
I really enjoyed this book. The only reason I didn't gave it four stars (although I might change my rating to four stars later after all), was because sometimes the book felt a little young for me. I received a copy of Stuck in the Game from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review, which I'm very grateful for.
August 4, 2016
I enjoyed Stuck in the Game. I was pleasantly surprised.
Why I like the book? First, I was thinking Ready Player One. It started a little slow. Settings things up. In retrospect, perhaps I was impatient? Soon, I was satisfied that it was not another Ready Player One. Yes, some similarity, but a unique approach to the VR game thing. Noah has been in a terrible automobile accident. He is paralyzed and in a coma. Sue, his girlfriend, is also grievously injured. Doctors and the helpful mega game corporation Wona Company have hooked him up to the game so that he can communicate, but now he must learn to stay alive in the game. If he dies in the game, then he'll never escape his coma. Talk about stakes! The game is creatively and thoroughly imagined. What an interesting place. Well done.
Who else would like it? Gamers, certainly. If you liked Ready Player One I would think. Fantasy. Sword and Sorcery types. D&D types. Although there are bad guys and stuff the overall feel is pretty light-hearted. No need for a handkerchief. Pace gets pretty quick at the end. Heart still racing a little....
Note 1. Apparently, Stuck in the Game will be available for $2.99 August 4-11 (discounted from regular price of $4.99).
Note 2. Readers can enter to win an autographed copy of Stuck in the Game on launch day on Future House's blog (August 4th)
Note 3. They'll be giving away some physical copies too via a Goodreads giveaway. Sadly, I suspect it will not include an all expenses paid trip to Christchurch, New Zealand to get it. :( [yes, the author is a Kiwi]
Note 4. I received a pre-release digital copy of Stuck in the Game from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I have attempted to live up to my end of the bargain.
Why I like the book? First, I was thinking Ready Player One. It started a little slow. Settings things up. In retrospect, perhaps I was impatient? Soon, I was satisfied that it was not another Ready Player One. Yes, some similarity, but a unique approach to the VR game thing. Noah has been in a terrible automobile accident. He is paralyzed and in a coma. Sue, his girlfriend, is also grievously injured. Doctors and the helpful mega game corporation Wona Company have hooked him up to the game so that he can communicate, but now he must learn to stay alive in the game. If he dies in the game, then he'll never escape his coma. Talk about stakes! The game is creatively and thoroughly imagined. What an interesting place. Well done.
Who else would like it? Gamers, certainly. If you liked Ready Player One I would think. Fantasy. Sword and Sorcery types. D&D types. Although there are bad guys and stuff the overall feel is pretty light-hearted. No need for a handkerchief. Pace gets pretty quick at the end. Heart still racing a little....
Note 1. Apparently, Stuck in the Game will be available for $2.99 August 4-11 (discounted from regular price of $4.99).
Note 2. Readers can enter to win an autographed copy of Stuck in the Game on launch day on Future House's blog (August 4th)
Note 3. They'll be giving away some physical copies too via a Goodreads giveaway. Sadly, I suspect it will not include an all expenses paid trip to Christchurch, New Zealand to get it. :( [yes, the author is a Kiwi]
Note 4. I received a pre-release digital copy of Stuck in the Game from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I have attempted to live up to my end of the bargain.
August 9, 2016
Stuck in the Game tells the story of Noah.
Noah’s friends have become immersed in a virtual reality game, played via the Dream Engine, which Noah and his girlfriend would like nothing to do with. After a tragic accident that leaves Noah paralysed in hospital, the doctors keep him from slipping into a coma by hooking him up to the Dream Engine. Noah has one life in the game, dying in the game may result in Noah slipping into a coma.
The book starts of slow with Noah undertaking the tutorial, like in any game, but once Noah passes that the story starts to pick up. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; Christopher Keene has created an expansive gaming world that mirrors the characteristics of real games. All aspects within the game are explained to Noah by various characters, this allows you to learn about the game along with the main character. Stuck in the Game is a well written cyber adventure that appeals to gamers and non-gamers alike.
I would recommend this book to video gamers, science fiction fans & fantasy fans.
I received a copy of Stuck in the Game from Future House Publishing in exchange for an unbiased review.
Stuck in the game is available on Amazon from August 4th – 11th for $2.99.
Readers can enter to win an autographed copy of Stuck in the Game on launch day on our blog (August 4th)
We'll be giving away some physical copies too on our Goodreads giveaway
Additionally, it would be super helpful if everyone could help us vote it up on some Goodreads lists here: https://www.goodreads.com/list/user_v...
August 3, 2016
I’m excited to have received a copy of STUCK IN THE GAME from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Noah and his girlfriend were in a horrific car crash that left them in the hospital, fighting for their lives. Now hooked up to the Dream Engine—a video game most of Noah’s friends play, although he hasn’t until now—he must stay alive in the game long enough for his brain to recover. Otherwise, he’ll slip into a coma. Unfortunately, the remains of his girlfriend’s consciousness are trapped, held in the highest level of the game by unknown enemies, and Noah has to level up enough to mount a rescue with his friends, sorting out along the way who is truly ally and who is foe.
This was a quick, fun read full of adventure, exciting revelations as to what really happened leading up to the car crash, and just plain video game fun. The world-building was incredible and woven seamlessly into the narrative. I so enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the game’s environments, levels, weapons, and fun abilities. It was like being immersed in a Final Fantasy-esque game while reading it. The book had a great cast of unique characters, and an ending that strongly hinted at more to come. If there is going to be a sequel, count me in. Video game players, as well as fans of action-adventure, will love this one!
Noah and his girlfriend were in a horrific car crash that left them in the hospital, fighting for their lives. Now hooked up to the Dream Engine—a video game most of Noah’s friends play, although he hasn’t until now—he must stay alive in the game long enough for his brain to recover. Otherwise, he’ll slip into a coma. Unfortunately, the remains of his girlfriend’s consciousness are trapped, held in the highest level of the game by unknown enemies, and Noah has to level up enough to mount a rescue with his friends, sorting out along the way who is truly ally and who is foe.
This was a quick, fun read full of adventure, exciting revelations as to what really happened leading up to the car crash, and just plain video game fun. The world-building was incredible and woven seamlessly into the narrative. I so enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the game’s environments, levels, weapons, and fun abilities. It was like being immersed in a Final Fantasy-esque game while reading it. The book had a great cast of unique characters, and an ending that strongly hinted at more to come. If there is going to be a sequel, count me in. Video game players, as well as fans of action-adventure, will love this one!
