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    Glitch
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    Glitch
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    Glitch
    Ebook356 pages5 hours

    Glitch

    By Heather Anastasiu

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

    When Zoe starts to malfunction (or "glitch"), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

    As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they're caught and deactivated, or worse.
    In Heather Anastasiu's action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateAug 7, 2012
    ISBN9781250009111
    Unavailable
    Glitch
    Author

    Heather Anastasiu

    Heather Anastasiu is the author of the young adult sci-fi Glitch trilogy. She grew up in Texas but recently moved to Minnesota with her family. She teaches creative writing at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.

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    Reviews for Glitch

    3.5/5

    101 ratings25 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      Source: NetgalleyPurpose: ReviewDisclaimer: I was given a copy of this digital galley, free, in exchange for my honest opinion. What can I say? I was very disappointed with this book. I was very excited about it, the premise sounded new and original and exciting. The execution was fair with a dash of mediocre. When I had read 30% (there aren’t page numbers on a Kindle) I put the book down, and debated on giving up on it altogether. The main thing that I hated about this story was the romance, it was juvenile and distracting. I get that everything was new to Zoe and to the other glitchers. But it didn’t have to read that way, so I consider it a writing flaw. First problem was, Adrien and Zoe had only really known each other for a few hours (at the most) before they were liplocked and in love. On top of that, within three pages (three screens on the Kindle) they had stopped and kissed each other more than was necessary. Then something happens with Max later, and within minutes they’re in love. Though, he’s more in love than she is. Usually when the romance in a story bothers me, I try to separate it and go on with the story. But in this case, the love triangle (which actually doesn’t completely form til the near end) takes forefront in the story. Zoe’s path from destination A t o destination B is travelled through the romance. The story plot was placed on the shoulders of the interactions between Zoe and Max as well as Zoe and Adrien. To me Zoe was a very weak hero, and I didn’t like her. There was strength in her at the beginning that I thought might be the redeeming factor for the book. It wasn’t because she lost it somewhere around the third of the book. She didn’t get that back at all in this installment. She did get some strength towards the end when the truth and betrayals were revealed. Even then, it seemed to just appear in her character, there wasn’t anything internal clicking in place. Max, to me it was obvious the role that he played. He was too hot and cold. He was obsessive, selfish, abusive and an all-around jerk. He had nothing redeeming about him. I was not surprised with his decision at the end. Adrien, I liked a little bit more. Actually between all three of the main glitchers I liked Adrien the best. He was flawed but likeable. I think a lot could have been avoided if he was honest with someone about something being off with his gift. There were a couple of things that I liked: I liked that there was some diversity within the characters. I can’t say that there was a lot, because not everyone was described. The ending (I won’t give it away) was the best part, action and strength in the characters. I can’t say that they came into their own. I can’t say that the ending redeemed the torturous beginning and uncomfortable romance. I can say that I enjoyed it and I will continue to the next book to see what happens. 2 stars **
    • 2/5
      When you first pick up this book, you better be ready to buckle down for a lot of information in a few short chapters. This book is told from the view point of Zoel, or Zoe as she likes to be called. She lives in the Community, which is essentially a giant under ground compound. Surrounded by muted grays, and living life continuously connected to the Link via a chip inserted to the base of the neck that connects to the brain, everyone in the Compound are pretty much just drones going about their business. However, every so often the v chips will glitch. It happens with technology all the time, and isn’t a big deal. Unless of course it controls your brain and now you can see colors, feel emotions, and find out that there are many more like you.

      Zoe is naturally terrified when she first begins to glitch. Anomalies are to be reported so they can be fixed and put back into the community, or deactivated. Instead of reporting her glitch, she tries to hide it. Which is totally understandable because who doesn’t like feeling intense emotions for the first time in your life with no idea on how to control them? Surrounded by a community that is trained to report anything out of the ordinary, Zoe is always on her toes and fearful. While she is in the midst of a full panic attack, she runs in to Adrien. He happens to be a person who also glitched, and is working with an outside resistance. He finds her, takes her to the surface, and to his mom’s safe house. There Zoe has an allergic reaction to essentially air, Adrien’s mom saves her, and a plan is hatched to put both Adrien and Zoe back into the community because apparently getting out alive once was not enough. Let’s keep in mind, all of that happens within the first 107 pages of a 308 page book.

      The last two thirds of the book are dedicated to Zoe not remember what just happened due to a memory wipe, finding out that Max is a glitcher, finding other glitchers, and Adrien once again helping everyone escape. Let’s focus on Max for a bit. Max is a guy in the same class as Zoe and has been watching her for a while to find out if she has glitched. Once he is sure she has, he pounces. He tries to explain to her what it is really like feeling everything and what people in the old world did, but his motives are so not pure. Max basically forces Zoe into an abusive, manipulative relationship. Because Max can report her for glitching, Zoe is essentially trapped, and forced to do whatever Max once which includes all the typical teenage boy lust wants. She does however manage to stop him from getting too far, but he’s jealous, unpredictable, and, oh by the way, a shape shifter. He can appear as who ever he wants to be, whenever he wants. Now Zoe has a special gift too, telekinesis, but hers is unreliable and not easily directed.

      In the midst of the whole Max-Zoe thing, Adrien shows back up and tells Zoe he can get them, and everyone who is glitching, out and to the resistance where they can live in relative safety and freedom. Zoe is all about leaving the Community, but not without helping as many as she can. Thus enters the love triangle. Zoe has real feelings for Adrien, who has feelings back, but she’s also tied to controlling Max who is super jealous of Adrien. If we had cut out the horrible Max, made him just a simple double agent, and not a serious douche bag, this story would have been a bit more enjoyable. Anyway, Adrien saves the day by giving them a plan to break out. Zoe is all for it, and they manage to collect the other known glitchers. Along the way they find out the Chancellor is a glitcher, and she wants to create a super army of gifted glitchers. She’s also the one who is really in control of Max. They rush through a fight with her, and her drones. Save the drones, and everyone is safe for now. Well, momentarily. Remember that allergic reaction that Zoe had back in the first third of the book? Well, she had been given shots to reduce the reaction, but then the Chancellor injected her with a cocktail of allergens to make her super allergic to the surface. So basically, Zoe is once again allergic to basically everything.

