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brunettegeekgirl's review
5.0
The cover:
I love this futuristic cover and how the colors are used. Each time there was a “port” word or paragraph related, I went back and stared at this cover, trying to imagine exactly how it looked like and what they were talking about :).
The storyline:
This is my number one favorite dystopian book of all times and of 2012 especially.
From chapter one, I knew I was going to love it.
Summary:
First of all, the whole story here is set in a future underworld called the Community because the Surface (or as they call it the “Old World”) has been demolished by nuclear war.
People in the Community, who are called Subjects, aren’t just normal people, they don’t feel anything. They have V chips in their brains which keep them from feeling anything but pain to prevent Wars and cruel works within the human race. There is also the Link, which is a sort of connection that keeps the people in the community always connected to the main Community Systems. So they’re always monitored and information are always playing on their vision and in their minds. They’re basically humans turned into robots.
However, Zoel, the main character in this book, is a Community Subject who starts glitching. Meaning, sometimes she becomes no longer connected to the Link, therefore, she can think, feel and sense everything around her in color.
She struggles to live in the Community with her glitches becoming more insistent and random, because if she acts anomalously and gets caught by any other Subject, Monitor or Regulator (police officer in our terms), she’ll be either reprogrammed which means she’ll never be able to feel anything or have her thoughts in her mind again, or she’ll be deactivated, which the equivalent to killed in our world.
Throughout the book, we find Zoel discovering the truths about the Old World that the Community kept hidden in order to prevent Subjects from ever thinking of escaping or going to the Surface.
Also, she meets new people whom later have helped her, betrayed her and fallen in love with her. And gets introduced to the Resistance (a.k.a the Rez as Adrien calls it) and becomes their newest hope.
Towards the ending, Zoel becomes stronger, determined on helping everyone and most of all free and hopeful of a better future.
What I loved:
- The world Heather has created is unique and full of surprises. You can’t predict anything because you’ll be surprised at what happens next each time.
- The writing was smooth and clear.
- The story itself was well paced and everything happened when and where it should have.
- The characters were realistic and mysterious. You could never trust any of them. They all had secrets and lied about something or have been lied to.
- This book had romance. And I don’t like romance at all but I loved this romance. It wasn’t rushed, pushed nor delayed. It came naturally. Even the small time when there was a love triangle, it wasn’t like the usual ones, like I thought, it was a good and honest one. And I think Heather did a great job with it :).
- There were a lot of intense moment in this book in terms of action, expectations, hopes, fear, terror and discovery.
- The twists in this book were priceless. I had my head spinning each time I found one and didn’t predict it! It doesn’t happen a lot to me. So this book kept me double checking my theories and facts each time there was something suspicious.
- The ending. It wasn't like a cliffhanger or anything. It ended peacefully, if I might add. It just left me with tons of unanswered questions and speculations. I was dying to read the sequel and then remembered that this book is not even out yet!
What I disliked:
Okay, seriously?!
Maybe the way Zoel sounded a little dump at the end for the tiniest moment?
But it didn’t affect me at all.
The characters:
Subject Zoel Q-24 (a.k.a Zoe): The protagonist in this story. From the very first chapter, I liked her. She’s strong willed, friendly, kind, determined and very trust worthy. And most importantly, she loves her family and wishes that one day they’ll love her back. She goes thru a lot of difficulties in this book most of them which are emotional ones, since she’s never felt anything and doesn’t even have names for what she feels. Also because she has a Gift, the gift of moving things with her mind that is called Telekinesis which she can’t control, at all. At the four last chapters, I could clearly see her leader instincts kick in, especially in the 23rd chapter. She was amazing!
Adrien: You might wonder why I haven’t written Subject in his name, well, because he’s somehow not one. He’s been a member of the Rez since he was born. He meets Zoe in the first quarter of the book but because she had a hardware attached to her (not going to spoil anymore details!) she couldn’t remember him later. She didn’t need to. He earned her trust all over again by himself. He fights for what he believes in and he’s very dedicated to his job. He’s also trust worthy and a very good friend. At the end, it becomes unclear whether Adrien is on the good or bad side but later we find out (and so does Zoe a little behind…). His Gift is the ability to have glimpses of the future, especially when there’s danger looming closely.