September 12, 2016
"Stuck in the Game" was an entertaining read. It started slow, rather too heavy on the explain-everything (did we really need to go through the game tutorials?) and took a long time to get to the action, however.
Certain elements felt a bit heavy on the cliches, but it is a computer-game world, after all, so some of that is to be expected.
Likewise, a couple of readers felt that the female characters were described in too much detail compared to the male - but that makes sense, given the narrator is male (and would likely be biased in that regard), and we were given enough detail about the male characters (many of which the protagonist already knew, so wouldn't feel obliged to describe in detail) for me to gain a mental image.
None of the female characters were weak or relying on the men to rescue them either, which I could appreciate. Whilst some effort was made at fleshing out their personalities, I didn't really feel any particular connection with any of the characters. The vague attempts at romance felt awkward, but this was probably fairly realistic given the unreal nature of the world they were in.
There were enough surprises and twists in the later part of the book (specifically the last 25%) to keep me turning the pages and the ending, abrupt as it was, felt at first annoyingly cliff-hangerish, but in retrospect seems fitting!
Certain elements felt a bit heavy on the cliches, but it is a computer-game world, after all, so some of that is to be expected.
Likewise, a couple of readers felt that the female characters were described in too much detail compared to the male - but that makes sense, given the narrator is male (and would likely be biased in that regard), and we were given enough detail about the male characters (many of which the protagonist already knew, so wouldn't feel obliged to describe in detail) for me to gain a mental image.
None of the female characters were weak or relying on the men to rescue them either, which I could appreciate. Whilst some effort was made at fleshing out their personalities, I didn't really feel any particular connection with any of the characters. The vague attempts at romance felt awkward, but this was probably fairly realistic given the unreal nature of the world they were in.
There were enough surprises and twists in the later part of the book (specifically the last 25%) to keep me turning the pages and the ending, abrupt as it was, felt at first annoyingly cliff-hangerish, but in retrospect seems fitting!
November 28, 2016
I was given an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. At first the plot seemed similar to Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, but it soon proved to be it's own work of art. The plot is something that grabbed me from the first page. Noah and his girlfriend Sue are in a car accident and no one knows what happened, Noah is in a coma and thrust into this almost virtual reality world that the whole world is obsessed with. Noah recalls bits and pieces of his crash throughout his journey. The key part for him though is that he can't die in the game. There were some details and concepts that were a bit hazy to me and could have used a bit more clarification, on the other hand it might have been me reading too quickly. Noah meets other players throughout the game, as well as his mentor that his parents hired for him, Data. I definitely would have liked to know a bit more about the secondary characters back stories, what their lives are like in the real world. The character advancement of Noah is pretty good and he plays the game by his set of morals that he has in the real world. It definitely makes me think about the future of virtual reality and how humans interact with technology. Almost has a sort of Westworld feel to it as well. Overall a fantastically written YA book that anyone of any age would enjoy.
Wow. At first the plot seemed similar to Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, but it soon proved to be it's own work of art. The plot is something that grabbed me from the first page. Noah and his girlfriend Sue are in a car accident and no one knows what happened, Noah is in a coma and thrust into this almost virtual reality world that the whole world is obsessed with. Noah recalls bits and pieces of his crash throughout his journey. The key part for him though is that he can't die in the game. There were some details and concepts that were a bit hazy to me and could have used a bit more clarification, on the other hand it might have been me reading too quickly. Noah meets other players throughout the game, as well as his mentor that his parents hired for him, Data. I definitely would have liked to know a bit more about the secondary characters back stories, what their lives are like in the real world. The character advancement of Noah is pretty good and he plays the game by his set of morals that he has in the real world. It definitely makes me think about the future of virtual reality and how humans interact with technology. Almost has a sort of Westworld feel to it as well. Overall a fantastically written YA book that anyone of any age would enjoy.
August 4, 2016
Arc Review of Stuck in the Game written by Christopher Keene. Stuck in the Game is a wonderful mixture of science fiction and fantasy! At first I wasn't sure I would like the plot which focuses on the main character Noah being in an altered state of consciousness game while he recovers from an accident. But once I got past the chapter on Noah learning the tutorial of how the game works while under the influence of the Dream State Drug the plot grew into a suspenseful who dunnit story that I liked. The fantasy world that the main character is placed in has all kinds of intriguing and rogue characters, where everyone has magical abilities and mythical creatures are roaming around which totally transports the reader into the Dream State with Noah.
If you love sci-fi and fantasy driven plots then Stuck in the Game would be a great choice to read next. I would also recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery/suspense novel. And it goes without saying that if you are a gamer then Stuck in the Game is a book you would love and should read!
I received a copy of Stuck in the Game from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Ryan Mendenhall and the Future House Publishing Team for sending me an advanced read of Stuck in the Game!
If you love sci-fi and fantasy driven plots then Stuck in the Game would be a great choice to read next. I would also recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery/suspense novel. And it goes without saying that if you are a gamer then Stuck in the Game is a book you would love and should read!
I received a copy of Stuck in the Game from Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Ryan Mendenhall and the Future House Publishing Team for sending me an advanced read of Stuck in the Game!
March 29, 2018
This is my review left under the first instalment, Dream State Saga #1, but I think I've actually read all three instalments, since the page count was long, and having scanned the descriptions of all three books, it sounds right on with what I've read from beginning to end. Thus, I will give my review for the entire trilogy.
I reviewed this in a science fiction round, but it strongly feels more like fantasy, with a mix of urban fantasy (awareness of gaming and geeks and using technology to convey a dream state in today's contemporary times) and epic fantasy (battling ogres, goblins, and so on).
I was of mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I felt that the first part of this book merely described gaming, taking adventures that normally happen in a fantasy exploration and "swords and sorcery" game like Smite (my teenage son passionately loved that game). Myself, I probably only dedicated myself to Zork, which embarrassingly reveals the era I grew up in. Thus, I was left thinking, "Why is this a story written as literature... I could just play the game instead!" Indeed, for people as addicted as gamers, they'd probably play on the computer rather than read in words what they'd like to viscerally experience for themselves. Another thought I had was, "Is this original if it can all be experienced the same way on a video game, with no difference?"