      Final Thoughts:
      While this book wasn’t my favorite book ever, it’s still an okay book. It’s a really quick read, which is good if you have an afternoon with nothing to do. My main issues with this book is how much information is dumped on you when you first start reading, and then how ridiculous everything gets after that. Another issue is the use of pseudo curse words. We get it, you want to have the effect of cussing, but you don’t actually want to use the big four lettered words. That’s fine and dandy, but we all know what you really wanted to type, and using your fake cuss words over and over again to where that’s basically all the sentence is made of just makes me want to roll my eyes and toss the book down. T he whole love triangle is insanity. Without it, the book would be more enjoyable, and less painful to read through. Giving the kids super powers is pretty cool. It gave a little more flavor to the book, but felt very X-Men. Now, don’t read this wrong. It isn’t a “bad” book, or even a “super sucky” book. It is what it is. A very fast, bit misguided, science fiction ya that tries just a little too hard. It wasn’t completely not enjoyable, and it is nice to be able to finish a book in a short amount of time. Keep in mind, there are two other books to this series! Override and Shutdown
    • 5/5
      I really liked the Glitch series. I enjoy reading books like this. I think I'll add it to my list of favorite books.
    • 3/5
      I pretty much enjoyed this book. In my opinion, Anastasiu crafted her world very well. I understood what was going on and how the people were controlled. I felt what it was like for Zoe to be malfunctioning and trying to control her emotions and at the same time not wanting to lose her newfound feelings. I loved the way Anastasiu described Zoe's shock at seeing colors. That was some good writing. It had me wondering what it would be like to discover color in my teenage years. How would I have reacted?

      The one drawback is that the entire story felt very familiar - like it was something that I'd already read before but didn't quite remember the entire story. That could just be due to my reading too many dystopian books but I wish it had been a little more distinguishable in that aspect. In spite of the familiarity of the story, Anastasiu did manage to throw some good plot twists in at the end.

      Overall, I enjoyed it and I'm wanting to know what happens to the characters.
    • 4/5
      I absolutely loved this book!! I was a bit scared thinking I wouldn't like it based on the majority of reviews, but I loved it!

      It does start off a bit slow. I was about halfway through it before it started picking up. After that, it was hard to put down!

      I love dystopian novels. (Brave New World being my favourite). This one didn't disappoint me either.

      I could actually imagine something like this happening in the future. It's quite scary to think about.

      I loved the characters of Zoe and Adrien. They are so cute together!!

      However, I couldn't stand Max! I was secretly hoping throughout the book that he'd be killed off.

      The one thing that really annoyed me about this book was the made up swear words. I understand that it's in the future, but still...surely they could've just been left out. Eventually, about 75% through the book, I just got used to it.

      I would definitely recommend this book. I thought it was fantastic! I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 1/5
      Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

      Going into this, I had already seen the negative reviews rolling in from trusted sources. I am really grateful for that, because, had I not known, I'm pretty sure this would have been an even worse reading experience for me. Since I knew not to expect anything at all, I was better able to appreciate the few things that entertained me.

      The society set up in Glitch is, at least, dystopian, not just marketed as such, so that is good. It is not, however, particularly original, feeling from before the first page like so many others. In a little section before you begin the book itself, it says that secrets "started the wars and almost destroyed the planet. Secrets and lies and destructive passions. But we were saved from all that. We were logical. Orderly." This pretty much sets the tone for Glitch. I feel like a quarter at least of the dystopias I read are built around this basic premise: X causes terrible wars, so we have eliminated X with this drug/technology/whatever.

      The very first issue I encountered as I began to read Glitch was the awkwardness of the first person storytelling for this kind of tale. Zoel is glitching, meaning that her connection to the Link intermittently crashes. During these times, she can think for herself and feel emotions and see colors. Ordinarily, she is completely logical, which apparently also means zoned out and zombiefied. Anyway, moving past that, I could not deal with narration that would tell me the Link had just reasserted control and she was no longer capable of thinking, followed by numerous emotion-fraught thoughts. Anastasiu never successfully made the Link sound like it was working on Zoe.

      The next problem I noticed was Zoe. She is one of those heroines that is eternally surprised by everything. She has no survival skills. Like none. She does whatever people tell her to do, except when her telekinesis kicks in and does things FOR her. She spots Adrien following her everywhere and is all like, hey, that's vaguely creepy. Then, she gets taken by some official to a room where he generally is horrifying. Adrien breaks in and takes out the official and drags her up above ground, even though she doesn't know him and he won't answer any damn questions. Girl, don't even.

      Heather Anastasiu decided to create new swear words for this future: "shuntin'," "crackin'" and "godlam'd." Certainly, swear words do often change with time (as some words used in my parents' day, for example, have lost impact or ceased use), so I totally get why she did this. However, they didn't come off as authentically belonging to these characters or this world: they read like obvious substitutions for the words we use now and made me immediately dislike Adrien, the one who said them all the time. Most irritating to me was godlam'd, which seems to exist solely to make it clear that it means goddamned. I mean, what would the longer word be if you reinserted the part now replaced by the apostrophe? Godlambed? Godlaminated? Godlamaaed? I can't think of anything that would make any sort of sense. Also, would a logical, emotionless society really still cling to religion enough to use an epithet built around God? These words might have worked better had there been any other changes between our modern terms and theirs, because they would not have stood out as much. The only other original word I noticed: "gnangy."

      Yet again, I was disappointed to be reading a dystopia where the good guys and the bad guys are precisely who you think they are from the outset. Seriously, why is this the case with so many dystopias? Haven't you heard of twists? Or shades of grey? (Note: not 50 Shades of Grey)

      At this juncture, the review is going to be entering spoiler territory, so continue at your own discretion.

      Now, I have to talk about the 'romance' in this book. We have both instalove and a creepy stalker/rapist. Awesome, right? The instalove bothered me, but really pales in comparison to the other issue. Still, let's start there. Adrien has been crushing on Zoe ever since he saw her in his visions of the future. He takes her to his mom's house after breaking her out of school, where they make out and declare undying devotion to one another. Then they have to wipe her memory so she can return safely to school.

      Up to this point, I wasn't in love with the book, but it was steaming along at a fairly respectable 2.5. The book had issues, boring and uninspired, but meh. Then things happen. It gets so much worse.

