Tricia Cerrone's "GLIMMER: The Black Swan Files 001" is a dystopian thriller that skillfully weaves together suspense, intrigue, and a hauntingly plausible vision of a dark future. This four-star novel is a compelling journey into the shadows of a society teetering on the brink of collapse, driven by clandestine organizations and powerful secrets.

Cerrone's world-building is nothing short of remarkable, creating a dystopian landscape that feels both familiar and terrifyingly plausible. The intricate details of the Black Swan Files, the clandestine organization at the heart of the story, are unveiled with precision, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they navigate a web of deception, betrayal, and high-stakes conspiracies.

The protagonist, whose journey serves as the narrative's backbone, is a complex and compelling character. As they navigate the morally ambiguous terrain of a world gone awry, readers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster, torn between sympathy and suspicion. Cerrone's ability to craft multifaceted characters adds depth to the narrative, making the unfolding events even more gripping.

The pacing of "GLIMMER" is relentless, with each chapter delivering a new revelation or twist that propels the story forward. The tension is palpable, and the author masterfully maintains a sense of urgency throughout the novel. The intricate plot is complemented by Cerrone's engaging writing style, which seamlessly blends descriptive prose with sharp dialogue, creating an immersive reading experience.

While the story is undeniably captivating, a few moments of exposition can feel slightly overwhelming. Some readers may find themselves grappling with the sheer amount of information presented, requiring a careful reading to fully grasp the intricacies of the plot. However, for those who enjoy untangling complex narratives, this depth of detail may be a welcomed challenge.

Clearly, this is a dystopian thriller that delivers on its promises of suspense, mystery, and a chilling vision of the future. Tricia Cerrone's ability to create a richly layered world filled with intriguing characters sets this novel apart. With its relentless pacing and skillful storytelling, "GLIMMER" is a must-read for fans of the genre, offering a thought-provoking exploration of the consequences of unchecked power and the blurred lines between heroes and villains in a world on the brink.

This sadly didn't work for me. I found the story to be rather forgettable. Maybe if I had read this years ago when I was younger it would have worked out better for me.

Unfortunately it was a DNF for me. The characters were fine, but it just didn't grab me enough to keep reading.

A book about a young female Infected by the biotechnology her parents sought to develop, she has become human enhanced—an H+. That is what caught my eye. And this book did not disappoint, it is very entertaining.
Camp Holliwell is not an everyday government place. When you go there and work to sign up is to mean all secrets. And they have their own little town that Jocelyn trains in with army government officials and go on special missions. But when Jocelyn starts questioning things about herself and her family.. That is when things start getting a little crazy. Seth takes on the job at camp Holliwell and trains with Jocelyn which they actually call project Sunday. But Seth to starts realizing things aren't what they seem. When Jocelyn meets Georgie at the movie theater she finds a way out and seeks help from her. Graeme just wants to find out all the secrets about government and why it connects with his family. I won't giveaway anything more... But what everyone goes through in this book is just wow.

This topic is no longer of interest to me and I will not be finishing this book.

This book was AMAZING! It sucked me in front the first page and kept me hooked all the way through the end! There was non-stop action and adventure, romance, innocence, friendships, mystery suspense and secret government agencies. Who could ask for more?! Loved it and can't wait to share it with everyone!

GLIMMER: The Black Swan Files 001
by Tricia Cerrone (Goodreads Author)
Paperback, 434 pages
Published May 26th 2015 by Stone Media, Inc.


Goodreads synopsis:
The Black Swan Files begin…
At certain moments in history, when several impossible-to-predict events collide, they create what’s known as a Black Swan—an event that can change how we look at science, technology, even our history. Jocelyn Albrecht is one such Black Swan. Infected by the biotechnology her parents sought to develop, she has become human enhanced—an H+.
The accident that gave Jocelyn new powers also killed her family. In their place she is raised at Camp Holliwell by her "uncle”—a government funded scientist—and his league of doctors who study and test Jocelyn daily in the hopes of learning how to replicate her. The military has another goal in mind—to make her an asset.
After losing one family and the home where she belonged, Jocelyn strives to keep her Holliwell family happy, as odd as they might be. That is until she finds out the truth…Uncle Laurence is using her as a guinea pig, her brother and sister are still alive, and she doesn’t have long to live.
Now Jocelyn only cares about finding her real family. The problem—breaking out of a highly classified, military facility before the next experiment kills her.
Seth Johnson had nothing left to lose when he volunteered to go to Camp Holliwell. Now he would do anything to get out. He wants to help Jocelyn escape, but with a target on both of them, survival means he needs to look out for number one.
Georgie Washington is a straight A student and only child of middle class Virginians. Raised on civil rights and the horrors of American slavery, Georgie has a keen sense of what’s right and what’s not. She secretly befriends Jocelyn, and when no one else will help, commits to breaking her out of Camp Holliwell.
Graeme Rochester knows something is wrong, he just hasn’t figured out the connection to his family. One thing he does know—he would do anything to keep them safe. When the world at Camp Holliwell threatens that safety, Graeme wants to know why, even if it means a collision course with the government’s best-kept secret.
These four people, from vastly different worlds, learn the true meaning of friendship and sacrifice when unpredictable events once again collide, and create the possibility of another Black Swan.

***

5 Stars

Let’s start this by saying THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME. GO AND READ IT! Best book (and series) of the year for me by far.

When Jocelyn was young her parents infected her with one of their experimental serums during the accident that ultimately got them killed She survived and thought her family was dead. Her uncle Lawrence had her best intentions at heart, or so she thought. The accident gave Jocelyn super-ish powers and Lawrence wanted to duplicate those powers in others by using Jocelyn’s DNA. Even after 11 years he still hadn’t perfected the process. And Jocelyn was an unknowing captive for her entire life.