Subject Maximin (a.k.a Max): Okay. So, to be honest and clear, he is my very least favorite character in the book. Anyways, he’s in the same class with Zoe and she always gave him extra lessons. Until she found out he was a glitcher too. Not that this was an enough surprise, but he also showed in so many direct body languages that he “wanted” her. I have nothing good to support Mr. Max, he has almost always a bad temper, he hates everyone and loves only Zoe. He doesn’t care about her hopes and wishes to help other glitchers, and sometimes even hurts her with his words. Hmmm, yep, I hate him a lot! His ability obviously fulfills his needs, and is very suitable for him actually, he can impersonate anyone with his Gift.
Other character worth mentioning is: Molla, another glitcher who can see thru things like walls or even a body. She develops a crush on Max and has an unfortunate accident. But don’t worry, she lives.
Favorite quotes:
When I have a favorite books which I adored and memorized every sentence and expression in it, it’s hard to pick favorite quotes. Because I just loved it all!
But here are three that should help you choose to read the book :).
The retina display flickered into view and scrolled a chatter of data at the edges of my field of vision. Auditory inputs clicked back online too, a slight hum in the background. One by one, each of my senses dimmed, replacing my connection to the physical world with the connection to the Link. In a blink, the small bit of color in my room seeped away to a monotone gray. --- Chapter 1.
A smile played at the edges of his lips. “You wanna join the Rez?”
“Of course! What else would I do once we escaped? I want to help Molla. And I want to stop the . . . the . . .” I threw my hands up in the air. “I don’t even have a word bad enough for the Uppers who’ve done this to us.”
“Godlam’d shunting bastards is my name of choice.”
I laughed a little. “Okay.” --- Chapter 15.
Molla stiffened beside me.
“Regulators,” she whispered, terror making her body start shaking again. She grabbed Max’s arm, I wasn’t sure if it was to steady herself or shield him.
“Where?” Adrien said, looking around in confusion.
“Twelve of them on the other side of the door up there,” she said. “They’re waiting for us.”
“Cracking hell,” Adrien and I said at the same time. --- Chapter 22.
Conclusion:
This book is totally my favorite dystopian book by far. And it would take a lot of another book to change that. Maybe after all, I should check out Divergent?!
While reading this book I remembered one of my favorite movies of all time, Equilibrium with Christian Bale, I just think they have the same concept which made easier for me to understand and imagine what was going on :).
This book is a must read for any dystopian fans who’d like to be amazed and fall in love with a real good book.
I love this futuristic cover and how the colors are used. Each time there was a “port” word or paragraph related, I went back and stared at this cover, trying to imagine exactly how it looked like and what they were talking about :).
The storyline:
This is my number one favorite dystopian book of all times and of 2012 especially.
From chapter one, I knew I was going to love it.
Summary:
First of all, the whole story here is set in a future underworld called the Community because the Surface (or as they call it the “Old World”) has been demolished by nuclear war.
People in the Community, who are called Subjects, aren’t just normal people, they don’t feel anything. They have V chips in their brains which keep them from feeling anything but pain to prevent Wars and cruel works within the human race. There is also the Link, which is a sort of connection that keeps the people in the community always connected to the main Community Systems. So they’re always monitored and information are always playing on their vision and in their minds. They’re basically humans turned into robots.
However, Zoel, the main character in this book, is a Community Subject who starts glitching. Meaning, sometimes she becomes no longer connected to the Link, therefore, she can think, feel and sense everything around her in color.
She struggles to live in the Community with her glitches becoming more insistent and random, because if she acts anomalously and gets caught by any other Subject, Monitor or Regulator (police officer in our terms), she’ll be either reprogrammed which means she’ll never be able to feel anything or have her thoughts in her mind again, or she’ll be deactivated, which the equivalent to killed in our world.
Throughout the book, we find Zoel discovering the truths about the Old World that the Community kept hidden in order to prevent Subjects from ever thinking of escaping or going to the Surface.
Also, she meets new people whom later have helped her, betrayed her and fallen in love with her. And gets introduced to the Resistance (a.k.a the Rez as Adrien calls it) and becomes their newest hope.
Towards the ending, Zoel becomes stronger, determined on helping everyone and most of all free and hopeful of a better future.
What I loved:
- The world Heather has created is unique and full of surprises. You can’t predict anything because you’ll be surprised at what happens next each time.
- The writing was smooth and clear.
- The story itself was well paced and everything happened when and where it should have.
- The characters were realistic and mysterious. You could never trust any of them. They all had secrets and lied about something or have been lied to.
- This book had romance. And I don’t like romance at all but I loved this romance. It wasn’t rushed, pushed nor delayed. It came naturally. Even the small time when there was a love triangle, it wasn’t like the usual ones, like I thought, it was a good and honest one. And I think Heather did a great job with it :).
