Glimmer

Sunny's story is compelling. As a character she is interesting and full of conflicting traits. She is innocent yet has tremendous power. She is kind yet lethal. Her life has been a lie and she has been manipulated at every turn. She was told her family all died in an accident when she was little and now she lives with her Uncle who cares for her while working and living on a military base /science laboratory. A perk of his employment is the treatment of Sunny's cancer. Side effects of this treatment are what gave her the superhuman abilities. At least that's what her Uncle would have her believe. But Sunny never had cancer and she isn't under treatment. She is being studied, tested, and trained. Sunny is oblivious to this until she meets Seth, another teen with extraordinary abilities. He and another prisoner, a Russian scientist, help Sunny realize that she is really a prisoner and her Uncle is not so caring, but rather diabolical.

YA readers will love this book. The plot is full of twists and turns, conspiracy theories, and lots of action. Written with snappy dialogue and thrilling action sequences, Glimmer kept me hooked to the very end. I can't wait to read more, because I'm sure this isn't the end to Sunny's story.

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.

I received an ARC for an honest review. I give this book a 5 star review. This rarely happens with me. It takes an amazing piece of work to do that, and this book delivers that. It is not a short book by any means. It is definitely worth the read. I will add Trisha Cerrone to my favorite list of authors.

The book is well written. Character development was great, from the main characters to the support characters. It made the story quite believable. It has a fairly fast pace, but not too fast. Sunny/Jocelyn is a really likable character and you really feel her pain. The tie in to the movies thrown in was just marvelous, as it was my favorite movie of all time.

Once she meets Seth and starts piecing together the story of her real identity and life.. the changes Sunny goes through are just amazing. If you are a fan of tech books, YA books, dystopian books, you must really read this book, it is unique. I am trying to review it without giving away the plot and it is really hard because I want to go into details because it is really amazing work. I can't wait for more... And I will read more of her books... Kudos Tricia Cerrone for making me fall in love with this world!

*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book was amazing. I loved the plot and the lengths that the author went to to ensure that the plot and characters were authentic. The detail incorporated into the book was amazing. I loved all of the characters in particular Jocelyn, Seth and Graeme. I enjoyed reading about Jocelyn's development as a character as she unraveled the lies that made up her life and the intricate plot of the institution and government. I just wish there was more as the ending, while wrapping things up well, could have been expanded on a bit more. I really wanted to read about Jocelyn's reunion with her brother and sister and about her reaction as well as Graeme's when it was revealed that their brother and sister were one and the same. I really hope there is a sequel. Overall, this was a great book that blended sci-fi with a dash of romance and a lot of page-turning action.

'Glimmer' is a really really interesting and quite engaging book. I have to admit the first couple of chapters did have me a tad confused for a moment but as soon as I emerged on the other side of these, I could not put this book down. I had to know what was going to happen to Sunnie.
Sunnie (really Jocelyn Albrecht) thinks she is being kept safe in a military camp because she is seriously ill but in reality she has become a government experiment. Surviving the fallout of an accident that killed her scientist parents, she has developed quite incredible powers; powers her supposed 'uncle' is willing to do anything to exploit even potentially dissecting her after she is dead. She is surrounded by people in Camp Holliwell who appear on the surface to be caring deeply for her but in reality they are all her jailers.
Along come a cast of characters who end up becoming key parts of Jocelyn's story in a positive way. Seth Johnson, a young man who is being experimented on as well catches the interest of Jocelyn as he helps her experience her first kiss and encourages her to find a way out. Georgie Washington, a teenage girl from the nearby town, meets Jocelyn by chance and commits herself to finding any way possible to get Jocelyn out of Camp Holliwell. Graeme Rochester, a part of a wealthy family who by chance have adopted Jocelyn biological siblings (who she does not know survived as well), stumbles into Jocelyn's life and becomes another part of her escape plan. This book is full of characters that you either want to beat over the head or cheer on for every action they take. The baddies are truly super villains - I really hated them and wanted them to pay for what they were doing to Sunnie and other victims of Camp Holliwell's experiments.
Jocelyn or Sunnie is such an appealing character with a strong sense of integrity. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in her world and can't wait to see what awaits her in the next installment. (There had better be a next installment.) This author knows how to tell a story - 'Glimmer' is a must read book for young adults (and any other kind of adult.)

