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Ruthless Positivity
TWO PEOPLE SEEKING ESCAPE IN A VIRTUAL WORLD
In eScape, Kam has it all — a body that works, beautiful friends, her own space, and a wealth of stolen credits. In the real world, she’s terminally ill and living in the rundowns, a place where hope goes to die.
In the real world, Lyle seems to have it all. As the son of a famous self-help guru, Julia Grace, strangers envy his perfect life and perfect relationship with his mother. Nobody knows the torture she’s put him through. All Lyle wants is the escape of anonymity in eScape — where he can be himself by hiding behind an avatar.
CONNECTED BY TRAGEDY, DESPERATE FOR LOVE
When Kam and Lyle meet, they each might be the escape the other is looking for.
But Kam can never let Lyle see the REAL her or the hovel she lives in. If he realizes she’s a criminal who’s stolen everything she has, he’ll leave her.
She has no idea Lyle is lying, too – caught in a web of his mother’s manipulations. Each of them loses everything if they tell the truth – but admitting their lies could get them killed.
And not even eScape can protect them from what’s coming.
Ruthless Positivity is a new stand-alone SciFi Thriller from Avery Blake, author of Vicarious Joe, Family Royale, and Analog Heart.
In eScape, Kam has it all — a body that works, beautiful friends, her own space, and a wealth of stolen credits. In the real world, she’s terminally ill and living in the rundowns, a place where hope goes to die.
In the real world, Lyle seems to have it all. As the son of a famous self-help guru, Julia Grace, strangers envy his perfect life and perfect relationship with his mother. Nobody knows the torture she’s put him through. All Lyle wants is the escape of anonymity in eScape — where he can be himself by hiding behind an avatar.
CONNECTED BY TRAGEDY, DESPERATE FOR LOVE
When Kam and Lyle meet, they each might be the escape the other is looking for.
But Kam can never let Lyle see the REAL her or the hovel she lives in. If he realizes she’s a criminal who’s stolen everything she has, he’ll leave her.
She has no idea Lyle is lying, too – caught in a web of his mother’s manipulations. Each of them loses everything if they tell the truth – but admitting their lies could get them killed.
And not even eScape can protect them from what’s coming.
Ruthless Positivity is a new stand-alone SciFi Thriller from Avery Blake, author of Vicarious Joe, Family Royale, and Analog Heart.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 22, 2022
38 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Avery Blake
77 books50 followersAvery Blake is obsessed with all things sci-fi. She writes stories about the things that fascinate and occasionally terrify her and the potential futures humanity might have.
She expresses her hopes and fears through gripping tales where everyday people face extraordinary enemies, opportunities, and decisions. Her stories suck the reader into worlds where strange alien races have taken over, tech designed to make our world better gets out of hand, and robots make us question what it means to be human.
You’ll be hard pressed to find Avery, as she’s always on the move, staying one step ahead of the tracking bots (that are coming soon, if not already here).
She expresses her hopes and fears through gripping tales where everyday people face extraordinary enemies, opportunities, and decisions. Her stories suck the reader into worlds where strange alien races have taken over, tech designed to make our world better gets out of hand, and robots make us question what it means to be human.
You’ll be hard pressed to find Avery, as she’s always on the move, staying one step ahead of the tracking bots (that are coming soon, if not already here).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 22, 2023
Review coming on PUB WEEK 🥳 August 22 2023!
Full review on my blog!
Thank you to the author Avery Blake, publishers Sterling & Stone, and as always NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of ᴀ ʀᴜᴛʜʟᴇss ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ. All opinions are mine.
A Romeo and Juliet for a new age, a story of forbidden love between two young people with too much in common: both hiding from every other important detail about their own identities.
...
...
This was a pretty good book. I picked this one up because of the cover, which is creepy, and the title, ʀᴜᴛʜʟᴇss ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ. I like going into books completely blind, so I didn't read the blurb or any reviews, but I was still expecting something completely different from what I found. I still don't really understand why Blake decided to title the book this way. Perhaps it was the publisher?
