The start of a new year means new books. Although I can’t begin reviewing the books I already read in 2022 without closing the chapter of the ones I read last year. And Capsule by Mel Torrefranca is one of the reasons for that. It came out last summer, and I was fortunate to read an eARC of it. So prepare yourself for a deadly phone game!

Author: Mel Torrefranca Pages: 255 Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Mystery Publication: July 2021

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Synopsis:

Two students from Brookwood High School mysteriously go missing on the same night.

The first is Peter Moon, a heartless pescatarian who bashes students from Brookwood on his blog, turning everyone against him. The second is the adored Kat Pike, an audacious girl desperate to boost her adrenaline. Three days pass. No leads.

Indifferent to the disappearances, sixteen-year-old Jackie Mendoza remains immersed in her virtual world of video games and online friends.

When a menacing app by the name of Capsule downloads itself onto Jackie’s phone, she enters a game interlaced with reality. A game threatening to erase Peter and Kat forever. Only Jackie can save them now—but Capsule is the most ruthless game she’s ever played.

My review:

Capsule is a good book. I found it to be a mixture of the movies Happy Death Day and Countdown. A mysterious deadly phone app that turns real life into a game and the only way out is by beating the game while bringing three unlikely characters together.

Jackie is the chosen one. The one who will find out what happened to Peter and Kat. Although she isn’t friends with any of them. At first, everything seems like a dream. Why did the app appear on her phone? Why did she wake up last Friday? And why is Peter still alive?

The whole book is so mysterious, and the truth is revealed little by little. Even though the story is not action-packed, it lays heavily on developing the characters’ relationships with each other. They are all strangers, and it’s a slow development until they become friends. Despite that, the story doesn’t feel slow. It has a good medium pace. The story keeps moving while the characters have to deal with their feelings and their relations with each other.

Although there is more than just meets the eye. The game will bring back memories from Peter and Kat that both wanted to bury down in the past. What has changed them now will bond them together. The hard times, the pain, and the truth the three characters will share help develop an unlikely friendship that was heartwarming to read.

My only “problem” with the story is the ending. To this day, I still have some mixed feelings about it. I loved it and hated it. There are a lot of unanswered questions – enough for a sequel… maybe… *wink**wink* Although with the end of the game comes a sad reality, hopeful but sad. And that is what leaves me with a bittersweet feeling. Now, don’t go around thinking it ends badly because it’s quite the opposite. It’s a happy ending. But… not THE happy ending I wanted.

I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the story as much as I did. Usually, character-driven stories aren’t my cup of tea due to the amount of time I spend reading about the character. Although Jackie was different. I wouldn’t say she is the most lovable character, but I could relate to her, especially her gamer side, and that helped a lot.

Mel Torrefranca has proven her head can come up with some interesting stories, and I’ll be checking her other two books. If they can grab me as much as Capsule, then I’ll have another author to keep on my radar.