Nothing ever happens in the town of Bickleton. The only real jobs are at the factory. The high school has a zero percent college admission rate, the baseball team practices but never plays against any of the other local schools. No one enters town, no one really ever seems to leave. Not until the summer of 1993, when Todd disappeared as though he had been deleted from the world. Not until Jay Banksman finds the disk for a Sims City clone called The Build that somehow has the entirety of Bickleton, down to every detail about its people and their actions, already loaded into it.

I feel like Prescott Harvey’s In Beta might be one of those books that feels very like the author had a solid idea that he wanted to play with and a solid idea of how he wanted to use it. But then it also feels like he wanted to show off how amazing what he had given his protagonist was and let that sort of power trip for the protagonist run on for a touch longer than might have been for the best. It was totally in character for Jay, but it felt just a touch over long.

The thing with In Beta is that I do not really remember the fun character moments between Jay and his best friend Colin or about the special smart kids class that their teacher had put together to let the students more or less free learn. I know those moments existed, but they got really lost in this progression of Jay and The Build. Jay Banksman is a loser. The sort of loser who is absolutely hated by the school’s golden boy and all of his baseball team friends. Who cannot even enter the section of the school where the popular kids hang out without being beaten up and then finding himself the one sent to the counselor’s office afterward. His only real interests are video games, especially Sim City, where he has built his home town in detail and keeps running various games of it. And so, once he realizes that The Build allows him to effect Bickleton by just adding stuff he wants, he goes on an absolute spree of giving himself cool new stuff, all the money he could want, a new car like the one the head jock had, expensive clothing, he even ups his stats. It is a joy ride, a teenage power trip of early nineties excess with a science fiction twist.

The town’s search for Todd is lost in it, as is whatever build up there was to who the Recluse is. Jay gets all the material things he could want and tools around in them a bit, and then look at the time the book is more than half way over and it is time for the main plot to hit. Why is the school’s most popular girl suddenly acting so strange? Who is this Hal guy and why does he want Jay to cut loose with The Build‘s power? It leaves a lot of the plot feeling secondary to the setting of this dying town where nothing happens and Jay’s ever growing frustration with his lot in life. Combined with a couple of late novel reveals it leaves In Beta feeling very like the book equivalent to a bag of potato chips, enjoyable but with little substance and readily forgotten.

That is, ultimately, sort of where I land with In Beta. It feels like Harvey had this great wish fulfillment bit and the final boss fight written up and then he had to go back and fill in with a plot that did not matter as much to him. Because the plot does really fall apart if the reader thinks about the antagonist’s motivations and actions for more than a couple of minutes. The character work is largely solid, though I do wish that the side characters were given more room to be more than just the best friend or the smart girl. And the ending would have felt much more solid if it had ending about half way through the final chapter. This is really a book were I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but it is neither something I would read again nor something I would really suggest to other readers. I give In Beta a three out of five.

Jay and Colin are dreaming one day of moving to the big city. ANY big city. They live in the kind of small town where nobody ever leaves. No one gets into college. No one goes on vacation. Everyone stays where they are.

Video games are their outlet, a way to experience a world they otherwise have never seen.

When they come across a computer program called The Build, an exact replica of the town they live in, with avatars of everyone that lives there.

As the boys start playing their decisions in the game alter the code to their reality, and there are real life consequences to the changes they are making. What would you do if you found out that you were a character in a video game?

This is a super quick and immersive book, I really didn't know where it was going to go, and I had a blast the whole time.

After mulling this over longer than I likely needed to, I have come to the conclusion that the enjoyment I had reading the first half of this book unfortunately does not outweigh the definite issues I had with it later on. As my beloved <i>MasterChef Australia</i> judges would say: "The concept was fantastic, but unfortunately, the execution just didn't do it justice".

I do hope that Prescott Harvey will continue to work on and hone his craft, though; a creative mind like Harvey's will eventually find its sweet spot, and I think it's going to be a good one.

