Standalone Saturday … Glimmer
Time for another Standalone Saturday:
Glimmer
by Phoebe Kitanidis
Balzer and Bray
April 24, 2012
Source: ARC traded with another blogger
Mature Content: the waking up naked part sounds racy, but as far as I can remember, this book is pretty PG
As I read the first chapter of Glimmer, I was hooked. A teenage couple wakes up, naked in bed together, in a strange room. They have no idea who they are, where they are, or how they got there. That’s a cool premise. I like amnesia plots. I watched a lot of soap operas growing up.
But Glimmer isn’t a straight-up amnesia story.
As I read page after page, I began to wonder what kind of book I was reading. Summer Falls, the town in which these two characters find themselves, has strange weather. Everyone who lives there is unusually happy. The teen couple (now dressed and walking around) see ghosts that no one else can see. The people in the town suddenly fall into “heat naps” when anything unpleasant happens, and when they wake up, their memories are erased. The couple learn that their names are Marshall and Elyse. She’s one of the popular kids at school, and he was visiting town with his parents, staying at the inn that Elyse’s family owns.
Beyond that, I had no idea what was going on, and began to wonder if the book was for me. But a blogger I follow — Savannah @ Books With Bite — really liked the book. I’d seen one of her status updates on Goodreads, and she called Glimmer “out-of-the-box amazing.” I like out-of-the-box. And amazing. So I kept reading. And you know what? I ended up enjoying Glimmer. It won’t be for everyone. It has a complicated plot, two POVs, and a lot of explaining to do. Even after I finished the book, not everything made perfect sense.
But I will keep my eye out for what this author does next, maybe even check out her prior book. (EDITED: Just requested it at the library — it’s called Whisper!) She has an incredible imagination and wasn’t afraid to write a trippy, original story. Glimmer takes the paranormal formula — girl discovers she has amazing powers and must learn to use them to save the world — and throws all of that straight out the window.
Glimmer is one part ghost story, one part Twilight Zone, and one part amnesia mystery, like Forgotten by Cat Patrick or Before I Go to Sleep by S. J Watson.
If you love stories about weird places and unexplained events — like the TV show Lost — then you’re definitely going to want to read it.
If you do, please come back and tell me what you thought!
This is one of my highly anticipated books this year. It sounds really awesome and the cover is gorgeous!! After your review I want to read it even more. Fantastic review!!
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did — let me know what you think!
ooo! Awesome review! I love the comparison to the twilight zone! thanks for introducing me to this book!
To me, it did have a Twilight Zone feel. Let me know if you agree.
See I liked the fact that this book transcended categories. I enjoyed the book quite a bit, but the fact that they called their parents by the first names kind of irked me. I mean I'm freaking 30 years old, and I don't call my mom by her first name even. Other than that, I liked Glimmer a lot!
I have no problem with genre-spanning books. I guess i'm just a natural categorizer and I try to figure out where things fit. But if they fit more than one place, I'm good with that!
Read your review — great points!
You have me curious and wanting to check this one out. Although I REALLY hated Lost so now I'm not too sure. lol
Try it and see!!
Glad u said that this book is not for everyone. I like the rave about it but after reading your review, I'm not sure I would get through it, but it sounds interesting enough 🙂
There are very few books out there that I'd say are for everyone — hope I helped you make up your mind!
well, maybe i'll ask to win it later… if i don't like it, i'll give it away as i always do.
This book sounds really interesting. The kind where you just want to get to the end to find out the truth.
Exactly — that's what keeps you reading!
Thanks so much for another great review Jen! I'm definitely adding this to my TBR pile! 🙂
It will be up for grabs in the March comments contest!
Very true nothing is for everyone. Even when I read books I think are amazing and awesome I can usually think of a blogger or goodreads friend that won't like it lol. But this sounds like something I would like. I'm with you, I LOVE amnesia stories! I'm also all for weird confusing Lost type stories. So I'll be picking it up sometime when I get the chance.
Sounds intriguing. If it has a twilight zone feel, then I definitely want to read it.
Let me know your thoughts after you do!
I like out-of-the-box too & I'm intrigued by "heat naps". I'm surprised I have not heard more about GLIMMER.
I really liked this one, too. The publisher sent me it unsolicited, and so with those, you just never know. It ended up being one of my most favorite reads of the month. Her previous book, "Whispers", is a bargain buy on Amazon.com right now and I am waiting to get it!
Thanks for the tip. I think she writes very interesting stuff!!
I've been wanting to read this one forever, and now I want to read it even more! Lost-like? Yes please. Amnesia? Yes, yes! Twilight-zone-esque? Um, I need this now! Great review, Jen. I need to get my hands on this one soon!
Then this book is completely up your alley!!!
Thanks for the review. I haven't heard of this one. I'll try it out and hopefully I'll like it too. 😉
I love the cover of this book, so pretty. But I have heard LOTS of mixed reviews, many of them echoing your thoughts, that it was complicated and confusing at times. I want to give it a try, based on what you and the other reviewer said about it being "out of the box." With so many paranormal's out there following the same formula, I think that would be a nice change:) Great review!