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.

I would like the start this review by saying I am RIDICULOUSLY impressed with this book. I've not enjoyed a YA book, as much as I've enjoyed this, in a long while. I loved the concept, the characters, the writing, everything. This book contains super-powers, conspiracies, betrayal, and sleuthing. It pretty much checks off everything I would want in a science fiction.

The main character, Sunday, lives in a government facility with her uncle. Due to an experiment gone awry, she has super-powers that the government desperately wants replicated. She undergoes testing daily, but somehow still manages to live comfortably, satisfied with her unique arrangement. That is, until she meets Seth and Sergei, two people being held prisoner by the government. She begins to realize her life is a lie, and that her uncle isn't the man she thought he was.

This book was full of characters that all play pivotal roles in each others fate, whether they all realize it or not. I, surprisingly, loved every single one. Georgie and Brittany are high school juniors who live in the town just outside the government facility, and, after the death of Brittany's aunt, find themselves investigating the facility and her aunt's death. Graeme is a genius student who stumbles upon the conspiracy, as well, after a government official tied to his father dies in a suspicious car accident. Despite the characters' young ages, all of them are interesting and well-rounded, and not at all immature like you might expect from a YA novel.

I will admit this book gets dangerously close to info-dumping at times, and was more than a bit complicated, but was still amazing. I loved every action-filled second. I'd definitely recommend this book, and I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book.

4.5/5

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.

Note that this was an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher!

Not to be confused with Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis, or Glimmer by Beth Kery, or Glimmer by Stacey Wallace Benefiel, or Glimmer by Evalyn Fulmer, or Glimmer by Annie Waters, or Glimmer by Melodie Ramone, or any of a dozen other glimmer books, this novel could have used a more distinctive, à propos, and individual title! Why not Black Swan? Well, Black Swan is also overdone, so why not Blue Swan? Titles are important. Memorable, distinctive titles are vitally important.

It's the start of a series and I am not a series fan, and it also is bogged down by an awful lot of YA trope yah? But it's also not written in first person voice for which I sincerely thank the author and vow to build a shrine in her name. See, you YA authors? You actually can write a viable YA story with a main female charcter in third person! Look and learn from this author! That said, this novel skated so closely to the thin ice of YA trope and cliché, that I would have rated it negatively if it had been in first person! That's how close it came!

As it is, there was enough going for it that I was willing to let the nauseating YA parts slide, and overall I consider it to be a worthy read. But because of the flirtation with the more nauseating parts of YA trope, I honestly cannot see myself pursuing the rest of this series, although I do wish the author every success with it. I just hope she doesn't ruin and cheapen her main character by turning her into a limp rag trope YA female when she started out so strongly. I saw signs that she was doing this toward the end of the novel, around the ninety percent mark, and so I truly fear for the main character, but not for the reasons the author wants me to!

So I wasn't sure I'd like this when I first began reading it, because I feared it might be another YA special snowflake story where the trope innocent young girl falls for the trope bad-boy from the street. I still fear that for the series, but as I read on in this particular volume, I grew more engaged. This is book one in the trope 'YA trilogy' (or series), and I can see an embryonic YA love triangle here, which is as sad as it's annoying. Actually, it's not even an embryo yet, more of a zygote, but it's there and it bothers me that we have yet another story where trope ostensibly strong, independent YA girl appears to be in need of rescue and support from trope bad boy or trope good boy, or worse: both.

