How do you reach someone stuck inside their own head and make him/her snap from the fog that's keeping them hostage?
I really loved the idea behind this book. How awesome would it be for humanity to develop a treatment helping people out of depression and suicidal thoughts? Truly a miracle! Therefore I guess I've been too excited and wanted too much from this novel. There was a big gap between expectations and what the novel delivered. Unfortunately the story left me cold, bored even. The sci-fi/fantasy elements helped a bit, but not enough to keep me gripped. What a shame!

A woman awakes with amnesia and discovers her own dead body. She sets out to find out what happened and perhaps slowly loses her sanity and faces many other struggles along the way. What about that concept doesn't sound wonderful?

The author wrote a very touching forward and you can genuinely tell that this story and subject is very close and dear to her heart. That being said, be sure to look up the trigger warnings before reading this novel. It tended to lean a little more towards the SciFi side than the horror side, I feel as if it were done decently well. You can tell there was immense care and emotion behind this while you read it. However, many also said that it didn't exactly capture and keep their attention - myself included. The dialogue could be strange and frustrating and I had to continue to convince myself to pick the book up. It was good while I was reading, but it wasn't one that I could sit and read for hours on end. A solid three stars and I am excited to read more from this author because they do show immense promise.

This novel appears to be drawn from the author’s own experiences of postpartum depression. It doesn’t tiptoe around the subject, or indeed anything else, but it’s brutally, unflinchingly, honest, and unsurprisingly CW’d up to the eyeballs.
It’s extremely raw, with some absolutely intense scenes of visceral body horror. But by the end, it’s also cathartic, full of the exhausted peace that comes after a violent purging. It’s not an easy read by means, but it is ultimately a hopeful one.

This book was every kind of wonderful and I can't recommend it enough. The plotline was unique, highly engaging and was my introduction to sci-fi horror.

Very well written and a book that's close to the authors heart as she too had her own struggles with post-partum depression and suicidal ideation.

There are many disturbing themes being explored throughout the book. Triggers include MH, suicidal ideation and grief.

Magpie is a character whose story will stay with me for a long time, her trauma raw and her story realistic and relatable for many.

Highly emotive, touching and an absolute masterpiece.

Many thanks to @angryrobotbooks for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

With discovery of her own dead body and the help of a friend, Magpie embarks on a quest to find the truth but things are not as they seem. This books deals with trauma (specifically post-natal depression), the nature of reality and the meaning of life. So definitely not a light read! Make sure to read the trigger warnings.

Full Immersion is a book I’ve been dreaming of for a while: a book that follows an interior and an exterior world and explores what reality really is. I love the eeriness of the descriptions and the ominous tension that builds up throughout the story. It has original writing and world building, which has kept me in the world long after finishing the novel. I did feel at points there was a little too much hand-holding with the reader but I’m sure this was to make sure the message was expressed in the way the author intended it to be as it is something very close to home.

If you’re looking for some out-of-the box horror/sci-fi, I’d definitely recommend!

I thought the concept of this story sounded very interesting yet it just didn't seem to hold my attention. Perhaps it was just the sci-fi angle, as that is not something I favor. I'm interested in reading more from this author, this one was just hard for me to follow.
I do want to add that I feel like the subject matter in this book is extremely important and more books should explore this topic. Especially in the very raw and open way this writer does. The parts of this book that explored that were very moving.

Full throated booming voiced novel treading through territory not often covered as honestly as it should be. There is plenty of horror about the trauma of becoming a mother, but this is a voice you'll recognise as something out of real life.

This Total Recall for post-natal depression and anxiety as a woman finds her own dead body within the confines of a futuristic VR therapy technique with the novel flitting between her experience and the goings on in the outside world of the lab monitoring her.

It's trite, but the novel is fully immersive and the notes of dread and mystery sing from the start as tiny things happen that build and build before you can't possibly put the book down.

It's always a prideful moment to watch an indie author ascend to the real publishing world and Gemma is one who deserves it. Dear Laura is one of my absolute favourite books and I'll be sure to follow Amor absolutely wherever she wants to take us next.