      Back at school, with no memory of Adrien, Max, who Zoe tutors, requests additional study sessions at his house. Conveniently, parents work until ten PM, giving them lots of alone time in his bedroom. Max promptly confesses that he glitches too, can look like any other person, and that he wants to see her genitals (no joke...this scene was mad awkward). Teen boy new emotions seeing porn by accident = ATTEMPTED RAPIST. He proceeds to force many make out sessions on Zoe, and she lets him even though she's not enjoying them, because, obviously, it's nice to let boys do things with you, unless you're COMPLETELY sure you like some other boy better. Only then should you stop them. (Note: FALSE)

      When Adrien comes back into the picture, Max begins to get insanely jealous, which means more forced kisses, some grabbing and lots of yelling. Finally, Zoe figures out that she's in OMG TRU LURV with Adrien. Note that all of this takes place with lots of sneaking into bedrooms, despite this being against the rules, surveillance and Regulators everywhere. Max sees them kissing and reacts in precisely the way you would expect: shoving her up against the wall, forcing a kiss on her again, and saying she WILL BE WITH HIM SOMEDAY.

      All of this happens, plus Zoe finds out that Max was spying for the enemy. Still, SHE DOESN'T HATE MAX AND WANTS TO BE FRIENDS. Even Pinkie Pie would not want to be friends at this juncture. Honestly, I feel like I have a better understanding for Max's character than I do Zoe's. I mean, he at least has a reason for behaving the way he does. Her actions make no sense. She has no motivations. AAAAAGHHHH.

      Summing up, Glitch is as filled with glitches as the heroine. I suspect some people will like it, but most will be disgusted by the lack of personality in the heroine as well as the lackluster plotting and writing.
    • 3/5
      “I wanted color. I wanted to soar with happiness even if it meant dealing with the weight of fear and guilt, too. I wanted to live.”
      Brief Sunmary:

      Zoel was in The Community where all the people are connected to the Link. With it, they could not feel pain or guilt. They couldn't experience joy or delight either. The people in The Community were orderly and peaceful beings but they are devoid of emotions. Some people experience anomalies though, they glitch. They could feel things and get out of the influence of The Link. But people like this, like Zoel, are reported. When discovered, they will be deactivated. These glitchers developed powers individuallly. Together, those people not under the The Community formed a Resistance. But how will they be going to tore down an entity that was standi standing for so long now??.. This story was about choosing to live even though you had to live through the bad. That's what makes the good worth it, right?

      Well, this was just wonderful.

      I actually started this one a few days ago and I stopped and put this aside because of the insta-love and I was kind of bored because of its slow pacing.. I just yawned so much so I went to read another book. But picking this up again today, I can't believe that this was the same book I've started a few days back! It seems different, more interesting.

      The Characters:

      The main character, Zoel, was strong-willed but she soaks in self-pity sometimes that it became annoying. I liked her thinking not only about herself but other people, too!

      Adrien was cute! He was such an easy character to like because of his welcoming air around him. I was hesitant to like him at first but he did grow on me.

      Maximin. I don't like Maximin from the beginning up to the last page. He is seriously creepy! All he wanted to do was kiss and make out with Zoel. He was also very selfish, only thinking about himself.

      There seems to be an insta-love at the beginning but it became tolerable because they did undergo the proper relationship development after that.

      I like the world building though not very original. This has the "Shatter Me" feel into it where a girl is freed and dicovered she has powers, powers that can stop the world from being under the influence of the wrong people. Then this girls will be the catalyst for huge change. I like Shatter Me more than this book though.

      The Ending:

      And that ending! Gaaah. All the freaking twists in the world must be in this book. A lot has happened and I was like whispering, "oh no!" "omg!" every page! I'll definitely read the next book soon.

      Overall, a really great sci-fi book with a rather slow opening. Recommended with reservations.

      Final Rating: 3.5/5 stars
    • 3/5
      Ok young adult book, nothing spectaculair just a quick read
    • 1/5
      Well, before I set my stun gun to 'death ray', let me start things off by discussing Glitch's less infuriating flaws & misdemeanors.First of all, the writing was rather mediocre with a lot of repetition and juvenile, clichéd, cheesy dialogue. Can't say too much about the plot either since it essentially consisted of the same predictable situations and melodramatic character interactions replayed over & over again. Secondly, there were quite a few inconsistencies in the storytelling. Zoe would randomly & effortlessly jump back and forth between using ‘regular’ language and the technical, highly intellectual vocabulary she grew up speaking as a member of the hive-like Link. Additionally, she would randomly not know the meaning of certain emotionally expressive words while knowing & using others naturally. I had the same problem with Zoe's understanding of emotions. She was able to recognize & understand someone being livid & frustrated (for example), but she would all of a sudden be unable to identify & comprehend emotions like embarrassment & hate. The characters' superhuman abilities were also inconsistent. They would work amazingly well in one scene and then fail to work accurately or at all whenever the story called for it. Consequently, these powers would seem more like plot devices than organic extensions of the characters. Speaking of the characters, they were all significantly underdeveloped & forgettable with one note personalities and no depth whatsoever. Zoe, in particular, annoyed the bloody hell out of me. She constantly whined about feeling alone and constantly panicked about EVERYTHING. Furthermore, whenever she wasn't teetering on the edge of paranoid hysteria, she was on the verge of bursting into tears. Oh, and if that wasn't enough to make the readers want to slit their own wrists, Zoe also frequently indulged in overdramatic bouts of self-loathing and a woe-is-me angstfest. And that segues me into my biggest issue with Glitch: The romance. Not only did it dominate the story and stimulate my gag reflex, but it also really disturbed & enraged me. As to be expected, the romance was of the supersonic insta-love variety and involved a shallow, hokey love triangle. Unfortunately, the book decided to go the extra mile and make the romance suck even more by throwing in an unhealthy, abusive, and emotionally manipulative relationship into the mix AND by making the heroine tolerate, excuse, ignore, and forgive it. Listen, I hate to turn this review into another lengthy rant, but this shit seriously needs to get addressed. So, let’s examine the following scenes, shall we:(FYI, there be spoilers, yo. You've been warned)Scene #1 – Max presses himself up against Zoe and then proceeds to paw at her ass. This makes Zoe thoroughly uncomfortable, and she feels no desire to reciprocate his sexual advances. Yet, she doesn’t speak up for herself and decides to merely sidestep the situation by changing the subject. When he tries to press the issue, she responds with a "maybe later" because she doesn't want to hurt his feelings. Okay, when someone invades your personal space and starts groping you without invitation, the appropriate response is to tell them to back off and to make it clear to them that you are not okay with that kind of behavior. Moreover, if you’re not interested in that person the way they’re obviously interested in you, you should tell them so instead of giving them a vague response that sends them mixed signals with an underlying message that all they have to do is keep pressuring you until they wear you down and you eventually give in to what they want.Scene #2 – Max persuades Zoe into giving kissing a try. He roughly kisses her, which she describes as being very awkward. She also clearly doesn't seem to be enjoying it, but she decides against pulling away because she doesn't want to "dampen his excitement."Hmm, apparently her feelings don’t count, and in her mind it’s perfectly okay to be used for someone else’s benefit. Well, frak that. Scene #3 – Max goes off on a raving monologue about how (literally) crazy he is about Zoe, saying things like "You're everything to me,” “You're all that matters, all I think about," "I just want you for myself," and “You were supposed to be mine,” but Zoe excuses it because it gives her "a flush of happiness to be wanted."Um, when someone basically admits to being obsessed with you and talks about you as if you were a possession, you shouldn’t be flattered. You should be creeped out…and insulted. But mostly creeped out. And you should get the hell away from that individual as fast and as far as possible. Scene #4 – Max flies into a jealous rage, punches a wall, and yells at Zoe. The second she calls him out on his assholish behavior, he decides to smooth things over by pulling her into a hug. Instead of firmly standing her ground, she once again completely forgives & forgets because "he could be so kind when he wanted to be."Note to Zoe: An asshole who is nice one out of ten times is still an asshole. Simple math.Scene #5 – After finally growing a spine and telling Max that she only loves him as a friend and that her heart belongs to Adrien, Max berates her for hurting his feelings. The next day, he takes it a step further by manhandling her, which Zoe describes & justifies thusly: “He was rougher with me than usual. Harder and colder than he had ever been before last night. But I deserved it.”Oh Hell to the No! Seriously?! Ugh! I can’t even...Woosa! Look, let’s get something straight. No one deserves to be abused and treated like dirt by someone they care about. Period.I'm done. Over and out.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 2/5
      The summary for Glitch immediately drew me in, as I am a big fan of dystopian-esque novels. The book started well, but then a love triangle was formed and things started going downhill from there...

