Rating: 
Summary: A must read for anyone who's wished for a way out.
Review: "I like to consider myself apart from the whole earth. There is no dignity left. I would like to be able to float away with my books and music and my guitar. It just seems to me that there are few people left with any integrity, and two of them happen to be my favorite writer and my favorite musician. I do too much thinking for my own good. I compose poetry in my head, but it won't come out right on paper. It's depressing. I dream too much also. I have so many ambitions, and I am crushed when I realize how very few will ever be achieved . . ." This is an excerpt from one of my favorite passages in Virtual Mode. If this girl's thoughts sound familiar, you should read this book. I have never felt the shock of recognition in a book character quite as strongly as I did when I "met" Colene. The Mode premise is an fresh take on a common alternate reality theme. There are some good minor characters, although Anthony tends to oversimplify them. Virtual Mode is a good book, but what makes it exceptional is Anthony's portrayal of Colene. This is a must read for anyone (particularly women) who knows what it's like to be a seriously depressed or suicidal teenager.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost a Virtual (Com)Mode
Review: A plain vanilla, unimaginative tale. I recommend this only for teenagers and not for any one looking for elaborate, complex storylines. The story is basically girl hates world, girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl and boy try to find each other, girl and boy are captured by a truly nasty person who is bent on domination of all realities. If you are squeamish about blood, you might also want to skip this book or at least skip those parts. I am planning to read the next two installments since I purchased them already. I do like Piers Anthony but this is not aimed at his more mature readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Piers Anthony - capturing a modern time
Review: After reading " Dragon on a pedestal" a few years back, I found it very difficult to put a Piers Anthony novel down. Now I have read many of his Xanth series books, and have just started the Mode series, starting with " Virtual mode ". Basically the book captures these crazy time so well, and even if we find some of it disturbing, it is obvious to me that this is true. Perhaps it's not true that men fall out of the sky and claim to be the Cyng of halughter or whatever all the time, but the girl and her suicidal thoughts, how this made her feel wanted. I suppose that this appealed to many young girls who read this and thought, ' well maybe things will get better after all. I don't think the book's going to save the world, but it will ease a few minds here and there. Now, it's time for me to reach into my wallet and by Fractal mode, what happens after they cross that last mode line-eh?
Rating: 
Summary: Not for me, but not intended to be, either
Review: As a longtime fan of Piers Anthony, I wasn't overly impressed with this book, or the remainder of the series (although I haven't read it all yet, and I do intend to finish it). I didn't feel drawn into the characters, and the story itself didn't enthrall me. However, this may be mainly because I am not the target audience for this series; judging by other reader reviews I have read, adolescent females feel a very strong bond to the lead character, and the book seems to touch thier emotions on a very personal level. I feel this is one of Anthony's strengths, the ability to write very specifically to his audience, and reach them completely, even if this lowers the appeal for others. If you are not an adolescent female, or have not been one, this may not be the book for you. However, it may provide some insight into what motivates and interests today's female youth.
Rating:
Summary: Virtually amazing!
Review: Fascinating! The possibility of other Modes and realities was startling and eye-opening. Anytime I need to, I can escape into one of those realities simply by reading the MODE series which beings with an attention-grabbing first book. This book grabs you and never relinquishes it's hold!!
Rating:
Summary: I've read the whole series three times!
Review: I admit, at first I was disturbed by the sexual content in this book and the relationship between a 26 year old man and a 14 year old girl. After getting to know Colene, however, I began to relate to her, and I could see exactly how she was feeling and why she did the risky things she did. It took me longer to relate to the age difference; it was a true challenge. This truely is a MATURE book, and it takes a little maturity to understand. In no way is the Colene-Darius relationship "sick" or "perverted." In fact, it is quite the opposite: a portrayal of two people who are deeply in love, willing to go to the ends of the Earth for each other...and willing to wait. If you understand Darius's culture, you will understand his attraction for Colene. But Darius is not a pervert for being attracted to Colene when his culture accepts it. In fact, I have the deepest respect for Darius because of his amazing sense of control over these feelings. I felt that all the characters in this story were strong and respectable, despite the flaws that makes them real. I truely think Anthony was making a statement, and some people have missed it. I know that reading the series has made me a better person and pulled me out of many depressive slumps. On a less defensive approach, I absolutely loved this book, and all the books in the series. I love the plot and I love the characters. I've read the series three times, each time hoping there will be a fourth book coming out when I finish the third. With the characters traveling a path through millions of alternate realities, there is no limit to the adventures they can have.
Rating:
Summary: This book was written skillfully and beautifly
Review: I did not give it a ten because I have read his other books and while this is not his best it is enjoyable and entertainingI love books with unrequinted love .But a book that mentions suicide isvery dreary. I give this book 4 stars ****
Rating: 
Summary: gag, gag, gag
Review: I eagerly approached this book as my sister, an Anthony fan, had been tooting his praise for some time. This was my first taste. Well, yuck! Does anyone have an antidote? This guy would embarrass a romance novel writer. How anyone would find the pathetic 14 year old, sexually active, suicidal, heroine, Colene, or the sanctimonious hero, Darius, interesting is beyond me. I can't imagine to whom this book is aimed. Certainly it is not for children as hardly a paragraph goes by without mention of sex and/or personal hygiene. Neither is the tone of the book aimed at normal adults. It must be aimed at Anthony fans who may give him a pass. Yuck!
Rating:
Summary: gag, gag, gag
Review: I eagerly approached this book as my sister, an Anthony fan, had been tooting his praise for some time. This was my first taste. Well, yuck! Does anyone have an antidote? This guy would embarrass a romance novel writer. How anyone would find the pathetic 14 year old, sexually active, suicidal, heroine, Colene, or the sanctimonious hero, Darius, interesting is beyond me. I can't imagine to whom this book is aimed. Certainly it is not for children as hardly a paragraph goes by without mention of sex and/or personal hygiene. Neither is the tone of the book aimed at normal adults. It must be aimed at Anthony fans who may give him a pass. Yuck!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely loved the book
Review: I have read all of Piers Anthony's Xanth sieries and I liked them. So when my friend recomended my reading Anthony's Mode sieries, I was willing to give it a try. I'm glad I took her advice because I absolutely LOVED it. The Main character, Colene, was very life like. She wasn't TO perfact. She had flaws. The hero, Darius, was somewhat boring. He didn't really have any flaws. Other than being to stupid to try to get Colene to go with him in the first place. He could have been slightly better. The secondary characters, Seqiro and Prothos, were very well written. I think that Anthony's portrayel of Prothos' memory of the future was very good. I think Anthony's portrayel of Seqiro was also very good. He made Seqiro have some human qualities, but kept some of his horse qualities. I think this book was well written. It had only a few bad places and tose were fixed in his next mode books. I can't WAIT for Anthony's Next book in the Mode series, DoOon Mode. I expect it to be just as good as all his other books.
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