Then, I realized that the book is more complicated than that. I recalled the last Hollywood movie I saw recently, which was the 2018 version of Jumanji. That movie is really based on a game as well, and I did enjoy that movie. So I challenged myself, am I being fair to the author? Also, the author does introduce speculative fiction to this virtual reality, such as the designers and the monolithic and vast company that manufactures this game, being involved in schemes and corporate power plays that drives the plot. Also, the players inside the virtual reality video game are self-aware, even the role-playing characters that weren't human on our regular Earth to begin with. So this does help the book expand its horizons and its ambition to tell a rich, multilayered story.
With that encouragement in mind, I kept reading. Now that I have finished, I'm still not sure. There were many twists and turns that confused me a little, particularly betrayals by some of the characters. To avoid spoilers, I won't give any hints as to who they were, but I wasn't sure what the stakes were. The virtual reality world was so fantastical that I couldn't wonder how any evidence from that imaginary world could carry over with severe consequences to the real world. The author made this clear at one point: the mega-corporation has huge power in designing the game, and they can probably shut down the fantastical world, so what's holding them back?
As well, I had some trouble imagining how the virtual reality world was created. Is it real, with solid surfaces, or is it all imaginary, all in the mind? How does the main character enter a portal (and where is this portal) to this virtual reality world and does he still exist as a flesh and blood guy, in a real world that is still fantastical? Eventually, I decided on my solution: the fantasy world is real (also because several real-life people play together as role players in a fantasy land and go back to regular Earth after, so they can't all be purely imagining the same thing). It's like a gigantic holodeck, and technology has advanced by huge leaps and bounds so that a colossal corporation can create it using holodeck-like technology, and it can be as big as one likes. (Although, I'm still confused about the "deaths" on this world... when players die, they're simply re-invented and brought back to life in a home zone). I'm still a little unclear on how the process works, but for fantasy purposes, let's just not spoil the wonderful imagination. (Thinking too much can lead one to question, for example, just how the back of that clothes cabinet can lead to a fantasy land in the Narnia series). But given the important interplay between the ordinary world on Earth as we know it, and this virtual reality role-playing world, and how often the main character enters and exits, and how he plans to use evidence between worlds that would end up in prosecution of the real-world bad guys, I think it's a fair question. For the early part of the book, he's in a coma, and it's said dying during the fantasy game also leads to death in real life, so this distinction does have life or death consequences.
If I could sort out my jumbled thoughts and offer some feedback, maybe best to focus on what the story arc is, and perhaps as a brainstorming exercise, on a draft copy, delete all the battles in the fantasy world against imaginary creatures. Then... what story is left? There were so many creative and awe-inspiring battles, but I wasn't sure if they were just distractions that got me confused over what the story actually is. Having said that, it was kinda cool seeing all those battles, and I can see the author had so much fun writing those scenes. I'm just not sure that they constitute a story. I got some impressions on saving a lost friend who's suffering back on real-life Earth, some sort of corporate conspiracy as they seek to recover incriminatory valuable evidence so they can destroy it, but I still got a bit lost.
However, all in all, the author writes well, with zest. I never got tired of the writing itself. He has demonstrated his writing chops, and his story is infused with a light-hearted humour that I enjoyed. In isolation, I loved the battles, just as the literary equivalent of eye candy.
I reviewed this in a science fiction round, but it strongly feels more like fantasy, with a mix of urban fantasy (awareness of gaming and geeks and using technology to convey a dream state in today's contemporary times) and epic fantasy (battling ogres, goblins, and so on).
I was of mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I felt that the first part of this book merely described gaming, taking adventures that normally happen in a fantasy exploration and "swords and sorcery" game like Smite (my teenage son passionately loved that game). Myself, I probably only dedicated myself to Zork, which embarrassingly reveals the era I grew up in. Thus, I was left thinking, "Why is this a story written as literature... I could just play the game instead!" Indeed, for people as addicted as gamers, they'd probably play on the computer rather than read in words what they'd like to viscerally experience for themselves. Another thought I had was, "Is this original if it can all be experienced the same way on a video game, with no difference?"
Then, I realized that the book is more complicated than that. I recalled the last Hollywood movie I saw recently, which was the 2018 version of Jumanji. That movie is really based on a game as well, and I did enjoy that movie. So I challenged myself, am I being fair to the author? Also, the author does introduce speculative fiction to this virtual reality, such as the designers and the monolithic and vast company that manufactures this game, being involved in schemes and corporate power plays that drives the plot. Also, the players inside the virtual reality video game are self-aware, even the role-playing characters that weren't human on our regular Earth to begin with. So this does help the book expand its horizons and its ambition to tell a rich, multilayered story.
With that encouragement in mind, I kept reading. Now that I have finished, I'm still not sure. There were many twists and turns that confused me a little, particularly betrayals by some of the characters. To avoid spoilers, I won't give any hints as to who they were, but I wasn't sure what the stakes were. The virtual reality world was so fantastical that I couldn't wonder how any evidence from that imaginary world could carry over with severe consequences to the real world. The author made this clear at one point: the mega-corporation has huge power in designing the game, and they can probably shut down the fantastical world, so what's holding them back?
As well, I had some trouble imagining how the virtual reality world was created. Is it real, with solid surfaces, or is it all imaginary, all in the mind? How does the main character enter a portal (and where is this portal) to this virtual reality world and does he still exist as a flesh and blood guy, in a real world that is still fantastical? Eventually, I decided on my solution: the fantasy world is real (also because several real-life people play together as role players in a fantasy land and go back to regular Earth after, so they can't all be purely imagining the same thing). It's like a gigantic holodeck, and technology has advanced by huge leaps and bounds so that a colossal corporation can create it using holodeck-like technology, and it can be as big as one likes. (Although, I'm still confused about the "deaths" on this world... when players die, they're simply re-invented and brought back to life in a home zone). I'm still a little unclear on how the process works, but for fantasy purposes, let's just not spoil the wonderful imagination. (Thinking too much can lead one to question, for example, just how the back of that clothes cabinet can lead to a fantasy land in the Narnia series). But given the important interplay between the ordinary world on Earth as we know it, and this virtual reality role-playing world, and how often the main character enters and exits, and how he plans to use evidence between worlds that would end up in prosecution of the real-world bad guys, I think it's a fair question. For the early part of the book, he's in a coma, and it's said dying during the fantasy game also leads to death in real life, so this distinction does have life or death consequences.
