Wow! That was a rollercoater ride and a half, I love when a book just sweeps you up and carries you away.
Hard to write a review without spoilers but basically this book deals with the brain and the construct of reality, and the dangers of virtual reality. More specifically; deep dive virtual reality.
Straight away the author creates a strong emotional connection between Peter, his wife and their daughters. It's this connection that makes this book such an amazing read, and it's the perfect counterbalance to all the science stuff. It's fast paced, full of tension and emotion, it's all chock full of surprises.
A definite must read for fans of The Matrix, Ready Player One, and Interstellar.

Deep Dive is a pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller. A bit like Inception meets Total Recall Was this real and he’s losing his mind or was he still in the VR world? Which reality would/should he choose? The storyline and the characters were crafted so deftly and believably that I had trouble believing this was a debut novel. This author is definitely a star on the rise. Keep ‘em coming!

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. I will update Netgalley once I read & review a physical copy.

My review will be based on the physical ARC I read.

This is a story about virtual reality and the setting is recognizable as similar to today’s 2020s. 3.5 bumped up to four.

The main character is a game designer/developer and his best friend/inventor has just developed VR goggles that provide a seamlessly immersive experience.

He tries out the VR goggles and enters another dimension that is confusingly similar to real life but also dangerous. His experiences are narrated in the first person present, so the prose packs a punch as we step into his shoes rather than keeping a writerly distance.

Even with all the action it’s clear the main character is thoughtful, contemplating what makes a well-lived life, instead of avariciously wanting that greener grass.

The story is exciting and the pace is breakneck and I could not eat, drink, or put the book down until I finished it.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my feedback.

A quick-paced techno thriller… Can Peter turn his video game company profitable? He has one last chance after his previous release failed so miserably… Peter’s former partner now creates some of the most power tech hardware on the market. The gamemaker believes that with his own knowledge of gameplay and Bradley’s AI tech, they can create a winner. It all seems to be going ok until Bradley calls up Peter to test out an early prototype. It’s gives the wearer complete and total immersion until something goes wrong… Peter wakes up in a world that is unlike the one he was living in just hours before. Peter must find his way back to his ‘real’ wife and his two daughters…

I wasn’t impressed with Peter’s character at the beginning of the book. He was boring. He’s that typical guy who has let his phone become the center of his life. Yet, when he’s thrown into the thick of it: a sort of time branch that he hopes to climb off of… he meets the challenge and becomes more of a satisfying character. Walters keeps that pathos running high: Peter’s family is lost somewhere in the messed up timeline. Will he ever be able to celebrate his daughter’s birthday?

Deep Dive immediately gave me Dark Matter vibes. I would put it in the -normal/genius who ends up messing with science- category… and this one has the feels that really grip you. I’d also say it’s a good Weekend Read. I kept turning the pages and the Walters provided the clever twists.

Lottsa fun in this one… Recommended!

4 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley, Angry Robots, and author for an advanced copy for review.

I love books with this premise so I was really excited to dive in (see what I did there?). It's definitely the kind of story that keeps you wondering what is actually going on and how it's all going to play out. If you like Blake Crouch you'll love this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I got the opportunity to read Deep Dive by Ron Walters, a fast-paced sci-fi enigma that kept pulling me in with every turn of the page. Deep Dive is a reminder that warped reality can still be executed particularly well in the right environment and Walters has pulled this off in a twist of action and angst.

Deep Dive is a novel about game developer Peter Banuk who works hard to ensure his latest game does not fail like his last project. In an effort to justify the time away from his family, his genius partner offers a beta test of a new VR headset and Peter jumps at the chance. But during the trial something goes wrong and Peter wakes to find himself in a familiar world where his children no longer exist. He must now escape this virtual environment and get back to his children but what if there are no lines between real and virtual?

This was a colourful, impressive idea that was executed incredibly well. I soared through this relentlessly and Walters definitely had the writing ability to keep me excited but stressed when trying to unravel the mystery that surrounds Deep Dive. Filled with twists that left me guessing, this explores the idea that virtual reality can be so vividly real and it is a testament to Walters writing that I felt this way. Walters described fantastical scenarios with crisp ease that kept a fast-paced story flowing genuinely well.

This was definitely worth the read and is a great novel for those wanting a slow-release science fiction story that straddles the line between "what if" and "reality.

After a hopeful start, this story abandoned a, intriguing potential AI-themed plot and turned into a too-predictable technothriller. Best for fans of Crichtonesque thrillers.

4.5/5

I don't remember what it's like not to work. First thing I do when I wake up is check my messages. Last thing I do before I go to sleep is check my messages.

