I have to say I enjoyed more this book at the beginning, when we were presented with the idea of enhanced individuals who get created trying to replicate a first one, a girl that kind of happened by accident. But then the book focuses on her escape, and there came a point in which I got tired of the fact that all that was talked about was in relation to that escape that kept on being eluded. I just wanted to know more about the characters, which the book delivered, but also think that it focused lot of pages to that escapee thingie.
Yes, I know it had to be well planed, but for me was a bit on the excesive side.
Finally, the moment came and it was like everything was moving with a fast forward speed, lots of characters and plots merged and collided and the result was great.
It was a read that I enjoyed, the characters were solid enough, quite round, and the plot was a good one. I liked the premise of this girl who discovers that all her life and all her relations have been a lie and begins to rediscover herself alongside the truth. I also enjoyed the genetics aspects of the book, and this idea of a super human wth military purposes, individuals seen as nothing more than assets and projects, and especially with the idea of a rebellion from this individuals.

This was a really well written book with fully thought out characters that come alive off the page. The story is new and fresh in a saturated genre. Highly, Highly recommend!
(IMO)Deserves a better eye catching cover for such a good book. Most guys would not even stop to read the blurb on this because of the cover. And that is a shame because they would like the work.

The prologue took my break away. ," My parents were longevity scientists. The irony is that due to their scientific breakthroughs, I know have a life expectancy of twenty-one. I just turned seventeen." She only has a short time to discovery her purpose and put it into action. Okay if that doesn't blow you away I don't know what will. Immediately I was catapulted into this world of science and mystery. The world building and character development was on point. Jocelyn Esperanza Albrecht is the new Katniss. Her discovery of self and her strength was beautiful. She is a strong female character that values people who want to run along side her. Of course this has to be a series because I want more. This book had everything it had love, friendship, self empowerment, science, and family. Jocelyn has to escape to become more of who she is meant to be. I even wanted to become friends with her. My favorite line has to be " The only thing she knew for sure was that she was someone who didn't leave her friends behind." How can I not love her!! I didn't want the book to end, my only qualm with this book is that I wish it was longer.

This will appeal to a reader wanting something between dystopian and adventure. Cool female lead. Needs the sequel soon to really get his going.

CHARACTERS

Jocelyn/Sunnie is my favourite new character! The character progress through the story was mind blowing. Going from the extremely innocent happy go-lucky girl, by the end of the book Jocelyn becomes a strong, dangerous and certainly-not-naive person. It was amazing to watch grow and understand everything that was happening around her.

I loved the Nancy-Bess-George trio of Georgie, Brittany and Lena. Its beautiful that every character in this develops through the plot. I wish the three were real because they would make amazing trustworthy friends!

Graeme is lovable. I liked her from the moment he was introduced; the moment the author shows his care for his siblings. I liked how much he cared about his family and the lengths he goes to make sure they stay safe.

Seth is lovable too! At Holliwell, Seth is Jocelyn's connection to the real world. Seth plays a huge role in her character development. Seth is the one who makes her question things and figure out the truth.

PLOT

Sunnie Cashus is a pretty regular girl. At least she thinks so. She doesn't know life outside Camp Holliwell and doesn't realize it's weird that she has to undergo a whole lot of test 'measurements' each day. She doesn't even question her environment until Sergei and Seth step in. When she learns of the truth, all she wants is to escape the Camp and find her family.

Georgie's BFF Brittany's aunt Nancy is dead. She used to work at Holliwell and the girls are sure she didn't die in an 'accident'. What Georgie uncovers about Holliwell shocks her and throws her life in a spin.

Graeme cares about his family more than anything else. When he finds out that they might be in danger and finds a connection to the Camp, he'll stop at nothing to keep his family safe.

All the characters are brough together by one thing- Camp Holliwell. Friendships are made and trusts are secured as each helps the other to face the future.

Trust me, the plot is FREAKING AWESOME.

WRITING

The writing was smooth and fast-paced. The author connects the subplots to bring up the main plot so perfectly that readers won't feel overwhelmed by the multiple stories inside. The writing is descriptive without being overtly dramatic. There aren't any exhausting info-dumps or any other kind of annoying elements.