If I could sort out my jumbled thoughts and offer some feedback, maybe best to focus on what the story arc is, and perhaps as a brainstorming exercise, on a draft copy, delete all the battles in the fantasy world against imaginary creatures. Then... what story is left? There were so many creative and awe-inspiring battles, but I wasn't sure if they were just distractions that got me confused over what the story actually is. Having said that, it was kinda cool seeing all those battles, and I can see the author had so much fun writing those scenes. I'm just not sure that they constitute a story. I got some impressions on saving a lost friend who's suffering back on real-life Earth, some sort of corporate conspiracy as they seek to recover incriminatory valuable evidence so they can destroy it, but I still got a bit lost.
However, all in all, the author writes well, with zest. I never got tired of the writing itself. He has demonstrated his writing chops, and his story is infused with a light-hearted humour that I enjoyed. In isolation, I loved the battles, just as the literary equivalent of eye candy.
August 9, 2016
I was given an ARC for this book by Future House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
The story is something seen, nothing much new there, typical tragedy at the start and a "new" chance at life covered by his new condition, and everything's pretty much common about until it start to change and takes on a different approach at how to develop the world and story, i must say even if i dislike how the mc acts contrary to what he says and other stuff it is quite the fun read, if you get past all that tragedy. Dont get me wrong, i liked the novel just fine, and i never saw the ending coming i just got that felling that something was missing.
The story is something seen, nothing much new there, typical tragedy at the start and a "new" chance at life covered by his new condition, and everything's pretty much common about until it start to change and takes on a different approach at how to develop the world and story, i must say even if i dislike how the mc acts contrary to what he says and other stuff it is quite the fun read, if you get past all that tragedy. Dont get me wrong, i liked the novel just fine, and i never saw the ending coming i just got that felling that something was missing.
August 3, 2016
Stuck in the Game was a fun trip through familiar tropes for anyone into MMORPGs. Keene created interesting characters and kept me reading the story in one sitting. You can read my full review over on MySF Reviews.
November 6, 2018
I'm reviewing the first and second books together in this review. The prose itself was decent. I don't fault the author for that. I couldn't finish the second book because the characters were just too stupid for words. I have a few criticisms.
1: The main character is too much of a Mary Sue inside the game without giving an adequate explanation as to why he's so awesome. He just is.
2: The game they are in has some extremely poor design features that would make players quit in outrage and put the game out of business. I appreciate that there needs to be some potential extreme unpleasantness in the game in order to have some degree of tension and drama in the book, but create a game that frequently messes up thousands of invested hours of gaming for players over months and years and you won't keep your players. Such games CANNOT exist because they lose all their customers to more enjoyable games.
3: Characters in the books are almost criminally stupid at times. Their main sin is opening their mouth and saying things that cause them extreme problems.
4: The game mechanics are glossed over too much. One of the most satisfying things about LitRPG to me is the sense of character progression and discovering cool ways to progress. There's a little bit of that in the book, but not enough. Mostly the main character fights monsters a lot and during those fights he gets upgrades.
5: The main character has a girlfriend whose extremely serious situation is a major motivator for him supposedly, but there are time when he acts like she doesn't exist or that her problem doesn't exist. I'm trying to avoid spoilers here.
6: There's a major plot hole in that in the first few boss encounters the main character discovers something interesting that gives him an advantage and then he completely forgets about said advantage and never uses it again in subsequent boss encounters.
SPOILER BELOW
The plot hole is this. At the end of boss encounters, the main character discovers there is "always" something cool hidden like hidden rooms, secret compartments, etc. After the first few times he exploits this it's like he completely forgets it's even a thing and shortly after boss fights leaves the area unsearched.
1: The main character is too much of a Mary Sue inside the game without giving an adequate explanation as to why he's so awesome. He just is.
2: The game they are in has some extremely poor design features that would make players quit in outrage and put the game out of business. I appreciate that there needs to be some potential extreme unpleasantness in the game in order to have some degree of tension and drama in the book, but create a game that frequently messes up thousands of invested hours of gaming for players over months and years and you won't keep your players. Such games CANNOT exist because they lose all their customers to more enjoyable games.
3: Characters in the books are almost criminally stupid at times. Their main sin is opening their mouth and saying things that cause them extreme problems.
4: The game mechanics are glossed over too much. One of the most satisfying things about LitRPG to me is the sense of character progression and discovering cool ways to progress. There's a little bit of that in the book, but not enough. Mostly the main character fights monsters a lot and during those fights he gets upgrades.
5: The main character has a girlfriend whose extremely serious situation is a major motivator for him supposedly, but there are time when he acts like she doesn't exist or that her problem doesn't exist. I'm trying to avoid spoilers here.
6: There's a major plot hole in that in the first few boss encounters the main character discovers something interesting that gives him an advantage and then he completely forgets about said advantage and never uses it again in subsequent boss encounters.
SPOILER BELOW
The plot hole is this. At the end of boss encounters, the main character discovers there is "always" something cool hidden like hidden rooms, secret compartments, etc. After the first few times he exploits this it's like he completely forgets it's even a thing and shortly after boss fights leaves the area unsearched.
December 17, 2023
The idea for this book was super cool, and even though I don’t really play games I was drawn in and excited to learn more about the world and the story. The world building is amazing! The description is at the perfect level where it adds to a readers understanding of the scene and the environment without distracting the reader, the mechanics and relationships based on game levels make sense, and I really liked how different characters played the games in different ways for different reasons.
For the most part, I really liked the relationships between characters, too. Noah reconnecting with old friends and making new ones in the game made sense and their dialogue flowed realistically. The thing that annoyed me was the romance: the book is one of those where every female character flirts with the main guy at least a little, even when it doesn’t make sense for their characters, and the main guy thinks all the girls are hot and has weird internal thoughts about their figures. Normally, this is just annoying, but since Noah’s whole goal is to save his dying girlfriend, these interactions make him seem more and more unlikeable. Even saying that, though, his girlfriend was definitely suffering from being fridged, and even though Noah thinks about her in detail from time to time, I really don’t think I knew enough about her to care about her imminent death.
Aside from that, though, the build-up to Noah saving his girlfriend was intense and the final fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat, even though I didn’t care if she lived or died. The battle scenes through the book were well written, and the most important ones didn’t disappoint, which they sometimes do in books like this.
