Review - Glimmer

by Phoebe Kitanidis
publisher: Balzer + Bray
date of publication: April 17, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 352
source: SBB ARC Tours
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?

And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?

When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

Glimmer first piqued my interest when I read the plot description on the Southern Book Bloggers site.  As it was coming up for an ARC tour, I signed up and anticipated an interesting read.  After all, I am a huge fan of ghost stories, so a town overrun by "sinister ghosts" and residents with a Stepford-like quality sounded too good to miss.  However, what you see isn't always what you get.  While the above-mentioned elements do make up a sizable chunk of the story, there is also a number of quirks that made Glimmer somewhat confusing to read.

When we are first introduced to Elyse and Marshall, they are in a very unusual predicament.  The two wake up naked, in bed together, and with absolutely no memory of who they are or how they got there.  From that point on, these two are one big bundle of confusion and accusation as they set out to figure out who and where they are.  Whether due to the nature of their situation or some other reason, I found these two characters to be very difficult to connect with.  I vacillated between liking and disliking the both of them, which made the reading experience less smooth than I would have liked.

The premise is a very interesting one.  I definitely agree with the description of sinister for the ghosts.  Their habit of appearing out of nowhere and smiling maniacally as they try to catch various people succeeded in giving me the creeps.  Also, the town itself was surprisingly sinister in its own right.  Things might appear to be happy and idyllic, but there are some seriously odd things going on in Summer Falls.  I enjoyed the plot the most out of all the elements in Glimmer.

Glimmer had both good points and bad points for me.  Among the good points were the great setting and plot.  They really made for a unique and enjoyable read.  My main point of contention lies with the main characters.  They both ran very hot and cold and I found myself having a difficult time gaining a lock on them.  This added a level of detachment that was detrimental to the reading experience.  Overall, however, I enjoyed the book.  If you enjoy ghosts in your reading choices and are looking for a new approach to them, pick this one up!

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.