- There were a lot of intense moment in this book in terms of action, expectations, hopes, fear, terror and discovery.
- The twists in this book were priceless. I had my head spinning each time I found one and didn’t predict it! It doesn’t happen a lot to me. So this book kept me double checking my theories and facts each time there was something suspicious.
- The ending. It wasn't like a cliffhanger or anything. It ended peacefully, if I might add. It just left me with tons of unanswered questions and speculations. I was dying to read the sequel and then remembered that this book is not even out yet!
What I disliked:
Okay, seriously?!
Maybe the way Zoel sounded a little dump at the end for the tiniest moment?
But it didn’t affect me at all.
The characters:
Subject Zoel Q-24 (a.k.a Zoe): The protagonist in this story. From the very first chapter, I liked her. She’s strong willed, friendly, kind, determined and very trust worthy. And most importantly, she loves her family and wishes that one day they’ll love her back. She goes thru a lot of difficulties in this book most of them which are emotional ones, since she’s never felt anything and doesn’t even have names for what she feels. Also because she has a Gift, the gift of moving things with her mind that is called Telekinesis which she can’t control, at all. At the four last chapters, I could clearly see her leader instincts kick in, especially in the 23rd chapter. She was amazing!
Adrien: You might wonder why I haven’t written Subject in his name, well, because he’s somehow not one. He’s been a member of the Rez since he was born. He meets Zoe in the first quarter of the book but because she had a hardware attached to her (not going to spoil anymore details!) she couldn’t remember him later. She didn’t need to. He earned her trust all over again by himself. He fights for what he believes in and he’s very dedicated to his job. He’s also trust worthy and a very good friend. At the end, it becomes unclear whether Adrien is on the good or bad side but later we find out (and so does Zoe a little behind…). His Gift is the ability to have glimpses of the future, especially when there’s danger looming closely.
Subject Maximin (a.k.a Max): Okay. So, to be honest and clear, he is my very least favorite character in the book. Anyways, he’s in the same class with Zoe and she always gave him extra lessons. Until she found out he was a glitcher too. Not that this was an enough surprise, but he also showed in so many direct body languages that he “wanted” her. I have nothing good to support Mr. Max, he has almost always a bad temper, he hates everyone and loves only Zoe. He doesn’t care about her hopes and wishes to help other glitchers, and sometimes even hurts her with his words. Hmmm, yep, I hate him a lot! His ability obviously fulfills his needs, and is very suitable for him actually, he can impersonate anyone with his Gift.
Other character worth mentioning is: Molla, another glitcher who can see thru things like walls or even a body. She develops a crush on Max and has an unfortunate accident. But don’t worry, she lives.
Favorite quotes:
When I have a favorite books which I adored and memorized every sentence and expression in it, it’s hard to pick favorite quotes. Because I just loved it all!
But here are three that should help you choose to read the book :).
The retina display flickered into view and scrolled a chatter of data at the edges of my field of vision. Auditory inputs clicked back online too, a slight hum in the background. One by one, each of my senses dimmed, replacing my connection to the physical world with the connection to the Link. In a blink, the small bit of color in my room seeped away to a monotone gray. --- Chapter 1.
A smile played at the edges of his lips. “You wanna join the Rez?”
“Of course! What else would I do once we escaped? I want to help Molla. And I want to stop the . . . the . . .” I threw my hands up in the air. “I don’t even have a word bad enough for the Uppers who’ve done this to us.”
“Godlam’d shunting bastards is my name of choice.”
I laughed a little. “Okay.” --- Chapter 15.
Molla stiffened beside me.
“Regulators,” she whispered, terror making her body start shaking again. She grabbed Max’s arm, I wasn’t sure if it was to steady herself or shield him.
“Where?” Adrien said, looking around in confusion.
“Twelve of them on the other side of the door up there,” she said. “They’re waiting for us.”
“Cracking hell,” Adrien and I said at the same time. --- Chapter 22.
Conclusion:
This book is totally my favorite dystopian book by far. And it would take a lot of another book to change that. Maybe after all, I should check out Divergent?!
While reading this book I remembered one of my favorite movies of all time, Equilibrium with Christian Bale, I just think they have the same concept which made easier for me to understand and imagine what was going on :).