Rating: 🕶🕶🕶.5 / 5 VR glasses
Recommend? If you like scifi revolution stories, yes
Finished: July 5 2023
Format: Digital review copy, NetGalley
Read this if you like:
🖥 Tech scifi
🎭 Shakespeare
🐈⬛ The Matrix
❤️🔥 Forbidden love
Full review on my blog!
Thank you to the author Avery Blake, publishers Sterling & Stone, and as always NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of ᴀ ʀᴜᴛʜʟᴇss ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ. All opinions are mine.
A Romeo and Juliet for a new age, a story of forbidden love between two young people with too much in common: both hiding from every other important detail about their own identities.
...
...
This was a pretty good book. I picked this one up because of the cover, which is creepy, and the title, ʀᴜᴛʜʟᴇss ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ. I like going into books completely blind, so I didn't read the blurb or any reviews, but I was still expecting something completely different from what I found. I still don't really understand why Blake decided to title the book this way. Perhaps it was the publisher?
Rating: 🕶🕶🕶.5 / 5 VR glasses
Recommend? If you like scifi revolution stories, yes
Finished: July 5 2023
Format: Digital review copy, NetGalley
Read this if you like:
🖥 Tech scifi
🎭 Shakespeare
🐈⬛ The Matrix
❤️🔥 Forbidden love
September 1, 2022
I don't always love books about virtual reality, but this was just a fun romp! Son of the founder, Lyle meets Kam in eScape, the world where young people get together and all have an AI (if they can afford them). But when he decides he wants to meet her IRL, things get dicey as she's not who she appears to be in the fantasy world; well, isn't that why virtual reality is attractive to many? I mean who wouldn't want a dummy avatar to clap every time you said something incredibly stupid? Many behind-the-scene lessons here as Blake comments on judgment, group dynamics, love, sex, and other "norms" taken for granted in life. Fun to get out of your own head for awhile!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
November 22, 2024
This was okay. It was more budding young romance than scifi. The scifi part was just the setting, a cyber program where people could experience a different world. There was a character who led a spiritual movement about staying positive. The characters and the writing were fine. It just wasn’t for me.
August 25, 2022
In eScape people can be anything or anyone they choose to be. In Kim’s world she is dying and her living arrangements are not up to par. In eSacape, she has it all and it’s the perfect getaway from her life. Lyle’s world everyone sees him as having the perfect life and has it all. In his reality they don’t see the cracks that are slowly forming. He is hiding deep, dark secrets that he can’t unleash without destroying this perfect life. They meet in eScape and they use it to fulfill they’re fantasies. The story shows that eventually the truth will come to fruition and secrets cannot be hidden. Well written characters and story keeps the reader entertained in this sci-fi tale.
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for this review copy, I received this review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for this review copy, I received this review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 25, 2024
This book follows Kam and Lyle as they "escape" into a virtual world called eScape. I feel that for this book being about virtual reality and living in two worlds, it was hard to decipher between if they were living in eScape or the real world. Too much problems merging into both. I understand that the characters of the book specifically Kam is going through grief of tragically losing her father but did we really need to read about how it happened more than once? We already have a picture of what happened and how sick he was, we didn't need to have explained over and over. Redeeming quality of this book is making and what that means to the characters. I think it's interesting to think about the different masks were wear in order to hide our true selves or even just aspects of ourselves. I believe Kam and Lyle help take each others mask off. But also at the same time their connection is very intense for it being so instant. Cheesy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2022
YA sci-fi romance. Kam is smart and sassy but poor, Lyle is rich, handsome and famous. Will they meet and fall in love despite their differences? Can their love overcome the obstacles they face? It’s a tried and true romance formula and the reader shouldn’t expect any more. This book had some interesting themes like VI immersion and manipulative relationships. Ruthless Positivity felt like a cross between Scientology and a self-help cult. I think it would have been much more interesting if there was more focus on Kam and how she gained her high tech talents. Instead, the story was more teen soap opera than sci-fi. Thanks NetGalley for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I found this book an okay but not thrilling.
August 17, 2023
Reader be warned: the synopsis of this book is much more intriguing than the story that is actually told. It does not deliver on the dust-jacket promises.
