What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I read this book a long time ago and have periodically done searches every since then to try and find it again. So lets give it another shot!

So I'm fairly certain this book about Virtual Reality followed a boy. This boy was given a new game. Something about this game was either dangerous or underground. Like, not available for wide release? And people were passing it around saying it was the most realistic VR ever. And he gets in and Things happen.

And I seem to remember something about the person who built it only existing in the game. Or maybe building it so that everyone would only exist in the game? And this was a good thing, maybe, because the Earth was dying? Something about the VR was real and not just virtual. Maybe...

I remember something about the boy going to a bar in the VR world and meeting a character that was glitchy or something. Possibly the creator had based her off of a girlfriend or sister.

At the end there was something about the boy finding a plug in his neck and he was going to use that to bring other people into the world or make the VR real? And that's where it ended. Any ideas?

I don't remember anything about neck plugs but its been awhile since I've read this but maybe its Level Zero

The Reality Bug sounds a bit like this...

Thanks for the suggestions! It doesn't look like either of them are right, unfortunately. For Level Zero, it was definitely published before 2011, possibly in the 90s or early 2000s? As to the Reality Bug, I'm pretty sure he was a normal kid at the start. I don't think it was a series? Or, if it was, it was the first book. I might be wrong, though.

Any other possibilities for this book? I know its not a lot to go on.

It could be Ready Player One.

Also check out Tad Williams Otherland series. The first book is City of Golden Shadow. There are some differences from your description, so it's likely not the right series, but you might enjoy it anyway.

Probably not, but Snow Crash is about a virtual world.

Tad Williams' "Otherland" series, starting with City of Golden Shadow?

Possibly Feed?

Kelsey, are you still looking for this? Was it anything suggested from #6 on?

Lobstergirl wrote: "Kelsey, are you still looking for this? Was it anything suggested from #6 on?"

No response. Moving to Abandoned.