mlboyd20's review against another edition
4.0
I would like to thank the author for providing me a complimentary copy of her book in exchange for a review. Doing so does not sway my judgment in any way.
It's funny, when I was reading this book I highlighted a sentence from the excerpt before I even saw it, "Puberty, people, is a bitch." How true of a statement is that? That one sentence nails it down and those 5 words describe those years perfectly. On one hand you want to be your own person, on the other hand you want what you see peers have, on another hand you don't want to be like them, but on the other hand, you wonder what happens if you aren't. Puberty=hormones=craziness=bitch. The circle of life non-Disney style.
The story centers around Glaze, the social network of the future. Everyone over a certain age gets chipped and are able to access this network through their brains. Passing of information is done with a thought and if you aren't on the system, you either want to be on it or you are determined to take it down. Petri is close to getting chipped, but due to a huge misunderstanding at a protest she was present at, she gets a 5 year ban. Think of it this way, all your peers are on Facebook and you are thisclose to getting on it too when the carpet gets pulled from under your feet and your told you have to wait until your 21. Life as you thought it would be would feel like it's over before it even got started. This network is also far more evolved than what we have today. It's like a fully loaded computer system. Need the news, you've got it. Need the weather, BAM, you got it. 5 years, so much can happen during that time, and Petri realizes that and does what many people in that circumstance does, she finds a way around it.
The story takes off from there. Petri finds she's getting an overload of Glaze. She can't get away from all the information being tossed at her because she's not plugged in the way that she should be. The story deals with actions and consequences. And what she's tapped into, somebody else wants because she knows too much and can crush the reality of Glaze. And why has this happened, because as said before, "Puberty, people, is a bitch."
Some call this book dystopian, I don't know if I would. It's not far off base where our social networking could go. Think about it, how many of us tap into our Facebook, Twitter, Emails, Blogs, etc multiple times daily to see what everyone else is doing? Encyclopedias? Why bother when a couple clicks and we have the answer before us. Research used to be spending hours in a library, and making phone calls, and writing letters to get the information we needed, but now we can do all that through our computer or smartphone. We think, put a chip in our bodies, no way, but think about it. If we know it has happened, and we see the results and it because easily accessible for everyone, how many would succumb to wanting to try it out like everyone else? I remember when cell phones came out. People laughed seeing others with them, but now that they are affordable and can be had without plans, people who don't have one are labeled strange.
A unique story that makes one think about the possibilities out there. It makes the reader think not only of the story, but how our society could easily become the one in the story. The ways it could be used for good, and the ways it could be used for bad. Those who could use it as a stepping stone to something else, and those who just want to be like everyone else. The author has really done well with intermingling current events and the ideas of where technology is going. She's tapped into the driving force of the teenager, and realizes that the actions of society currently will help dictate and facilitate the technology of the future. Teens today who are tapped in the way there are, want more, these teens become adults and acquire the knowledge to make dreams a reality, even if they shouldn't be. A good representation of this is Petri's mother, who was once a hacker but eventually helped create Glaze.
Anyone who is into corruption, technology and thrillers will delight in this book. For those who aren't really into social networking, they may not get the range of desperation that Petri has to get connected and that might hinder them with this book, especially since the first 100 pages are dealt with getting on Glaze. That area is where I would have liked to see things speed up a bit. We know from the beginning that Petri gets banned but than goes onto the black market for a chip, so why did the story have to take so long to get there?
It's funny, when I was reading this book I highlighted a sentence from the excerpt before I even saw it, "Puberty, people, is a bitch." How true of a statement is that? That one sentence nails it down and those 5 words describe those years perfectly. On one hand you want to be your own person, on the other hand you want what you see peers have, on another hand you don't want to be like them, but on the other hand, you wonder what happens if you aren't. Puberty=hormones=craziness=bitch. The circle of life non-Disney style.
The story centers around Glaze, the social network of the future. Everyone over a certain age gets chipped and are able to access this network through their brains. Passing of information is done with a thought and if you aren't on the system, you either want to be on it or you are determined to take it down. Petri is close to getting chipped, but due to a huge misunderstanding at a protest she was present at, she gets a 5 year ban. Think of it this way, all your peers are on Facebook and you are thisclose to getting on it too when the carpet gets pulled from under your feet and your told you have to wait until your 21. Life as you thought it would be would feel like it's over before it even got started. This network is also far more evolved than what we have today. It's like a fully loaded computer system. Need the news, you've got it. Need the weather, BAM, you got it. 5 years, so much can happen during that time, and Petri realizes that and does what many people in that circumstance does, she finds a way around it.