The story hooked me immediately. Deep Dive is intense, emotional, and unputdownable. Peter Banuk is failing to balance his career in the gaming industry and his family life. His company's last game, Scorchfell, was a failure. He needs success more than anything.

When his friend calls him to announce he has cracked full immersion, Peter rushes to work to check it out. Think about it. Full immersion in virtual reality. A real experience that engages all the senses and feels as real as reality. Wow. That would be a game-changer!

He tries the headset. It works. And it's amazing. Until it isn't. Something goes horribly, horribly wrong and Peter wakes up, woozy, in his truck. Everything feels off. And when he discovers his life looks much different than he remembers, Peter tries to make sense of it. There are two possibilities - he's either stuck inside a computer simulation or he's lost his mind. Except, there's also the third possibility but I won't tell you a word about it.

The less you know about the plot the better. Peter narrates the story in the first-person present tense. Unexpected revelations are as important as his emotional reactions to them. Peter's emotions feel genuine and intense. Don't get me wrong, I loved the plot and the pacing. Ultimately, though, I cared about the narrator and his family. Intense and skilled storytelling kept me at the edge of my seat.

Walter's direct, accessible writing style immediately engages the reader. Active voice and the sense of immediacy inherent in a present-tense narrative intensify the narrative. The author's knack for quotable sentences makes it a pleasure to read. I highlighted a lot of passages. I'll quote two:

People say the truth will set you free, but they're wrong. The truth fucking sucks. The truth will tear your heart off your chest and crush your soul and splinter your mind until your body is nothing more than a hollow shell.
And this one:

Occam's razor has cut me so many times I've become woozy from blood loss.
Emotional? Yes. Memorable? Yes. At least to me. And there's a genuine emotion of a husband and father doing anything possible to save his family.

As you probably guessed, I loved Deep Dive. Sure, the ending feels rushed and tropey. The resolution didn't awe me. The thing is I don't care. I had a great time reading it and felt satisfied after finishing it. Highly, highly recommended to fans of sci-fi thrillers tackling themes of family, technology, and multiple realities.

I keep trying to think of reasons to give this book less than five stars because I like to be stingy with that rating. But it feels so wrong giving this book anything less than a full five!

This is a sci-fi thriller that is perfect in virtually every way. It follows Peter, a video game developer, who tries a fully immersive VR headset developed by one of his business partners. After removing the headset, he finds himself in a world where his own memories don't match with the memories of everyone around him.

The writing style is easy to read and flows nicely. The dialogue feels natural and the story never felt either too rushed or too slow.

The thing that knocks this book out of the park for me is how strongly we could feel Peter's emotions, especially his desperation to get back to his children, through the writing. My heart was constantly pounding and I NEEDED to know what happened next.

While this was definitely a plot-driven book, another reason that Peter's feelings felt so real was that we learned so many details about his life that made us deeply care for Peter's desire to get back home.

I will be recommending this like crazy!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

I would say that the concept itself isn't entirely innovative, but the execution is absolutely flawless.

Not many books can handle reality shifts well; you tend to either get "new reality is entirely different" books (with exploration and attempts to get home) or "new reality only has slight differences and the protagonist doesn't notice right away" type novels (horror especially likes this). Ron Walters' Deep Dive straddles the line between the two expertly, and slowly releases more and more information through the eyes of his protagonist, and when the reveal hits, wow. Walters' characters are genuine and well-based, with decisions and actions flowing cleanly from their histories. The book seems to flow quickly, but that's just because of how well you're pulled in to the story by the crisp writing and fast-paced story. Definitely one worth a read.

Strap in, it's about to get bumpy. This book is a wild ride that shoots straight into the action, and doesn't relent until you turn the last page and peel your body out of the groove you've worn in your sofa from reading this in one sitting. Peter, a video game developer, has a great life, loving wife, incredible kids, but he has a habit of putting work ahead of his family, thinking it's just now, just until the next game is done, the next level of success achieved. While testing an immersive VR unit, things go sideways, and he finds himself in a world he recognizes, barely. Is he stuck inside the simulation? Or did he just exit the VR into his actual life? Dear reader, you might think you can second guess where this book is going, but surprise revelations around every turn of the page will keep you on your toes. Beyond the breathless pace of this book, there are some fundamental questions Peter grapples with, from what defines success, what makes a life well lived, what has he taken for granted, and which version of reality would he choose. This is a smart, utterly absorbing adventure for fans of Philip K Dick, Ready Player One, The Matrix, and simulated RPG, like Second Life. Be cool. Read this book.