The basic story is that of Sunday Cashus, a weird name which isn't even the real name of this sixteen-year-old girl who has lived in seclusion on a secretive military base virtually all her life. Her real name is Jocelyn, but this struck a false note since the name Jocelyn isn't even in the top forty for girls born in 1999. Could not a better name have been chosen? Yes, there are girls who don't get named popular names thank goodness, but they do tend to get names that are quite common. 'Jocelyn' just isn't on the board at all.

It seemed odd to me and out of place, but it's a minor issue and maybe the author has a good reason for it. I tend to put a lot of thought into my character names, and I try to make them appropriate to the story. Some of them are a tour de force and give clues to what's going to happen, so maybe this author is doing the same thing. Jocelyn used to be a boys name. It has German origins, so it goes with her last name, and it means 'one of the Goths' so who knows where that might lead?!

I preferred Sunnie though! She believes her family is dead, and that her uncle loves her and is taking care of her, but there's something off about everything, and it's a bit sad that it lakes Sunnie so long to realize it. I would have been happier if she had not put up with so much crap, but in her defense, she was isolated and had few touchstones to clue her in to how real life ought to be. That said, she was learning in school and studying foreign languages, so some of her innocence came across as a bit false and overdone. It's even more sad that her reality check comes not from her own examination of her life, but from her exposure to a boy of her own age who is brought into the "program' in which she is involved. On the other hand, she's led a very sheltered life, so her naiveté is understandable in some ways.

She believes she's getting medical treatment from the military in return for training and improving her "skills." These skills are rather of the Bionic Woman variety although Sunnie's skills come not from bionic implants, but from (she believes) experimental chemotherapy employed to treat her cancer. As time passes though, she learns that she doesn't have cancer after all, and that's not all that's been kept from her. Angry and frustrated, she begins pushing boundaries that she has never questioned before, and this is where the story became interesting to me. It made me believe (and hope!) that maybe there was more to Sunnie than a trope YA female protagonist.

I think one of the things which turned me off this story to begin with was the constant jumping from one new set of characters to another. It made it really hard to keep track of who was who and what the heck they had to do with what I'd read immediately before. I felt that could have been approached in a less choppy and annoying fashion, but once I got past those early pages, the reading became much more of a pleasure than it had been an irritation. The chapters are short and move pretty quickly, so it's overall an easy read and the reading went by quickly.

For the most part it was technically well-written, but I found a few textual problems, such as when Sunnie is taking a swab sample from herself. I read: "Sunnie obeyed, putting on gloves, taking the swab from the box..." Why does she put on gloves to swab herself? They don't want her to contaminate herself?! It made little sense. It felt like the author was writing this without really thinking about it because donning gloves is what she's seen people do on TV and maybe in real life. But specifying gloves wasn't required. It could have been simply related that Sunnie took a swab without saying if she wore gloves or not! It's worth keeping in mind when you're a writer!

'Whom' put in an inappropriate appearance here. For me, 'whom' can go in the trash can. I know authors feel like they have to use it so they sound educated, but it's antiquated. I can see it in the text, where as a reader, I just lightly skate over it, but it also appears in people's speech, and no one says 'whom' anymore, unless they're particularly pretentious. So I read, "Harvest from whom?" and "But I’m not sure by whom exactly," and it read false and made me realize I was reading a novel. It took me out of that world and back into reality. Skip the 'whom'!

At one point I read, "Said out loud, it actually sounded funnier that it was." when it should have read 'than it was" I know how these things happen! No spell-checker will catch them. The only way to get 'em is to re-read the text and that's when your eyes begin glazing over! We've all been there. Another instance was this: "...she repelled down the vertical bank to the river first." Unless the river bank is forcing her away from it, she's not being repelled, she's rappelling! One final example is "...she lied down." I rather suspect she laid down or she lay down. it;s very confusing, but 'lie' is a present tense verb so you don't use lied unless you've been lying! LOL! But there were very few of this kind of error, and I'm sure they'll be fixed in the final copy.

