I really liked what the series was trying to do and I think it managed to feel fairly futuristic while also being alarmingly familiar. Kiss Me First lurches from being a tale of technology to something more akin to a cyber-thriller as we largely leave behind the virtual world. Instead, they come together to talk and live out some of their fantasies while using a Sense Band – an illegal device that lets you actually feel the pleasure and the pain from the game. The group, calling themselves “Red Pill” (in honour of The Matrix – a fact that made me feel so very old), are a collection of players who don’t want to fight monsters, or race cars. Instead, she meets Tess/Mania (Simona Brown) and the rest of her friends. Of course, life isn’t that simple and Leila can’t just retreat into the game to grieve in her own way. I think one of the successes of the show is that it manages to make Azana look like an inviting place to be the CGI is admirable for a show of this size. It’s no surprise then that Leila can only find comfort inside Azana, a VR game that allows users to live out their fantasies. When we first meet her she’s just dealing with the direct aftermath of her mother’s death, as a nurse feigns while trying to pack up all of the medical kit, like a wheelchair and a commode, as quickly as possible. Memorable and fast-moving.Leila/Shadowfax is superbly played by Tallulah Haddon, providing a really subtle but incredibly effective heart to the story. Moggach's skill in plotting means readers won't anticipate the twists and turns built into the story, making for an intensely enjoyable reading experience. As Leila immerses herself in Tess's life in preparation to take it over via Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail, she becomes increasingly attached to the task, relishing creating an imaginary life not realizing that Adrian's motivations for the identity theft are vastly different than they appear to be. After he builds up Leila's confidence, making her feel like she's something special, he asks her to perform a disturbing act: he wants her to take over the online life of Tess, a troubled woman who plans to commit suicide without letting anyone know. Among them is Red Pill's founder, Adrian.

For the first time, Leila has people who care what she thinks. Introverted nerd Leila finds a group of friends of sorts after discovering Red Pill, a Web discussion list that debates philosophical matters in a Randian fashion.

Moggach's impressive debut, a gripping psychological thriller, is all the more disturbing for its plausibility.

Kiss me first book