For the most part, I really liked the relationships between characters, too. Noah reconnecting with old friends and making new ones in the game made sense and their dialogue flowed realistically. The thing that annoyed me was the romance: the book is one of those where every female character flirts with the main guy at least a little, even when it doesn’t make sense for their characters, and the main guy thinks all the girls are hot and has weird internal thoughts about their figures. Normally, this is just annoying, but since Noah’s whole goal is to save his dying girlfriend, these interactions make him seem more and more unlikeable. Even saying that, though, his girlfriend was definitely suffering from being fridged, and even though Noah thinks about her in detail from time to time, I really don’t think I knew enough about her to care about her imminent death.
Aside from that, though, the build-up to Noah saving his girlfriend was intense and the final fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat, even though I didn’t care if she lived or died. The battle scenes through the book were well written, and the most important ones didn’t disappoint, which they sometimes do in books like this.
December 19, 2023
Stuck in the Game is a refreshing and quick read that offers the needed amount of escapism when needed. Although at first was not too enthusiastic about the novel being set within a video game, as I am not a gamer myself, gaming ultimately becomes a very interesting world building device. There is no limits for imagination in the created world, where the characters emerge themselves in thrilling adventures along breath taking landscapes. Moreover, something that I really liked about the novel is that Noah, the main character, is only able to get on and become a hero due to his friends and mentors, and not by himself, as it is the case in many novels, which makes the story have the required degree of credibility. Receiving that help enables Noah to find his second family within the game, and develop some interesting group dynamics, something attained also due to the fact that he knew some characters before, which becomes a benefit considering the length of the novel.
If I were to point out something negative, it would be that while Noah relays a lot on his found family and Sue, he does not seem to care much about his parents, and that could have been a much more exploited theme. However, the former is also understandable considering the short length of the novel, which could have perfectly had 100 pages more so that the character dynamics and descriptions could have been much more developed.
All in all, Stuck in the Game is a novel that can be enjoyed by everyone, and will present readers with a very original approach to gaming, where it becomes a means of survival and not just leisure, something that is becoming more and more of a fact nowadays.
If I were to point out something negative, it would be that while Noah relays a lot on his found family and Sue, he does not seem to care much about his parents, and that could have been a much more exploited theme. However, the former is also understandable considering the short length of the novel, which could have perfectly had 100 pages more so that the character dynamics and descriptions could have been much more developed.
All in all, Stuck in the Game is a novel that can be enjoyed by everyone, and will present readers with a very original approach to gaming, where it becomes a means of survival and not just leisure, something that is becoming more and more of a fact nowadays.
December 24, 2023
Car Crashes, Video Games, and Magic Fights, Oh My!
From the first sentences, this book really grabs your attention and holds it! Stuck in the Game by Christopher Keene felt like a modern mashup of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and The Eye of Minds by James Dashner and Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde! I really feel for the protagonist immediately. He experiences a severe car accident, is thrown into a coma, and is trapped in a virtual reality world. If he dies in the game, his brain activity will reach an all time low and kill him. The stakes are sky-high from the start.
One of my favorite quotes in this one was “…sometimes it was better to let people assume you were an idiot.” The main character is pretty smart with some of the battle plans, strategies, and plot twists near the end of the story. I really empathized with the main character’s struggles and goals. Overall the book made me flash back to playing fun sessions of World of Warcraft. I felt the story is a good modern commentary on tech, social media, and virtual reality. All of this modern tech can just as easily overtake and destroy friend connections, or create new friend connections.
The story manages to present a very engaging, sympathetic plot and main character while balancing realistic video game dynamics. The workings of living in a digital game world don’t get overexploited or distracting, so the reader can enjoy the hilarious love square and occasional jokes of the book. This is great if you’re a fan of video games! Especially if you’re a fan of movies like Tron and Free Guy.
From the first sentences, this book really grabs your attention and holds it! Stuck in the Game by Christopher Keene felt like a modern mashup of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and The Eye of Minds by James Dashner and Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde! I really feel for the protagonist immediately. He experiences a severe car accident, is thrown into a coma, and is trapped in a virtual reality world. If he dies in the game, his brain activity will reach an all time low and kill him. The stakes are sky-high from the start.
One of my favorite quotes in this one was “…sometimes it was better to let people assume you were an idiot.” The main character is pretty smart with some of the battle plans, strategies, and plot twists near the end of the story. I really empathized with the main character’s struggles and goals. Overall the book made me flash back to playing fun sessions of World of Warcraft. I felt the story is a good modern commentary on tech, social media, and virtual reality. All of this modern tech can just as easily overtake and destroy friend connections, or create new friend connections.
The story manages to present a very engaging, sympathetic plot and main character while balancing realistic video game dynamics. The workings of living in a digital game world don’t get overexploited or distracting, so the reader can enjoy the hilarious love square and occasional jokes of the book. This is great if you’re a fan of video games! Especially if you’re a fan of movies like Tron and Free Guy.
April 16, 2018
Review of Stuck in the game by Christopher Keene
The ultimate virtual reality game, the answer to every gamer’s prayers, Dream State is the zenith of the game designers art and a total cash cow for the company that owns and runs it.
Noah has lost his best friends to the game and his girlfriend is totally against its use and the drug necessary for connection to the helmet and software. Following a car crash Noah’s only hope of recovery is to be immersed in the game world while his damaged brain recovers. There is a marked difference between him and the other gamers. If Noah dies in the game he can’t log back in and will slip into a coma from which he will never wake.
Follow his struggle to survive in a world of heroes, monsters, magic and mayhem as he tries to stay alive long enough to recover.
I am too old to have been caught up in the realms of Dungeons and Dragons and am not familiar with much of the terminology, but the author has crafted a good story with plenty of pace to keep the reader turning the pages. There is a believable set of characters recognisable with the preoccupations of youth and the technology is logical. The gaming world has a set of rules, with rewards and penalties for the players.
There is a twist which raises this above a mere description of a multilevel shoot em up game, so get this book, strap on your VR helmet and step through portal into adventure.
Four Stars.
The ultimate virtual reality game, the answer to every gamer’s prayers, Dream State is the zenith of the game designers art and a total cash cow for the company that owns and runs it.
Noah has lost his best friends to the game and his girlfriend is totally against its use and the drug necessary for connection to the helmet and software. Following a car crash Noah’s only hope of recovery is to be immersed in the game world while his damaged brain recovers. There is a marked difference between him and the other gamers. If Noah dies in the game he can’t log back in and will slip into a coma from which he will never wake.