The story takes off from there. Petri finds she's getting an overload of Glaze. She can't get away from all the information being tossed at her because she's not plugged in the way that she should be. The story deals with actions and consequences. And what she's tapped into, somebody else wants because she knows too much and can crush the reality of Glaze. And why has this happened, because as said before, "Puberty, people, is a bitch."
Some call this book dystopian, I don't know if I would. It's not far off base where our social networking could go. Think about it, how many of us tap into our Facebook, Twitter, Emails, Blogs, etc multiple times daily to see what everyone else is doing? Encyclopedias? Why bother when a couple clicks and we have the answer before us. Research used to be spending hours in a library, and making phone calls, and writing letters to get the information we needed, but now we can do all that through our computer or smartphone. We think, put a chip in our bodies, no way, but think about it. If we know it has happened, and we see the results and it because easily accessible for everyone, how many would succumb to wanting to try it out like everyone else? I remember when cell phones came out. People laughed seeing others with them, but now that they are affordable and can be had without plans, people who don't have one are labeled strange.
A unique story that makes one think about the possibilities out there. It makes the reader think not only of the story, but how our society could easily become the one in the story. The ways it could be used for good, and the ways it could be used for bad. Those who could use it as a stepping stone to something else, and those who just want to be like everyone else. The author has really done well with intermingling current events and the ideas of where technology is going. She's tapped into the driving force of the teenager, and realizes that the actions of society currently will help dictate and facilitate the technology of the future. Teens today who are tapped in the way there are, want more, these teens become adults and acquire the knowledge to make dreams a reality, even if they shouldn't be. A good representation of this is Petri's mother, who was once a hacker but eventually helped create Glaze.
Anyone who is into corruption, technology and thrillers will delight in this book. For those who aren't really into social networking, they may not get the range of desperation that Petri has to get connected and that might hinder them with this book, especially since the first 100 pages are dealt with getting on Glaze. That area is where I would have liked to see things speed up a bit. We know from the beginning that Petri gets banned but than goes onto the black market for a chip, so why did the story have to take so long to get there?
leah_reads's review
4.0
4.5* Review to come!
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Kim Curran*
Kim Curran does it again - she's smashed out another excellent book which leaves me wanting to read more and more! This book definitely hit home with me. Many of the things that Kim explores about social media are things that I worry about now. Curran raises issues of online security, privacy and oppression. There is so much bundled into this novel and it all worked perfectly. Glaze makes for an engaging topical read and one that I found so hard to put down! I've adored every character that Kim has created so far. From Scott in Shift to Petri here. I adored Petri as a protagonist; from her name to her personality to how typically teenage she is. If that makes sense. She is unpredictable, moody, happy, conflicted and absolutely determined to get on Glaze. She does everything she can, but on her path to this she discovers some uncomfortable truths about the program and picks up some amazing friends on the way.
The reason I loved Glaze so much is because Kim put into words exactly how I feel about social media. I can imagine it's exactly what many of us feel about it too. It has so much potential danger and it most certainly succeeds in brainwashing people - just look at the media now. Through Petri, Kim manages to touch on so many social issues as well. The fact that Petri feels left out from everyone because she's too young for Glaze definitely mirrors that of what it would be like today. Imagine the shock at finding out a friend doesn't have an account on Facebook or Twitter. It's definitely something I experienced a few years ago. Our first thoughts were "But how am I going to stay in touch with you at university?!" completely ignoring the act of actually meeting up in person.
Glaze manages to capture this addiction to technology and the internet perfectly. Curran explores the danger of our reliance on social media as a way of contacting people or of finding out information about the world. What I loved is how Curran gave Petri many flaws, but also developed her as a character so perfectly through Glaze. Petri underwent so many changes but continued to improve as a character. I loved her strong mindedness, her irrationality and her empathy with so many people. Glaze is one of the reads that is impossible to put down. I adored it so much. With action, adventure, technology, high running emotions and
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Kim Curran*
Kim Curran does it again - she's smashed out another excellent book which leaves me wanting to read more and more! This book definitely hit home with me. Many of the things that Kim explores about social media are things that I worry about now. Curran raises issues of online security, privacy and oppression. There is so much bundled into this novel and it all worked perfectly. Glaze makes for an engaging topical read and one that I found so hard to put down! I've adored every character that Kim has created so far. From Scott in Shift to Petri here. I adored Petri as a protagonist; from her name to her personality to how typically teenage she is. If that makes sense. She is unpredictable, moody, happy, conflicted and absolutely determined to get on Glaze. She does everything she can, but on her path to this she discovers some uncomfortable truths about the program and picks up some amazing friends on the way.
