Gemma Amor has been a favorite of mine since she first debuted in the indie scene with Cruel Works of Nature a few years back. Eee since, I have pounced upon every one of her releases, never disappointed.

Reading Full Immersion feels like I'm getting a BTS look into Gemma's life and her personal struggles. I knew about her PPD already from chats with her in the past, as well as a short story included in her second collection that dives into the strangling feel of the condition. This book takes you deep into that world and the hell it can bring upon a mother and her family. It's a very personal experience for a book. It also makes the suspense more palpable and the MC's life more valuable to the reader. Gemma is an artist with words, has been since her first publication -- Full Immersion is no exception. I sink into her stories with ease and take on my hopes and fears of the characters as if they are real. The only complaint I really had from reading this novel was the very end; I can't go into detail without risk of spoilers, but the monster element was left in such a way that I wanted and expected a bit more. Otherwise, Full Immersion was a fantastic and emotional novel that proves (yet again) that Gemma Amor is an author with skill and a strong narrative.

For Sci-fi and psychological thriller lovers.

In an experimental lab, a team of researchers, computer programmers, and psychoanalysts have created a virtual experience to cure deep trauma and depression.
It was surprisingly easy to get drawn into this world and the world of virtual reality for a particularly desperate test subject.
Bouncing back and forth from the real world where “The Boss” and Evans the programmer exists, vs the VR world where the subject and the “psych” exist was relatively seamless and easy to understand. The book does not get caught in the weeds of how or bogged down with too much Science, it’s about the emotion and the journey of the subject. The Psych exists to assist in the process as a sort of trip sitter, to guide the subject through the experiment and push them to face their past and their trauma in a safe space.
But when something is different about this subject, things take a turn, the safe space turns volatile, the psych loses control, and the programmer can’t code them out of the mess they find themselves in.
The subject, a mother, whose trauma revolves around her severe postpartum depression and her fear of hurting her child is slowly revealed throughout the story as she moves through her new reality. Her trauma manifests as a “real”/ virtual being that she can see coming. As the lines between reality and what is virtual begin to blur, the darkness that the subject holds begins to seep into the real world.
I loved the premise of this book and the intersection of psychology and sci-fi, it was just weird enough to work.
I did find the description of the world repetitive, it did get a little old to hear how impressive the changes within the virtual reality were, and that was largely unexplained. Also the physical manifestations were a bit cheesy 80s horror film to me, I definitely prefer an unseen monster.

Moral of the story being that the human mind is much more powerful than we could possibly ever imagine.

Amor weaves a beautifully haunting tale of post-partem depression with dark imagery and eerie tones. A mother on the verge of self-harm makes one last attempt to save herself by applying to an experimental therapy program. Suddenly, she wakes up and comes face-to-face with her own dead body. Now, she must navigate a blurred world between truth and illusion in order to uncover her deepest secret.



This story is exquisitely written with a sympathetic protagonist that seeps into the reader’s soul and latches on for dear life. Amor bravely bares her heart on the page for inspection as the mother character must journey into her past in order to save her future. The drama unravels in a satisfyingly slow and steady pace with enough tension to keep the reader engaged from start to finish. While this premise has been explored by other authors, Amor spins the familiar tale of motherhood with a unique and personal perspective. This story will stick with readers longer after the final word.

I’m not really sure where to start with this book. I don’t know how to do it justice.
It’s amazingly well written, the characters have great depth and the dark nature of the subjects discussed are treated with due diligence and respect.
I absolute loved it. I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store in the future.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

In Full Immersion, Gemma Amor deftly spins a web fraught with deeply uncomfortable themes. Depression, grief and trauma are tangled with ideas of memory, potential, possibility and the vagaries of the human mind, and at the center of this cat's cradle of weird science, pseudo realities, and the expanding horizons of dreams, is a woman in a medically-induced state of hypnagogia, deeply immersed in an experimental therapy. Will these pioneering explorations into her psyche save her sanity-- and her life-- or is she the catalyst for something much bigger, and is there much more at stake? I have a lot of admiration for the bold breadth and scope and vision of this story, all of the difficult fears and issues it examined and disturbing themes explored, without once losing sight of the human at the heart of it, the humanity at risk. If Full Immersion is a general indication of what to expect of this author's works, then I look forward to reading many, many more of their offerings.

The warnings at the beginning at the book do not make it seem appealing at all. I tried to read it, but the content was much too dark and close to home for me. That being said, it was still well written interesting scientifically.

Where do I start with this one? I can’t say enough good things about this book. I would give it ten stars if I could. It was such a cathartic read. All the emotions, all the despair and joy we feel as mothers is just put out there, made physical. And then there’s mental illness that’s depicted as a monster that So many must confront on a daily basis.