This book is a must read for any dystopian fans who’d like to be amazed and fall in love with a real good book.
rhaenyrareads's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5 j'ai l'impression que ce livre a tenté de rassembler tout ce qui fonctionnait dans d'autres saga en un seul livre et du coup ça n'a pas marché. j'ai un sentiment de brouillon à la fin de ma lecture. je l'ai ressenti tout du long mais j'ai voulu arriver à la fin pour pouvoir bien juger et malheureusement...
elie_elie01's review against another edition
Inconsistency about what Zoe knows or doesn't know. Weird romance at the beginning. Felt flat and way too fast.
elise68's review
5.0
Wow ... good thing I didn't have anything I had to do today as I couldn't put this book down!!! From beginning to end there was a wonderful tension and the twists were surprising but then made sense. Loved it.
brokebybooks's review
2.0
TW: Sexual Harrasment
Several years ago, I won a giveaway for the second book, Override, which included a copy of Glitch. Only what I received was two copies of Override. My attempts to receive a copy of Glitch went nowhere so I’ve had two copies of the second book languishing on my shelves for years. I finally said fuck it and got a copy of Glitch for myself.
I really liked the idea of Glitch, the reality not so much. I didn’t hate it so much as others but I didn’t really enjoy it either. The romance is god awful and dominants the book. The interesting premise languishes behind inconsistencies and obviousness while the characters play hook-up and catch-up.
The world and set-up is pretty standard fare in dystopians but hey, they became standards for a reason. I really liked where it was going at first. With Zoe glitching out, the explanations of rolled out smooth instead of in an info dump.
But that may have been a double-edged sword because she’s inconsistent. There’s no rhyme or reason to the things she understands but shouldn’t and those she’s clueless about. Like knowing the fruit taste of her drink (hasn’t been glitched out before during lunch tho? Was it a new drink? Why would it matter to drones? Why not just water?) and names of colors. Color names aren’t, you know, innate or obvious. Her drone-hood is seemingly used when it’s convenient and otherwise forgotten.
Maybe there’s something we’re missing, not seeing her first glitches and not hearing what lies they’ve been told about emotions. Maybe it’s really fucking hard to write and put your mind in her drone state because it’s so alien, so slip ups happen. Either way…*sigh* but this is one of the smaller things I could let go and forget about, especially in the face of everything else.
The Plot:
Again, pretty standard. I did like her memory being wiped and sending her back. But sending her back didn’t work out so well. There was just so much relationship drama, things obviously didn’t add up but they were too slow to get it, and suddenly the cast grows. It alternated between too much too fast and too little too slow.
It was rather obvious something more was going on or the government was extremely incompetent. Zoe had too many fuck ups in public. And in front of Max. He clearly had something going on from the get-go. I mean come on, touching her and leaning in to smell her hair? But Zoe’s too wrapped up in herself to notice anything else. And of course, why would they allow them to study privately? There’s a reason she was so surprised when it happened.
Having another glitcher rebel in a different way was…interesting. It certainly solved the problem of The Community catching them. But again, I don’t have a good feeling about it. It seems like a way to distract and delay from dealing with The Community, who’s the actual fucking problem.
I did like how she reacted to being outside for the first time, and I thought her being allergic was a nice twist. Though adding it to the end to prolong the perilous journey was a tad much. They at least brought sunglasses along too.
Later, Molla’s been throwing up for a week pregnant, and they practically just fucking met? That’s not how pregnancy works! It’s not instant conception and it’s not instant morning sickness either. It’d fit better in a ridiculous anti-sex abstinence education ad.
At the end, Zoe had to “lose control to gain control” over her powers. Pah-lease. I’m so over that lightening “Ureka” moment where characters, especially women, go from pathetically helpless to stopping bullets mid-flight and saving the day. I do like how her telekinesis is described though.
The Romance:
Instalove. Greaaaaaaat. There needs to be more lead up, more something. Without it, it’s ridiculous and squicky how Adrian just leaps on Zoe, who knows nothing! How is that not taking advantage of her and the situation? He says he knows it’s creepy to know about her from visions but damn if the boy uses his brain after that. It feels like a Nice Guy™ bait and switch.
Then it becomes a love triangle and tries to justify it with memory lapse and desperation. Sure, that explains Zoe’s flipping away. How can she stay loyal when she doesn’t remember? (Plus, the instalove is fucking ridiculous anyways. Have I mentioned that? Lol)
But the other dude is a pushing, abusive fuckface. Double greaaaaaaat. His defense is “I’ve never felt this way before” and “All I think about is you!” Yes, he’s a victim of The Community, obviously not taught any morals and can’t deal with these new feelings. But there’s no doubt, he’d get Zoe to himself by any means necessary and force her. He’s a victim who became a predator.