The reason I loved Glaze so much is because Kim put into words exactly how I feel about social media. I can imagine it's exactly what many of us feel about it too. It has so much potential danger and it most certainly succeeds in brainwashing people - just look at the media now. Through Petri, Kim manages to touch on so many social issues as well. The fact that Petri feels left out from everyone because she's too young for Glaze definitely mirrors that of what it would be like today. Imagine the shock at finding out a friend doesn't have an account on Facebook or Twitter. It's definitely something I experienced a few years ago. Our first thoughts were "But how am I going to stay in touch with you at university?!" completely ignoring the act of actually meeting up in person.
Glaze manages to capture this addiction to technology and the internet perfectly. Curran explores the danger of our reliance on social media as a way of contacting people or of finding out information about the world. What I loved is how Curran gave Petri many flaws, but also developed her as a character so perfectly through Glaze. Petri underwent so many changes but continued to improve as a character. I loved her strong mindedness, her irrationality and her empathy with so many people. Glaze is one of the reads that is impossible to put down. I adored it so much. With action, adventure, technology, high running emotions and
leontiy's review
4.0
Review originally posted at Jet Black Ink:
4.5 stars
I read this book in two sittings. Granted, both of those were extended, woe-is-me-I’m-so-sick sittings, where one hour turns into twelve and before you know it, you’re about to embark upon the final ten percent of the book—but still. That fact is countered by this: I never read books like this. Glaze might not be published by Strange Chemistry, but she’s one of them. So there’s a certain loyalty attached. I ummed and ahhed about whether or not to try and score a review copy of Glaze and evidently, loyalty—and no small amount of curiosity—won out in the end.
I’m glad it did.
Glaze has been called, here and there, “dystopian” YA science fiction. Whilst I’m down with the sci-fi label, I hesitate over the first. I’ve always wondered why “dystopian-utopia” (or flip it around, depending on how you like it served) isn’t a Thing. How often is something really one or the other? Off-hand I can think of only the film Equilibrium (like I said, this isn’t usually my thing—just the words “YA dystopian” are enough to make me run the other way; I just don’t dig it—so my knowledge isn’t exactly vast.) But I can probably be excused for wondering how something that seems all peaches and cream, everything on the up-and-up on the surface (but really isn’t!) is actually a “dystopia”. Hence why I like mine better. I think it’s more descriptive.
That’s what Glaze is for me: a world close to ours, where something suspicious is layered with excitement and buzz, veiled with a sparkling façade that dazzles and draws the eye away from the main event taking place just off-stage. And I loved it.
Petri Quinn (unfortunately named after the method of her conception—poor kid; heartless mum—which is, in fact, artificial) is almost sixteen. She might be a maths genius and a little bit of an oddball (in fact, Petri cried out Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Asperger’s to me [high-func.], which I really, really loved, more so because it’s all between the lines and never once said), but that’s all been compounded by the introduction of the social network, Glaze, which sees its users hooked up via a simple-to-implant chip that networks you, the user, with the cloud tech of Glaze. It’s fast, snazzy and has more than a few tricks up its sleeve. Everyone wants in—and so does Petri. Who wouldn’t want a hyperactive social life with easy peer-to-peer connection with the people both in your life, and outside it? With content tailored just for you, linking you to precisely what you want, when you want it, and with all the info you might want about pretty much everything in your life, who wouldn’t want in on this super social network?
There are some, but they’re the kinds of people who are probably still afraid of text-messaging, so they’re both largely irrelevant and hardly count at all. And the voices of the few are scarcely heard over the voices of the many.
That’s in part, what draws Petri into trouble in the first place. When a peaceful protest to demand a stronger future, i.e. by fighting the closure of another school, turns violent, somehow Petri finds herself stuck at the centre of it. Caught up in the riot, when things turn ugly, Petri hardly registers the strange way in which her fellow students—all older, and therefore snugly connected to Glaze already; damn her for skipping a year!—suddenly become calm and wait patiently for their names to be taken by the police. If she thinks it’s strange that the company behind Glaze has sent its own security force to help with the riot, it doesn’t hit her until much later. And by then, Petri’s world has been turned upside down and she’s not only toting an illegal chip to access Glaze, but whatever else is happening, is far bigger than she imagined.
Petri is in big trouble.
Before she realises what’s happening, there at the protest-turned-riot are boys with masks on, shaking things up and making trouble. She’s only even there because her big-time crush organised the protest—and who was she to say no to those eyes? (Stupid eyes.) But with one of the boys urging her to run, Petri does, despite calls from the police to stop—after all, Petri’s “unregistered” and viewed as an immediate danger. When the tasers start to fire, Petri is long gone in tow of this golden-eyed boy, leaving the chaos behind her. She’s not unregistered; she’s a minor (technically…), but try telling that to the officer with the taser.