Very touching and heartfelt book. You can tell the subject matter is close to the author's heart. I especially enjoyed the jumps between reality and virtual world.

Full Immersion
by Gemma Amor
First, thanks to Gemma Amor, Angry Robot, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review 'Full Immersion.'
I am one out on this one. I suppose or assumed it to be a non-fiction book. I tried to get through it, I really did. Just tore me down so deep.

Thank you @netgalley @angryrobotbooks and @manylittlewords for this eARC of Full Immersion in exchange for an honest review.

A woman with a history of mental health struggles seeks out a revolutionary treatment as a last hope, one that involves a Virtual Reality world, in order to help her unlock her memories and hopefully obtain some relief from her symptoms. However, once she is in the VR world, it is obvious that she isn't an ordinary patient and that things could quickly get out of hand.

I'm noticing a theme in books I am reading, regarding motherhood, and particularly ones that showcase how difficult motherhood is, the post-partum side effects on mental health, as well as the pressure that women face in trying to be the "perfect mother". This book also touched on some issues that showcase why I have decided to not have children, and it was refreshing to know that I am not broken for wanting freedom over a life that women are expected to fit into.

Definitely check the TWs on this one as it might be upsetting to some.

This #scifi #horror story is one that will stay with me, especially as I am a psychology student and am fascinated by what advancements in treatment may be available, and the possible ethics involved in said treatments.

Loved this one. This was my first #gemmaamor and I will definitely be reading more of her works.

Available Sept 13, 2022.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

#netgalley #fullimmersion #scifihorror #bookstagram #booksta #igreads #instabook #bookaesthetic #kindle #arc #review #bookstore #psychologicalhorror

This book deals with grief, guilt, and tragedy like a skilled surgeon that slices open a patient layer by layer. The themes are front and center but are told from the viewpoint of a woman who is actually in a virtual reality world being used as a therapeutic tool of sorts.

The story weaves back and forth between this virtual world and the real world, where the woman is physically hanging from a harness with tubes and wires of all kinds keep her in this sleeping state.

As she explores this virtual world with a person she just met, her memories start to pull together bit by bit as she tries to find the cause of her grief and suicidal thoughts.

This book is effective in the descriptions and feelings of these emotions and the reader is drawn into this world as we, along with the protagonist, unlock the mysteries together.

Back in the real world is where the horrors lay. The technicians monitoring her soon discover that her thoughts in the VR realm can escape into this one with horrifying consequences.

Though the horror aspects are saved mainly for the end of the book, the emotions of the protagonist are realistic and will engage you in their authenticity. This is a book I would recommend as long as you're not expecting a more traditional horror novel.

First, thanks to Gemma Amor, Angry Robot, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review 'Full Immersion.'

This is a truly astonishing novel, sensational.

Hard to describe in brief but it's mixture of horror, science-fiction, a clearly very personal reflection of her own experiences and very, very real in its dealing with the sheer real-life horrors of post-natal depression and the mental health experiences of people who suffer from it - often in silence and undiagnosed.

The story and narrative are exploding with imagination and originality. In a drunken fugue, a woman suffering from deep depression and unremitting suicidal impulses pleads for inclusion in a highly experimental virtual reality treatment. From there it just overwhelms you with the emotion, pain, joy, horror of the experience of dealing with post-natal depression and coming out the other end. You might think that that's not all that unusual as a theme for a novel but I'd disagree because of how it's written and if you need further convincing, what's different here is the horror element whereby the black depths of that depression begin to take horrific physical form.

The virtual reality element reminded me of Neal Stephenson's 'Fall; or, Dodge in Hell' in that having found themselves there through following very different paths, the main characters develop the unforeseen and utterly unexpected ability to manipulate the virtual space in which they now find their consciousness. They start off not knowing who they are in that space or how they got there and slowly feel their way around but end up dominating not only that virtual space but also the physical space beyond.

I'd say this is also a love story - the love of a mother for her child, the love between a husband and wife - both scenarios as imperfect and messy in the novel as they are in real life. They're so well-handled here.

Beyond the story and narrative, the writing is exceptionally good. I mean really, really good. I hadn't read any of Gemma Amor's short works before but will be finding them and reading them and waiting patiently for her next full length novel.

This really is a superb read, congratulations Gemma Amor.

i read an ARC of this book and it was SO COOL! this is a sci-fi/horror that follows a woman with depression/suicidal ideation as she gets an experimental VR therapy. after finishing this, i do have some unanswered questions, however i think it adds to the overall creepiness of the book

This book is obviously very close to the author's heart, which she wears on her sleeve in a very touching forward...

