Title:  Nirvana
Series:  Nirvana #1
Author:  JR Stewart
Genre:  Mystery, Thriller, Sci-Fi, YA
Published:  November 10, 2015
Publisher:  Blue Moon
My Rating:  3 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

When the real world is emptied of all that you love, how can you keep yourself from dependence on the virtual?

Animal activist and punk rock star Larissa Kenders lives in a dystopian world where the real and the virtual intermingle. After the disappearance of her soulmate, Andrew, Kenders finds solace by escaping to Nirvana, a virtual world controlled by Hexagon. In Nirvana, anyone’s deepest desires may be realized – even visits with Andrew.

Although Kenders knows that this version of Andrew is virtual, when he asks for her assistance revealing Hexagon’s dark secret, she cannot help but comply. Soon after, Kenders and her closest allies find themselves in a battle with Hexagon, the very institution they have been taught to trust. After uncovering much more than she expected, Kenders’ biggest challenge is determining what is real – and what is virtual.

Nirvana is a fast-paced, page-turning young adult novel combining elements of science fiction, mystery, and romance. Part of a trilogy, this book introduces readers to a young woman who refuses to give up on the man she loves, even if it means taking on an entire government to do so..

Read on for my thoughts on Nirvana.  No true spoilers, promise.

I’ve read the ARC of Nirvana twice now, the original and the revised edition.  The first edition definitely needed help – and I was very glad to see that the author had taken the comments/feedback to heart and made changes that improved the reading experience.

The cover description gives you the setup for Nirvana, and I believe you really need to discover the twists, turns, lies, misdirections and what is the truth for yourself.  It is an interesting journey but it’s not over yet.  There is a cliffhanger that sets up the next story in the series.

I liked the revised edition of Nirvana.  I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it – but I liked it enough to give the series the chance to “wow” me with the next story.  Yes, I’d like to know more.  And I’d like to see how the story develops.

*I received an e-ARC of Nirvana from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available in paperback and for the Kindle