CONCLUSION

READ THE BOOK NOW.

(More detailed review found on my blog and Goodreads)

Imagine if The Maze Runner, Alias (the TV show), the Secret World of Alex Mack (another old TV show--did I just date myself?!), and Marie Lu's Legend were all mashed up to create one story, this would be it.

What I really enjoyed about Glimmer was that it wasn't a dystopian, apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novel. The story isn't centered around a girl saving a ruined world but making the world better by not allowing injustices to happen. Also, Cerrone uses a mixed racial cast with minorities being the lead and supporting roles. I enjoyed the diversity of the characters and their personalities. It really brought the story to life with many one liners that cause me to laugh out loud which receive weird looks from strangers. No shame in my reading game.

So basically, the synopsis goes like this:
Sunnie Cashus, who later on finds out her real name is Jocelyn Albrecht, is living in Camp Holliwell, near Charlottesville, Virginia, for the past 9 years as (unknowingly) a science project for her "uncle" Laurence Cashus (one of the lead scientists at Camp Holliwell) who found her and brought her back to health when she was a child. He saved her from cancer and the side effects of her treatment transform her into this super human; super hearing, super speed, telekinesis, and super hunger (she's a growing teenager ya know). She believes she has no living family left and uncle Larry is her only family....until she realizes that's not the truth. Her entire time she believes she's a patient in this highly secured military base but soon learns otherwise. Chalk it up to teenage rebellion, she ends up seeking out the truth about who she really is and if she really is the only one left in her family. As she's used for military operations and scientific experiments, her powers become stronger but she realizes she can't trust anyone, not even uncle Larry, and who would blame her he's a total narcissist. He makes her kiss the back of his palm when she tells him she loves him, like really?! Hate that guy. She meets another patient, Seth, who volunteers himself for the same program Sunnie is in and he teaches her about the outside world she doesn't remember. A slight love interest sparks between the two which actually isn't the main focus of the story but enough to please the female reader. Seth is also a total ladies man. Throughout the story she meets other characters who either help her discover the truth or try to keep her in the dark. She's faced with a difficult decision of whether to follow orders or becoming an enemy of the US government.

Glimmer is definitely a fast pace read. You don't want to put the book down because you don't want to miss out on anything! Also, there are a lot of characters involved, like...a lot. Which didn't necessarily overwhelm me as a reader because, 1. you're given a cast list at the very beginning (which I had to turn to often to remember who was who) and 2. their stories are somehow connected.
The novel is written from the point of view of Sunnie, Seth, Georgie, and Graeme. There are also third person point of views to fill the reader in on the other characters like Laurence, Dominique, Alastair and Richie. This was really helpful seeing as there were so many stories combine, the reader could have easily been confused.

I think the only thing I disliked about Glimmer was that the ending was slightly short (also, what happens to Medina?! Like we just left him there, hanging....). There's this entire lead up to Sunnie's escape and then the end is just like, "oh they eat steak together, the end". Come on!!!! You've gotta give us a little more detail like what happens when she finds her siblings, does she end up living a semi-normal life, does Ramstein come full force looking for her? What happpppeeeennnsss?!

All in all I enjoyed my time reading Glimmer. I think it was well written and it kept the reader engaged. I am glad my Netgalley request was approved. Tricia Cerrone, you are on my radar now. Good job!

"Glimmer" is the story of Sunnie, a 16 year old girl whose parents died when she was young and now lives with her uncle- and she is an h-plus or enhanced human. She can see across large distances, hear quiet/far away sounds, move objects with her mind, and run very fast. She's been working on developing more skills such as force fields and generating high heat from her body. She is being tested for her skills when she meets a boy like her named Seth. He challenges her and makes her question her seemingly OK life. She finds out Starbucks is a chain and there are loads of movies and pop culture she doesn't know. As the veil lifts from her life she learns that she is a science experiment, her siblings are still alive, and the people she thought loved her are just using her and are very mean.