      First, the characters weren't well developed. Zoe IS NOT a strong protagonist. She's actually quite 2D and very dependent on others. Pretty much all the characters in Glitch were not very well developed.

      Additionally, the whole "love-triangle" took away my whole interest in the book as well. I didn't like either Max or Adrian; they were both unrealistic (and Max was kinda really creepy!) I think that Glitch could have been MUCH more successful if the love triangle was taken out.

      Ugh...and the backstory! It doesn't make sense! Well, to give Mrs. Anastasiu credit, at least she tried to write a backstory...
      The backstory revolves around a nuclear bomb. Because of the destruction the bomb caused, the government lead people to live underground. The government also believed that human emotion caused them to drop the bomb, so they made a device (the "V-Chip") to stop human emotions. Make sense? It does to me...except one tiny BIG detail: How exactly could people live underground?

      All in all, I wouldn't recommend Glitch. I was really hoping for another solid dystopian novel, but I didn't find one. I doubt I will be returning to the series in the future (yes...the publishers think they're going to be successful enough to have a series...good luck with that!)
    • 3/5
      Plot: 3 stars
      Characters: 3 stars
      Style: 3 stars
      Pace: 3 stars
      This is a very 3 star kind of book. I picked it up mainly because it has some elements in common with a plot bunny I've had, and I wanted to see how certain bits were handled. There wasn't anything wrong with this book. It was just so typical of the mass of YA right now, that it didn't stand out.
    • 3/5
      In this dystopian novel, humanity has given up the ability to feel emotion or think for themselves. Instead, they are all connected to a network which regulates their activities and decides when they should be deactivated. However, many young adults are beginning to “glitch”, suddenly experiencing emotion and also displaying strange new mental powers. As Zoe struggles to hide her glitches and control her erratic telekinetic powers, she also has to deal with feeling emotion for her family and for boys for the first time.I loved the way the author introduced us to the world. She does a great job of showing instead of telling and revealing little bits of information at a time. It kept me interested and helped me get inside Zoe’s head to understand how confusing suddenly feeling emotion was for her. The writing was a style I like in YA books; clear, straightforward, with vivid descriptions and believable behavior and dialogue.The only thing that kept me from really loving this novel was the feeling I’d read it before. And I basically have, because the story parallels the plot of Uglies very closely. I liked the setting and the premise of this novel a little better, but that didn’t make the plot any more original. There was also the oh-so-ubiquitous love triangle, although our protagonist was clear about who she liked (at least when free of outside mental influence) which made it much less frustrating than in many other books. Overall, nothing new here, but still a fun read which kept me turning pages well into the night.
    • 4/5
      I thought Glitch was a very thought-provoking novel. It was exciting. It had a lot of danger. I didn't know if I could trust any of the characters because I didn't know what their hidden agendas were. But beyond the danger and adventure the story really made me think about the nature of people. How could Max and Zoe, both from the same background, react so differently when they started to glitch?Zoe is terrified when she first starts to glitch. The world is more interesting when she starts having her own feelings and the world is more colorful when everything isn't dulled by the link. But it is much more dangerous too and requires so much control to hide that she is more aware than those around her. Of course, that wouldn't be enough. Zoe has also developed telekinesis though she doesn't have control over it.When she meets Adrien and he helps her escape the Community, she is exposed to a world she never knew existed. She learns that most of what she believed about society and the surface were lies and that she and everyone she knows are more or less slaves. Adrien grew up in the Resistance. He has visions of the future. He saw her and saw her potential future importance to the Resistance and was determined to save her. The Resistance tries to save the kids who are glitching before they can be deactivated. Adrien has gone undercover many times. Unfortunately, Zoe has to return to the Community because she has massive deadly allergies to molds found on the surface. She goes back and has to tell lies to fit in again until she can go through a series of treatments, secretly administered by Adrien, to control the allergies and make her able to live on the surface. Then she meets Max who is also glitching. Max's psychic gift is the ability to impersonate anyone. He uses his skill to learn more about the Community. He is obsessed with Zoe and thinks he can save her as they work the system and stay part of the Community.Zoe is torn between the two boys and their conflicting desires for her. She doesn't understand the emotions that she is feeling, doesn't understand love or hate. But she still wants freedom not just for herself but for the others who are controlled by the V-chip too. Max doesn't understand emotions either. He seems much more selfish and self-centered than Zoe. He does experience, and seems to embrace, jealousy and anger. Adrien knows emotions. He grew up with them. He is eager to help Zoe understand them and does try to define love and hate for her. This was an entertaining story. Because it is the start of a trilogy, the ending doesn't bring resolution to any of the plot lines. I will be looking forward to future volumes.
    • 4/5
      I thought this book was very unique! The idea of lacking emotions was a concept I struggled to understand and fully comprehend to how it could work in this situation of a society, never mind a love triangle. However, once I began reading the book, the story begins to unravel and the situation becomes clear of how emotions can develop and the innocence behind it is really profound! My main issue with the emotion came when I realised the novel was from a first person narrative. I didn’t understand how a lack of emotion could be interpreted through a first person narrative, but surprisingly for the moments where emotion is not present or at the back of Zoe’s mind, it works effectively with the clean cut, and factual statistics of the surrounding area. The novel takes a real look into society and its hierarchy and how we realistically can move to this direction. I felt the novel distinctly set up a history that could provide the resulting society and its functioning. The idea of a V-chip to control the people and how their history has been manipulated is much more believable than certain dystopia novels and although the idea does border on science-fiction it works effectively to balance the two. The characters: Zoe. Zoe is the girl we follow through the novel and we’re fully centred into her mind. I liked how we managed to uncover more than Zoe did about herself. Despite being in first person narrative, it works and it added to the excitement that Anasasiu created. I’ll admit I’ve yet to read a first person narrative where we’ve known more than the main character in the sense that Glitch allows us. Zoe is a character we watch mature and grow into her own self and kick-ass heroine by the end! She stands for what is right and what she believes, something at times we fear she may allowed to be trampled down by the bossy boys who surround her. However she pulls herself back from teetering on the edge where at times she’s in fear of being swallowed up by the commandeering presence of