The only moment he did something right was
And Zoe just rolls along. There’s no push back, no self-defense, and not even internal dialogue that what he’s doing is wrong. It’s hard reading, it rings true as a representation of a young woman’s internal slut-shaming and victimization.
It honestly wouldn’t be that bad without the romance mucking it up. The inconsistencies could be overlooked but no one’s getting past this.
On the fake cussing:
Meh. It was obvious and fake. How do those words become cuss words in the world? But I didn’t really care. With Zoe being so naïve, the plot escalating over the top, and the romance…well, it was hardly noticeable.
There are some books that do the evolved fictional language and cussing well (Catspaw by Joan D. Vinage springs to mind immediately) but Glitch doesn’t cut it.
The Series: At this point, I’ll continue just to get it off my shelf but I’m not sure how Override will fare.
Several years ago, I won a giveaway for the second book, Override, which included a copy of Glitch. Only what I received was two copies of Override. My attempts to receive a copy of Glitch went nowhere so I’ve had two copies of the second book languishing on my shelves for years. I finally said fuck it and got a copy of Glitch for myself.
I really liked the idea of Glitch, the reality not so much. I didn’t hate it so much as others but I didn’t really enjoy it either. The romance is god awful and dominants the book. The interesting premise languishes behind inconsistencies and obviousness while the characters play hook-up and catch-up.
The world and set-up is pretty standard fare in dystopians but hey, they became standards for a reason. I really liked where it was going at first. With Zoe glitching out, the explanations of rolled out smooth instead of in an info dump.
But that may have been a double-edged sword because she’s inconsistent. There’s no rhyme or reason to the things she understands but shouldn’t and those she’s clueless about. Like knowing the fruit taste of her drink (hasn’t been glitched out before during lunch tho? Was it a new drink? Why would it matter to drones? Why not just water?) and names of colors. Color names aren’t, you know, innate or obvious. Her drone-hood is seemingly used when it’s convenient and otherwise forgotten.
Maybe there’s something we’re missing, not seeing her first glitches and not hearing what lies they’ve been told about emotions. Maybe it’s really fucking hard to write and put your mind in her drone state because it’s so alien, so slip ups happen. Either way…*sigh* but this is one of the smaller things I could let go and forget about, especially in the face of everything else.
The Plot:
Again, pretty standard. I did like her memory being wiped and sending her back. But sending her back didn’t work out so well. There was just so much relationship drama, things obviously didn’t add up but they were too slow to get it, and suddenly the cast grows. It alternated between too much too fast and too little too slow.
It was rather obvious something more was going on or the government was extremely incompetent. Zoe had too many fuck ups in public. And in front of Max. He clearly had something going on from the get-go. I mean come on, touching her and leaning in to smell her hair? But Zoe’s too wrapped up in herself to notice anything else. And of course, why would they allow them to study privately? There’s a reason she was so surprised when it happened.
Having another glitcher rebel in a different way was…interesting. It certainly solved the problem of The Community catching them. But again, I don’t have a good feeling about it. It seems like a way to distract and delay from dealing with The Community, who’s the actual fucking problem.
I did like how she reacted to being outside for the first time, and I thought her being allergic was a nice twist. Though adding it to the end to prolong the perilous journey was a tad much. They at least brought sunglasses along too.
Later, Molla’s been throwing up for a week pregnant, and they practically just fucking met? That’s not how pregnancy works! It’s not instant conception and it’s not instant morning sickness either. It’d fit better in a ridiculous anti-sex abstinence education ad.
At the end, Zoe had to “lose control to gain control” over her powers. Pah-lease. I’m so over that lightening “Ureka” moment where characters, especially women, go from pathetically helpless to stopping bullets mid-flight and saving the day. I do like how her telekinesis is described though.
The Romance:
Instalove. Greaaaaaaat. There needs to be more lead up, more something. Without it, it’s ridiculous and squicky how Adrian just leaps on Zoe, who knows nothing! How is that not taking advantage of her and the situation? He says he knows it’s creepy to know about her from visions but damn if the boy uses his brain after that. It feels like a Nice Guy™ bait and switch.
Then it becomes a love triangle and tries to justify it with memory lapse and desperation. Sure, that explains Zoe’s flipping away. How can she stay loyal when she doesn’t remember? (Plus, the instalove is fucking ridiculous anyways. Have I mentioned that? Lol)
But the other dude is a pushing, abusive fuckface. Double greaaaaaaat. His defense is “I’ve never felt this way before” and “All I think about is you!” Yes, he’s a victim of The Community, obviously not taught any morals and can’t deal with these new feelings. But there’s no doubt, he’d get Zoe to himself by any means necessary and force her. He’s a victim who became a predator.
