When 15 year-old Morgan is contacted by the advanced civilization of Lucid World, she has no idea what is to come. She is one of a select group of teens chosen to travel via avatar into a remote, and hidden technologically-advanced society housed inside a vast mountain cavern. Here she learns about an emotional disease called khaos, that has infected all of humanity. Her new friends in Lucid World live under a dome beneath an ice cap, with cats, culture, and a harmonious way of life uninfected by the khaos of the world above. Those living on earth now are in what they call Nosos World.
Shifting from Morgan’s family and school life to the education she receives in Lucid World, the story shows Morgan applying the understandings of khaos to problems in her life, and in the town. While Morgan’s everyday life in Coyote Flats continues to unfold, her family and friends have no inkling of her Lucid World contact. But when communication breaks down, Morgan’s secret is exposed.
A book with a sweet message of good will, compassion and understanding, LUCID WORLD was written for young adults but can be enjoyed by all ages.
Assessment:
Plot: In this meandering but fascinating novel, Morgan learns how to both control her negative emotions and live with compassion and positive energy from her friends in Lucid World, a utopian society hidden from the real world.
Prose: The novel is well-constructed and the teens' personalities and dialogue are natural and unaffected. The writing is clean, clear, and effective.
Originality: The premise of this book is creative and promising. However, at times the work feels more like an interesting self-help book than a novel.
Character Development: While Morgan does change over the course of the book, her character development is limited. The other players are relatable; the strongest aspect of their crafting is how they react to the situations around them.
Date Submitted: August 23, 2018
"I strongly suggest you buy this book dear readers as it is the perfect read to start us on a journey to not only heal our world, but ourselves within a perfect fantastical framework."
LUCID WORLD is a TOP 5 Finalist!
LUCID WORLD was published in October 2017. It won SILVER in the Fiction Inspirational/Visionary category in the 2018 Global Ebook Awards.
It also received a Purple Dragonfly Young Adult Book Award; and is in the semi-finals for the 2018 CYGNUS Science Fiction Book Awards.
Lucid World’s cross-genre story is described as inspirational young-adult fiction with elements of sci-fi, coming-of-age, small-town Canada and humour.