Follow his struggle to survive in a world of heroes, monsters, magic and mayhem as he tries to stay alive long enough to recover.
I am too old to have been caught up in the realms of Dungeons and Dragons and am not familiar with much of the terminology, but the author has crafted a good story with plenty of pace to keep the reader turning the pages. There is a believable set of characters recognisable with the preoccupations of youth and the technology is logical. The gaming world has a set of rules, with rewards and penalties for the players.
There is a twist which raises this above a mere description of a multilevel shoot em up game, so get this book, strap on your VR helmet and step through portal into adventure.
Four Stars.
May 9, 2018
Noah was in dire straights. A horrific accident had left him paralysed and his girlfriend Sue fighting for her life. Fortunately he had enough DSD in his system that he could be connected to the Dream Engine, and log into their game. This game, one he had vowed never to try, became his lifeline, the only way people from the world outside could communicate with him while his body attempted to repair itself. There was a catch, if he were to die, then he would likely slip into a coma. Still, he thought himself lucky. Sue was in critical condition, beyond even this intervention. Or was she? It seemed something of her had been drawn here too, held captive. Noah had a quest, a reason to play. He would save Sue, no matter the cost.
Stuck in the Game is a steady paced read with some good characters. You join Noah in his adventure from tutorial all the way through his progression. You witness a prison of a game become something more as his own gaming passion is kindled, and he is spurred on as his character grows and receives the only quest he really cares about. To reach her he must be strong, but it isn't all levelling and grinding, there are things at work here he could not imagine, and not all those who play have his back, in fact, with his survival rank growing, he may as well paint a target on his back. Some will stop at nothing to be the best, and some have more sinister motivations.
Stuck in the Game is a steady paced read with some good characters. You join Noah in his adventure from tutorial all the way through his progression. You witness a prison of a game become something more as his own gaming passion is kindled, and he is spurred on as his character grows and receives the only quest he really cares about. To reach her he must be strong, but it isn't all levelling and grinding, there are things at work here he could not imagine, and not all those who play have his back, in fact, with his survival rank growing, he may as well paint a target on his back. Some will stop at nothing to be the best, and some have more sinister motivations.
August 4, 2016
I’m going to say it right off the bat: I’m not a huge cyberpunk fan. I’m honestly not sure if it’s the concept itself that doesn’t gel for me, the fact that I feel like it’s been completely overplayed and too popular to where it has it’s own aisle in most cons, done way too shoddily too many times since it’s conception, or if it’s just not for me as a whole. In any case, it takes a lot for me to get invested in a new cyberpunk adventure. When I picked up the book I’m reviewing today, ‘Stuck in the Game’ by Christopher Keene, I had no idea what to expect. The synopsis given above sounded interesting enough. Sort of like ‘Ready Player One’ by Ernest Cline mixed with something akin to the concept of ‘Under Zenith’ by Shannen Crane Camp which happens to be one of my all time favorite books. But going in to with a sort of ‘meh’ attitude towards the cyberpunk genre as a whole, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this book.
Once I started reading it however, I found getting surprisingly drawn into it. As mentioned above, ‘Stuck in the Game’ tells the story of a young man named Noah who is involved in a major car crash with his girlfriend. While his body is kept alive in a hospital, his mind is transferred in to what is called the Dream Engine which plays out as essentially an extreme virtual reality game in order to keep it alive during his recovery. Normally in the game, you are allowed to log in and log off but in this case the game is the only way of keeping his mind active and the only way to really contact him in his state. This provides a reason to keep Noah in the game world instead of having to take pauses and breaks like the rest of the characters. The obvious downside in this case however is that if Noah dies in the game, he could slip into a coma and die in real life. Luckily, he has all of the time in the world to build his experience up and he has guidance and company in the form of his friends old and new plus an hired aid to help him play the game. However, an unexpected motivation appears in the form of notes being left to him telling him that his girlfriend may be trapped in the game with him. And so the quest is on to find his girlfriend and save her from death.
Not a bad set up for a story and the author Christopher Keene does a decent job following through with it. The plot is a little bit on the standard side but still easy to follow with a few major twists and a plot change that threw me for a bit of a loop. I really admire some of the decisions made in the story to which Keene stays committed. There isn’t a lot of sugar coating and the commitment to the premise and the circumstances behind it is something that I very much like. Our main character Noah is a very likeable protagonist written as the everyman kind of like Charlie from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. You immediately sympathize with him and his motivations and you want to root for him in his journey through the fantasy world he has become stuck in. The rest of the characters especially the two female characters of Keri and Chloe are a lot of fun and very well developed for the most part. Each have their own surprising motivations and roles to play in Noah’s story particularly his two best friends, David and Brock, who have their own secrets that play in Noah’s situation. It plods along very well and it’s a somewhat fast read particularly if you are a huge geek or RPG fan as I can be.
However, there are problems here that really took me out of the experience and kept the novel from being a great one. It has significant narrative and pacing problems particularly in the middle where it feels like a lot of time has passed with no real explanation. I never got a sense of time in this world and how long the protagonist was actually in the Dream State. The world itself is a very standard RPG land that doesn’t feel like anything unique or interesting. It’s your standard World of Warcraft clone and, while I do admire the variety of settings and lands that Keene creates, it doesn’t feel like anything new in the end. Going along those lines, if you don’t play online RPGs or anything like that you may have a difficult time with this book. Great amounts of detail is given to the mechanics of the world, how it works and plays, some of the strategies, and stats and elements to each character and it’s all done from the perspective of someone at the keyboard. I will admit that this fits the setting and it works well for what it is, but some of these concepts aren’t explained as well as I would’ve liked. I could very much see how this could turn off readers who aren’t at all familiar with things like hotkeys, level systems, RPG stats, etc.
Finally, I will say that while the plot is great and it leads to a climax involving a surprise reveal and a major trap by one of the leads, I really am not a huge fan of the ending. Again, Keene fully commits to some of the true meaning and depth of the events in the novel, which I really admire, but there is a fair amount of sequel baiting here that’s always been an annoyance of mine. I’ve no doubt that this will get a sequel and I’ll definitely be on board for whatever Keene throws our way; but it doesn’t feel like a complete story. The final chapter sets things up for the main story in part 2 but has no real feeling of resolution or conclusion to the immediate plot. That to me was a disappointment but it may not bother other readers quite as much.