The premise is the well trod story of misunderstood and privileged boy meets outcast girl who is hiding her true self to fit in. The instantly fall in love, but the boy's mom is ultra controlling and the girl is worried the boy will discover she is playing pretend and leave her. The boy's mom is ultimately defeated and the boy accepts the girl for who she is and they live happily ever after. Think "Aladdin" but reverse the gender roles, the setting is a virtual reality as a plot device, oh and instead of charming most of the characters are extremely cringe-worthy.
I had no expectations for Ruthless Positivity when I started reading it. It is categorized under Science Fiction and Mystery/Thriller. I read the description and thought that it fits in with my general tastes. Apparently I do not have a taste for poor storytelling.
Right off the bat, the characters feel flat. You do not experience their lives through actions, dialogue or emotions. Their motivations are shallow and predictable. You are not immersed in the setting. You are told exactly what you need to know and how a character feels, over and over again.
The main female character, Kam, resents her rich, stuck-up, and vain friends. Why? Because the author explains to you that she does because they are rich, stuck-up and vain. The author also tells you that they idolize the self-help guru Julia Grace and her Ruthless Positivity program and therefore Kam hates them. Their interactions are superficial and all of this is explained through the running monologue of Kam's inner thoughts. You do not see or experience Kam's struggles to fit in, or later her fear of Lyle (the main male character) finding out that she is criminal, or even much later her fear and shame of Lyle finding out that she is (supposedly) dying. You are told all of this information, repetitively.
The characters are also some of the least likeable characters I've ever read. The character traits (which you are told about) are not redeeming qualities, even in the protagonists. Kam is a straight-up stalker, but it's ok because she's the only one who has ever/will ever understand Lyle. Lyle is delusional and does not stand up for his morals, but that's ok because his mother has emotionally abused him and taken advantage of him his entire life. Julia Grace - the actual villain of the story - is ruthless (ha), abusive, a murderer, incestuous, [insert evil thing here], etc, but that's ok because she gets what's coming to her in the end. Even with some of the just terrible character traits, the author could have still created an interesting dynamic between all of the characters if they hadn't been so flat and boring. The mother was so evil that there was no tension. Kam being a stalker and a thief could have been interesting if you discovered those traits through her interactions, or if they had any impact on the relationship between herself and Lyle - but they didn't. There was a particular scene with Lyle when he is "caught" with Kam by his mother and his ex-girlfriend and he acts like he doesn't know who she is, but Kam just inner-monologues that she's hurt by it but she still loves him anyway because she is the only person who has ever understood him. Where there should have been emotional punches, there were none because there was no tension, no build-up, no stakes, no mystery.
Finally, the virtual reality setting of the eScape is strictly there for plot convenience. Sometimes it is hard to tell if they are in VR or if they are in the real world because there is hardly any difference unless the plot requires there to be a difference. They even use mobile phones in VR. There is no imagination that went into the setting. There are Sims houses and Minecraft maps that are more creative than the eScape. I didn't expect a lot of world-building out of a book like this, but even just a little would have been appreciated.
Mostly, I think I just feel very disappointed in story. The dust-jacket pitch illustrates that the story has potential, but the execution was abysmal. Even though I ended up skimming a good portion of this book because it was so repetitive, I still feel like I wasted my time. I would recommend that other readers avoid this particular book, and look elsewhere for a good VR novel with a love story.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Sterling & Stone for providing a digital review copy of Ruthless Positivity in exchange for my honest review.
The premise is the well trod story of misunderstood and privileged boy meets outcast girl who is hiding her true self to fit in. The instantly fall in love, but the boy's mom is ultra controlling and the girl is worried the boy will discover she is playing pretend and leave her. The boy's mom is ultimately defeated and the boy accepts the girl for who she is and they live happily ever after. Think "Aladdin" but reverse the gender roles, the setting is a virtual reality as a plot device, oh and instead of charming most of the characters are extremely cringe-worthy.
I had no expectations for Ruthless Positivity when I started reading it. It is categorized under Science Fiction and Mystery/Thriller. I read the description and thought that it fits in with my general tastes. Apparently I do not have a taste for poor storytelling.