Screw. That.
Following this boy leads Petri to safety, but to much more than that. It may not seem so at first, but just following him has introduced Petri to a world she previously knew existed—but only at the very periphery of her middle-class life. With her biggest problem having been not being a month or so older and already being plugged into Glaze, the sudden reality she finds unfolding around her might as well be happening to someone else; it would be easier to grasp, to believe all the madness that way. But no, it’s all happening to her, to Petri Quinn. And what’s more, the whole truth behind the shining façade of Glaze is far, far closer to home than she ever dared to imagine. The blood and violence and horror of everything is close enough to touch.
One moment being on Glaze is what Petri wants the most—the next, all she wants is for Glaze to disappear from her life.
She’d better be careful what she wishes for.
The absolute single thing that threw me at times were a few odd choices of “slang” (“Linking up” instead of “making out” for example, literally had me trying to see where I’d missed the lifesize USB cables. To some I guess it’s “snogging” [never liked that; sounds like hawking something up], but I just say “making out”. This turn of phrase confused the heck out of me!), and this is so minor, I’m really only mentioning it for the har-har value of imagining me thoroughly bamboozled and re-reading this particular paragraph twice to make sense of it.
Glaze is a cleverly-executed novel that showcases Curran’s true talent as a weaver of complex, twisting and slightly left-of-reality modern YA science fiction. It is at once exciting and lively; a true page-turner. Glaze is harsh and stark in the simplest ways, yet it never loses its heart, which is firmly rooted in the curiosity that is social media, social science, and what makes us part (and indeed, want to be part) of the hive-mind. Glaze seems to ask if we can ever be trusted to know just where to stop.
Furthermore, with the sensibilities of social psychology firmly in mind, Glaze suggests that our existence in an increasingly transparent digital fishbowl is a matter of just how deep we let ourselves swim (or sink): Petri maintains a strong sense of individuality throughout, which I think speaks volumes in and of itself.
If you are a fan of the YA dystopian science fiction theme, then you’ll enjoy this. If, like me, you loathe said theme, then you’ll still enjoy this, because there’s something tangible about Glaze that yet remains just beyond reach; something that engages and entertains as easily as it tries to gently, subtly educate. This book is full of real life, full of the tiniest details that make up real people with real lives and real thoughts and feelings. Nothing is shoehorned, nothing is left out. Yet the tapestry is woven so finely that the stitches don’t show; Glaze is a smooth, confident novel that really lights the way for YA modern science fiction to follow. This is how the dystopian/utopian (etc, whatever) subgenre should develop.
Glaze just totally nailed it.
4.5 stars
I read this book in two sittings. Granted, both of those were extended, woe-is-me-I’m-so-sick sittings, where one hour turns into twelve and before you know it, you’re about to embark upon the final ten percent of the book—but still. That fact is countered by this: I never read books like this. Glaze might not be published by Strange Chemistry, but she’s one of them. So there’s a certain loyalty attached. I ummed and ahhed about whether or not to try and score a review copy of Glaze and evidently, loyalty—and no small amount of curiosity—won out in the end.
I’m glad it did.
Glaze has been called, here and there, “dystopian” YA science fiction. Whilst I’m down with the sci-fi label, I hesitate over the first. I’ve always wondered why “dystopian-utopia” (or flip it around, depending on how you like it served) isn’t a Thing. How often is something really one or the other? Off-hand I can think of only the film Equilibrium (like I said, this isn’t usually my thing—just the words “YA dystopian” are enough to make me run the other way; I just don’t dig it—so my knowledge isn’t exactly vast.) But I can probably be excused for wondering how something that seems all peaches and cream, everything on the up-and-up on the surface (but really isn’t!) is actually a “dystopia”. Hence why I like mine better. I think it’s more descriptive.
That’s what Glaze is for me: a world close to ours, where something suspicious is layered with excitement and buzz, veiled with a sparkling façade that dazzles and draws the eye away from the main event taking place just off-stage. And I loved it.
Petri Quinn (unfortunately named after the method of her conception—poor kid; heartless mum—which is, in fact, artificial) is almost sixteen. She might be a maths genius and a little bit of an oddball (in fact, Petri cried out Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Asperger’s to me [high-func.], which I really, really loved, more so because it’s all between the lines and never once said), but that’s all been compounded by the introduction of the social network, Glaze, which sees its users hooked up via a simple-to-implant chip that networks you, the user, with the cloud tech of Glaze. It’s fast, snazzy and has more than a few tricks up its sleeve. Everyone wants in—and so does Petri. Who wouldn’t want a hyperactive social life with easy peer-to-peer connection with the people both in your life, and outside it? With content tailored just for you, linking you to precisely what you want, when you want it, and with all the info you might want about pretty much everything in your life, who wouldn’t want in on this super social network?