What of trope and cliché? Well, it's sentences like this that turn me off YA stories: "She closed her eyes and told herself not to think about the dark hair that fell over his forehead, or the gentle strength he’d used as he caught her." This is merely one example of Sunnie being out of character. Yes, she's a young woman and yes, she'd be curious about boys, especially since she's met none, but for her to turn from a tough cookie, independent and self-sufficient, into a limp rag in a boys arms is frankly pathetic.

Plus these are hardly things people think about in stressful or emergency situations, and far too many YA authors simply don't get this, in their blind, desperate hell-bent rush to include a romance. Forget the romance. Focus on the story. If the romance is going to happen it will, and it doesn't need any help from you! If it's not going to happen, you're going to ruin your story by forcing it on the characters. And forget the triangle. Two guys and one girl make the girl look like a duplicitous flibbertigibbet. Triangles never make a girl look heroic. Give the characters some self-respect for goodness sake!

The problem here, from a writing perspective is that Sunnie has no reason to trust any guy, much less get the wilts and the vapors whenever one looks at her. This felt to me like a betrayal of the woman she had become. She actually should have behaved more like a guy here, given her upbringing, her lack of socialization with young women, and her military training. Instead she suddenly became more like a thirteen year-old girl watching a rock star on TV. It was sad, and it was a betrayal of everything the author had done for her character to this point. I felt bad for Sunnie. At this point, she looked like she was being manipulated by the author in far more insidious ways than ever the military was manipulating her in the story! Here's an example: "No guy could resist a girl with big, blue eyes fighting for her life and begging for protection." This is the militarily trained girl begging for protection? And what if she had brown eyes, is she SoL?!

I'm so tired of reading of YA female characters who desperately need validation from a guy. Are there no YA authors out there who are willing to step away from the herd and write something new and different, and independent and original? It was my frustration with this which made me write Femarine. Fortunately, this tacky tack was very limited in this particular novel which is why I was willing to let it slide and not influence my overall rating, but it's also the reason I don't want to read more of this series, because I can see this just getting worse, and I liked Sunnie. I really did. I don't want to end up hating her, which I feel I will do if I pursue this series.

This business of telling instead of showing was a bit overdone. When Sunnie gets a new handler, we're told how awful she is when we should have been shown. It would have been better-written had this been made into an issue with the new woman, given that were being told, not shown, that she us cold and officious.. The character Graeme could have been omitted from the story altogether and it would not have suffered for it. He seemed like he was only there to complete the third leg of the triangle. His Porsche was far too 'Inspector Gadget' and made the story seem ridiculous at that point. I was really glad when it wrecked! Sunnie's escape was too long in coming, so was nice to see her explode into action, but it felt like this volume was one long prologue, which was funny, because this volume also had a prologue. I have no idea what that said since I routinely skip all prologues. It will be really funny if volume two has a prologue. LOL!

There were some cases of 'it's been done', such as when I read, “They really should invent a rubber that doesn’t wear out so easily.” Well, they did! It was used in the boots astronauts wore when walking on the moon. I find it hard to believe that such a well-funded military operation as this one did not have access to that!

But as I said, these are relatively minor considerations in this particular story. They will be amplified for better or for worse in a series, but I don't have to worry about that! So my rating is that this is a worthy read if you can overlook the YA tropes. I liked it. I liked the main character for her openness and thoughtfulness. I sincerely hope she doesn't go downhill in volume two and beyond! But for this volume, I recommend it. I'd ditch the two guys, though. Neither of them were worthy of Sunnie. Seth was a bit of a manipulative jerk who has no respect for personal space or for a young woman who is compromised and not street smart. Graeme was just a joke and not a funny one. The ending dragged on a bit too much and was entirely predictable, but as i said, not bad and worth 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.

This book was too good to be true!!! I loved every single thing about it!

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.