Right off the bat, the characters feel flat. You do not experience their lives through actions, dialogue or emotions. Their motivations are shallow and predictable. You are not immersed in the setting. You are told exactly what you need to know and how a character feels, over and over again.
The main female character, Kam, resents her rich, stuck-up, and vain friends. Why? Because the author explains to you that she does because they are rich, stuck-up and vain. The author also tells you that they idolize the self-help guru Julia Grace and her Ruthless Positivity program and therefore Kam hates them. Their interactions are superficial and all of this is explained through the running monologue of Kam's inner thoughts. You do not see or experience Kam's struggles to fit in, or later her fear of Lyle (the main male character) finding out that she is criminal, or even much later her fear and shame of Lyle finding out that she is (supposedly) dying. You are told all of this information, repetitively.
The characters are also some of the least likeable characters I've ever read. The character traits (which you are told about) are not redeeming qualities, even in the protagonists. Kam is a straight-up stalker, but it's ok because she's the only one who has ever/will ever understand Lyle. Lyle is delusional and does not stand up for his morals, but that's ok because his mother has emotionally abused him and taken advantage of him his entire life. Julia Grace - the actual villain of the story - is ruthless (ha), abusive, a murderer, incestuous, [insert evil thing here], etc, but that's ok because she gets what's coming to her in the end. Even with some of the just terrible character traits, the author could have still created an interesting dynamic between all of the characters if they hadn't been so flat and boring. The mother was so evil that there was no tension. Kam being a stalker and a thief could have been interesting if you discovered those traits through her interactions, or if they had any impact on the relationship between herself and Lyle - but they didn't. There was a particular scene with Lyle when he is "caught" with Kam by his mother and his ex-girlfriend and he acts like he doesn't know who she is, but Kam just inner-monologues that she's hurt by it but she still loves him anyway because she is the only person who has ever understood him. Where there should have been emotional punches, there were none because there was no tension, no build-up, no stakes, no mystery.
Finally, the virtual reality setting of the eScape is strictly there for plot convenience. Sometimes it is hard to tell if they are in VR or if they are in the real world because there is hardly any difference unless the plot requires there to be a difference. They even use mobile phones in VR. There is no imagination that went into the setting. There are Sims houses and Minecraft maps that are more creative than the eScape. I didn't expect a lot of world-building out of a book like this, but even just a little would have been appreciated.
Mostly, I think I just feel very disappointed in story. The dust-jacket pitch illustrates that the story has potential, but the execution was abysmal. Even though I ended up skimming a good portion of this book because it was so repetitive, I still feel like I wasted my time. I would recommend that other readers avoid this particular book, and look elsewhere for a good VR novel with a love story.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Sterling & Stone for providing a digital review copy of Ruthless Positivity in exchange for my honest review.
February 25, 2023
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Ruthless Positivity is a standalone dystopian SF thriller by Avery Blake. Released 22nd Aug 2022 by Sterling & Stone, it's 233 pages and is available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a dystopian relatively near future techy-romance SF thriller. Throughout the book, the undeniably talented author takes swipes at superficiality, the interchangeable masks we use to interact with one another, and the relentless pressure for perfection imposed by social media (despite not being remotely achievable or truthful). On another level, it's a vaguely Romeo and Juliet pastiche with some of the supporting characters played by AI-entities instead of Friar and Nurse. (Don't prejudge the plot or the denouement and resolution; it's a pastiche, not a copy).
I would have called this a NA/YA romance, but there are some rough parts which might not be appropriate for young(ish) readers. The language is R-rated with liberal use of rugged Anglo-Saxon monosyllables (especially f*ck).
Three and a half stars. An interesting take on reality and social interaction, and a quick read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Ruthless Positivity is a standalone dystopian SF thriller by Avery Blake. Released 22nd Aug 2022 by Sterling & Stone, it's 233 pages and is available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a dystopian relatively near future techy-romance SF thriller. Throughout the book, the undeniably talented author takes swipes at superficiality, the interchangeable masks we use to interact with one another, and the relentless pressure for perfection imposed by social media (despite not being remotely achievable or truthful). On another level, it's a vaguely Romeo and Juliet pastiche with some of the supporting characters played by AI-entities instead of Friar and Nurse. (Don't prejudge the plot or the denouement and resolution; it's a pastiche, not a copy).
