The Soultrapper by Stanislava Buevich
Book Summary
Childhood friends Stef and Paul embark on an immersive virtual reality adventure, only to discover that The Disappearance of Eden Rose holds more than just puzzles and challenges. Encountering a mysterious character named Ollie James, they uncover a chilling link to a real-world tragedy: the unsolved deaths of numerous children over a decade ago. As they delve deeper, Stef and Paul realise they're not just playing a game - they're racing against time to unravel a shocking cover-up and undo its damage, risking their lives in pursuit of truth.
It was very easy to get into this book, I liked both the main character and the writing style right from the start. I felt immersed in the world, almost like I was playing the game too.
I love puzzles so the idea of a game with puzzles integrated into it sounds so much fun to me. Though of course without the sinister undertones and the fear of not making it out again! One thing I would really have liked would be to know some of Stef's thought processes. She's so clever but I have no idea how she solves the mysteries, we're just told that it's fallen into place and she's figured it out.
There are a few layers of mysteries to the game. I had my suspicions with regard to the ultimate baddie but mostly the twists were unexpected and satisfyingly surprising.
This was a really gripping story that I enjoyed so much and I'll be looking out for more by this author!
Author Bio
Stacy Buevich is a British writer and a film director with many award winning short films. She started writing novels during lockdown (wait did that really happen?), beginning with a magical mystery Maya Fairy, that she wrote for her daughter. Since then she has written several more and not planning to stop.
I've made a Lost Souls cocktail to go with this thrilling book. Shake the following ingredients with ice and strain into a glass. 30ml mezcal, 22.5ml Grand Marnier, 22.5ml beetroot juice, 15ml lime juice, dash of sugar syrup and a few drops of chocolate bitters.