In Beta was one of the most alluring books I've read this year. What if nothing is real? What if it's all a simulation. Sure there have been many of these stories before, but Harvey really captures this trope in a way that draws you into the story, wrapping you in the nostalgic comforts of the 90s. You will read this all in one sitting and want more (in the best way).

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jay is your usual nerdy early 90’s teenager in a small town surviving until graduation and planning on getting the hell out. Receiving a game called The Build with a monthly gamer magazine, Jay discovers he is living in a simulation ran by his 30 yr older self in the real world. His older self is a cruel god and is kidnapping people to upload their consciousness into The Build and then murder them. While having an existential crisis, Jay and his fellow AI stand up to his older self to stop him.

Originally published in 2018, In Beta is getting a well deserved re-release this month. Fans of Wayward Pines and Ready Player One will enjoy this the most. Also, the people in the simulation theory documentaries except for the one guy who thought he was in the matrix and is now in prison.

In Beta is about a nerdy high schooler who has high hopes of leaving his small town life. He finds out there is much to learn about his little town.

Spoilers: Jay starts playing a game that seems very SimCity-esque, but instead of a random town, it’s his own town. With all the current townspeople as characters. With endless opportunities, Jay seeks to become the best version of himself to gain the status and respect of his classmates. He soon realized that everything is not what is seems. He himself is a character in the game. His world is a living simulation created by a version of himself in order to get revenge on his high school tormentors.

Overall, the book was okay. Not an entirely original premise, but interesting enough to keep me reading. I was initially drawn to this book for its 90’s references. However aside from video game, movie, and song references, they were limited. I was hoping for some level of references like in Ready Player One.

The characters weren’t developed as much as they could have. I really wanted to know more about Jeremy’s dreams. That seemed like a wasted opportunity. Overall, 3/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

What if you were a really a character in a video game??

That's the premise of In Beta, an intriguing, fun and thought-provoking read. Jay Banksman lives in Bickleton, a small rural town where nothing ever seems to change. Jay and his best friend Colin are seniors in high school, gaming geeks and frequent subjects of the baseball teams abuse. One day Jay receives a free game disc called The Build in one of his gaming magazines, but when he tries it out, he finds a perfect replica of Bickleton, right down to the people in the game. That's when things really start to get weird. Jay finds out that by a simple click, he can change what happens in his world, need some money? Click. Need a new car? Click. Then the weirdest thing of all happens, Liz Knight, the most popular and beautiful girl in school, asks him to prom. What now?? All of these changes and events attract attention from a mysterious man and then the battle for the future of Bickleton and everyone in it begins.

This is one of those stories that is just easy to get lost in. I immediately liked Jay and Colin and their high school experiences are so relatable even if it's been a while since you've been in high school!! Love how Bickleton is perpetually stuck in 1993 and all the TV, movie, music and gaming references are so fun to look back on. The tension in the story just ramps up throughout and the twists certainly keep you hooked and wanting to find out what is going to happen to Jay's world. And there are definitely times when you do begin to question the nature of your reality. If you are a science fiction fan, even if you are not a gamer(I am not) and looking for a quick, stand alone to break up maybe a longer series, this is a great option and very entertaining.

High School is a challenging time. We all try to figure out who we are and what makes us unique. In Beta brings you back to that time, while also blisteringly pointing out how the Things That Mattered then, are so miniscule in retrospect In Beta starts off with descriptions of a town whose residents exhibit behavior that's so close to normal that I didn't pick up on how weird it was, but as it went on, I started thinking... wait, a minute... until we find out they're all NPCs. I can't share the BBBG without spoilers, but let's just say it was a great epic Boss Battle. I find myself thinking about this book often since I finished it. Well done!