I would have called this a NA/YA romance, but there are some rough parts which might not be appropriate for young(ish) readers. The language is R-rated with liberal use of rugged Anglo-Saxon monosyllables (especially f*ck).
Three and a half stars. An interesting take on reality and social interaction, and a quick read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
December 28, 2023
Kam is terminally ill and lives in a rundown home often thought of as a hovel by others. Lyle is tortured by his mother’s manipulation s. His mother is the self-help guru, Julie Grace. Lyle must act the way his mother expects him to. For him , he feels he can’t be his true self. He decides to go on escape a virtual world. Lyle does this in secret — no one must know. Lyle wants to be his true self. Kam steals credits from others so she can be on eScape and have everything she wants. She is beautiful, “a body that works,” gorgeous rich friends and more. Kam and Lyle meet each other on eScape. They become friends. Will they tell each other their secrets? If they do, what will happen? Will they fall in love?
The author has written a science fiction thriller. It is a novel that made me think about virtual worlds. I don’t honestly know if I would participate in one. It has its pluses but also it can be negative too. I am glad that I got to read this book. If you like reading science fiction, read this!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The author has written a science fiction thriller. It is a novel that made me think about virtual worlds. I don’t honestly know if I would participate in one. It has its pluses but also it can be negative too. I am glad that I got to read this book. If you like reading science fiction, read this!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
October 10, 2022
A huge thanks to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I really struggled to get through this book which is sad because I really liked this book based off the synopsis. The first 10 pages did pull me in and I loved the introduction we got to the world but towards the middle of the book it got really boring. Sadly the characters did not leap off the page enough for me. Although I was surprised by the romance in the book it too wasn't entertaining enough for me.
August 26, 2022
I enjoyed this book.
I wish such a future was closer at hand then it is. I have always said I would love a full body transplant and to keep my brain … to live without pain would be glorious.
Of course; even the book stresses that only the rich get to play.
I was given a free ARC for my honest review.
I wish such a future was closer at hand then it is. I have always said I would love a full body transplant and to keep my brain … to live without pain would be glorious.
Of course; even the book stresses that only the rich get to play.
I was given a free ARC for my honest review.
October 14, 2022
A YA love story in a bizarre setting.
Did not like the world or characters.
The focus on the undeserved respect given to social media "influencers" and others of their ilk was the best part of this book.
Did not like the world or characters.
The focus on the undeserved respect given to social media "influencers" and others of their ilk was the best part of this book.
August 2, 2023
What a funny, complex, engaging read. It explores a subject matter that will soon play out on the world stage. The writing was enjoyable, the characters were likeable, and the situations were challenging. This was a fun read and one that comes highly recommended.
September 1, 2022
Subjective reality, ruthless parents, and others controlling your destiny == is this not your best-imagined utopia???? Free from Amazon on August 29, 2022.
August 29, 2022
A lot of evil people. I felt swallowed up in their crassness.
January 15, 2024
It’s … ugh… a “fine” story. I mean you know this plot already. Find and replace about 5 nouns and this could be a historical fiction, modern romance or in this case, slightly sci-fi.
The characters aren’t developed at all, and they certainly aren’t likeable.
Where I might have tolerated this story line years ago, it’s 2024! We can’t add books about young adults with severe trauma and untreated mental disorders suddenly being “fixed” because they finally hookup with the person they adore/worship/fantasise about.
If you like this, you might like The Prince & The Apocalypse. It has likeable and well rounded characters, but same dangerous treatment of mental health.
The characters aren’t developed at all, and they certainly aren’t likeable.
Where I might have tolerated this story line years ago, it’s 2024! We can’t add books about young adults with severe trauma and untreated mental disorders suddenly being “fixed” because they finally hookup with the person they adore/worship/fantasise about.
If you like this, you might like The Prince & The Apocalypse. It has likeable and well rounded characters, but same dangerous treatment of mental health.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews