Maze: The Waking of Grey Grimm

Publisher's Summary

Grey isn't sleeping.

Sunny Grimm finds a strap around her son's head with an embossed symbol between his eyes. This is the mark of awareness leaping, where players launch into alternate realities and anything goes. Investors make millions. Critics, however, refuse to call it a game. They argue that reality confusion will end humanity. Labels aside, there are many who play. And many who lose.

Sunny Grimm goes on a mad search for her son and the people responsible for allowing him to play. The only way she will find him is to not lose herself in the search. The Maze is more than a game.

©2017 Tony Bertauski (P)2018 Tony Bertauski

Almost A 4 Star

This book definitely shows the author has grown and matured. I wasn’t quite ready for it; but I won’t hold it against him. I plan to listen to it a few more times to get my head around it.

•audiobook•
3.25

I’m a huge fan of Tony’s imaginative, unique, warped storytelling. His story lines are a definite betrayal to any cookie cutter book out there - because the plot is out there and will keep you guessing.
The characters are so grounded and realistic, you’re bound to relate to them or would almost swear you know who he body snatched!

This audiobook, however is too muddled for me to really follow and lose myself. Perhaps a hard copy of the book would suck me into this alternative reality more easily. i’ve read the first book of Foreverland, so although the occasional references were subtle, it added depth of a shared secret.
As mentioned, I probably will listen to it a few more times and then push through with the series. I’ve yet been let down by this author. Perhaps my non gamer head and non experience prevented me from fully letting go and getting swept away.

Freddie and the other cop (egads! What’s his name!?) also felt more jaded than to be expected. Maybe that’s another thing that kept me more on my toes; a warmer character may have helped me ease into the waters. It’s explained but it just didn’t feel like it flowed.

I think it was the time jumps “before/after the punch” that made it feel more jagged than smooth.

It’s still a good, sci-fi psycho thriller but you’ll have to really pay attention and concentrate compared to his other books.

I really liked this newer narrator chosen for this book .... (I’m still trying to get through Ronin because the voices that narrator uses remind me of characters from other books.)