Traumaland by Josh Silver book review: A YA dystopian thriller to give Black Mirror a run for its money
How far would you go to get your memories back?
Traumaland by Josh Silver: The key details
- Publish date: 8th May 2025
- Genre: Thriller/Young adult
- Publisher: Rock the Boat
- Series/standalone: Standalone
- Length: 374 pages
Blurb: Seventeen-year-old Eli has been in a near-fatal car crash. As the anniversary looms, his therapist and family struggle to help him deal with the fall out. The accident has left him emotionally numb, with no memory of the months following the crash.
Desperate to feel something again, Eli winds up at an underground club called Traumaland. But this is no ordinary nightclub. Here he joins crowds of other emotionally numb people, all seeking to experience a new thrill by entering virtual reality simulations of nightmarish scenarios through the points of view of various characters.
When he enters the story of a boy called Jack, he discovers a darker truth to the club. A truth that sets Eli on a dangerous journey to find the source of his own trauma.
Traumaland by Josh Silver: The review
What can I say about Josh Silver’s Traumaland other than… wow? This is a story that gives even the best episodes of Black Mirror a run for their money. Silver has crafted a dark and believable thriller that takes us ever so slightly past our own reality – but only just. What we’ve got is a gripping, gut-wrenching thrill ride that you just have to keep turning the pages of.
Traumaland is the story of Eli, a teenager who was involved in a traumatic car accident some months before. Or so he was told. The thing is, Eli can’t remember anything that happened. His memories of that time come from what his therapist and his family tell him. He also hasn’t felt any emotion since the accident, and he’s desperate to feel something – anything – again.
In his quest to feel, Eli learns of a place called Traumaland. It’s an underground nightclub of sorts, one that allows users to tap into virtual reality experiences by donning a headset. Supposedly fictional, these virtual reality stories are raw, often shocking, and are designed to make the users feel a range of emotions. But when he sees himself in one of the apparent stories, Eli realises something is wrong. Maybe his reality isn’t quite what he thought it was — and he’s determined to find out the truth.
This is technically a young adult (YA) novel, but don’t let that put you off if it’s not your usual type of book. I normally don’t enjoy YA, finding it too simplistic compared to adult thrillers, but Traumaland is crafted so well, with such a dark, gripping story that I flew through it. I couldn’t put it down. It’s surprisingly emotional — Eli is clearly troubled, but I quickly came to care for him. The other characters in the story? Maybe not, but not because they’re not well-written; quite the opposite, in fact. Silver has done a fantastic job of making a world where you don’t know who you can trust, and trust me: you’ll be questioning everything as you make your way through this book.
Traumaland is well worth your time if you enjoy Black Mirror-style dystopian storytelling. I loved it: it was my first time reading Josh Silver, but it won’t be my last.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Traumaland for the purposes of this review.
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