Glimmer

Jan 08, 2012 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: possibly fans of "The Name of the Star" and similar ghost stories

Shelves: 2012, mysteries-thrillers-horror, ya

I have no idea why, but I was sure Glimmer would be about zombies. Zombie apocalypse romance maybe? Clearly it's too hard for me to understand even a simple plot synopsis. Anyway, Glimmer isn't about zombies.

Two teens (we later learn their names are Elyse and Marshall) wake up naked in a bed in a house they don't recognize. They don't know who they are and how they ended up in this disturbing situation. They are scared and suspicious of first each other and then of the possibility that they have...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, fantasy-or-paranormal, fantasy-or-pn-favourites, romance, paranormal, mystery

4/4.5 stars

The premise for Glimmer was captivating enough to heighten my excitement for this book. A town haunted by ghosts? Teens searching for forgotten identities? Count me in.

I can safely say this book does not disappoint; it met my high expectations, perhaps even surpassed them, and left me craving for more.

The plot kicks off with Marshall and Elyse, or Him and Her, waking up together in the same bed, with no recollection of the night before. In fact, they seem to have no memories of anyth...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Alexa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: out-2012, arc, young-adult, 2011-reads

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

These same words kept popping up in my mind while I was reading this book: strange, weird, lost, freaky, bizarre, crazy. Because it was! Which was not a bad thing at all. The book alternates between the POV of Elyse and Marshall as they try to regain their memories and figure out what's wrong with the too perfect town of Summer Falls. Those first few chapters... Well, let's just say it was probably one of the most intriguing beginnings to a stor...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Kelly Leigh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, mystery-thriller, young-adult, grim-grinning-ghosts

Upon finishing Glimmer, I was bereft of any sort of satisfaction. In fact, I feel cheated. Let me explain why.

Glimmer, you hooked me, had me invested, the mystery you wove spurred me on to hungrily flip each of your pages, all the while anticipating the big reveal. Why are people falling down into catatonic states called heatnaps? Memories being erased? A Pleasantville atmosphere populated by Stepford Wives? And lo and behold, when the big reveal finally came to pass it was very remisncent of t...more Upon finishing Glimmer, I was bereft of any sort of satisfaction. In fact, I feel cheated. Let me explain why.

Glimmer, you hooked me, had me invested, the mystery you wove spurred me on to hungrily flip each of your pages, all the while anticipating the big reveal. Why are people falling down into catatonic states called heatnaps? Memories being erased? A Pleasantville atmosphere populated by Stepford Wives? And lo and behold, when the big reveal finally came to pass it was very remisncent of the demon Gachnar in BTVS. On one Halloween, Gachnar created mayhem and devilish deeds in its itty-bitty, wittle, pint-size wake. Then when the "Dark Lord of Nightmares", "the Bringer of Terror" was released from the appropriately named Mark of Gachnar, after much laughter by the Scooby Gang, Buffy squashed his few-inches-in-height frame with the heels of her Little Red Riding Hood shoes. For he was much ado about nothing. Point being, the ending is what did me in. The ending? What the what was that? A Velveeta-y cheesefest and then some is what it was. Lots of build up for a Gachnar-sized denouement.

Also, The Gachnar, the big bad in Glimmer, I guessed this person fairly quickly. Some things just didn't add up. But hey, the kids were still amnesiacs. So, natch, I cut them some much needed slack. But towards the end of the story and the brain trust comprised of Elyse and Marshall still hadn't ferreted out the identity of said person, wow. Just wow.

So all in all, aside from the letdown ending, the book definitely intrigued me. And for the most part, the entertainment value was there. It's always fun to puzzle out what's going on along with the MCs.

Also, to be fair and honest, I'm a sucker for explosive endings, like right out of a summer blockbuster movie. Which explains my lack of gratification with this novel's ending. