I'm truly having a hard time deciding how to write a review for this book, so bear with me while I attempt to put into words my thoughts about this book. While at times the story was interesting enough that I didn't abandon it, it just wasn't appealing to my senses.
The main character was truly awful and it wasn't until the end that I even cared what happened to her or those around her. Could it be that it's not intended for a person of my age? Could be.
The sub-characters like Adrien and Max were just as bad, if not worse because of their actions or in some cases, their non-action. I'm not sure what the point of using words like Shuntin' hell! or "Godlam'd" was. If you were going to have a character using cuss words, use cuss words.
Under most circumstances, I love Dystopian novels. I enjoy reading about the world building and that is what holds the story together when all else fails. In this story the world came to an abrupt end, after nuclear bombs were dropped on the cities. (Or were they?) The survivors were forced to live under ground to avoid the nuclear winter and fallout.
Each survivor lives a bland life at the determination of the so called Community. All except those in what's called the Uppers who can pretty much eat, and drink and do whatever they want to do. Think of the community as big brother telling you what you can say, what you can eat, and how you can live while being monitored for anomalies 24 hours a day. (Kind of like life in a communist country.) The only feeling the survivors are allowed to maintain is fear because that keeps them safe and away from harm.
The year is 2287 and all humans except uppers are required to have a V-chip installed in their heads. These are installed at birth, and then replaced over the course of one's lifetime until they reach adulthood. They are also required to undergo constant quality checks of their hardware, like robots, to ensure that they are not glitching.
Our main protagonist is Zoel Q-24 a 17 year old teenager who is Glitching, or experiencing anomalies in her connection to the Link. She also has the power of telekinesis which makes her a rarity among those experiencing glitches.
For Zoel (Zoe), things change once she saves a little girl from being run over by a train by using her telekinesis. Shortly thereafter, she meets the foul mouthed Adrien who is more than he seems. It appears he has access to the outside world and is a member of the so called resistance.
Naturally, with a YA novel, you have the notoriously awful 3 way love triangle which is truly not what it seems. Thankfully, Zoe comes to the same conclusion that I did and even though Adrien has some serious issues, he's a lot better than the alternative.
As for Zoe, I found her bland and Mary Sue-ish. She has this really awesome power of telekinesis that only unfolds when all the chips are down, and she is put into an situation where people will die if she chooses wrong. She does, however, seem to genuinely care about what happens to her younger brother. Of course, there are other secrets that we learn along the way which tells the reader exactly why she feels that way.
Anyway, long story short, I am not sure if I will continue reading this series. I know there are a bunch of unanswered questions that will hopefully be revealed in the subsequent sequels. One can only hope that Zoe will be given broader character range so that I don't fall asleep at the helm.
*ARC* recvd 04/27/2012 via Netgalley for St. Martin's Press
Author - Heather Anastasiu
Title - Glitch
Publisher - St. Martin's Press
Releases - August 7, 2012
Intriguing premise - shame that it doesn't sound like it really lives up to it!
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