other characters. The boys. They were interesting enigmas on their own and each offered very different traits that gave a good contrast. I felt despite the society they were from, we could still place them within our society as everyday people we know and this allowed the book to drop again to a realistic level. They added to the excitement and twist and certainly added an ever present friction and tension in the books that built the anticipation. However, having said that Max is a character I found I could not like in any way, shape or form (literally!). I tried to like him and he even seemed like he would hold redeeming qualities, but by the end of the story all hope was lost on his character. The love triangle is something I think some people may feel like its been overdone before. To me, the love triangle was not what I expected and it’s made clear once you get into the space of the characters and understand the way they work, it becomes much more clear why the love triangle is required in this situation. I immediately sided with one of the boys, which cleared up any conflicting emotions one can sometimes feel with a love triangle. I have to admit this story made me a little weepy in places because the turbulent emotions Anasasiu takes us through are certainly extremes and they had me clutching the edge of my seat and reaching for a tissue over the situations Zoe managed to get herself into. This book manages to play on all the emotions and never allows you to fall into a sense of comfort. There are twists and turns at every corner! Predictable this book is not! The only other dystopia novel I’ve read is ‘The Hunger Games’ and this was nothing alike! However I enjoyed this book with equal vigour and devoured it eagerly. I will very much be looking forward to buying a copy to install on my book shelf! So while I urge you to flock and pick up this book, stick with the book because certain parts are better than others!
    • 4/5
      3.5 starsReview based on an ARC, thanks!Glitch has a very interesting premise but its execution falls flat.In a Dystopian World, Zoe is in trouble. She glitches-has flashes of emotion when no one is supposed to. Emotions are seen as a weakness and they have been done away with. She learns that with having thoughts and emotions, she has also unlocked another ability, and she is not the only person in their compound with these abilities. It becomes a race to the truth as Zoe tries to find out who her real friends are, and what these powers might mean.Like I said earlier, what caught my eye was the thought of a world with no emotions. The plot was pretty solid, albeit the pacing was a little slow. It's interesting because while I thought that the overall pacing was slow, the book's opening was a bit rushed. Readers are immediately introduced with Zoe's dilemma and have to play catch up to piece the rest together. I will admit that I did not predict the twist so I liked that, and the book's cliffhanger made me wonder what could possibly happen next.The characters were a piece of work and not in a good way. I found Zoe distant and hard to relate too. I also found her love interest, Adrien, annoying. The author's creative new terminology "crackin" just did not do it for me. Actually, I don't think there was a single character that I liked. Some characters I thought were downright cruel while others were too naive. The love triangle was also completely unnecessary as its obvious who Zoel's choice is.The writing was told from Zoe's point of view which I did not find engaging in the least. This book was sadly book-down-able due to Zoe's voice and her interactions with the other characters. I'm sorry to say that this book was not for me, if it was told from the perspective of a different narrator, I think that I would enjoy it more.
    • 4/5
      As a fan of Paranormal and Dystopia books I found Glitch to be a perfect combination of both. This enjoyable book was one I did not want to put down after the first chapter. I love the way Ms. Anastasiu created this unique dystopian world. The building up of the plot and the depth of the characters were just right.Zoel is basically like a drone, just like the humans in her Community. Everyone is implanted with certain kind of hardware that keeps them calm and at peace. If you start glitching (thinking or feeling for yourself) you are supposed to report it so you can either be reprogrammed or deactivated. Zoe starts glitching but chooses to try and hide it. She soon learns she also has a strange gift as well. She then discovers that she is not alone, that there are others out there glitching as well.This dystopian adventure does have a bit of romance in it. Zoe meets two boys who have feelings for her. First there is Adrian works with the Resistance and can see the future. Then there is Max a new glitcher who is also a shapeshifter. This love triangle only adds to the emotional journey Zoe goes through in order to survive with her new understanding and awareness.I think Glitch is a wonderful and entertaining book and I am looking forward to reading the next installment of this new series.
    • 3/5
      Zoe lives underground in The Community, where everyone is controlled by a computer chip embedded in their spine which prevents anyone from feeling any type of emotion. There are no colors, no feelings and everyone just kind of exists without really experiencing anything. Lately, Zoe has started to glitch. For moments at a time her chip malfunctions and she's filled with strange emotions she's never felt before and begins seeing things in color. She knows she is malfunctioning and she should turn herself in to be fixed, but she fears if she turns herself in she may be terminated.When Zoe happens upon a group of other "glitchers" she learns that she's not alone. Not only that, but each of them possess another type of special ability which may have something to do with why they all glitched in the first place. Together they must figure out a way to escape the confines of the community before they're discovered and deactivated.The premise of this book sounded very interesting and I was excited to read it. While I didn't hate the book, it didn't grab me the way I hoped it would.I know a lot of it had to do with me being extremely over analytical , and my aversion to the dreaded love triangle. My biggest problem is that I didn't get how Zoe, a person who had never felt these emotions, or seen these colors, could so adequately describe them to the reader. Sometimes she goes from confusion to a full description in the same sentence. My analytical self kept asking, "Wait, how does she know that is fear, or anxiety?" etc. etc. I think if the book were written in the third person instead of the first, it wouldn't have bothered me.My other problem was the concentration on the love triangle. The book started out really strong and definitely compelled me, but once Zoe meets Max and Adrien, the focus seemed to shift to the relationship between Zoe and the two boys instead of the world around them. I think the story would have grabbed me more if this had taken more of a backseat, or maybe had it been hinted at in this book and then uncovered more in future installments. I just felt like there was a bigger problem at hand than which boy she wanted. Not to mention Max is a little psycho. I wasn't sure how Zoe could even be attracted to him.What I did like about the book is the world, and the blending of sci-fi and the paranormal. I really wanted to explore this a bit more, and I'm hoping that maybe future installments will focus more on those elements.All in all I thought it was just okay. Despite the minor annoyances, I feel Ms. Anastasiu is a talented writer with a great voice, and this series has a lot of potential. If you like your dystopian's to focus on romance, you'll probably like this one. For me, I wanted a little more action and world building.