The only moment he did something right was
Spoiler
walking away at the end. At least, if he stays away and doesn’t continue to scheme to get her back. (Not holding my breath.) And Zoe screams his name the whole time she’s being carried to the Outside, leaving him behind! Calls him family. How disturbing.And Zoe just rolls along. There’s no push back, no self-defense, and not even internal dialogue that what he’s doing is wrong. It’s hard reading, it rings true as a representation of a young woman’s internal slut-shaming and victimization.
It honestly wouldn’t be that bad without the romance mucking it up. The inconsistencies could be overlooked but no one’s getting past this.
On the fake cussing:
Meh. It was obvious and fake. How do those words become cuss words in the world? But I didn’t really care. With Zoe being so naïve, the plot escalating over the top, and the romance…well, it was hardly noticeable.
There are some books that do the evolved fictional language and cussing well (Catspaw by Joan D. Vinage springs to mind immediately) but Glitch doesn’t cut it.
The Series: At this point, I’ll continue just to get it off my shelf but I’m not sure how Override will fare.
andreval's review
4.0
4 STARS ORIGINAL REVIEW POSTED ON: BOOKSTALKERS.BLOGSPOT.COM
Glitch is a dystopian novel that touched on subjects I had seen in other novels but Heather Anastasiu gave it her own touch, and it was a good book! Great for fans of Matched and Divergent, both of which I was reminded of while reading the book.
Interesting plot: 1/2
The story was very creative, and things like the Resistance was something that I hoped would develop a lot further in this book, but unfortunately it seems like I need to wait for the next book. The whole idea is pretty incredible, and the world Anastasiu developed was completely out of the ordinary in books I've read before.
Characters: 1/2
I'm only giving this one point because my favorite character was definitely Adrian. He was caring, brave, thoughts things through, etc. Although Zoe is a strong character, she's just missing something more... I guess a little more character or soul, but I completely understand Heather's reason to do this, considering Zoe is character who's kind of struggling to attach herself to her new thoughts and personality.
But there was one character I could not stand at all; he was selfish, rude, hateful.. and that was Max. He started as someone I thought was a sweet character, but he only cared about himself, and his attitude towards everyone surrounding him left me thinking he was foolish, and selfish.
Pace: 2/2
This book never got slow, and though I thought some parts were incredibly fast and I didn't know what was happening, they were few and the fast-paced, action-packed chapters filled the rest of the pages.
Writing style: 2/2
Heather Anastasiu writes amazingly, and for the dystopian world she created, she managed to write in a way you understood the world the characters lived in, including her vocabulary,
Recommend it?: 2/2
Glitch is a dystopian novel that touched on subjects I had seen in other novels but Heather Anastasiu gave it her own touch, and it was a good book! Great for fans of Matched and Divergent, both of which I was reminded of while reading the book.
Interesting plot: 1/2
The story was very creative, and things like the Resistance was something that I hoped would develop a lot further in this book, but unfortunately it seems like I need to wait for the next book. The whole idea is pretty incredible, and the world Anastasiu developed was completely out of the ordinary in books I've read before.
Characters: 1/2
I'm only giving this one point because my favorite character was definitely Adrian. He was caring, brave, thoughts things through, etc. Although Zoe is a strong character, she's just missing something more... I guess a little more character or soul, but I completely understand Heather's reason to do this, considering Zoe is character who's kind of struggling to attach herself to her new thoughts and personality.
But there was one character I could not stand at all; he was selfish, rude, hateful.. and that was Max. He started as someone I thought was a sweet character, but he only cared about himself, and his attitude towards everyone surrounding him left me thinking he was foolish, and selfish.
Pace: 2/2
This book never got slow, and though I thought some parts were incredibly fast and I didn't know what was happening, they were few and the fast-paced, action-packed chapters filled the rest of the pages.