For fans of:
The Sims
The Good Place
The Truman Show
Groundhogs Day
Ready Player One
Jumanji

Video game nostalgia in fiction is becoming a big part of the zeitgeist. There is, of course, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline which received such a big budget recent movie adaptation, and several recent prize-winning novels that slowly reveal themselves to be simulations (which I won't name for the sake of spoilers). In Beta references Ready Player One as a comparison in its blurb, but its story is somewhat more sinister.

Jay Banksman lives in Cascadia in the '90s, a small town where nothing ever seems to change. That is, until Jay receives a mysterious floppy disc containing a game called 'The Build', which holds a perfect replica of Cascadia. Jay discovers that when he makes changes in the game, they are echoed in the 'real' world.

Jay already has a long and loving relationship with The Sims, a game which I never managed to get into. I personally never saw the joy that Jay gets from building replicas of the world around him. But this idea of building the world around you, and the way that build reveals your own perceptions about that world, is a theme running through In Beta. It proves that we don't all see the world the same way, and the differences between simulation and 'reality' say far more about the builders than the world.

Although I enjoyed In Beta, and the slightly darker take it had on the borderline between nostalgia and an unhealthy preoccupation with one's past, I was slightly disappointed that the story nevertheless followed paths with which we are all familiar. An imbittered, bullied straight white boy grows up to be an imbittered, ignored straight white man. It feels like male fragility has been very thoroughly covered, especially in the teen movie genre -- and with its cinematic descriptions and set pieces, In Beta does feel at times like a movie. An adaptation, I think, would be very popular.

In Beta is a fun, cinematic and, at times, has a sinister look at the nostalgia simulation story we're pretty familiar with. It's well written and has a pleasantly black humour running throughout. I'd recommend to fans of William Gibson and early Stephen King.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley.com for providing an e-advanced review copy.

3.5/5

A fun and exciting read for those craving early 90s nostalgia. There have been a lot of ‘Ready Player One’ ripoffs unworthy of a review in recent years, but Harvey tries to make his own formula work with a plot surrounding a teenager who realizes that his hometown is stuck in a virtual reality simulation controlled by a vindictive techie. This is an ARC copy review courtesy of Inkshares Press and NetGalley..

Although In Beta felt like a cross between The Truman Show and Ender's Game and *should* have been right up my alley, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

The concept is interesting and the writing fairly engaging but by halfway through, I had lost interest. Not only had I guessed the big plot twist pretty quickly into the book, but the story got a lot less interesting once everyone knew they were in a simulation.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked as soon as I read this synopsis. Sci-Fi thriller set in the 90s? Sold! But unfortunately the book didn't live up to what the premise promised. The first 20% of the book was okay, I was interested and wanted to know more, but then I lost the patience. After that it was draggy and repetitive and sadly boring. It was still enjoyable though for what it's worth, but I still think the plot could be improved to keep the reader's attention.

Sorry, this one wasn't able to hold my interests. I got about 20% through and I wasn't grabbed by any elements that usually keep me reading other titles. The beginning started off somewhat okay, there was something unusual and unexplained foreshadowed to attract your attention, but after serval charters nothing happened. I would set the book down and every time I picked it back up I was setting it back down again after only a few minutes of reading. The gaps between picking up and putting down became longer and longer until I was off on to other titles and had no interest in coming back to this one, I wish this author and book all the luck and hope it finds readers who will enjoy the heck out of it.

This book is a difficult one to talk about without getting into spoilers, but I'll do my best in this review as I unfortunately had the biggest twist spoiled going in and felt I had missed out on some of the fun as a result. That said, the book still had several surprises in store, some good, some less so.

In Beta joins the sub-genre of what I'll deem nostalgia-punk, marrying the memories, memorabilia, and eccentricities of a beloved (at least by some) bygone decade with something, um, new (avoiding spoilers). While this novel doesn't follow its spiritual predecessor Ready Player One much in story detail (premise, setting, etc.), it has a very similar pop culture focus, bombarding the reader with small details and call backs to the 90's much in the same manner as RP1 did with the 80's. I personally really enjoyed this aspect of both books, but I could also see how it may prove irksome to others.

