Glitch by Heather AnastasiuExpected Publication Date: August 7th, 2012Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Count: 371 pages
Format: E-Arc
Source: Publisher
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*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.It took me awhile to really get into Glitch. Although it's extremely fast-paced and there are a lot of twists and turns involved, I constantly felt like something was missing. I'm not sure what it was, but surrounding all of the action and intrigue was an air of boredom. I couldn't sit for a long time and read this book straight through, even though as an E-ARC it was less than 250 pages. I honestly can't quite put my finger on it, but something just didn't hold my attention in this book. Perhaps it was the lack of originality, or maybe it was the disconnect between myself and the characters. By the end I was definitely sucked in, I just wish it hadn't taken 200 pages to get there!
When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.
In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.
The characters are all pretty interesting. Zoe has lived her life connected to the Link, but when she starts to glitch she becomes aware of her surroundings and her new found powers. The idea of people being void of emotions and feelings reminded me a lot of The Giver. I did find the process of "discovering" emotions really interesting and how the idea of love and hate had to be described. I really couldn't connect with Zoe, I felt like she was incredibly naive and somewhat stupid about her decisions. She couldn't grasp things quickly enough and I just couldn't relate to her. There is definitely a love triangle between Zoe, Max, and Adrien, but it was a no-brainer for me. Max was a crazed possessive and sometimes violent character who I actually feared. Adrien wasn't anything spectacular, just another guy trying to save the world, right?
While the story was definitely fast-paced it had a lot of cliched elements to it. Dystopian community where the government controls your mind and a select few try to fight back? Sound familiar? The idea that they all have super powers was pretty cool, and it was really great seeing Zoe use hers. The descriptions were definitely vivid and I really felt like I could see what Zoe was seeing when she used her powers. Near the end there were a ton of unpredictable plot twists that I did not see coming, which was a great improvement on the rest of the story. I think the next book will be a better read, hopefully the plot elements will improve more, but I doubt they will have much creativity.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book despite being a tad bored sometimes. I never thought about not finishing it because I had to know how everything was going to end, but the simplicity of the plot elements couldn't hold my attention for long periods of time. The story lacked a bit of creativity, but if you're a fan of books like The Hunger Games, Uglies, and The Giver than you might enjoy this one. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what's going to happen in the next book!