FINAL VERDICT: ‘Stuck in the Game’ is a very well-written cyber adventure with an intriguing concept, full commitment to the premises and ideas it plays with, and strong characters to guide us through. While the world feels a little empty and is definitely not a novel for everyone, it’s one that you may very well enjoy if you are in the geek or fantasy crowd and just want to lose yourself in something familiar for a while. This may not feel like anything unique and it doesn’t push the genre anywhere new per se, but it doesn’t need to and it admirably achieves its goals well enough that I am definitely curious as to where it goes from here. Definitely warrants a read with measured expectations. — 6/10
Once I started reading it however, I found getting surprisingly drawn into it. As mentioned above, ‘Stuck in the Game’ tells the story of a young man named Noah who is involved in a major car crash with his girlfriend. While his body is kept alive in a hospital, his mind is transferred in to what is called the Dream Engine which plays out as essentially an extreme virtual reality game in order to keep it alive during his recovery. Normally in the game, you are allowed to log in and log off but in this case the game is the only way of keeping his mind active and the only way to really contact him in his state. This provides a reason to keep Noah in the game world instead of having to take pauses and breaks like the rest of the characters. The obvious downside in this case however is that if Noah dies in the game, he could slip into a coma and die in real life. Luckily, he has all of the time in the world to build his experience up and he has guidance and company in the form of his friends old and new plus an hired aid to help him play the game. However, an unexpected motivation appears in the form of notes being left to him telling him that his girlfriend may be trapped in the game with him. And so the quest is on to find his girlfriend and save her from death.
Not a bad set up for a story and the author Christopher Keene does a decent job following through with it. The plot is a little bit on the standard side but still easy to follow with a few major twists and a plot change that threw me for a bit of a loop. I really admire some of the decisions made in the story to which Keene stays committed. There isn’t a lot of sugar coating and the commitment to the premise and the circumstances behind it is something that I very much like. Our main character Noah is a very likeable protagonist written as the everyman kind of like Charlie from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. You immediately sympathize with him and his motivations and you want to root for him in his journey through the fantasy world he has become stuck in. The rest of the characters especially the two female characters of Keri and Chloe are a lot of fun and very well developed for the most part. Each have their own surprising motivations and roles to play in Noah’s story particularly his two best friends, David and Brock, who have their own secrets that play in Noah’s situation. It plods along very well and it’s a somewhat fast read particularly if you are a huge geek or RPG fan as I can be.
However, there are problems here that really took me out of the experience and kept the novel from being a great one. It has significant narrative and pacing problems particularly in the middle where it feels like a lot of time has passed with no real explanation. I never got a sense of time in this world and how long the protagonist was actually in the Dream State. The world itself is a very standard RPG land that doesn’t feel like anything unique or interesting. It’s your standard World of Warcraft clone and, while I do admire the variety of settings and lands that Keene creates, it doesn’t feel like anything new in the end. Going along those lines, if you don’t play online RPGs or anything like that you may have a difficult time with this book. Great amounts of detail is given to the mechanics of the world, how it works and plays, some of the strategies, and stats and elements to each character and it’s all done from the perspective of someone at the keyboard. I will admit that this fits the setting and it works well for what it is, but some of these concepts aren’t explained as well as I would’ve liked. I could very much see how this could turn off readers who aren’t at all familiar with things like hotkeys, level systems, RPG stats, etc.
Finally, I will say that while the plot is great and it leads to a climax involving a surprise reveal and a major trap by one of the leads, I really am not a huge fan of the ending. Again, Keene fully commits to some of the true meaning and depth of the events in the novel, which I really admire, but there is a fair amount of sequel baiting here that’s always been an annoyance of mine. I’ve no doubt that this will get a sequel and I’ll definitely be on board for whatever Keene throws our way; but it doesn’t feel like a complete story. The final chapter sets things up for the main story in part 2 but has no real feeling of resolution or conclusion to the immediate plot. That to me was a disappointment but it may not bother other readers quite as much.
FINAL VERDICT: ‘Stuck in the Game’ is a very well-written cyber adventure with an intriguing concept, full commitment to the premises and ideas it plays with, and strong characters to guide us through. While the world feels a little empty and is definitely not a novel for everyone, it’s one that you may very well enjoy if you are in the geek or fantasy crowd and just want to lose yourself in something familiar for a while. This may not feel like anything unique and it doesn’t push the genre anywhere new per se, but it doesn’t need to and it admirably achieves its goals well enough that I am definitely curious as to where it goes from here. Definitely warrants a read with measured expectations. — 6/10
July 9, 2019
In 'Stuck in the Game' we follow Noah, trapped in the virtual game world after a car accident, needing to survive or die in the real world also. Fortunately, he has assistance from fellow gamers. The plot is thickened by the situation of his girlfriend, who was also in the crash, and a mystery revolving around the company who runs the game.
C. Keene's writing style made this a very easy read for me and the pace was active enough to propel me along to the end, although the early chapters gave a lot of information on game engine. The fight sequences--of which there were many (as you might expect)--were clear and interesting. The character interaction was believable and entertaining.
I think the author missed a trick in not spending more time--or at least a few more choice words--on setting, and, although Noah is in jeopardy, I never quite got a feeling of tension. That might relate to the fact that the major plot line doesn't ramp up until very late in this book, and be aware: you will need to read on.
I'd be more than happy read on through this series and I think anyone who likes the odd bit of fantasy gaming won't be disappointed. Definitely recommended.
C. Keene's writing style made this a very easy read for me and the pace was active enough to propel me along to the end, although the early chapters gave a lot of information on game engine. The fight sequences--of which there were many (as you might expect)--were clear and interesting. The character interaction was believable and entertaining.
I think the author missed a trick in not spending more time--or at least a few more choice words--on setting, and, although Noah is in jeopardy, I never quite got a feeling of tension. That might relate to the fact that the major plot line doesn't ramp up until very late in this book, and be aware: you will need to read on.
I'd be more than happy read on through this series and I think anyone who likes the odd bit of fantasy gaming won't be disappointed. Definitely recommended.
March 19, 2021
I requested a copy of this book because the synopsis sounded like Sword Art Online or Memories of the Alhambra. And if you like either of those shows, you'll love this book.