Then Lawrence’s plan begins to fall apart when Jocelyn meets another super soldier named Seth. This sweet talking southerner opens Jocelyn’s eyes and she begins to realize that the Haliwell facility isn’t her home but her prison.

Jocelyn decides to test the theory that the air outside the facility is poison to her. During this jail break, she meets Gerogie. Georgie introduces her to real friendship and when she is brought back to Haliwell, the two still manage to keep in contact through Georgie’s job at the local movie theatre.

Not long later, Jocelyn discovers that her brother and sister whom she thought long dead may actually be alive. And during an info gathering mission, she attracts the attention of her sibling’s half brother.

I haven’t given too many books five stars but this one deserves it. It pressed all the buttons for me and I was completely engaged while reading it. This book definitely has movie or tv series written all over it. The plot was entertaining and kept me guessing. I loved the characters that were added along the way putting the right spice to this delicious recipe. I couldn’t wait to read book two and purchased it immediately.

I can’t remember where I came across this book but it was definitely my number one pick of the year thus far. Really excellent stuff. Highly recommended.

I had been in what I felt like was a reading slump for two years and this book helped me bust through that malaise. I am so grateful to the author fore such awesomeness. You are a true inspiration.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from Net Galley in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This was a fun science fiction book that I think my boys in my classroom will enjoy. It was suspenseful and had twists and turns that left you asking for more. I enjoyed this book!

As a long time reader, once in a while, I will find a story and an author that truly catches my attention. That is what “Glimmer” by Tricia Cerrone has become for me. It’s sci-fi/fantasy, a genre that I have loved since I started reading fiction. But, it is also YA, a genre that I have a love-hate relationship with.

The book follows Jocelyn Albright, an orphan in her teen years who lives with her uncle in a military base. It sounds so normal on paper. With Jocelyn having been raised there, she did not know that her life is so far from normal.

That is, until she met Seth, who was also in his teens and introduced Jocelyn to James Bond and Andrew Dufresne, two iconic yet fictional characters. From there, Jocelyn began to realize that people who live outside the military base lead a very different life from her.

Set in in today’s world, “Glimmer,” though it had a very sinister tone also has a lot of laugh out loud funny moments. Cerrone used James Bond and Disney movie characters as comic relief. It was Jocelyn’s reactions to them that made her very real and very relatable. She became three-dimensional.

In fact, almost all the characters in Glimmer, no matter how small their role might be are well-developed, proving that Cerrone is very adept in her craft.

Case in point, the ending has a conclusion, not a cliffhanger. So, you feel that you went through the journey with Jocelyn. But, there is also a promise of new adventures and of better things to come in the ending. Knowing early on that this a series, I truly cannot wait for the next installment to see what happens to Jocelyn next.

Glimmer is Rated T for Teens for some violence. There are no sex scenes in this book.

I wasn't sure I'd like Glimmer, but instead, I love it! H+, a human plus some. Sunnie, aka Jocelyn has been tweaked, or rather, experimented on. She's not exactly all human anymore. She has spent many years like this, and didn't think too much of it, until she met a boy, Seth. Ahhh! Then, her perception start to change. Is she safe, or is she a prisoner?

This is the tip of the story! Just a tiny part. What we have here is a super story, a good book, with plenty of characters to love or hate, and developments of relationships, and the whole human or non-human aspects and.. it rocks!

My copy came from Net Galley. I wasn't required to leave a review, I wanted to. My thoughts are all my own, and my opinions are too!

Unfortunately, I tried reading this book and couldn't get into it. The writing is well done and there is action almost right off the bat, but I just couldn't get into it. Thank you for a copy to read.

While I started with really high hopes for this book, it ended up being far more disappointing than I expected. Cliche, stilted, and a rough book to get through!

Glimmer kept me wanting to read more. Kept me on the edge of my seat.

This was a very powerful story. Sunny's life isn't all she thought it was. Not knowing she was being raised as a test subject for years and then finding out there's a whole world out there. I really enjoyed reading this story.

At first I felt off balance with the introduction of what seemed like quite a few people. But at about 23% of my kindle reading, I began to get a pretty good grasp. I began to see why they were part of the story. It was starting to get pretty intense and I got pulled into the emotions of how wrong everything was that was happening to Jocelyn a.k.a Sunnie. And her" Uncle"? What a control freak, it was all about how important he was. Even in their "home" he was rigidly O.C.D. Her life was so controlled that even her memories have been suppressed. Creepy but a really clever story. Her life was so controlled, she didn't even know she was controlled because it was all that she has know. But several things happen in a very short time that begin to really open her eyes to the truth that she is a prisoner. One that had a very short shelf life. Her "uncle" wasn't the only one who was fighting for control of the experiments that they wanted to run on her. She was just a lab rat to many but she is slowly gathering people who care about her. Seth is another lab rat who figures in the story really well. He does what he has to be able to survive but along the way he also helps Sunnie toughen up and get more street smarts along the way. There is also a good cast of secondary characters who . spice up the story. Sergei was another one as well as Graeme, you have to read the book to find out who they are and what there part is in the story. There is plenty of military and medical, intense action throughout. One statement that was made stuck with me. It had to do with what was being done to Sunnie since she had no freedom. The person said, this isn't science, its medical slavery.
I have to say this book was so well written and once it got rolling I couldn't put it down.

On the last page of the book, the reason for the title of the book becomes clear. And I like the fact that it was explained that it was "The End...for now"