There are some, but they’re the kinds of people who are probably still afraid of text-messaging, so they’re both largely irrelevant and hardly count at all. And the voices of the few are scarcely heard over the voices of the many.
That’s in part, what draws Petri into trouble in the first place. When a peaceful protest to demand a stronger future, i.e. by fighting the closure of another school, turns violent, somehow Petri finds herself stuck at the centre of it. Caught up in the riot, when things turn ugly, Petri hardly registers the strange way in which her fellow students—all older, and therefore snugly connected to Glaze already; damn her for skipping a year!—suddenly become calm and wait patiently for their names to be taken by the police. If she thinks it’s strange that the company behind Glaze has sent its own security force to help with the riot, it doesn’t hit her until much later. And by then, Petri’s world has been turned upside down and she’s not only toting an illegal chip to access Glaze, but whatever else is happening, is far bigger than she imagined.
Petri is in big trouble.
Before she realises what’s happening, there at the protest-turned-riot are boys with masks on, shaking things up and making trouble. She’s only even there because her big-time crush organised the protest—and who was she to say no to those eyes? (Stupid eyes.) But with one of the boys urging her to run, Petri does, despite calls from the police to stop—after all, Petri’s “unregistered” and viewed as an immediate danger. When the tasers start to fire, Petri is long gone in tow of this golden-eyed boy, leaving the chaos behind her. She’s not unregistered; she’s a minor (technically…), but try telling that to the officer with the taser.
Screw. That.
Following this boy leads Petri to safety, but to much more than that. It may not seem so at first, but just following him has introduced Petri to a world she previously knew existed—but only at the very periphery of her middle-class life. With her biggest problem having been not being a month or so older and already being plugged into Glaze, the sudden reality she finds unfolding around her might as well be happening to someone else; it would be easier to grasp, to believe all the madness that way. But no, it’s all happening to her, to Petri Quinn. And what’s more, the whole truth behind the shining façade of Glaze is far, far closer to home than she ever dared to imagine. The blood and violence and horror of everything is close enough to touch.
One moment being on Glaze is what Petri wants the most—the next, all she wants is for Glaze to disappear from her life.
She’d better be careful what she wishes for.
The absolute single thing that threw me at times were a few odd choices of “slang” (“Linking up” instead of “making out” for example, literally had me trying to see where I’d missed the lifesize USB cables. To some I guess it’s “snogging” [never liked that; sounds like hawking something up], but I just say “making out”. This turn of phrase confused the heck out of me!), and this is so minor, I’m really only mentioning it for the har-har value of imagining me thoroughly bamboozled and re-reading this particular paragraph twice to make sense of it.
Glaze is a cleverly-executed novel that showcases Curran’s true talent as a weaver of complex, twisting and slightly left-of-reality modern YA science fiction. It is at once exciting and lively; a true page-turner. Glaze is harsh and stark in the simplest ways, yet it never loses its heart, which is firmly rooted in the curiosity that is social media, social science, and what makes us part (and indeed, want to be part) of the hive-mind. Glaze seems to ask if we can ever be trusted to know just where to stop.
Furthermore, with the sensibilities of social psychology firmly in mind, Glaze suggests that our existence in an increasingly transparent digital fishbowl is a matter of just how deep we let ourselves swim (or sink): Petri maintains a strong sense of individuality throughout, which I think speaks volumes in and of itself.
If you are a fan of the YA dystopian science fiction theme, then you’ll enjoy this. If, like me, you loathe said theme, then you’ll still enjoy this, because there’s something tangible about Glaze that yet remains just beyond reach; something that engages and entertains as easily as it tries to gently, subtly educate. This book is full of real life, full of the tiniest details that make up real people with real lives and real thoughts and feelings. Nothing is shoehorned, nothing is left out. Yet the tapestry is woven so finely that the stitches don’t show; Glaze is a smooth, confident novel that really lights the way for YA modern science fiction to follow. This is how the dystopian/utopian (etc, whatever) subgenre should develop.