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A futuristic adventure, filled with choice, friendship, and strength, taken place in a fantastic world. Opening Sentence: I felt it coming this time.The Review: There has been a good amount of science fiction books. I’m a huge fan of science fiction, originating from the days of Aldous Huxley, Ray Bradbury, and even Douglas Adams. When I was given Heather Anastasiu’s Glitch to review, I was intrigued. There were promises of futuristic societies, controlled thoughts, and implantation of computer chips into people. Glitch definitely delivered wonder and amazement, and so much more. In Glitch, a young girl stands apart from many others. Where the masses are connected and numbed from all independent thought, Zoe malfunctions. As someone who glitches, Zoe begins to have feelings, emotions, and eventually an identity. And because glitching is forbidden, she begins to hide the truth from everyone. Slowly, Zoe’s emotions are becoming uncontrollable, revealing another secret: her telekinetic powers. Struggling to control her glitching and her abilities, Zoe meets others like her. Zoe’s world is opened to a whole new truth that even she couldn’t fathom. Zoe is an amazing character. She was believable, despite the futuristic setting. Anastasiu allowed me to not only sympathize with Zoe, but to also want to become her. Despite the harsh reveal of the truths of her own world, Zoe experienced things in a new light. Zoe experienced art in a way that I never thought about. Zoe was a person with upstanding morals and overall positive personality traits. She was strong when needed and compassionate towards others. Zoe encounters two significant people throughout her glitching days. One is Adrien, who noticed Zoe at the beginning of her glitches. Adrien helped her escape in a time of need, and he opened her eyes to the Resistance. He loved her for who she was, and he watched over her when she least expected it. The other significant person is Max. I’m not sure if he was meant to be the other point in a love triangle, but I felt that he was a good support system for Zoe when she needed him. A childhood friend, Max proved his worth on many occasions. Despite a few wrong intentions, I felt that Max was a good plot twist in the story. Anastasiu’s world is amazing. The way that she built up the culture of Zoe’s world was detailed with vivid imagery. I was standing in the Community, plugged in with the others. I believed along with Zoe that the way to life was, “Community first. Community always.” And then Anastasiu flips it all around to show me the outskirts and the Resistance, a whole new community with a different dynamic and culture. Each entity and social group with their own beliefs, and each one with characters important to the story and to the plot’s cause. I was fascinated by the social dynamics written into Glitch. I appreciated the slow steps to revealing the different sides of the equation. It brought me back to the days of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I was fascinated with the Community collective, their dynamic with each other and the government, as well as the Resistence, their beginnings and how they came to be. There were so many levels of depth in this book, that it has quickly made its way on my favorites shelf. Anastasiu does not hold back in her writing abilities. From the world descriptions to the world building, and then to the depth of each character involved in the storyline, Glitch has the makings of a fantastic read. There are messages of experiences, loyalty, and personalities written throughout the story. Each one adding weight to the words on the page. I can’t say, “If you like [book], then you’ll love Glitch,” only because it stands out on its own. Notable Scene: The memory came with a jolt of fear, bursting temporarily through the solid Link barrier that kept my emotions silenced. I almost gasped, only barely managing to suppress it at the last moment. This had never happened before. Normally once the Link had taken complete control, I felt and thought nothing until I glitched again days or weeks later. Inside I flailed in panic, trying desperately to keep every muscle twitch, every shift of my eyes completely under control as the fear pulsed through me. I didn’t dare turn my head, but I looked around as discreetly as possible at the people near me in line. The small aluminum circle under the skin of my chest, my heart and vitals monitor, vibrated slightly in response to my increased heart rate. The subjects nearby hadn’t noticed the buzzing— they were too zoned out to the Link— but I knew that if I didn’t get my panic under control immediately, the monitor would start a loud beeping alarm, alerting the huge crowds of Market Corridor that I was anomalous, possibly defective. The Regulators I had passed moments before would drag me away. Would I be like the girl, and come back all fi xed and never glitch again? Or would I be like the boy, and never come back at all? The questions only made the panic rise higher.FTC Advisory: Macmillan/St. Martin’s Press provided me with a copy of Glitch. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      Everyone is plugged into the Community. Their senses are dulled and emotions simply don't exist anymore. Everything is done for the greater good with no thought to selfish desires. Zoe has started to glitch. She is periodically free from the Community ad experiences raw emotions, sensations, and a sense of self. She knows she should turn herself in for the good of all, but ultimately decides to hide it out of curiosity. The risk is great and rapidly escalates as her emotions are hard to hide and she develops telekinesis. If anyone discovers her secret, the authorities will deactivate her. There are others like her and a Resistance exists outside of the community which occasionally infiltrates, but their efforts may be useless if anyone finds out about them. I love reading about dystopian worlds where even emotion is outlawed, like Glitch or Equilibrium. It's just something so fundamental to humans that it seems an impossibility to ban it. I was definitely drawn into Heather Anastasiu's unique world where technology is used to sedate and dampen the masses into little automatons that don't protest or care about anything. The government is free to do whatever they want with people: kill them, enslave them, or make them do anything. When Zoe glitches, she starts to question her whole society and sees value in these emotions instead of destructive as she has always been taught. The world building was one of my favorite parts because it just fascinates me. The writing was fluid, engaging, and succeeded in sucking me into the world. It made me gloss over some of the flaws while I was reading the book because I was so interested in the world and the conflict.There are some very glaring flaws. It was interesting to see Zoe dealing with new colors, emotions, and situations, but it was very uneven. For someone who has never experienced a lot, she had names and definitions for many things she shouldn't have. I liked Zoe for the most part and I understood her emotions throughout the novel, although others may find her annoying. The things that really annoyed me were made up curse words and one of the love interests. Come on. If you're going to use curse words, please use the normal ones in our parlance. If you think they will really offend, just don't use any at all. I cringed every time one of them came up. It sounded very juvenile and grated on my nerves. On to my next grievance: Max is another glitcher that she goes to school with. He is very selfish and is fascinated with sexuality to the point where he was pushy and demanding. He truly disgusted me and the fact that Zoe continually forgave his horrible behavior and basically thought to herself how nice he really is underneath it all. No, Zoe. It's not ok and he's not nice. Ugh. I just wanted to shake her and get her to see how much of a jerk he was.Glitch is a fun new dystopian novel with some unique elements and also some big flaws. I will definitely stick with it for the next installment to see what is in store for these characters and hope that some of these flaws are corrected.