For large sections of the book, the story and characters felt secondary to the setting, but I still found it a compelling read, exploring this odd little 90's town. The character dynamics seemed rather flat and predictable with only one or two more exciting elements, yet the book is self-aware about this and even dips into satire as these characters are explored more. As plot progressed, secrets were revealed, and stakes were raised, I felt the book became both predictable and plot convenient with several character/setting inconsistencies that I found confusing, leading to an ending didn't really feel earned. While the climax was a fun, action-packed power fantasy, I preferred the more thought-provoking Twilight Zone/Black Mirror-esque feel of the early book which the ending returns to but doesn't quite pull off in a manner I found very satisfying.

All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book and would recommend for anyone interested in a 90's-oriented Nostalgia-punk read. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to the eBook in exchange for an honest review.

So yeah, have you ever thought you were living in a simulation? Like the world isn’t real and is just some computer program and we’re all characters in it. I know I have. This one time I did some shrooms with my buddy Danny. I punched a hole in the wall and saw the green scrolling code from the Matrix behind it. I punched more holes and there was more Matrix code. I was seriously freaking out but not as much as Danny’s mom when she saw all the holes in her basement wall! I’m still not allowed to go back over to their house. Anyways, I don’t know if I experienced the real world or if I was just trippin’ balls, but that’s the premise of this book. The world is a simulation, there is no spoon, whoa!

Jay is this mega dweeb living in mid-90s small town Oregon. He’s got one friend named Colin and their lives revolve around playing video games. They eat junk food and pull all-nighters trying to beat the toughest bosses. His favourtie game is Sim City and he loves building and running the town. As I was reading this, I was beginning to get worried that I was Jay, bro! We both eat cheeze puffs and play video games all-night, but our Sim City styles differed. I’d use the cheat code ‘FUND FUND FUND FUND FUND FUND’ to buy this rad city and then send in like eight Godzilla’s to destroy it. So, I guess I’m only partly like Jay, what would that make me? A dork? I dunno man, after reading this I’m definitely not as cool as I thought, but chicks dig me, so I got that going at least.

Anyways, on his birthday, Jay gets a floppy disk included with his video gaming magazine. It’s called ‘The Build’ and at first looks like a Sim City knockoff. Jay then discovers that this game actually controls the town. Changes made in the game take effect in his world, so Jay begins to play God and changes things to make his life better. He fills his bank account, cranks up his strength and intelligence, humiliates the jocks, sends a tornado after the bully who took his gal. Dude, that power would be insane! I’d probably pump up my muscles, load up the bank account, take a couple inches off *wink wink, nudge nudge*, fill my house with babes and beer. We’d party so hard dudes!

Jay’s having a blast until he pieces together that this world is a simulation and its creator, Hal, wants Jay to inflict pain on the jocks and be a real fucking douche. Jay faces a big-time dilemma. Does he live like a god or be good and get rid of this douche Hal but risk getting deleted? Duuuude, live like a god!! Go for it! Doooo it! But nah… Jay is a good dude even if he’s a spaz. So this epic battle sets up at Prom night between the creator and his creation. It’s like a battle between Neo vs Agent Smith in Sim City at prom!

We dip our toes into some pretty deep philosophical elements on sentience, simulation theory, and other big brainy areas. But really, it’s more of a fun romp through 90s geekdom. Bit of a big heads up though bros, this book is heavy on 90’s nostalgia. Like problem with the Earth’s gravitational pull type heavy. I think there was a quota of at least five 90s references on each page. As a bit of a 90s child it was amusing but a little overkill.

Anyways, that’s about all I got, adios amigos!