Glaze just totally nailed it.
zoeyforeman's review against another edition
2.0
If you love utopia-turns-into-dystopia kind of books, you may enjoy "Glaze". I liked the fact that the book was innovative in some parts of the futuristic world. And the author made the smart move not dragging the story into two more books (and making it a trilogy) - the story concludes neatly.
zoeyforeman's review
2.0
If you love utopia-turns-into-dystopia kind of books, you may enjoy "Glaze". I liked the fact that the book was innovative in some parts of the futuristic world. And the author made the smart move not dragging the story into two more books (and making it a trilogy) - the story concludes neatly.
mggmmggm's review
4.0
Originally posted at The Solitary Bookworm
There’s no doubt that in the near future, social media will consume our lives more than it is affecting us now. The amount of time that people dedicate in updating their accounts is crazy – whether it be Facebook Twitter, Instagram or whatever. I myself am guilty of this habit because it is indeed addicting. Every activity, every destination, every thought is being “broadcast” with every click. And there is no limit as to what you can learn through the web in every search. Imagine being able to have that resource in a single chip implanted to a person. A chip that has the ability to connect one to a vast network of users – a hive of information readily available to dispense in whatever way possible.
Glaze explores the idea of using social media to help a society be connected to maintain a peaceful life. The idea is to provide a sense of security from being part of a family that is interconnected throughout the system. Information tailored to your liking and readily available whenever you need it. Being connected to everybody anywhere. There is a catch though – Glaze does not allow anybody younger than 16 and criminals. And that is the ultimate dilemma of our young heroine Petri. Petri Quinn is not on Glaze despite being the daughter of the Creative Director of Glaze and with her latest altercation with the law, it seems like Petri will forever be an outsider. Petri wanted to be part of Glaze so badly that she’ll do whatever it takes, regardless the consequence just to be chipped. Now Petri is chipped but it seems like Glaze is not what she thought it was. What will she do?
The idea of Glaze is not far fetched, and I personally do see the possibility in the future which to be honest is both a good and bad thing. To have information and data at a blink of the eyes is tempting but imagine the danger of this potential for one person having all that information for disposal. You can never be safe – privacy will no longer exist. Exposed and powerless. This is what Curran wanted to portray in the story. Regardless of how sweet the idea is there will always be a bigger drawback that will affect everybody gravely.
This is my first Curran book so I am not familiar with her other works but I have to say that I enjoyed Glaze immensely. Sci-fi is not very appealing to me or dystopian so I had second thoughts but all those disappeared the moment I was sucked into the story. I particularly love Curran’s take on social media and how the story rang very true most of the time. Curran has an ability to develop a story that does not only have substance but also characters that are well rounded and interesting. The world of Glaze is very intriguing and though the story did end up quicker than expected, it was a story done very well that it makes up of all the issues that one may think off. Glaze is an ultimate page turner – a story that I not only enjoy but highly recommend.
There’s no doubt that in the near future, social media will consume our lives more than it is affecting us now. The amount of time that people dedicate in updating their accounts is crazy – whether it be Facebook Twitter, Instagram or whatever. I myself am guilty of this habit because it is indeed addicting. Every activity, every destination, every thought is being “broadcast” with every click. And there is no limit as to what you can learn through the web in every search. Imagine being able to have that resource in a single chip implanted to a person. A chip that has the ability to connect one to a vast network of users – a hive of information readily available to dispense in whatever way possible.
Glaze explores the idea of using social media to help a society be connected to maintain a peaceful life. The idea is to provide a sense of security from being part of a family that is interconnected throughout the system. Information tailored to your liking and readily available whenever you need it. Being connected to everybody anywhere. There is a catch though – Glaze does not allow anybody younger than 16 and criminals. And that is the ultimate dilemma of our young heroine Petri. Petri Quinn is not on Glaze despite being the daughter of the Creative Director of Glaze and with her latest altercation with the law, it seems like Petri will forever be an outsider. Petri wanted to be part of Glaze so badly that she’ll do whatever it takes, regardless the consequence just to be chipped. Now Petri is chipped but it seems like Glaze is not what she thought it was. What will she do?
The idea of Glaze is not far fetched, and I personally do see the possibility in the future which to be honest is both a good and bad thing. To have information and data at a blink of the eyes is tempting but imagine the danger of this potential for one person having all that information for disposal. You can never be safe – privacy will no longer exist. Exposed and powerless. This is what Curran wanted to portray in the story. Regardless of how sweet the idea is there will always be a bigger drawback that will affect everybody gravely.
This is my first Curran book so I am not familiar with her other works but I have to say that I enjoyed Glaze immensely. Sci-fi is not very appealing to me or dystopian so I had second thoughts but all those disappeared the moment I was sucked into the story. I particularly love Curran’s take on social media and how the story rang very true most of the time. Curran has an ability to develop a story that does not only have substance but also characters that are well rounded and interesting. The world of Glaze is very intriguing and though the story did end up quicker than expected, it was a story done very well that it makes up of all the issues that one may think off. Glaze is an ultimate page turner – a story that I not only enjoy but highly recommend.
michalice's review against another edition
5.0
When I first saw Glaze on goodreads I knew I had to read it. I have only read one of Kim's books before but I absolutely loved it. When I found out Faye was putting together a blog tour for Glaze I filled in the form and kept my fingers and toes crossed that I would get a date. I don't want to give too much away about what happen in Glaze so this review will mainly be my thoughts and what I have come away with, rather than what exactly happens in Glaze.