Sunnie (actually Jocelyn) begins to look for ways out of the life she's always known. Connections begin to be traced between her, a local girl named Georgie who believes in doing the right thing and is enlisted to help Jocelyn, and Graeme, a boy with too much money and free time who is a "brother" top her siblings. We bounce between the three viewpoints easily in a way that enhances rather than detracts from the story, and I imagine these three will be featured in future books of this series.

Overall, it's a captivating action/thriller with all sorts of spies, advanced technology, and military fights/action. It would be easy to imagine as a movie and descriptions/flow are amazingly well timed to keep the suspense. Parts of story made me roll my eyes (Sunnie is pretty naive but who wouldn't be in such a sheltered life) but I could not stop the book until the end and overall enjoyed it. I'll be looking forward to more in this series and following Jocelyn's adventures in the future. Without saying much (to avoid spoilers), the ending leaves a few questions but could also be a satisfying ending to the story (not a cliffhanger which many will appreciate).

Please note that I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

It's rare that a book surprises me with how good it is, but Glimmer did exactly that. Here's a book that I saw while perusing Netgalley and it was a read now type, so I thought why not? I am so glad I hit that button.

Sunnie has never know life outside of Holliwell - a government facility that has all the makings of a small town, including Starbucks. Here she is taken care of by her "Uncle". She has virtually no memory of her life before coming to Holliwell, just that her parents and siblings died leaving only her. And that she has cancer - or so she's told.

Turns out everything Sunnie has ever been told is a lie - including her name. She's actually Jocelyn Albrecht and her parents were world renowned bio-technologists whose greatest accomplishment no resides inside their daughter. Holliwell isn't the treatment center Jocelyn thinks it is, it's actually her prison. Keeping her there while her so-called uncle runs test after test on her. It's when they turn to torture that Jocelyn starts to realize something is wrong. With the help of people she meets along the way, Jocelyn decides that it's time for freedom and starts to plot her escape.

Along with Jocelyn, this story is rich with other characters. There's Seth, the other "experiment" kept locked away at Holliwell. He's the one who really kick starts all of her questioning. There's Georgie, whom Jocelyn befriends on one of her allowed outings to the local movie theater. Then there's Graeme who she randomly meets while he's trying to uncover the secrets locked away at Holliwell - not knowing he's met one.

All of these people, along with others *ahem*Sergei*ahem*, just add to this plot. At times the amount of story lines and histories did get a little convoluted, but once you're able to separate them and see that they are all meaningful in a way, they just add that much more.

Told at an incredibly fast pace that keeps you on your toes, Glimmer shows the fine line that's walked between humanity and science. I can't wait to see what happens next.

GLIMMER
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.



* * * * *



I used to think that the young adult genre was only for kids. I am glad that I have had that preconceived notion blown out of the water as some of the freshest ideas and best stories I have found in the last few years are considered to be young adult. I will never turn my nose up at this genre again.



Now the idea behind GLIMMER of a super soldier is one that has been around for a while. What makes this book really shine is the superb job that Ms. Cerrone has done with characterization. She really takes her readers inside of these teens.


Jocelyn Albrecht, or Sunny as she is known at Holliwell, has always been easy going and appreciative of the care that her 'uncle' takes of her. It isn't until she meets Seth that she starts to questions her life and it doesn't add up. She might have been trained as a super soldier but her inner goodness is what draws people like Georgie, Seth and Graeme to her cause.



I shudder when I think of some of the training methods that Sunny is forced to undergo. Her uncle truly is a master at manipulating people and to subject a young girl to such is so beyond wrong that I can't put it into words. GLIMMER really highlights the fact that we do allow sociopaths into positions of authority where they can abuse their power.



I would recommend GLIMMER to any of my readers who enjoy sci-fi that is based more of the people rather than the science and to any of my readers who enjoy young adult. And if you haven't checked out the young adult genre, why not? Great stories without all the sex.



*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

Loved this read! This is definitely a book that I will recommend to librarians of middle school and high school media centers. I thought the story was excellent. I especially love that the author did not find it necessary to use an abundance of foul language. The story came across well without it, and the action left me wanting to toss all of my responsibilities to continue reading.