Never was a fan of sci-fi or video games but this book definitely changed my mind because I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience.
Such a cool premise (living in a simulation), all the 90s references, a story was fast-paced, extremely gripping. It was such a fun experience having to learn everything alongside the characters (believe me, there were a lot of twists and turns). This story, being so cinematic, would make a great movie or tv series. Also loved how author emphasised the power of friendship and identity. There was one drawback towards the end (something rather silly occuring with one of the characters).
Overall, a great read!
Also kind of hoping for a sequel??
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book reminded me of a lot of things. From early-90s pop culture references to the difficulty of growing up unpopular on the poor side of town, it’s got it all. A bunch of bullies named John, a tight-knit group of nerdy friends, a high school with a 0% college acceptance rate, a town with some very odd qualities, and a strange diskette that seems to control the very nature of reality. It was, at times, a very funny story, which I appreciated. I enjoyed the characters, the narrative choices, and the ending was also pretty great.

I wouldn’t say that In Beta is a deeply philosophical novel. It’s escapism with a brain (so whatever the opposite of mindless escapism might be). I sped through it in a matter of a few days, and it’s definitely worth a read. If you’re looking for a fun book with sci-fi elements that hearkens back to the time when you were just trying to make it through Secret of Mana and avoid failing out of high school, this is definitely going to be your jam!

Sometimes a book comes from out of nowhere and surprises you with its readability. In Beta is one of those books. Read it.

If I hadn’t gotten a free advance copy of In Beta from NetGalley, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it when it comes out on July 6th (the day before my birthday, no less)!

I had a hard time starting this one, but once I did... what a fascinating book! It is not predictable, it goes against the grain, and the nostalgic effect is a really nice touch. Sci-fi mixed with a kind of dystopian/utopian narrative is always exciting to read about but can be tough to get through (in terms of writing style). After this one starts, I thought it is a lot of fun to continue; once you pick it up -- continue on. It is much better as a sit read than a put-down. I had a lot of fun with it after I did that. And, of course, as stated, the nostalgia is fantastic. Set in the 90s, and there is so much that will make you nostalgic for it.

"What do you say? One last game with the fate of the world at stake?"

In Beta is a wild book.
I've never been very much of a gamer myself, actually I've only had one modern videogame console in my whole life and i used it like twice. But i inherited my father's 1984 atari and i absolutely loved it. So I can say i understand this somehow.
If I had to describe this book with one word it'd be COOL.
It's funny and fast paced and action packed and emotional in some parts and has the most important thing of all, the power of friendship.
This next paragraph may be spoilery !!!
- - There's a very specific scene when the creator of this videogame world meets the main character, who's obviously heavily inspired by the creator itself, and that was my favorite part since everyone who has at some point created something would love to go down and have a nice chat with the main characters, wouldn't they? I would, definitely would. - -
Spoiler end.
So yes, i really liked this book, it had many cool stuff and pop culture references and I liked it better than ready player one (though they are different but if you mix the words "retro" and "videogames" your first thought goes to ready player one).
It was very very very cool and entertaining.

#InBeta #NetGalley

I was very intrigued by the description of this book and I’m very happy that NetGalley was able to provide me with an Advanced Reading Copy.

The basic premise is that two geeky high-school kids living in a dull, small town in cascadia stumble upon a computer game called “The Build”, which is a simcity-like computer model of their town. But then they discover that changing the settings in the game starts to make corresponding changes in real life.

The premise did intrigue me, and I figured that with it, the story could turn out to either be very silly or really good. Fortunately, it turned out to be the latter.

I won’t go into more details about the plot as it would give away spoilers. But suffice to say that the story does not follow an entirely predictable storyline and there are a few interesting plot twists to keep the pages turning. The only downside I found was that it did start to get a little silly at one point towards the end (again, I won’t say because of spoilers). But aside from that, it was a very enjoyable read.

There are a whole lot of 90s pop culture references in this book. There are definitely elements of The Matrix and Ready Player One in here. If you enjoy that type of story, then I would recommend this book.