Check out my full review as part on the tour on 13th May 2014 on my blog, Much Loved Books.
Check out my full review as part on the tour on 13th May 2014 on my blog, Much Loved Books.
katheastman's review against another edition
4.0
Kim Curran's latest book is a clever, yet disturbing, fast-paced chase through not only a dystopian London of the near future but the omnipotent social network that is GLAZE. It's her third novel and I think it's her best yet. (It's a stand-alone book and not part of the excellent Shifter series, which currently comprises SHIFT and CONTROL. DELETE, the third book of that series, is out in August.)
GLAZE is Petri Quinn's story: she's 15 years old when we first meet her, which means that she's counting down the days, hours and seconds until she can get hooked up to GLAZE, the social network of the moment. Petri's desperation to get connected is compounded by the fact that she's a bright girl who's been put up a year at school. Which means, everyone she's in class with is already 16 and already 'hooked up'.
Petri's a terrific character: her voice is strong and I took to her from the very first page. She's the only child of a single parent and has had to be relatively self-sufficient because of her mother's work demands. They have a slightly distant relationship with each other, as a result. Petri's a bright girl, but not one who shouts about it. All she wants is what a lot of people want: to fit in, to be a part of things, if not the centre of them, and for the dreamy, cool kid in her year to notice her. And she'd really like to be 'hooked up' to GLAZE. And all credit to the girl, despite her mother working as a high-level Executive for the company behind GLAZE, Petri hasn't tried to use that to get connected early.
Kim Curran cleverly shows both the good and bad in being on a social network in GLAZE, especially one as pervasive as this one is. She shows the uses and benefits of having so much information and so many resources readily available and easily accessible before showing how it all could be open to misuse and abuse by the authorities, by the company responsible for designing and running it, by other interest groups and by its users.
If you're concerned about the way the current media presents (or, depending on your view, moulds and makes) the news before feeding it to us, and how statistics and information are manipulated to suit what 'they' want to tell us, then GLAZE feeds right into those concerns. It might also make you reconsider just what you share and who you connect with when you next use any of our existing social networks.
As well as being a timely look at how connected we all are, GLAZE is also a thrilling and unnerving look at how much of our lives are lived and shared online; how much information we give out about ourselves, our family and our friends, complete with locations and photos, and for some people, even with a running commentary of their day-to-day experiences and routine. It's also an important reminder of what is important: giving your time over to family and real friends and spending quality time with them; making genuine connections with people; looking up and noticing what's going on in your immediate environment and the wider world; questioning what you consume, especially when it comes to information; and, ultimately, being unafraid to forge your own way sometimes, even if that goes against what the majority are doing, because it might just be the better path.
If that all sounds deep, then that's because GLAZE gave me a lot to think about, both while I was reading it and for these past few days since having finished it. But that didn't stop GLAZE from being an exciting, fast-paced read; a technological thriller that I'd recommend anyone, who lives even a little bit online, to read.
GLAZE is Petri Quinn's story: she's 15 years old when we first meet her, which means that she's counting down the days, hours and seconds until she can get hooked up to GLAZE, the social network of the moment. Petri's desperation to get connected is compounded by the fact that she's a bright girl who's been put up a year at school. Which means, everyone she's in class with is already 16 and already 'hooked up'.
Petri's a terrific character: her voice is strong and I took to her from the very first page. She's the only child of a single parent and has had to be relatively self-sufficient because of her mother's work demands. They have a slightly distant relationship with each other, as a result. Petri's a bright girl, but not one who shouts about it. All she wants is what a lot of people want: to fit in, to be a part of things, if not the centre of them, and for the dreamy, cool kid in her year to notice her. And she'd really like to be 'hooked up' to GLAZE. And all credit to the girl, despite her mother working as a high-level Executive for the company behind GLAZE, Petri hasn't tried to use that to get connected early.
Kim Curran cleverly shows both the good and bad in being on a social network in GLAZE, especially one as pervasive as this one is. She shows the uses and benefits of having so much information and so many resources readily available and easily accessible before showing how it all could be open to misuse and abuse by the authorities, by the company responsible for designing and running it, by other interest groups and by its users.
If you're concerned about the way the current media presents (or, depending on your view, moulds and makes) the news before feeding it to us, and how statistics and information are manipulated to suit what 'they' want to tell us, then GLAZE feeds right into those concerns. It might also make you reconsider just what you share and who you connect with when you next use any of our existing social networks.
