Aaru (The Aaru Cycle Book 1) by David Meredith

Aaru is a YA sci-fi fantasy book sent to me by the author. Rose used to be a normal teenager. That is until Leukemia got the better of her. Now she is skin and bones, too weak to even move. All seems lost until a strange man approaches Rose and puts a machine on her head, claiming that he can make her live forever. Surprisingly, he was telling the truth. After Rose died, her brain, including her personality, was uploaded into a virtual world called Aaru.

In Aaru, members have the power to shape their own reality and live without pain forever. Of course it is almost impossible to believe that technology can beat death, so the company makes Rose's sister, Koren, their spokesperson to verify that this is real. Shortly after, readers are introduced to "Magic Man," a stalker and hacker who takes great interest in Aaru. As both the sisters' worlds become in great danger, they discover that the bond between them is the most powerful of all.

All the emotions were raw and honest. Anybody can connect to the family's situation and their emotions. The anger and angst was so powerful that I feel like it punched my heart. Regardless of the specific situation, the feelings explored are universal. People who have a sibling would especially understand and connect. The book also explored the negative, exhaustive side of fame and fortune. This is eye-opening, revealing a side of a story not told very often.

Aaru is very thought-provoking. Life after death is a huge "what if," and this book really explores a new type of question, and not religious. After I was approached by the author, I was immediately interested. This is a type of story that is completely unique and lovable. I also liked that even though the book was suspenseful and intense at times, there were a lot of light-hearted, fun moments. This book is a mixture of love, sacrifice, humor, and hope.

The character known as "Magic Man" plays a huge role, and I really enjoyed guessing who he was and what he wanted. He is the antagonist in the story and executed that role beautifully. I especially enjoyed that it was written in third person because this allowed the author to write a lot of different perspectives.

I really liked this book and highly recommend it. I would gladly read it again! I am excited for more to come in the Aaru Cycle series!

Title: Aaru (The Aaru Cycle Book 1)
Author: David Meredith
Publisher: Bowker
Pages: 305
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
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