Writing style: 2/2
Heather Anastasiu writes amazingly, and for the dystopian world she created, she managed to write in a way you understood the world the characters lived in, including her vocabulary,
Recommend it?: 2/2
amburhostyn's review
5.0
Glitch was one of my most anticipated books for this year, and I am extremely glad to say that it completely lived up...and even surpassed all of my expectations! :D As I always do when I read dystopians I payed attention to the way that the world has changed and how the author has crafted their world...and I loved the way that Heather Anastasiu created hers! She described it so well, and made it stand out. I could actually picture it the way Zoe did, with everything grey and monotone until she glitched, and then there would be bursts of colour! It created such a dynamic story and made it so easy to visualize...which I absolutely loved! :D I also loved the way that Zoe's character was revealed. In the world of Glitch, people don't feel the way that they do now. They're basically computers; like little worker bees...acting like droids to accomplish day to day tasks. It's kind of depressing. They don't feel or think on their own, but Zoe, or Zoel (her full name :P), is glitching...so she's able to actually experience life on her own. :D
Not only was Heather Anastasiu's world in Glitch flushed out and incredibly intricate, the characters were fantastic! Considering that the majority of people in Zoe's world are drones with no mind of their own...it's pretty amazing that the characters that we meet in Glitch have such life and vibrancy. Each character stands out so well, even the ones that remain under the Community's control. Zoe characterizes them for us. Her brother in particular stands out a lot considering he actually doesn't play a large role in this book, and I loved that Heather Anastasiu was able to make characters stand out so well, especially in a world where everyone pretty much just blends in. :)
So let's summarize so far: the world...amazing, the characters....also amazing, and the plot...fan-freaking-tastic! :D I loved it! Dystopians generally share the whole underground-rebellion-trying-to-overthrow-the-society factor, and Glitch definitely has that, but I felt that Heather Anastasiu did a wonderful job at keeping her story unique. The fact that people are basically computers with no feelings kind of makes this story stand out on its own, and the glitching aspect makes it even more so...especially since glitching (as the description tells you) also leads to other abilities. Together all these elements create an amazing and addictive story...and I haven't even mentioned boys yet! :D I'm not going to say too much about them because if I do I might give away some spoilers, but I will say that I have a definite favourite and I don't think that the other guy even comes close to competing...I don't even really consider it a love triangle, but I'll keep quite and let you make up your mind about it all when you read it. ;)
Overall, I loved this book! I can't even begin to think of or use enough words to describe Glitch with as much praise as I want to. I seriously LOVED this book, and it's definitely my favourite out of all the new series that I've started this year. :D Heather Anastasiu is an amazing story teller, and I definitely think that it'll be hard for readers to read this one without quickly becoming swept up in Zoe's story. :D I recommend this one to dystopia fans, and anyone who loves the whole sci-fi element with people being linked to computers. I was also a fan of the romance in this book, and I can't wait for the story, the romance, and the characters to further develop in the next one! :D
Not only was Heather Anastasiu's world in Glitch flushed out and incredibly intricate, the characters were fantastic! Considering that the majority of people in Zoe's world are drones with no mind of their own...it's pretty amazing that the characters that we meet in Glitch have such life and vibrancy. Each character stands out so well, even the ones that remain under the Community's control. Zoe characterizes them for us. Her brother in particular stands out a lot considering he actually doesn't play a large role in this book, and I loved that Heather Anastasiu was able to make characters stand out so well, especially in a world where everyone pretty much just blends in. :)
So let's summarize so far: the world...amazing, the characters....also amazing, and the plot...fan-freaking-tastic! :D I loved it! Dystopians generally share the whole underground-rebellion-trying-to-overthrow-the-society factor, and Glitch definitely has that, but I felt that Heather Anastasiu did a wonderful job at keeping her story unique. The fact that people are basically computers with no feelings kind of makes this story stand out on its own, and the glitching aspect makes it even more so...especially since glitching (as the description tells you) also leads to other abilities. Together all these elements create an amazing and addictive story...and I haven't even mentioned boys yet! :D I'm not going to say too much about them because if I do I might give away some spoilers, but I will say that I have a definite favourite and I don't think that the other guy even comes close to competing...I don't even really consider it a love triangle, but I'll keep quite and let you make up your mind about it all when you read it. ;)
Overall, I loved this book! I can't even begin to think of or use enough words to describe Glitch with as much praise as I want to. I seriously LOVED this book, and it's definitely my favourite out of all the new series that I've started this year. :D Heather Anastasiu is an amazing story teller, and I definitely think that it'll be hard for readers to read this one without quickly becoming swept up in Zoe's story. :D I recommend this one to dystopia fans, and anyone who loves the whole sci-fi element with people being linked to computers. I was also a fan of the romance in this book, and I can't wait for the story, the romance, and the characters to further develop in the next one! :D
plexippa's review
2.0
In Anastasiu's dystopian vision of the future, humanity has been forced underground by nuclear war. Humanity has also embraced a cybernetic implant known as the "v-chip" (presumably unrelated to the device used in televisions), as well as other biotechnological tools. All citizens receive a constant stream of information directly to their brains from the Link, acting in numb conformity as they get up, eat their food rations, go to their assigned jobs, and return to their assigned dwellings.
