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Virtually BFFs
Ex-BFFs turned stepsisters survive the anxiety and depression of lockdown with a mind-altering virtual reality game that may be giving them very real magical powers.
Nikki and Lainey's bracelets pledged Best Friends Forever but then high school happened, and Lainey dropped Nikki faster than spotty Wi-Fi. Now they're beyond horrified their parents have supposedly fallen in love over virtual dates and are moving in to spend lockdown together. Nikki's only escape is online gaming with strangers until she catches Lainey sneaking out to meet boys. Cute ones .
Lainey's relieved the boys aren't annoyed that she let her new stepsister tag along until Nikki pressures her to try an experimental technology. More addictive than drugs or alcohol, there's a reason that total brain immersion technology, or BIT, is banned in all fifty states. Of course, Nikki's been dying to play the enhanced virtual reality game since hearing internet rumors that it feels "realer than real." Whatever that means. And Lainey can't let her headstrong BFF go in alone. Well, ex-BFF .
Sucked into a fantastical realm entrenched in a war between light and dark magic, the former friends wield powers only possible in fictional worlds. Or so they think, until their magical powers are crackling through their kitchen and bedrooms. Wondering if BIT is actually real or if they are finally losing their quarantined minds, the girls are forced to face the painful reasons their friendship ended and learn to trust each other again. Only then can Nikki and Lainey understand what's really going on before they get caught playing a dangerous game that could destroy their very real lives.
Nikki and Lainey's bracelets pledged Best Friends Forever but then high school happened, and Lainey dropped Nikki faster than spotty Wi-Fi. Now they're beyond horrified their parents have supposedly fallen in love over virtual dates and are moving in to spend lockdown together. Nikki's only escape is online gaming with strangers until she catches Lainey sneaking out to meet boys. Cute ones .
Lainey's relieved the boys aren't annoyed that she let her new stepsister tag along until Nikki pressures her to try an experimental technology. More addictive than drugs or alcohol, there's a reason that total brain immersion technology, or BIT, is banned in all fifty states. Of course, Nikki's been dying to play the enhanced virtual reality game since hearing internet rumors that it feels "realer than real." Whatever that means. And Lainey can't let her headstrong BFF go in alone. Well, ex-BFF .
Sucked into a fantastical realm entrenched in a war between light and dark magic, the former friends wield powers only possible in fictional worlds. Or so they think, until their magical powers are crackling through their kitchen and bedrooms. Wondering if BIT is actually real or if they are finally losing their quarantined minds, the girls are forced to face the painful reasons their friendship ended and learn to trust each other again. Only then can Nikki and Lainey understand what's really going on before they get caught playing a dangerous game that could destroy their very real lives.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2023
41 people want to read
About the author
Kate York
1 book3 followersThe daughter of a librarian, Kate York couldn’t stop writing fanfiction to give her favorite characters the endings she thought they deserved. Now a nonprofit grant writer who still lives and loves in her favorite fictional worlds, Virtually BFFs is her debut novel that normalizes the struggles with mental health issues that teens and young adults face, particularly with anxiety and depression, while telling a fantastically awesome story.
Find out more about the Virtually BFFs Series and Kate York at KateYorkAuthor.com. Or laugh and learn with her about friendship, mental health, and writing as @KateYorkAuthor on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.
Find out more about the Virtually BFFs Series and Kate York at KateYorkAuthor.com. Or laugh and learn with her about friendship, mental health, and writing as @KateYorkAuthor on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 4, 2024
Not what I expected at all
I wasn't sure about this book at first, I thought it would just be a teenage drama book but the twists and turns that Kate took us on was mad. I enjoyed reading about the magical world they were in and loved the characters. I guessed it was her dad but the cliffhanger at the end....I just want to read the next one now.
I wasn't sure about this book at first, I thought it would just be a teenage drama book but the twists and turns that Kate took us on was mad. I enjoyed reading about the magical world they were in and loved the characters. I guessed it was her dad but the cliffhanger at the end....I just want to read the next one now.
September 4, 2023
I love books that focus on friendship. It was so interesting and dramatic to see two former best friends become stepsisters. It’s so cool that the characters see the virtual reality game as a possible way to help the world, not just as a form of escapism from a pandemic.
The author did a great job of making the virtual reality world a parallel to reality: Lainey and Nikki are “hunted” in the virtual reality world, while in reality, people are “hunted” if they are caught breaking stay-at-home orders, which Lainey and Nikki do throughout the book. The twist at the end was really good too. I definitely recommend.
***NOte: I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The author did a great job of making the virtual reality world a parallel to reality: Lainey and Nikki are “hunted” in the virtual reality world, while in reality, people are “hunted” if they are caught breaking stay-at-home orders, which Lainey and Nikki do throughout the book. The twist at the end was really good too. I definitely recommend.
***NOte: I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2023
This book was absolutely amazing! The story was so intriguing and I loved how the fantasy world of Illumeria felt so real. Both the real world and the realm of BIT were so different but also went together seamlessly and it was so much fun to watch both sides of the story come together. I loved how the entire book was so entertaining and had me at the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen next.