    • 5/5
      There are so many amazing books this year, including this one. An highly anticipated book, Glitch lives up to the hype!I'm very impressed with the world building of the story. Action packed, Glitch immediately throws the readers in a world of deception. I often wondered what it would be like it everyone were controlled. And this story, give just that. A front-row seat to the story of the year. I loved that along with a good moving plot, there are twist and turns the reader does not see. With so many lies going around, the reader doesn't see what is right under the nose.The characters of the book are written perfectly. I enjoyed reading the main character Zoe, go through the stress of glitching. The panic of what if she got caught, the adrenaline rush to stay calm and keep a straight face on. What a rush! At times, I found myself holding my breath, release with relief when she made it through.The love interest for me developed a little fast, still I liked their presence together. The love came on rather quickly in the mix of the glitching. It still manges to capture my heart since all they have is each other. When your the only one glitching and the government is watching you every move, trust must be made between someone you trust. The few moments that they steal together is soo romantic.Glitch is the ultimate unsettling plot. Raging with deep secrets of lawless dystopia, I fell in love. Glitch is a solid beginning to an amazing series. Glitch is perfect!
    • 5/5
      Originally posted at my blog Concise Book Reviews by Michelleconcisebookreviewsbymichelle.blogspot.com Expected publication date: August 7th 2012 by St. Martin’s PressBy Heather AnastasiuI really enjoyed this story, It took me a short time to get into it, once I was able to actually read it, as its an ARC (advanced readers copy from NetGalley) and it was in a format for computer only, and I have a hard time reading on the computer. I finally got it on my Kindle, but took some work to get it there, so I was able to really read it at that time.This story is a very interesting one, much different than most out there, it’s a whole new take on a dystopian theme that has become a base for a lot of young adult books lately. I like the sci-fi high tec take on it. It’s refreshing.The story is set in a time where humans are implanted with a computer chip, that takes away emotion and everything that makes us who we are, they are told its to keep them safe. Anyone who “Glitches” starts feeling everything that the computer chip is blocking. Color, emotions, etc. Zoe is the main character that is “glitching”. She soon realizes there are others that do as well, that have been hiding it, just like she has. She had thought she was alone in the glitches, until she meets others like her. In the community, when someone is turned in for being an anomaly (someone that is glitching) they are either reprogrammed or terminated. Zoe and her friends, the other glitchers, are attempting to find a way out of the community.Zoe and her friends find that they have powers, hers being telekinesis. The story revolves around Zoe becoming a resistance fighter and taking on the government who rules with an iron fist when she learns about how corrupt their system is.Here is a quote for you (not sure what page it would be, as I am reading a strange format, no percents or pages)(Zoe and Adrian talking)“Come with me. There are other Gifted people here, living on the Surface, free and real and alive. I’m one of them. That’s how I know about the pictures you draw. You draw the world as you wish it was. I know about the one you drew yesterday, a boy’s face-it was your brother, right?”“How did you know-?”His words poured out in a rush. “I know that you drew him in the picture like you wish you could see him in real life. The way he looked at you from the picture, it was love, wasn’t it? That’s what you drew in his face?”I felt my mouth drop open. “How could you know that?”“It’s my Gift. I can see glimpses of the future.”I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes some sci-fi or paranormal books, with a dystopian spin on it. It’s really good, and look forward to the sequel.Summary from GoodreadsIn the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.
    • 3/5
      Wow.... Just wow. Bethany Griffin did an amazing job in this novel. Everything from her words to her world building was amazing. Especially since everything in the world was fictional and the only thing she had to build off was the spin that she created from the original king of eerie himself, Edgar Allan Poe. For her to be able to come up with all of this is definitely an awesome feat. But even with it being so good, the world was a dark one. There death happens everyday as the plague that hit years ago continues to take the lives of the town's citizens. This gives the story and dark mood. As far as characters, I loved Araby. She seemed like she didn't care about anyone but her and April, but as time went on, it was obvious that she cared for other people, much more than anyone else. And Will and Elliott, well seeing as I can't decide who I'm for, you just have to read it and let me know what you decide. Because as of now, I fell in love with both of them, even the crazy one. (If you read it, you know who I mean.) The one thing I didn't enjoy was the freaking ending! Geez I was not expecting an ending like that so now I'm like hurting for the next one! Ms. Griffin why'd you do that to us?! Last but not least, I just want to admit that I indeed did judge a book by its cover. The cover is GORGEOUS and it feels amazing. As soon as I saw it, without even reading the blurb, I immediately knew I wanted to read this. And this time my judgement was right. Masque of the Red Death is definitely a thrilling read that I devoured in a day and a half.
    • 4/5
      When I first started the book I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get into it. I didn't really know what it was about (I forgot to see what it was about, as I have had it for a couple of months). Little did I know, it wasn't going to take long before I was captivated by the story. There is adventure, action, and emotion The story is set in a time where humans are implanted with a computer chip that takes away emotion and everything that makes us who we are. Anyone who "glitches" starts feeling everything that the computer chip is blocking. Color, emotions, etc. Zoe is the main character that is glitching. She soon realizes there are others that do as well, that have been hiding it, just like here. In the Community, when someone is turned in for being an anomalie (someone that is glitching) they are either reprogrammed or terminated. Zoe and her friends - other glitchers - are attempting to find a way out of the Community.
    • 3/5
