Murder and VR collide in Triona Campbell’s pacy (and plot twisty) YA Thriller debut, that literally had me on the edge of my seat!

After her sister and sole guardian, Maya, suddenly drops dead, sixteen year old Asha is certain the secretive (and powerful) tech company Maya worked for is somehow involved. 

With help from some hacker friends (including the brooding Dark) she slowly begins piecing together what happened. But, in order to uncover the full picture, she has to infiltrate the company— by entering as a contestant in an E-Sports tournament they’re hosting for their upcoming game, SHACKLE. The very same game Maya had been working on before her death…

I loved this! The writing was deliciously suspenseful, and the characters really well written —particularly our endearing protagonist, Asha. Whose fierce determination and fearlessness (spurred on by her love for her sister) in spite of all the risks— had me rooting for her (and wanting to give her a big hug) from the very start.

The tension was deliciously high too (which I also loved) and The Black Mirror meets Ready Player One-esque vibes had me utterly, nail bitingly addicted!

Delving into themes of power and corruption, grief, love and the dangers of technology (when used unethically), Campbell certainly manages to pack quite an emotional punch that, paired with the vividly descriptive action sequences and rather timely message made for quite an immersive read. And one I feel readers will definitely want to finish in one sitting. 

I was a bit nervous at first as I’m not really a gamer but, the gaming aspect was really easy to grasp and (maybe due to the VR aspect) felt just like the sweeping, epic action scenes in all my fave sci-fi /fantasy novels. 

 

I’m also a bit of a sucker for the found family trope, so adored the dynamics we see Asha build with the rest of her tournament team. Though, it was the dynamics between Asha and Dark that I was emotionally invested in the most. The history they share and the trust they have in one another was just skilfully explored and really brought depth to both characters.

Overall, an addictively high stakes and plot twisty, YA Thriller that explores Virtual Reality and AI technology in such a thought provoking and compelling manner that’s perfect for starting further discussions around the topic. 

Also, a huge thank you to Scholastic UK & Lorraine Keating PR for the physical copy.