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Readers should be warned that the novel contains sensitive, possibly triggering content such as sexual assault (directed towards a minor), stalking, pedophilia, child pornography and exploitation, and suicidal thoughts (i.e. wishing for death) – some of which are to be briefly discussed in the latter portion of this review as well.
If I were to completely condense my thoughts on Aaru, I’d say that while I have generally mixed feelings about it, these feelings tend to gravitate towards the “not my cup of tea” end of the spectrum. For the most part, this is due to personal preferences. In many ways, Aaru and I just did not click the way I wanted us to.
On one hand, it is evident that the author demonstrates remarkable knowledge on the development of technology, particularly virtual reality. The way the author infused technology into both the story’s plot and world-building was very expertly done. It was really easy for me to buy into the concept that the Elysian Industries was pushing. I appreciated how he was able to write about these technical aspects without overwhelming the audience with highfalutin, intimidating jargon.
In line with this, the author’s knowledge is noticeably not limited to the technical, inner workings of virtual reality but also, and more importantly, encompasses the moral repercussions of any technological innovation, particularly the gray areas. In Aaru, I witnessed the pros and cons so vividly. I have to highly commend Meredith for being admirably fearless in writing honestly about the limitations and imperfections of a virtual afterlife as well as the risks and dangers occurring outside its framework. As a previous engineering major, it is really great to come across a story that bravely navigates both the desirable and undesirable outcomes that arise from innovation.
On the other hand, although the plot stayed true to the story’s synopsis, I can’t help but feel slightly misled by the premise. Although it was explained in the book that the primary reason for developing Aaru was to preserve the essence of brilliant and valuable minds, that idea was hardly explored in the story itself. Instead, the focal point was whatever Rose and Koren were going through both as sisters and as individual characters facing different adversities. Aaru held strong familial themes and heavy psychological undertones, which were not necessarily bad – it’s just not the direction I wanted the story to move towards.
Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the book had scenes involving the exploitation of a minor, specifically Koren (a 14-year-old girl). A lot of them made me feel pretty uncomfortable, which, I believe, was intended by the author. However, despite understanding the well-meaning intentions of Meredith, I found one scene involving sexual assault to be irresponsibly, tactlessly handled. My concern is that it was never acknowledged as sexual assault, and instead, was briefly romanticized by Koren’s narrative. In addition to this, I was also greatly bothered that Aaru does not come with a trigger warning for readers, which is really irresponsible given that pedophilia was a recurring, arguably dominant theme in this book and said book is targeted towards young adults.
A part of me is curious to see how the story would have turned out if Rose was some kind of prodigy with remarkable genius instead of a dying cancer patient, or if Koren was a more mature, more nuanced character. I would have preferred if the story did not heavily revolve around the vulnerability and naivety of Koren. As a result, although the story was indeed quite fascinating, it was, in my opinion, neither gripping nor compelling. I’m sure that there’s a specific audience that would go absolutely crazy for this novel, but I don’t think I’m one of them.
Disclaimer: I received a finished physical copy of Aaru from the author himself in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, David Meredith, for the opportunity!
If I were to completely condense my thoughts on Aaru, I’d say that while I have generally mixed feelings about it, these feelings tend to gravitate towards the “not my cup of tea” end of the spectrum. For the most part, this is due to personal preferences. In many ways, Aaru and I just did not click the way I wanted us to.
On one hand, it is evident that the author demonstrates remarkable knowledge on the development of technology, particularly virtual reality. The way the author infused technology into both the story’s plot and world-building was very expertly done. It was really easy for me to buy into the concept that the Elysian Industries was pushing. I appreciated how he was able to write about these technical aspects without overwhelming the audience with highfalutin, intimidating jargon.
In line with this, the author’s knowledge is noticeably not limited to the technical, inner workings of virtual reality but also, and more importantly, encompasses the moral repercussions of any technological innovation, particularly the gray areas. In Aaru, I witnessed the pros and cons so vividly. I have to highly commend Meredith for being admirably fearless in writing honestly about the limitations and imperfections of a virtual afterlife as well as the risks and dangers occurring outside its framework. As a previous engineering major, it is really great to come across a story that bravely navigates both the desirable and undesirable outcomes that arise from innovation.
On the other hand, although the plot stayed true to the story’s synopsis, I can’t help but feel slightly misled by the premise. Although it was explained in the book that the primary reason for developing Aaru was to preserve the essence of brilliant and valuable minds, that idea was hardly explored in the story itself. Instead, the focal point was whatever Rose and Koren were going through both as sisters and as individual characters facing different adversities. Aaru held strong familial themes and heavy psychological undertones, which were not necessarily bad – it’s just not the direction I wanted the story to move towards.
Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the book had scenes involving the exploitation of a minor, specifically Koren (a 14-year-old girl). A lot of them made me feel pretty uncomfortable, which, I believe, was intended by the author. However, despite understanding the well-meaning intentions of Meredith, I found one scene involving sexual assault to be irresponsibly, tactlessly handled. My concern is that it was never acknowledged as sexual assault, and instead, was briefly romanticized by Koren’s narrative. In addition to this, I was also greatly bothered that Aaru does not come with a trigger warning for readers, which is really irresponsible given that pedophilia was a recurring, arguably dominant theme in this book and said book is targeted towards young adults.
A part of me is curious to see how the story would have turned out if Rose was some kind of prodigy with remarkable genius instead of a dying cancer patient, or if Koren was a more mature, more nuanced character. I would have preferred if the story did not heavily revolve around the vulnerability and naivety of Koren. As a result, although the story was indeed quite fascinating, it was, in my opinion, neither gripping nor compelling. I’m sure that there’s a specific audience that would go absolutely crazy for this novel, but I don’t think I’m one of them.
Disclaimer: I received a finished physical copy of Aaru from the author himself in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, David Meredith, for the opportunity!