alisyy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
notasilkycat's review against another edition
2.0
I think my reading experience with this book can be described very briefly like "what have I actually read just now"? It felt like reading a very raw TV-show screenplay which started promising then finished like Lost. I got my copy from a ABC Booklover Science Fiction box - and it was only reason I brought myself to finish it because of some unhealthy duty.
alex_bl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
boehmography's review against another edition
1.0
Fantastic premise, absolutely terrible execution. It built up to nothing. I'm honestly not sure if my copy was missing pages at the end because it felt like the author just hit a deadline and gave up. So disappointed with this book.
saniawc's review against another edition
2.0
Like a lot of readers in the review section, the blurb was what got me interested in this. I thought maybe because it was being compared to Ready Player One and Black Mirror, Alpha Omega would be somewhat similar to Sword Art Online. I think I was too excited about the VR part of the story that the rest of the blurb went over my head.
It was fine though, I need to read more out of my comfort zone and I used to love reading science fiction.
The start was captivating. Boys find bones on the school ground, which is insane to say the least, what is even more insane is that one of them took the bones with them, just chilling with a skull in his bag! Then the girl who got the nosebleed which didn't seem weird at first until she was being ushered into a car and was then completely erased from the school records? What really got me hooked with this book however was Gabriel, who had been "kicked out" from NSA. His whole behaviour was unsettling, the way he treats his mother, how much he spends on the VR. I wanted to see how his story would play out.
It took a long time. The book seemed to stretch. Everything that happens within the book takes around a week and there is a lot of stuff and a lot of people to keep track of. It go confusing at times. I liked how brands and advertisements played a huge part of the education systems but I with there had been some more worldbuilding because there was a lot of terminology that we as the reader would not know straight off the bat, such as Meninist and Masculist which I don't even know if it had any relevance to the story now, maybe to build Gabriel's storyline? There was definitely a need for some introduction to the world because it kept me confused for a good half of the book until I kind of understood what was going on.
It's an interesting read and has huge potential, but I don't think I would recommend this book. Too rushed and too heavy with unexplained details. Also EXTREMELY disappointed with Gabriel's ending, very unsatisfied as I wanted to understand his thought process. His whole behaviour was so dangerous.
It was fine though, I need to read more out of my comfort zone and I used to love reading science fiction.
The start was captivating. Boys find bones on the school ground, which is insane to say the least, what is even more insane is that one of them took the bones with them, just chilling with a skull in his bag! Then the girl who got the nosebleed which didn't seem weird at first until she was being ushered into a car and was then completely erased from the school records? What really got me hooked with this book however was Gabriel, who had been "kicked out" from NSA. His whole behaviour was unsettling, the way he treats his mother, how much he spends on the VR. I wanted to see how his story would play out.
It took a long time. The book seemed to stretch. Everything that happens within the book takes around a week and there is a lot of stuff and a lot of people to keep track of. It go confusing at times. I liked how brands and advertisements played a huge part of the education systems but I with there had been some more worldbuilding because there was a lot of terminology that we as the reader would not know straight off the bat, such as Meninist and Masculist which I don't even know if it had any relevance to the story now, maybe to build Gabriel's storyline? There was definitely a need for some introduction to the world because it kept me confused for a good half of the book until I kind of understood what was going on.
It's an interesting read and has huge potential, but I don't think I would recommend this book. Too rushed and too heavy with unexplained details. Also EXTREMELY disappointed with Gabriel's ending, very unsatisfied as I wanted to understand his thought process. His whole behaviour was so dangerous.
tbhonest_uk's review against another edition
5.0
Alpha Omega is a fascinating and immersive read, which is extremely topical given the global covid-19 pandemic, eerily so in parts that it gets a little freaky. Well worth a read.
prittypeaches's review against another edition
2.0
This book was a mediocre near future science fiction. It tried to develop an dystopian depiction of education systems but overlaid that with 'what if Second Life could steal your soul'. The combination of troupes made some of the book feel a bit out of date and overworked.
There was a brief point at about the 2/3 point in th book where it was flowing well and I thought it might just be a slow starter. Unfortunately it floundered again towards the end. I did finish it so I'll give it a second star.
There was a brief point at about the 2/3 point in th book where it was flowing well and I thought it might just be a slow starter. Unfortunately it floundered again towards the end. I did finish it so I'll give it a second star.
wordsofapaige's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
I saw this described as Ready Player One meets Black Mirror, and actually, this is an incredibly apt description, and probably the best way of describing the vibe you get from this book.
So you follow a few point of views. You have Gabriel, who has been expelled from the school and is the 'gamer' of the book. Essentially he spends most of the book in the VR world and while he does interact a tiny bit with the main story, he ultimately has his own plot that runs parallel to the main plot. I'm not entirely sure how it intersects and I kind of wish he had more of an impact on the main plot, as the blurb seems to hint that he is super involved with the plot in the 'real world'. And also, he's pegged as the central character whereas I saw him as more of a supporting character.
There is who I think of as the main character and that is Tom, a teacher at the school. He is the one who begins to piece together the plot and who brings various other characters together. So, I think the story more focusses on him and his interactions with the school and the main plot.
This book is freaky. You can completely see how this could be a world in which we live. Schools and neighbourhoods run by sponsorships, tablets replacing pen and paper, and a VR world that almost everyone is a part of. It's a fascinating thing to read as you can see this happening, and it's a little close to home.
The author doesn't hold your hand during the plot. You have to piece together quite a lot of it and it took me until the next day to really figure out the ending. But it's one of those great books where you have a revelation about it a few days after you're finished, because it sticks with you. Yes, you'll have to work a bit hard to put two and two together and to work out what exactly is going on. But, if this sounds like your kind of book it's 100% worth reading.
I saw this described as Ready Player One meets Black Mirror, and actually, this is an incredibly apt description, and probably the best way of describing the vibe you get from this book.
So you follow a few point of views. You have Gabriel, who has been expelled from the school and is the 'gamer' of the book. Essentially he spends most of the book in the VR world and while he does interact a tiny bit with the main story, he ultimately has his own plot that runs parallel to the main plot. I'm not entirely sure how it intersects and I kind of wish he had more of an impact on the main plot, as the blurb seems to hint that he is super involved with the plot in the 'real world'. And also, he's pegged as the central character whereas I saw him as more of a supporting character.
There is who I think of as the main character and that is Tom, a teacher at the school. He is the one who begins to piece together the plot and who brings various other characters together. So, I think the story more focusses on him and his interactions with the school and the main plot.
This book is freaky. You can completely see how this could be a world in which we live. Schools and neighbourhoods run by sponsorships, tablets replacing pen and paper, and a VR world that almost everyone is a part of. It's a fascinating thing to read as you can see this happening, and it's a little close to home.
The author doesn't hold your hand during the plot. You have to piece together quite a lot of it and it took me until the next day to really figure out the ending. But it's one of those great books where you have a revelation about it a few days after you're finished, because it sticks with you. Yes, you'll have to work a bit hard to put two and two together and to work out what exactly is going on. But, if this sounds like your kind of book it's 100% worth reading.
More...