      ** spoiler alert ** Review to come!I received this ARC of Glitch from St. Matin's Griffin Publishing through Net Galley for an honest review. It is a dystopian young adult novel.Zoel Q84 lives in an underground world, far away from the contaminated surface. Within the community their is no pain, no war, no happiness or sadness. There's no emotions at all. Married couples are paired and children are created in test tubes in a lab. All residents are linked into the central system via a chip placed in the back of their neck. But there are those that malfunction, or glitch. They become unlinked from the community and start to feel and see. This is anomalous behavior and is not tolerated by the Uppers. When such things happen, it is reported and people are repaired. Zoel is one of these anomalies. And she holds a secret even darker, she is telekinetic. As she tries to hide what is happening to her, she meets others who are also glitching and have powers similar to hers. Together, they fight to try and free themselves from the control of the community. They overall theme of the book has almost an XMen type feel to it.I have to say that I love the concept of this story. I am very into Dystopian literature. I love to see how the destruction of society as we know it brings about a government controlled community. It speaks volumes as to the direction in which our society could potentially go. A society where no one feels any emotions. A society where such things can't get in the way of how things function. It's a place where everyone is equal and no one suffers, in theory. I was somewhat worried with the first person narrative of this story, but with the lack of emotions, it actually seemed to work very well. Since Zoel has not experienced emotions before, she is able to describe to us the overwhelming feelings she experiences. And, because she has never seen others experience emotion, she easily notices and describes her reaction to others who are going through the same process. The world building is almost immediate in this story, as Zoel is glitching when we are first introduced to her. And her fears are real and tangible to the audience as she describes the process of being repaired, or worse yet, deactivated.The story starts out a bit slow. I was perturbed by the fact that the first two chapters were almost purely narrative. There was barely any interaction between the main character and others in the story. I was actually bored. Then suddenly there is action. Zoel, or Zoe as she likes to be called, meets Adrien, the boy with crystal green eyes. He shows her that she is not alone. He shows her his power: visions of the future. And they quickly connect, more quickly than I deemed possible, which made their connection a bit unbelievable. Adrien brings her to the surface to show her that the Uppers have lied, that no toxins exist and it's possible to live there without the filtered air provided in the tunnels of the community. But Zoe has an allergic reaction to the elements, such as mold, and Adrien must quickly return her to the society, wiped clean of any memory of her trip to the surface.Zoe's character is well thought out and you really see her grow throughout the novel. Her innocence is so intriguing and not something we see as a society who begins to feel emotion almost as soon as we are born. After her memory is wiped, she returns to the community and once again begins to glitch. We experience her emotions, which are all over the place, and watch her as he tries to control them without being detected. She begins to emerge as a typical teenager, fighting with her feelings and attempting to take control of her life. She hides from the community and fears for her life if her anomalous behavior is discovered.She quickly becomes friends with Maximum (Max), who eventually reveals to her that he, too, is glitching, confesses his undying love to her and reveals that he wants to keep her out of danger. He is very different from Adrien and seems to experience his emotions in a much more intense way than any of the other characters introduced during the story. We see him go from hot to cold in the blink of an eye. Zoe is also confused by her emotions, and is not able to understand how she feels about Max. Max is pushy and overbearing. He does not hide that he wants to save her or that he wants to be with her for the rest of his life. But it also seems that his "love" is based on his physical attraction to Zoe. He is overpowered by what I can only describe as teen lust. Zoe is not sure what this means and isn't sure she has the same feelings for him. Max, too, has a power, he can disguise his appearance as anyone. This is helpful as he tries to gather information and infiltrate the Uppers to figure out how he and Zoe can live safely.Adrien is soon reintroduced and Zoe feels almost an immediate connection to him. Although she does not remember him, there is something in the back of her mind that tells her to trust him. He is loving, caring and compassionate. He wants to use his abilities to help others and to save other glitters from the control of the community. He feels they are drones, only there to do why work of the Uppers. He shows Zoe that it is ok to feel emotions which can swing easily from love to hate depending on the situation. He works for the Resistance, who want to gather others to overturn the Uppers. We see that he truly believes in his cause, even if he does not know how they will establish it with such a small force of people.Max is untrusting of Adrien, and also jealous of him as he watches Zoe fall for him. This causes him to agree to help the Uppers gather information about glitters so they can use them for their own purposes.All in all, I the enjoyed the story line and the characters. I did find the author's ability to describe things thoroughly sometimes was lacking. And the story did not move as quickly as I would have liked. While we are introduced immediately to the disruptions that will ultimately cause a rift, the slowness with which we become acquainted to what is actually going on is annoying. I did not have the overall feeling of not wanting to put the book down, as I have with other dystopian stories. It didn't grab me and take me on that roller coaster ride of emotions I so enjoy with these types of stories. I certainly felt the overall theme of the book, but it wasn't as thrilling as I would have liked it to be.I am struggling with whether or not I would go on to read the second book in this series. I think the overall ending could allow someone to treat it as a stand alone, if they chose to. There was no real cliff hanger, although we don't know whether or not the glitchers escape and establish a new life with persecution from the Uppers.This books best a 2.5/5 stars from me.I would like to thank St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to do an early review of this novel.
    • 4/5
      I was really excited about this book -you could almost say that it was on my "most anticipated of 2012" list -well, at least something like that. Just that gorgeous cover that jumped out at me, the completely fascinating blurb that was all about control (and breaking out of it). It might has well have my name on it.Zoel (or, Zoe) lives in the Community, an underground world where there is no pain or war -and all emotion and individuality has been stripped away by a chip that is implanted into all humans to keep order -always. But when Zoe's chip starts to "glitch," she is suddenly confronted with new feelings, thoughts and a personal identity -all that could mean her deactivation. Zoe seems like she's all alone until she meets others who are also glitching.Hum...I'm not really sure what to say about Glitch. I guess that, at its core, I really wanted it to be better than it was. Glitch started out with promise -the writing was beautiful, Zoe's conflicts were compelling and the entire concept of the Community was interesting. But, then it seemed that the action seemed to pick up too quickly and the plot, as somewhat confusing as it was, pushed forward in an odd and somewhat unexpected way. (I know this sounds odd, but it seemed like there should have been more story between certain events.)Once we got into the plot, the action picked up, but the book started to go into places that I didn't expect it to -and that I honestly didn't want it to. I was really more interested in the composition and history of the Community itself and the control it had over people rather than the Zoe's strange powers and the new rag-tag band she starts running with. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't what I wanted it to be.But I kept reading. That's what matters, doesn't it?Glitch is a good read in the YA dystopian world, and well worth the time.