December 1, 2023
This story was gifted to me by the author and here is my honest review. Thank you Kate.
This story took a couple turns I wasn’t expecting. Well, a lot of turns I wasn’t expecting.
At the beginning of the story you meet two ex best friends and their journey to becoming sisters. Yes. Sisters. In a Covid-like ridden world where everything is shut down and life feels bleak, they’re forced together in more than one way.
The girls eventually start playing a game called BIT, where it’s like VR or AR. There’s so much they don’t know about the game…
I didn’t expect this to take the 180 degree turn that it did when they put on the headset. You didn’t immediately know who was who and now it’s medieval?! This is the point I thought “Kate’s lost it. She’s trying to do too much” and I was DEAD WRONG. Kate, I’m personally requesting you write a medieval romance PRONTO. I felt like I was THERE. ugh it gets me so excited.
The girls then must overcome the fact it’s illegal to keep playing the game but it keeps them wanting to go back for more…but why ?
Without spoiling anything, this story touches on a lot of emotional, physically and mental turmoil in a lot of different ways. I think a younger audience would appreciate this more as they’ve experienced what it’s like to be locked down.
This book was a wild ride for sure and I can’t wait to see what comes next. 4 ⭐️
TW anxiety, cutting
This story took a couple turns I wasn’t expecting. Well, a lot of turns I wasn’t expecting.
At the beginning of the story you meet two ex best friends and their journey to becoming sisters. Yes. Sisters. In a Covid-like ridden world where everything is shut down and life feels bleak, they’re forced together in more than one way.
The girls eventually start playing a game called BIT, where it’s like VR or AR. There’s so much they don’t know about the game…
I didn’t expect this to take the 180 degree turn that it did when they put on the headset. You didn’t immediately know who was who and now it’s medieval?! This is the point I thought “Kate’s lost it. She’s trying to do too much” and I was DEAD WRONG. Kate, I’m personally requesting you write a medieval romance PRONTO. I felt like I was THERE. ugh it gets me so excited.
The girls then must overcome the fact it’s illegal to keep playing the game but it keeps them wanting to go back for more…but why ?
Without spoiling anything, this story touches on a lot of emotional, physically and mental turmoil in a lot of different ways. I think a younger audience would appreciate this more as they’ve experienced what it’s like to be locked down.
This book was a wild ride for sure and I can’t wait to see what comes next. 4 ⭐️
TW anxiety, cutting
September 14, 2023
I received this book as an ARC to read, and I absolutely loved it! Kate York did a phenomenal job tying together two complex plots in a clear, cohesive way. The whole concept of best-friends-turned-ex-friends-turned-stepsisters is the perfect setup for so much delicious tension, angst, and character development. The plot of both the characters in real life and the characters in the game was so engaging as well- at every twist and turn, I was at the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next- will the characters be found? Will they make up? Will they save Nyx's father? The pacing was done really well and it was so gripping the entire time. I read the whole book in pretty much one sitting!
But for me, it was the characters that really put this at five stars. I completely fell in LOVE with the banter between the characters- especially Nikki and Finn. Every one of them seemed so realistic, like I could actually be friends with them in real life. This book tackles darker themes as well, and it does so in such a raw, emotional way that allowed me to connect with the characters. As a teen just coming out of the pandemic, I could really understand the frustration that the characters feel.
This book was 10/10 stars, I totally recommend!
But for me, it was the characters that really put this at five stars. I completely fell in LOVE with the banter between the characters- especially Nikki and Finn. Every one of them seemed so realistic, like I could actually be friends with them in real life. This book tackles darker themes as well, and it does so in such a raw, emotional way that allowed me to connect with the characters. As a teen just coming out of the pandemic, I could really understand the frustration that the characters feel.
This book was 10/10 stars, I totally recommend!
October 8, 2023
This book is so good! I was immediately drawn into this story of ex-best-friends-turned-stepsisters, anxious to keep reading as their backgrounds unfold and their adventure takes off. I loved the parallel storylines, and I was particularly drawn into the world of Illumeria - Kate York does an amazing job bringing this fantasy realm to life, and I couldn’t wait to know more. Drama, humor, intrigue, adventure - this book has it all and I could not put it down. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for book 2!
November 15, 2023
I loved this book. I didn't know what to expect, but the storyline had twists and turns that made it impossible to put down.
Kate York expresses the pain of living in a pandemic-style era brilliantly, showing lives tainted by lack of freedom, anxiety and pain. Not only that, but she excellently merged the suffering of teenagers trying to grow up in a world that was suffocating them with complex plots and a fantasy empire.
The idea was original, and the characters were tackled with impressive skill. I can't wait for book two.
Kate York expresses the pain of living in a pandemic-style era brilliantly, showing lives tainted by lack of freedom, anxiety and pain. Not only that, but she excellently merged the suffering of teenagers trying to grow up in a world that was suffocating them with complex plots and a fantasy empire.
The idea was original, and the characters were tackled with impressive skill. I can't wait for book two.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews