Mariam is single and ready to mingle…or so she thinks, because she is still very much in love with her ex, Caleb. In a futile attempt to forget him and move on with her life, she signs up for the virtual reality dating site, HEAVR, where you can make the most of the magic of the Internet and date through avatars on virtually constructed locations. A rather odd, random personality test later, Mariam is faced with a decision: she has to pick her date from a careful selection of three matches. Seems like an easy task, right? Well, think again, because Caleb is her second-to-most compatible match, and Mariam is completely sure that it cannot be a coincidence. It must be a sign. If the stars aligned to reunite them, they must be destined to be together. That’s what she chooses to believe when she decides to give her relationship with Caleb a second chance…presenting herself as a different person, so that he doesn’t shut her out at first glance. In addition, she also becomes friends with Jeremy, who is, coincidentally, one of her other two matches…What could go wrong?
Virtually Yours is the third YA novel written by the Iranian-American author, Sarvenaz Tash. Winner of the Amazon Best Book of the Year and YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for the Reluctant YA Readers with her sophomore novel The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love (2016), Sarvenaz Tash offers a down-to-Earth and straightforward representation of romantic relationships. Unafraid to open up about the messiest side of love, with Miriam and Caleb’s second chance, Tash explores the ugly side of romance and rightfully so. More authors should dare to offer a more realistic representation of relationships, which usually are as complex as humanity itself.
In the case of Miriam, we get a glimpse of the wreckage caused by the break-up after a long-lasting relationship. She finds herself unable to move on, because she put so much of herself into her relationship with Caleb that she doesn’t know how to continue on her own. Dependency and unyielding emotional attachment are what drive her into attempting to become an item again. Furthermore, while thinking back about Caleb and Mariam’s relationship, the author also explores the tendency of becoming isolated from friends while being in a romantic relationship and the toll it eventually has on a person once they go back to being single.
Although that is the essence of the novel, Sarvenaz Tash also addresses an elating array of exquisitely relevant topics. For one, she pays special attention to the risks of the Internet and virtual dating, such as catfishing, identity theft, and the abuse many companies make of personal data. Some other refreshing topics she deals with are the harsh reality of going to university and the usual feeling of uncertainty many young people have during their freshman year. Last —but not least— throughout the book, she also sprinkles some poignant moments where she openly explores the feeling of “otherness” many second-generation Americans share due to racism. She debunks the fallacy of the American dream, both by exploring Mariam’s and Jeremy’s experiences as non-white American citizens (her parents are Iranian, while Jeremy is Mexican-Italian) and by illustrating the very limited opportunities that are available to poor people and the homeless in the US.
Going back to the novel itself and in contrast to the heavy topics she deals with, Tash makes use of a deliciously fast-paced writing style, which makes of Virtually Yours a rather easy and enjoyable read. Set in what appear to be the present day, the virtual reality factor is also quite believable. Its more developed use presented in the novel, even if not available in real life, is not farfetched and relies on current technology enough for it to be reasonable.
On the downside, Virtually Yours is a bit lacking on the character department. Due to Mariam’s self-discovery narrative, the first-person voice becomes a bit suffocating and self-centered. The rest of the characters are just shadows of what they could have been, and it is a shame, because some of the strongest characters are those secondary ones, despite not being as developed as they could have (especially Hedy, Mariam’s roommate, who constantly steals her spotlight with her brilliant personality). Mariam, as the main character, is rather selfish, and the other characters seem to exist solely to allow her to vent about her problems and to give her advice. To add insult to injury, their advice tends to be worryingly catered to what Mariam needs to hear. Quite frustrating, as the reader knows from the very beginning how her decisions are destined to fail. At the same time, after a few times of Mariam asking her friends about their personal life just to tune out and start an internal monologue about herself, the whole situation becomes understandably infuriating.
Despite these minor flaws, overall, Virtually Yours is a relevant and enjoyable read. Even if the main character is not entirely likeable, Sarvenaz Tash maintains a light, entertaining writing style throughout the novel, while she deals with topics that are realistic and refreshing. Reading about happy endings is always nice, but shining a light on the hardest parts of relationships is also necessary to illustrate the reality of being human.
Virtually Yours is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Modern love plus online anonymity is a recipe for romantic disaster in this lighthearted new romance from the author of The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love.
How bad can one little virtual lie be?
NYU freshman Mariam Vakilian hasn’t dated anyone in five months, not since her high school sweetheart Caleb broke up with her. So, when she decides to take advantage of an expiring coupon and try out a new virtual reality dating service, it’s sort of a big deal.
It’s an even bigger deal when it chooses as one of her three matches none other than Caleb himself. That has to be a sign, right?
Except that her other match, Jeremy, just happens to be her new best friend IRL.
Mariam’s heart is telling her one thing, but the app is telling her another. So, which should she trust? Is all fair in modern love?