**TW via the author: Suicidal ideation, Post-natal depression, Implied acts of violence towards a child, Birth scene

Ah, this book was bananas, and I love when books are bananas! Gosh, I don't want to tell you too much about the book, because it is one of those things best experienced on your own, but also, I want to give you reasons to read the thing! So bear with me as I do my best!

Magpie finds her own dead self one day whilst on a stroll. Or so it seems. We the reader know that isn't exactly what happened, and we know this from the start. What we don't know is why Magpie is involved in this... situation. Neither does she, it seems. We're privy to some of the communication from the folks running this... let's call it "potentially therapeutic endeavor", and they do fill us in a bit. Magpie is in a simulation of sorts, a kind of "last resort" for people dealing with severe trauma and mental health issues that have not been assuaged by more traditional mental health treatment.

From there, we take the journey with Magpie, and see everything she sees while in this treatment. Simultaneously, we are given the perspective of two staff members who are overseeing the situation. Their job is to ensure that this simulation runs smoothly, and I won't lie, this will not be their best day at the office. Because things go off the rails pretty quickly, and no one- not Magpie, not the employee overseers, and certainly not the reader- have any idea what is in store in this anything-but-ordinary situation.

A few things are clear: Magpie is going to have to face a lot of demons. And the people who invented this "treatment" have no idea what they have unleashed.

Bottom Line: Wonderfully unique, and emotionally provocative, Full Immersion is, well, fully immersive.

In reading the foreword, you can tell how close this story is to the author's heart and personal story. I find it difficult to review for this reason, as I don't want to critique someone's artistic expression of their pain and mental health journey.

The story was unique and the sci-fi/horror concept was really interesting. It just didn't pull me in emotionally the way I was expecting after reading the foreword and set up in the first chapter. I think this was mainly due to the dialogue, especially between the main character and her "friend" as it felt cold. I give the author props for being so brave in sharing her story and I know there will be people who read this and identify with the main character.

This book is fantastic! It absolutely ripped my heart open, but the emotions were just so real and relatable that it was ok. I’m so grateful this book exists. Sometimes you read a book and have such a strong connection to it, Full Immersion is one of those books for me. It also is terrifying. I think I’ll steer clear of VR for a while! There are some sensitive topics in this book so it may not be for everyone, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone willing to read about them.

⚠️beware all the trigger warnings for this book! Literally all of them.⚠️

Full Immersion was a reading experience unlike any other. I was fully immersed in the story and then pulled out into my own mind and then back into the story again and again. I ugly cried reading this book because the fucking trauma Magpie goes through! Her pain and postpartum depression were far too real and hit me hard. I was so invested in her wellbeing I was afraid to read too quickly and miss something because I feel like little clues were everywhere.

I don't think I've ever been so scared a character wouldn't make it to the end of a book before.

This book touched my soul and made me look at my own life with new eyes. Much drier eyes because I cried sad and happy tears.

Thank you Gemma Amor for putting the thoughts and feels of motherhood and suicide and being scared so eloquently together in Full Immersion.

Magpie signs up to a virtual reality lab experiment in hopes that it will cure her depression and grief. However, she wakes up to find her own dead body and sets out to search for answers, while being pursued by 'Silhouette'.

This book is full of suspense, mystery, deep depression & self destruction, written in a way which you can tell is personal to the author. Quite unique with disturbing concepts.

“God, I’m tired of myself.”
I have been waiting for this book for a long time and once I finished it I waited about a week to write my review. I know this book is extremely personal for the author and you can feel it as her soul bleeds through to the page.
This is your life and gathered here are all the collected artifacts that are special because you have attached a piece of yourself to it. Look them over, digest their importance. Relive those days if you can handle it.
FULL IMMERSION has so many quotable lines, so many deep emotions, yet the thread of horror that lives in Gemma Amor is weaved throughout, digging it’s vicious hooks into you. You didn’t expect to get away that easy did you?
“Angry, confused, frustrated. But we don’t necessarily have to walk away from those feelings, or be ashamed of them.”
I found myself thanking Gemma throughout the book, for the conformation of feelings as well as for the curious dread that oozes from her words.
“We do not feel the weight of them, our bad habits, until the chain has become too strong to break.”