As well as being a timely look at how connected we all are, GLAZE is also a thrilling and unnerving look at how much of our lives are lived and shared online; how much information we give out about ourselves, our family and our friends, complete with locations and photos, and for some people, even with a running commentary of their day-to-day experiences and routine. It's also an important reminder of what is important: giving your time over to family and real friends and spending quality time with them; making genuine connections with people; looking up and noticing what's going on in your immediate environment and the wider world; questioning what you consume, especially when it comes to information; and, ultimately, being unafraid to forge your own way sometimes, even if that goes against what the majority are doing, because it might just be the better path.
If that all sounds deep, then that's because GLAZE gave me a lot to think about, both while I was reading it and for these past few days since having finished it. But that didn't stop GLAZE from being an exciting, fast-paced read; a technological thriller that I'd recommend anyone, who lives even a little bit online, to read.
leah_reads's review against another edition
4.0
4.5* Review to come!
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Kim Curran*
Kim Curran does it again - she's smashed out another excellent book which leaves me wanting to read more and more! This book definitely hit home with me. Many of the things that Kim explores about social media are things that I worry about now. Curran raises issues of online security, privacy and oppression. There is so much bundled into this novel and it all worked perfectly. Glaze makes for an engaging topical read and one that I found so hard to put down! I've adored every character that Kim has created so far. From Scott in Shift to Petri here. I adored Petri as a protagonist; from her name to her personality to how typically teenage she is. If that makes sense. She is unpredictable, moody, happy, conflicted and absolutely determined to get on Glaze. She does everything she can, but on her path to this she discovers some uncomfortable truths about the program and picks up some amazing friends on the way.
The reason I loved Glaze so much is because Kim put into words exactly how I feel about social media. I can imagine it's exactly what many of us feel about it too. It has so much potential danger and it most certainly succeeds in brainwashing people - just look at the media now. Through Petri, Kim manages to touch on so many social issues as well. The fact that Petri feels left out from everyone because she's too young for Glaze definitely mirrors that of what it would be like today. Imagine the shock at finding out a friend doesn't have an account on Facebook or Twitter. It's definitely something I experienced a few years ago. Our first thoughts were "But how am I going to stay in touch with you at university?!" completely ignoring the act of actually meeting up in person.
Glaze manages to capture this addiction to technology and the internet perfectly. Curran explores the danger of our reliance on social media as a way of contacting people or of finding out information about the world. What I loved is how Curran gave Petri many flaws, but also developed her as a character so perfectly through Glaze. Petri underwent so many changes but continued to improve as a character. I loved her strong mindedness, her irrationality and her empathy with so many people. Glaze is one of the reads that is impossible to put down. I adored it so much. With action, adventure, technology, high running emotions and
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Kim Curran*
Kim Curran does it again - she's smashed out another excellent book which leaves me wanting to read more and more! This book definitely hit home with me. Many of the things that Kim explores about social media are things that I worry about now. Curran raises issues of online security, privacy and oppression. There is so much bundled into this novel and it all worked perfectly. Glaze makes for an engaging topical read and one that I found so hard to put down! I've adored every character that Kim has created so far. From Scott in Shift to Petri here. I adored Petri as a protagonist; from her name to her personality to how typically teenage she is. If that makes sense. She is unpredictable, moody, happy, conflicted and absolutely determined to get on Glaze. She does everything she can, but on her path to this she discovers some uncomfortable truths about the program and picks up some amazing friends on the way.
The reason I loved Glaze so much is because Kim put into words exactly how I feel about social media. I can imagine it's exactly what many of us feel about it too. It has so much potential danger and it most certainly succeeds in brainwashing people - just look at the media now. Through Petri, Kim manages to touch on so many social issues as well. The fact that Petri feels left out from everyone because she's too young for Glaze definitely mirrors that of what it would be like today. Imagine the shock at finding out a friend doesn't have an account on Facebook or Twitter. It's definitely something I experienced a few years ago. Our first thoughts were "But how am I going to stay in touch with you at university?!" completely ignoring the act of actually meeting up in person.
Glaze manages to capture this addiction to technology and the internet perfectly. Curran explores the danger of our reliance on social media as a way of contacting people or of finding out information about the world. What I loved is how Curran gave Petri many flaws, but also developed her as a character so perfectly through Glaze. Petri underwent so many changes but continued to improve as a character. I loved her strong mindedness, her irrationality and her empathy with so many people. Glaze is one of the reads that is impossible to put down. I adored it so much. With action, adventure, technology, high running emotions and