Everyone, that is, except 16-year-old Zoe. She has been "glitching", experiencing periods of time when she is disconnected from the Link and able to feel emotions, the very thing the Link and Chip suppress. She is on the verge of turning herself in to be "fixed" when she learns that there might be another way.
There are twists and turns to the plot, most of which are so clearly foreshadowed, they don't come as much of a surprise. Much of the story also feels recycled from other dystopian sci-fi titles, particularly Lowry's Newbery-winning The Giver. I came away with the feeling that I had seen all this done before, and done better.
Everyone, that is, except 16-year-old Zoe. She has been "glitching", experiencing periods of time when she is disconnected from the Link and able to feel emotions, the very thing the Link and Chip suppress. She is on the verge of turning herself in to be "fixed" when she learns that there might be another way.
There are twists and turns to the plot, most of which are so clearly foreshadowed, they don't come as much of a surprise. Much of the story also feels recycled from other dystopian sci-fi titles, particularly Lowry's Newbery-winning The Giver. I came away with the feeling that I had seen all this done before, and done better.
booksofamber's review
4.0
Finished it in one day. Such a great book.
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This was aweeesomeeee *sings*
Glitch is a brilliant asset to the YA science fiction genre, and I bet a lot of you sci-fi fans out there will adore it. Glitch combines science fiction with some dystopian AND some typical fantasy elements - fully explained by science, of course - and mixes them up in this fantastic story.
Zoe, the main character, was a badass. She goes through a hell of a lot throughout this novel, and at the end she manages to stay standing. Well, figuratively. Her powers and her character grow as she discovers more about the world she lives in, and it was a lot of fun to read about her struggles (I know, I'm evil) as well as her growth.
I think that, at first, the romance between Zoe and Adrien progressed a tiny bit too quickly. Then, for various reasons, the breaks were put on and I started to really enjoy their build up. There was an unexpected love triangle (I'm not sure why I didn't see it coming, because HELLO, look at the summary!) and I wasn't a fan of Max. That said, I do think that this love triangle was necessary for the story's progression as well as for Zoe's character growth. It didn't seem like it was just thrown in there for the sake of the current YA trend.
I absolutely ADORE books about people with powers or abilities. Don't you? In this world, some teenagers start to glitch if they begin to develop these abilities, and I thought it was a pretty awesome concept! We see several different types of abilities, and I hope to see a lot more in the future because this was one of my favourite elements of the story!
The world building in this was also great. You can tell that the author spent vast amounts of time on it, and she has thought this through to create a fantastic sci-fi setting.
If you're a fan of science fiction, then I think this book is a must read. It's captivating, fun and - at times - hilarious! There were several laugh out loud moments, a few of which I shared on Twitter and the people who replied thought it was awesome.
---
This was aweeesomeeee *sings*
Glitch is a brilliant asset to the YA science fiction genre, and I bet a lot of you sci-fi fans out there will adore it. Glitch combines science fiction with some dystopian AND some typical fantasy elements - fully explained by science, of course - and mixes them up in this fantastic story.
Zoe, the main character, was a badass. She goes through a hell of a lot throughout this novel, and at the end she manages to stay standing. Well, figuratively. Her powers and her character grow as she discovers more about the world she lives in, and it was a lot of fun to read about her struggles (I know, I'm evil) as well as her growth.
I think that, at first, the romance between Zoe and Adrien progressed a tiny bit too quickly. Then, for various reasons, the breaks were put on and I started to really enjoy their build up. There was an unexpected love triangle (I'm not sure why I didn't see it coming, because HELLO, look at the summary!) and I wasn't a fan of Max. That said, I do think that this love triangle was necessary for the story's progression as well as for Zoe's character growth. It didn't seem like it was just thrown in there for the sake of the current YA trend.
I absolutely ADORE books about people with powers or abilities. Don't you? In this world, some teenagers start to glitch if they begin to develop these abilities, and I thought it was a pretty awesome concept! We see several different types of abilities, and I hope to see a lot more in the future because this was one of my favourite elements of the story!
The world building in this was also great. You can tell that the author spent vast amounts of time on it, and she has thought this through to create a fantastic sci-fi setting.
If you're a fan of science fiction, then I think this book is a must read. It's captivating, fun and - at times - hilarious! There were several laugh out loud moments, a few of which I shared on Twitter and the people who replied thought it was awesome.