Im not sure what the words are to describe this book. But wow. If you have ever suffered from Post Natal Depression or know someone that has this book hits hard. Some of the descriptions had me very close to tears, some made me smile in rememberance of feelings I once felt but no longer have. It is a clever, raw, brave book and Gemma Amor is a very talented writer for getting it all out there on the page.

Magpie is at the end of her tether when she finds herself on a muddy riverbank looking down on her dead body, a man nearby offers help but why can’t she remember why she is here.

Meanwhile in a room filled with computers and sensors are two people watching her. As reality bends and contorts the fight for survival as the shadows converge and something else hunts this world.

A speculative horror that explores the nature of memory and the reality of our existence. This is a brutally beautiful and completely terrifying vision of exploratory science and the trauma of post natal depression. It is a deep dive into one woman’s journey through intrusive thoughts that is both terrifying and empowering. Beautifully written and absolutely compelling.

Mind blown.

Gemma Amor has truly excelled herself with this novel. It's thoughtful (I mean... extremely thoughtful), and depicts a suicidal woman going through a new, futuristic method of therapy. I don't personally have the issues that the protagonist has but I found a lot of what is described relatable on some level, and the book made me feel seen for those things.

Besides the respectful, deep, and intelligent depiction of mental health - which is so rare in horror, in my opinion - the B plot is scary and just keeps getting scarier. I did not foresee the ending, and it was awesome.

Check the trigger warnings if you have concerns about the subject matter, but otherwise I absolutely recommend this. I haven't read anything else like it and it was a highlight of the year for me.

A woman stands over her own very dead body. She has a total lack of knowledge in how she got here, nor why she appears to have company. The only thing she is sure of is that she has to figure out how she got here. Start at the beginning and go from there.

To home then. Here she will begin to unravel this mystery with the help of this familiar stranger and a series of memory inciting relics.

I knew when I started in on the first few pages that this was going to be something special. The writing was fantastic and the source material was so heavy hitting and important. The dialogue was particularly well written as we unlock the tale of this unreliable narrator.

I have to applaud Amor for writing a book that delves into some very scientific psychology and tech-based content without becoming an absolute bore, overloading the novel with research to show how clever they are. It was the perfect amount of explanation without bogging down the story.

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

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 asap.

Amor does a fantastic job of striking a good balance between an interesting story and a delicate subject. I'll never experience Post-Natal Depression, but I do feel like I have a better understanding of it thanks to this book. I feel like I was already a fairly empathetic person beforehand (though still with plenty to learn), so I was right behind Magpie throughout her tough journey. The science elements were very well explained, the idea of using VR to explore trauma handled exceptionally well, and described perfectly. The ending was wonderful; a great mix of hope and horror. This is a great story, and Amor is an exceptional author.

This might be the most truthful depiction of depression I've ever read. The fuzzy edges, the uncanny nagging voices, the deep, deep guilt, and the absurd moments of levity or nonsense. It makes for a soupy, dreamy read, like OK Computer set to prose.

New mother Magpie finds her own corpse while in what she soon realizes is a simulation - a virtual reality set up by mysterious psychological industry goons, nominally to help her with... what? Post-partum depression, so stigmatized despite being as old as humans? Or something more evil, more nefarious?

The interplay between her simulation detective work while fleeing a shadowy monster, and this "real" world, was masterfully done, again the most truthful presentation of coming up for air from depression that feels like it's always been part of you.

There is a moment that made my stomach sink - if the 2020 Invisible Man got under your skin, this will too.

Full Immersion is, I think, a mood piece first, and uncomfortable Sci-Fi second, so I would advise readers sensitive to emotional osmosis to beware, or at least prepared to get really sad for a while. It's worth it, though, and Gemma Amor deserves major praise for her chops and guts in sharing this raw, real, messy tale.

4.5 stars

What a fantastic book. It deals with some very heavy themes-particularly suicide and depression-but does so in a unique and clever way. I liked the use of virtual reality as a form of therapy and I felt like this book was a giant puzzle where I was trying to discover why our narrator was so depressed. We take a trip to her memory palace to uncover all her traumas yet at the same time there is something lurking in the background. I think the added horror elements were great especially because half the time I didn’t know what’s real or what’s part of the program. Although, I’m not sure that I loved the ending because it felt too far-fetched. But overall, I loved the mystery, pathos, and horror elements of Full Immersion.

One of the more inventive and emotional stories I've read in a long time. Amazing language, excellent pacing, and a big dose of WTF?!? Top read of my year so far.

This is my second Gemma Amor book and now want to read everything she has written! Well done lass!!!