It took me a long time to get into this book...like, almost half the book! But once I was in, I was in pretty big (because I am aware of the fact that "bigly," though used by the President-Elect, is NOT, in fact, a word). It's a super interesting story line, what with the "curing" her which kills her from a disease they gave her kinda thing. I liked that the characters seemed plausible, if a little too conveniently juxtaposed to one another. And I loved the setting in the Eastern US...lovely descriptions of things I don't see much.

However, what a build up! I felt like the set-up and explanation of the story took for-eh-ver! And why can't any female characters in these types of books be average looking? I am exhausted from imagining the latest hot girl...especially since this one has blue-tinged skin and no hair at one point. Why can't she be attractive because she is a badass and pretty smart? See what I did there? "Pretty" smart! Heh heh.

Otherwise, a good read with promising sequels full of action.

I've read a lot of YA fiction novels, but this one definitely stood apart in my mind! I loved every minute of it and could not put it down! There are so many things that the author did right, so I'm just going to list them all out!

Character development: This was one of the best things about this novel. The main character sounds like a naive child at first, but as more and more becomes revealed to her, she takes on so much depth and becomes as cognizant and as mature as an adult. Her journey to that point makes complete sense as you read about her experiences, and it makes you love her all the more. All of the other characters also have their different personalities, each with complex layers that grow and shift throughout the narrative. This made the story that much more compelling to read. The one thing I will say is that the character of Georgie could have had a little more work done; she just came off as a random do-gooder, with nothing to really make her stand out. If she was given just a tad bit more depth, it would have made the story even better than it already is! The only other objection I have is to the description of Sunnie as "hot". I'm sure she is, but it was just so .... unnecessary, and it just made the novel seem a bit childish at times. It also didn't fit with her character, who is so innocent and sweet.
The plot: This is one of those stories where everything works and everything makes sense. While it is fast-paced, I never once found myself confused by the avenue that the author took with the book. All of the explanations for things fit within the framework the author created, and this allowed me to just enjoy the novel! It was also extremely fast in its pace - so much happened in this one book that I couldn't even imagine what would be left for the sequel! The action scenes, dialogue, and overall flow of the novel was great.
The science stuff: The author did not spend too much time or detail explaining the scientific mechanisms behind everything. Which is actually a good thing, in this case. If she had, it would have slowed down the whole story and it wouldn't have added anything useful to it. It also allowed the author to have some free reign over how creative she wanted to be in her depictions of experimentation; the more details that are given, the more you need to stick to the actual facts of biology and physics. By glossing over them, the author kept the story tight and focused, while still making it appealing enough for sci-fi fans.
Overall, this novel was great. It was action-packed, and had a whole host of amazing characters. It is definitely one of the more memorable YA books I have read, and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out!

**I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This book was just what I needed to get over my book slump! The book is told in multiple points of view. Each character's story is completely different, yet they are all woven into the same plot. With each character, you discover a different piece of the puzzle, and it all comes together in a great way. The author has a great writing technique and knows how to keep you on your toes the entire time. There were so many interesting characters in this story (Sunnie, Lena, Georgie, just to name a few) I don't know who I would choose as my favorite. This book focuses not only on the present but also gives you great back stories for the characters as well, especially Sunnie and how she came to have certain abilities.

MoMo’s Book Diary recommends this amazing novel as a 5 star read.                   

Incredible!

Glimmer is a lengthy book, but a well told story. I was captivated from the start and found myself unable to switch off the light and go to bed – a definite page turner!  The characters are well-developed and believable - even those who were human-enhanced.
It is an action thriller aimed at young adults but I could totally relate, although I am certainly not a young reader! It will leave you begging for more. I can't wait to read more of this series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book which I would not have otherwise picked up.

Glimmer By Tracia Carrone is a sci-fi and fantasy and teens ya read.
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.
An absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. Loved Jocelyn. She was my favourite character. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

I loved the plot and the main character was heart- warming. I found myself really connecting with her as well as other characters. She was very loving and child-like with a joy in the beginning that was touching. However, I also loved how the character grew and became stronger and more dimensional. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

Interesting and creative plot basis, with a wide variety of characters and motives. I was confused some by all the switching between groups of people in time and space, but overall was very interested to see where the story led.