The book begins with Noah in a coma. He was just in a car accident along with his girlfriend and now the only way he has to communicate with his family and friends is by logging into a VR MMORPG. Only one catch: If he dies in the game, he may never wake up in real life. So his parents hire a bodyguard/trainer to make sure he doesn't die and to teach him the ways of the game. What they don't count on is Noah's enthusiasm. He quickly moves to the harder tiers of the game that are not so safe. Why risk so much? There is a chance that his girlfriend is trapped in a dungeon in one of the most treacherous locations. As the story goes on, the mystery unfolds. What actually happened to Noah and Sue? Who caused the car accident? And what of the dark rumors surrounding the gamemakers? Noah has to keep playing to find the truth. And he has to play as though his life depends on it.
I received a free ARC from the author and have reviewed it willingly.
The book begins with Noah in a coma. He was just in a car accident along with his girlfriend and now the only way he has to communicate with his family and friends is by logging into a VR MMORPG. Only one catch: If he dies in the game, he may never wake up in real life. So his parents hire a bodyguard/trainer to make sure he doesn't die and to teach him the ways of the game. What they don't count on is Noah's enthusiasm. He quickly moves to the harder tiers of the game that are not so safe. Why risk so much? There is a chance that his girlfriend is trapped in a dungeon in one of the most treacherous locations. As the story goes on, the mystery unfolds. What actually happened to Noah and Sue? Who caused the car accident? And what of the dark rumors surrounding the gamemakers? Noah has to keep playing to find the truth. And he has to play as though his life depends on it.
I received a free ARC from the author and have reviewed it willingly.
July 20, 2017
Received a free copy of this by the author for a impartial review.
The good
Overall the story catches your attention and for the most part is well thought out.
I found myself caring about the Main character the more i read.
The not so good.
The occasional poor/bad/wrong word choices (not really a major issue..but it does break up the flow of the story once in a while)
The story seems..Rushed in places. Could use more world building.
The bad..
Nothing :)
A note on my rating. My default for books that i like is 4 stars. i Liked this book. And would recommend it. BUT due to some issues stated in the "Not so good section" i took 1 star off. It is my understanding the Author is currently rewriting/editing parts of the books. I believe that once that process is done i would have no qualms about giving this book 4 stars or even 5. Will edit this in the future if this comes to pass.
The good
Overall the story catches your attention and for the most part is well thought out.
I found myself caring about the Main character the more i read.
The not so good.
The occasional poor/bad/wrong word choices (not really a major issue..but it does break up the flow of the story once in a while)
The story seems..Rushed in places. Could use more world building.
The bad..
Nothing :)
A note on my rating. My default for books that i like is 4 stars. i Liked this book. And would recommend it. BUT due to some issues stated in the "Not so good section" i took 1 star off. It is my understanding the Author is currently rewriting/editing parts of the books. I believe that once that process is done i would have no qualms about giving this book 4 stars or even 5. Will edit this in the future if this comes to pass.
August 2, 2017
This book follows Noah after being in a serious car crash, and his recovery state is reliant upon how well he does in the DreamGame.
This is a great book for those that love video games and books (I am that person for sure!) because the combination is done so well. The gameplay itself was reminiscent of a particular game I loved, so I enjoyed the book that much more. I loved how different things were revealed as the story went on, as well as things getting progressively more difficult.
I thought that Noah's luck and the game for him was a little too convenient, but as the reveals kept coming, I did understand more of why things were happening the way they were.
I was not expecting the ending. I had this whole idea up of what was going to happen and who was going to be the "villain", but I was completely wrong. That was a nice surprise. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait for a sequel.
This is a great book for those that love video games and books (I am that person for sure!) because the combination is done so well. The gameplay itself was reminiscent of a particular game I loved, so I enjoyed the book that much more. I loved how different things were revealed as the story went on, as well as things getting progressively more difficult.
I thought that Noah's luck and the game for him was a little too convenient, but as the reveals kept coming, I did understand more of why things were happening the way they were.
I was not expecting the ending. I had this whole idea up of what was going to happen and who was going to be the "villain", but I was completely wrong. That was a nice surprise. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait for a sequel.
December 21, 2023
Stuck in the Game follows Noah as he essentially gets isekai'd into a game world due to a tragic event. The story's premise is well-thought-out and a good addition to the Gamelit/LitRPG genre. However, I would not classify this action-adventure story as litRPG. This is because we see no in-game stats. The use of strategic game decisions is here, but it is not used as a plot device like those in the genre.
The whole DSD and Dream Engine were my main draw and kept me on the edge of my seat. This was due to Christopher's world-building and his attention to detail for the in-game setting. The characterization is not the best, but it is good for the gamelit genre. The concept of being stuck in a game is not new but the originality Christopher creates is something that makes this title stand out. If you want to introduce someone to how cool this genre is—Stuck in the Game is not a bad story. I recommend this book if you want to dip your toes into the amazing genre of Gamelit/LitRPG.
The whole DSD and Dream Engine were my main draw and kept me on the edge of my seat. This was due to Christopher's world-building and his attention to detail for the in-game setting. The characterization is not the best, but it is good for the gamelit genre. The concept of being stuck in a game is not new but the originality Christopher creates is something that makes this title stand out. If you want to introduce someone to how cool this genre is—Stuck in the Game is not a bad story. I recommend this book if you want to dip your toes into the amazing genre of Gamelit/LitRPG.
July 22, 2017
Disclaimer :- I was provided this e-book for free in exchange for my honest review and feedback.
The summery provided for the book actually describes the first 20 pages, The beginning is rushed as we hurry to get the MC into the virtual world where the story really begins.
This is an issue as it creates plot holes that are addressed by the end of the book and makes it seem more like back peddling then anything else.
Although this is classified under (YA) the writing style makes it more suitable for 12 - 14 year olds, everything is overly explained and repeated. The book would benefit from further proof reading and editing.
The action scenes and dungeon crawling is well written, the characters are distinct and the play on names although simple put a smile on my face.
I'd say this book is an ok intro into litrpg for younger readers, but not for adults.
The summery provided for the book actually describes the first 20 pages, The beginning is rushed as we hurry to get the MC into the virtual world where the story really begins.
This is an issue as it creates plot holes that are addressed by the end of the book and makes it seem more like back peddling then anything else.
Although this is classified under (YA) the writing style makes it more suitable for 12 - 14 year olds, everything is overly explained and repeated. The book would benefit from further proof reading and editing.
The action scenes and dungeon crawling is well written, the characters are distinct and the play on names although simple put a smile on my face.
I'd say this book is an ok intro into litrpg for younger readers, but not for adults.
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