Review of On the Ribbon

[Olga Markova]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "On the Ribbon" by William Donoghue.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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On the Ribbon by William Donoghue is a captivating dystopia craftily designed to fascinate discerning fans of sci-fi, time travel, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and reincarnation reads. The story unfolds in the next millennium. We meet Vela Shen, an ancient “hybrid avatar” retired to Amaurot, a “city of shadows” in the Virtual Reality (VR). We learn that Vela’s father decided to get her out of Amaurot and “back into a module”. But before Vela leaves Amaurot, she meets with her VR friends to share with them her jaw-dropping life story and confess who she really is. Vella’s story takes us back to Boston in 2030. Who is Vela? How did she become an immortal “hybrid avatar”? What is the “module” where Vela’s father is taking her? What does the future hold for Vela? These and many more questions spring up and drive the plot to a breathtaking and memorable end.

William Donoghue excelled in the job of creating Vela Shen and her millennia-spanning story. I enjoyed time-traveling with Vela to the third millennium. Vela’s story not only entertained my purely adventurist curiosity but also made me think about many philosophical and topical issues already arising in our lives with the advent of technology. William’s wide multicultural, geographical, technological, and scientific horizons enabled him to create this fascinating and thought-provoking story revolving around practical and philosophical issues of immortality in the world of the future. Is it a blessing or a curse to be immortal? Reading On the Ribbon kept me trying to answer this question. I cannot fault any aspect of this riveting novel – it is written on a plane of excellence unusually high for a debut sci-fi work. It is also meticulously edited. So I wholeheartedly rate it 5 out of 5 stars. My only word of caution is that this story includes graphic episodes of same-sex relationships and sexual awareness that make it unpalatable for junior readers.

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On the Ribbon
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[NetMassimo]

This seems like an interesting science fiction novel that uses a tale of a sort of virtual future to address some philosophical issues connected to the virtual immortality created by future technologies. Thank you for your great review!

[Kelvinna]

I appreciate the well-structured review. The author's excellent book and its intriguing title have piqued my interest, prompting me to add it to my bookshelf without a doubt.

[Cara Wilding]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "On the Ribbon" by William Donoghue.]

On the Ribbon by William Donoghue is a captivating dystopia craftily designed to fascinate discerning fans of sci-fi, time travel, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and reincarnation reads. The story unfolds in the next millennium. We meet Vela Shen, an ancient “hybrid avatar” retired to Amaurot, a “city of shadows” in the Virtual Reality (VR). We learn that Vela’s father decided to get her out of Amaurot and “back into a module”. But before Vela leaves Amaurot, she meets with her VR friends to share with them her jaw-dropping life story and confess who she really is. Vella’s story takes us back to Boston in 2030.

Is it a blessing or a curse to be immortal?

The idea of "retiring" in virtual reality appeals to me! The suspense and mystery of who she is, especially the "confession" piece, is also something that tickles my fancy. That is certainly an interesting question - whether it is a blessing or curse to be immortal. A lot of different works cover this same question, I'd be curious how this author treats it in this work. Thanks so much for sharing your review with us!

[Kelvinna]

The reviewer's critique stands out for me, appreciating both the well-written review, the rating given, and the recommendation provided. I must emphasize the quality of this piece, thoroughly enjoying the content while reading it.

[Stephen Pokoo]

I'm ready to grab this book right away, thanks to your enticing review!