Marcelo Marçal’s DISCONNECTED is an ambitious speculative thriller that explores the seductive promise and hidden cost of total digital immersion. The central character in this story is Amanda Buckland, a young journalist who is granted an exclusive with the pioneering platform known as "Real One." This gives her insight into the effects of technology going beyond the entertainment medium—to the point where it replaces our sensory experience of the real world. The users are able to see, feel, taste, and move around within the hyper-reality of a completely new world via a neural implant. This plot development creates instant high stakes for the story.

Marçal’s strongest asset is his worldbuilding. RealOne is not presented as a vague futuristic backdrop but as a fully realized ecosystem with corporate structures, research facilities, virtual cities, and internal social hierarchies. The technological premise is detailed and internally consistent, lending credibility to the speculative framework. The author clearly understands the allure of immersive technology and carefully portrays how easily convenience, pleasure, and innovation can overshadow caution.

Amanda’s first-person narration provides immediacy and accessibility. As both observer and participant, she serves as an effective conduit for reader curiosity. Her growing emotional involvement with the platform’s creator adds a human dimension to the technological spectacle. The novel’s structural progression—from grounded reality to increasingly blurred boundaries—mirrors Amanda’s psychological journey and reinforces the book’s central themes about identity, perception, and ethical compromise.

While the execution is generally strong, it does not always produce consistent results. At times, the pace of the story is slowed down by long explanations from characters who detail how the platform works or what the philosophies behind it are. These passages help explain the stakes at play, but they also sometimes disrupt the tension present in the narrative. In addition, while some dialogue is functional, much of it feels unnatural; certain phrases used to express characters' thoughts seem too formal, almost like translations, and detract from the overall sense of being in a world that is very current. Meanwhile, the romance subplot is timely and appropriate for the themes present, but it occurs relatively quickly and may lack sufficient depth for many readers who want to experience a stronger emotional connection to the story.

Although there are many areas where this work is less than successful in terms of providing a cohesive and engaging narrative, it does create many interesting and thought-provoking questions regarding our reliance on technology and how we want to surpass our limitations. It's clear that Marçal has many creative ideas and is concerned about the issues that are now prevalent in the digital world. Fans of high-concept techno-thrillers that explore philosophical implications of technology will find the scope and ambition of this work impressive, even if the craftsmanship does not always match its ambition.

Marcelo Marçal’s DISCONNECTED pairs an imaginative, high-stakes virtual-world concept with vivid settings and escalating intrigue. Although exposition-heavy stretches and uneven dialogue occasionally blunt its momentum, readers seeking a fast-moving techno-suspense story with big ideas will likely find it worthwhile.

~ Felix Metiagi for IndieReader