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

This was a gothic, haunting and atmospheric story that I couldn’t put down. It was gripping and engaging the whole way through with a level of suspense and unpredictability that added an extra layer to the storytelling. It was a chilling read that has stayed with me since I read it. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was good. Maybe even great. I'm not sure. There is a lot here. I just didn't feel excited about much of it. The story is well put together, with beautiful prose.
But i found myself drifting at times.
The story is good, and many will enjoy it. I enjoyed it for what it was.

Full Immersion is Gemma Amor's first traditionally published novel. It is also a masterpiece.

Magpie is a woman who discovers her own dead body, prompting her to attempt to uncover the truth of her strange demise. Such a journey takes her on a twisting, mind-bending sojourn all throughout reality as a mysterious predator known as the Silhouette pursues her.

From the start, Full Immersion a novel of suspense. Gemma Amor puts us right into Magpie's head, allowing us to see her thoughts, her fears, her hopes and all that affects her as the mysteries of the situation unfold. With little time wasted, Magpie is made into a sympathetic but realistically flawed character. Those around her vary in regards to morality and even the most ruthless people are ultimately human and possess redeeming qualities.

What sets Full Immersion apart is not the horror it contains, but the compassion. This is a book of depression, of self-destruction. The novel draws on experiences with post-natal depression to construct a touching story. The writing makes us feel for Magpie, for all she has been through and everything she has endured. The mystery is taut, well-paced and written, and the haunting portrayals of the Silhouette linger as a terrific example of horror.

This is a novel that works for the compassion it presents. Compassion for its lead but also compassion for its readers. Magpie's journey is a reminder that such pains are not suffered alone. From the start to the haunting ending, Full Immersion is incredible.

This is one of the best books that I have read this year.

The story is completely original. The characters are well thought out and completely human in their emotions, beliefs, and reactions. The book is remarkably fast paced and compelling, especially considering that so much of it takes place within the confines of a university basement laboratory. I simply couldn’t put this book down. It drew me like a moth to a flame and I didn’t care what the ending did to me, I simply had to know what was happening.

But what really got me was the complex emotion found within the pages of this book. The transformation, the awakening, the acceptance that we are pulled through is beautiful. Beautifully broken. There is a soul depth to this journey that exposed so much of my own feelings of inadequacy, but in the end it left me feeling that, to quote Sai King, “There are other worlds than these,”

This one is highly recommended for anyone with emotions and the capacity to read.

A few lines that highlighted:

I realised I had long been denied something that I was perfectly entitled to: euphoria. All young people should feel like that. Older people should feel like that too, but we don’t. Not often.

It’s hard to feel free when you are responsible for so much, I suppose.

A grim fantasy that put down roots, and flowered into a conviction of guilt.

Ok. Stop reading quotes and go get this book. You can thank me later.

Thank you #NetGalley and Angry Robot publishing for sending me an ARC of #FullImmersion by Gemma Amor.

I have heard of Gemma Amor before receiving this ebook. They were mostly great reviews of her writing style and the story itself. I, however, have struggled with this one. While I found the subject of the story to be intriguing, the method in which it was written and the flow of the story, could not hold my attention. I had to reread a few pages to understand what I was reading at the very beginning of the story. There were some parts of the dialogue that frustrated me. I feel that this had an impact on my experience with the book. I made it to 48% before I had to give up. I would like the chance to read another of Amor's stories at some point. But more me, this was not a good introduction to this author.

A touching, dark, sci-fi with a difference. This tells the story of a mother who, at the end of her tether, signs up for an experimental exercise that is via virtual reality. She awakes faced with her own dead body and this unusual tale continues through her struggle with mental health issues and pain as she works to discover why she awakes daily feeling suicidal.

I found it a difficult read at times, but, it’s so unusual that it maintained my interest and the author is certainly sparing the reader nothing in her reflections of her own experiences.

A unique read and many thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to preview.