Rating: 4/5

Just for a moment, I nearly lost faith in you, but then you made it up for me and kept on being awesome until the end...

Review coming soon. ( )

Looking for an out of the box read? I'll happily start this review by saying that this book will satisfy that need. Phoebe Kitanidis has done it yet again, writing a book that will keep you reading well into the wee hours of the morning. My attention was caught instantly by the fact that these two teens wake up in such an odd situation. I kept wondering how they could have completely forgotten everything. As I read on I realized that things were just a little too perfect in the town of Summer Falls. Ghosts, mystery...heatnaps? Oh yes. That's what you'll find inside Glimmer and so much more!

This story is told in alternating points of view, which actually works really well in the overall flow of things. Both Elyse and Marshall are vivid characters with just enough difference in their voices to make them easier to discern. Which is important, because a lot of times they will have the same thoughts. It's eerie, and slightly sweet. Still, what I loved was watching their struggle. As Elyse and Marshall discover who they once were, they realize how much they dislike those people. The reader gets to follow along as they figure out how to fight back and become better.

In case you're worried that Glimmer is all ghosts and no romance, let me assure you that there is a romance here. It just so happens to be a beautifully broken one. Here we have two people fighting to figure out where they came from, while working together to figure out where to go next. Elyse and Marshall have a lot of tough moments in the story (and some creepy ones as well), but Kitanidis balances it out with a bit of sweetness too. These two have their fair share of adorable moments together, and it makes everything even more worthwhile.

I'd love to say more, but I don't want to give anything away! The ghosts in this book are especially fantastic and different, but if I say more you won't have that part to uncover. So instead I'll just say that this is a read that is well worth your time! If you are looking for something outside the box. If you need a paranormal that strays away from the usual zombies, vampires and werewolves, pick up a copy of Glimmer. Just be prepared to read all night. ( )

Recommended (if you have extra money)

Elyse and Marshall wake up naked, in bed, with no memory of what happened. They don’t know each other and they don’t know their names. They decide to work together to try to figure out what happened to them. As they learn things about themselves, they get closer in trying to figure out what is wrong with their town. They place they live is called Summer Falls and it’s always perfect. Good weather, good looking inhabitants, everyone is happy and on the surface things are good. However, as scientists try to find out what makes Summer Falls so perfect, they begin to realize that “heatnaps” cause memories to be erased. All the bad memories are erased, but with each heat nap…part of the person is lost.

This book is an ok addition to a public or school library. The chapters alternate between Elyse and Marshall. I appreciate what the author was trying to do with the different perspectives. This book deals with spirits, ghosts, magic, romance and action. It also deals with two teens who come from completely different cliques in high school. Elyse is the most popular person at school and Marshall is practically invisible. I would recommend this book to older students because of the sex and the physical abuse Elyse suffered by her step-father.

The book cover was very attractive, but I was not expecting the paranormal/spiritual twist the book would take. The reader just has to use their imagination as to how this would all fall into place. I think the author just tried to weave together too many magical elements and there were still some unanswered questions at the end of the story. I am sure that some teens would really enjoy this book. Ultimately, the message is about finding yourself, which is a good message for teens. I’m not sure that I would do much more with this book than just add it to the library collection. ( )

In short: Though the big reveal of the mystery wasn't as satisfying as I wanted, I was still kept entertained with Glimmer's intriguing premise and the piecemeal revelation of the big secret.

Strangers Elyse and Marshall wake up naked in bed next to each other and can't remember a thing about themselves or their lives before. But it gets stranger: in their town of Summer Falls, Colorado, it never gets cold and everyone seems perfect in a freaky Stepford Wives kind of way. The inhabitants are also susceptible to these things called "heatnaps" in which any upsetting incidents cause people to faint and are forgotten upon waking up. There is a hint of something more sinister afoot in this seemingly perfect, sleepy town and together, Elyse and Marshall must unravel the town's dark secrets to get back their memories.

I love these psychological mystery kind of stories. I love being confused, if that makes sense. It's kind of fun losing yourself in the mystery and not knowing what's going on, unravelling the mystery as the characters do. Stories like Glimmer are also guaranteed to maintain your interest throughout, if only because you feel like you NEED to find out the solution to the great enigma presented in the beginning. Glimmer is told through alternating POVs between Elyse and Marshall, but there is little overlap between the dual narratives ensuring the story moves along at a good pace. The mystery comes together piece by piece, which was great fun. Glimmer is a standalone so thankfully there were no major loose ends left hanging at the end.

The characterization was interesting with respect to the plot because the characters essentially wake up as blank slates, not knowing who they are or what they were like before. Over the course of Glimmer, they slowly uncover some nasty things about their life before and some unpleasant things about themselves that indicate they weren't as good people as they thought they were. The result is an interesting look into the characters' psyche.

I did have a few issues with Glimmer, however. Though there were no major loose ends left hanging at the end, there were still more outstanding questions leftover upon closing the final page than I would like. I also had a major problem with the plausibility of the concept. So I would say Glimmer's conclusion with the big reveal of the mystery wasn't as satisfying as I wanted, but I still had fun with the story. I was still kept plenty entertained at the intriguing premise and the piecemeal revelation of the big secret. I don't think Glimmer will be particularly memorable for me in the long run, but I had fun with it while it lasted. ( )

I saw this book on Goodreads giveaways (and didn't win, sadly), and kept it on my to read list because the plot looked so fascinating.

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis starts dramatically with two teenagers waking up together naked in bed. The twist is, they have no memory of each other or of their own lives. From there, in alternating first person narratives, we learn little by little about each of the characters, the odd town that they are inhabiting, and their lives prior to their loss of memory.

I am very torn when writing this review, because I thought that this book would definitely get five stars from me. The first 75% of the book is perfectly paced with very even viewpoints from each of the characters-- and this decision is necessary for this book. We have to learn about each of the characters history and take each of their individual journeys to understand what is going on. I was fascinated, drawn in, and I couldn't put it down. It has been a while since I didn't start editing a book in my head with changes that I thought might help.

Something happens in the last few chapters, and the thing is, I can't quite pinpoint the problem that I had with it. It may just be a personal preference, but some of the twists start to become a little more heavy-handed and the pacing seems off especially in comparison to the terrific beginning.

That said, this book is definitely worth reading, has wonderful characters and a really wonderful premise. I'm excited to see what else Kitanidis has up her sleeve! ( )