A woman suffering from Postnatal depression and suicidal thoughts undergoes an experimental kind of treatment, where she is suspended in a virtual state, confronting different aspects of her life, in an attempt to finally be free of the hell that is depression. Sounds dark. Although the subject matter obviously is, there are enough moments of levity to balance things out. It's more in the sci-fi camp than horror - although, there are elements of psychological and body horror. It's a book that will fall flat for some people, and be amazing for others. If you suffer from depression I highly recommend giving it a go.

3.5 Stars. Thank you for the arc Gemma!

This is a hard review to write - the story is exceptional and brilliant but also hard to read at times due to the themes throughout.

This is the story of a woman who volunteers to undertake some experimental therapy via a vitual reality system. As she hangs suspended in the basement of a university building the darkness inside her starts to manifest itself in the real world. As she battles to understand and discover the root cause of her suicidal ideation, a different battle is taking place in the 'real world'.

As I was reading this I was thinking back to the times in my life which have been quite dark (hence read the trigger warnings and Gemma's own forward in the book.) When you feel like the darkness, the black within, takes over and seems to destroy anything - devours all happiness, all reason, obliterates everything. It can feel like thinking through treacle. Now imagine that darkness somehow escapes you to do the same thing on the outside. The speculative nature of this is horrific to think about, but it's also perfectly analogous to grief, loss, and feeling utter despair.

The final image in the novel is seared into my brain and brought me to tears. I highly, highly recommend you read this when it comes out in September.

Thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this incredible novel.


TW: Postpartum depression/psychosis, perinatal mental health, traumatic birth, suicidal ideation, mental health.

I have not stopped thinking of this book since I picked it up.

Gemma,

I feel like I must speak directly to you, as I felt like you were speaking directly to me while I was reading your brilliant book. I read your foreword and I sobbed. I read it over and over again and I cried each time. And then I started reading the novel and I kept saying to myself “how do you know my pain?” You took so many things from my mind that were so hard to say and you placed them down on paper. Like you had a small pair of tweezers and you plucked from my brain all the terrible, wicked things that I said and thought after I had my son. Unfortunately, these things are not uncommon to feel, yet it’s still so hard to talk about. I didn’t have a bridge, but I did have a lake. I thought how easy it would be to drive my car into it. To walk into the water and swallow mouth fulls of it until my lungs burst. The ideation is indescribable, or I thought it was, until I read your book. I hope that writing this book was a bit of a release for you and brought you comfort; it was a release for me to read it. Just knowing that I’m not alone in the things that I felt after bringing my beautiful baby into the world made me feel a bit better. This book is the most important book I’ve read this year. I’ll never forget it.
I loved the characters. I love your writing style; I thought nothing could beat “the girl on fire” but you blew this out of the water. The entire concept of this story was neat. I’ve never read anything like it. I loved how it’s horror/sci-fi. I loved Boss; I know she ultimately met her end but damnit, she believed in Magpie. And isn’t that what we all need? Someone to believe in us?

Thank you for writing this. Thank you so so much. I know this book wasn’t written for me, but it’s everything to me.

The foreword gave fair warning of what this book would contain, for those who didn't already know. The following line, from the first chapter, is a stomach punch that tells you exactly how the subject will be handled:

"Because I still wake up every single day without exception and think about throwing myself off the Bristol suspension bridge."

This isn't going to be an easy read, and nor should it; what, at the end of the day for most of us is just a work of fiction, is for others an insight into exactly how easily the ideas of suicide can take hold, and keep hold until either the much-needed help is found, or it isn't.

The story, however, takes us on a far bigger journey with the addition of a VR/immersion programme that allows the main character, Magpie, to explore her life before death through memory triggers until she understands why she feels suicidal. That the programme is being run from the basement of a University building tells you enough to understand how it's going to turn out, but you'll be wrong if you think you can predict the ending here.

Yes, of course, there will be problems along the way, but the build-up to the ending creates such tension that when it finally goes Pop, you'll wonder what just happened. For me, I needed to reread the last two chapters the following day, just to get a better handle on what we were left with.

Certainly, a nice touch is the list of helpful organisations at the back of the book - if you need this kind of help, or know someone who may, this list could prove essential.

I've read several books where the subject matter takes on VR/immersion: The Foreverland series by Tony Bertauski and the Idlewild series by Nick Sagan are amongst the best for me, but this one takes the top slot with ease - the horror elements mixed with real human suffering are combined to perfection here.

This is the second book I've read by this author; I was wowed with the first (Six Rooms) but blown away by this one. Get it on your shelves the day it's released in September.