Ron Walters: "Deep Dive" (ARC Review)

Title: Deep Dive  [on Amazon | on Goodreads]
Series: None
Author: Ron Walters [Site | Goodreads]
Genres: Sci-Fi, Thriller/Mystery, plus a third one I won't disclose because it would be a giant spoiler...If you want to go into the book without knowing anything vital about it, I recommend that you not read the Labels at the end of my review either. No need to worry though - the review itself will be spoiler-free...
Year: 2022
Age: 14+ (I shelved it as Adult because of the characters' age, and it has definitely more of an adult appeal, but it can be read by teens) 
Stars: 3.5/5
Pros: High-octane ride full of surprises and interesting (if far-fetched...but hey, that's the thing with sci-fi 😉) VR concepts.
Cons: The premise, when revealed, needs you to suspend your disbelief. You get the sense early on that, despite the number of possibilities (and of ways to get closure), there's only one ending that you may expect...
Will appeal to: Those who like a sci-fi story with a strong thriller edge, but with familial love at its core. 

Blurb: Still reeling from the failure of his last project, videogame developer Peter Banuk is working hard to ensure his next game doesn’t meet the same fate. He desperately needs a win, not only to save his struggling company, but to justify the time he’s spent away from his wife and daughters. So when Peter’s tech-genius partner offers him the chance to beta-test a new state-of-the-art virtual reality headset, he jumps at it. But something goes wrong during the trial, and Peter wakes to find himself trapped in an eerily familiar world where his children no longer exist. As the lines between the real and virtual worlds begin to blur, Peter is forced to reckon with what truly matters to him. But can he escape his virtual prison before he loses his family forever? (Amazon)

Review: First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Angry Robot for providing an ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

CLASSIC WITH A TWIST

When I requested Deep Dive, I thought I knew, more or less, what I was getting into...I was expecting a Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle scenario (minus the random avatars - and the jungle, of course 😉) and a classic quest story, if with a prominent family angle...but the combo of virtual reality + alternate one was too alluring for me to resist. Now, without spoiling the book, what I can tell you is that the story is far more creative than I expected (and much wilder - but more about that below). VR does play a big role in the plot (duh), but not exactly in the way you might think. And while there's something familiar in Walters' version of the cyberspace - at least for those of us who consume VR-related media - he sure put his own spin on it. I loved the broader scope of the virtual scenario and its inner workings, and I was a little bummed that we didn't get more of that (mind you, rightfully so, since 1) it's not what the story is about, and 2) it's part of a late reveal), because it was really cool. 10/10 would read another book set in the same universe. [...]

THRILL MODE

Going into Deep Dive, I didn't expect it to be a thriller as much as a sci-fi novel. Which will appeal to a lot of people, so it's not a bad thing per se, but it's not my favourite type of story, so I didn't particularly vibe with that side of the plot (and I still think that a certain secret meeting early on was a bit overplayed, or at least the deceptive way in which it started - and went on for a while - was). Also, while I can suspend my disbelief like a champion, the VR here hinges on a concept that's definitely far-fetched - though on the other hand, it makes for an exciting adventure and I don't regret going along with it one bit 🙂.

FAMILY MATTERS

As for the family and redemption arcs, I liked what Walters did with them, with some small reservations. The protagonist's daughters in particular come alive in multiple ways, both in Peter's supposed memories and his alternate reality, and the love he has for them and his faith in their existence are palpable and heart-warming/wrenching. I will admit that the domestic dynamic as a whole - workaholic husband and father with a forgiving family and a guilt complex that won't prevent him from putting his job first - is a bit "been there, seen that". All in all, though, what some aspects of the story lacked in originality, the other ones more than made up for. Packed with action, fueled by feelings, peppered with humour and with a strong (if wild) speculative core, Ron Walters' debut book has something in it for everyone.

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