Review: Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: April 17th, 2012

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?

And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?

When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This book took me by complete surprise!  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the synopsis sounded really interesting, so I gave it a try.  Not only did the synopsis not do this book justice, it didn't even begin to touch on what this book was about.  Not that I could possibly do better without crazy spoilers...  (In fact, this review will be fairly short because I can't really tell you much without them!)

This is one of those books that you start reading and then you're finished, and a day has passed, and you're not sure where it went.  I was immediately sucked in.  It couldn't be helped.  Two people wake up next to one another and neither knows anything about the other or about themselves?  Yeah, it's like that.  And it doesn't slow down.  Even when certain questions are answered, more questions emerge, and nothing is ever as expected.  Every time I thought I had something figured out, the book went in another direction.  You would think that would be confusing, but Phoebe Kitanidis did a fabulous job revealing things with such great timing, that everything seemed plausible.  Honestly, my only gripe was that the ending felt a tad bit rushed.  I liked the way it ended, I just felt like it was a bit abrupt.

I'm not even sure what genre I would place Glimmer in because it is definitely in a class of it's own.  It had elements of the occult, romance, and a certain Stepford quality to it, but it read like an action packed mystery.  All I can say is this... If you are looking for a quick, fun, twisted summer read, you need to check Glimmer out!  You won't be disappointed!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:   Since the book begins with the two main characters waking up next to each other, completely naked, with no memory of how they got there, I am going to recommend that this book be read by ages 14 and up (9th+ grade).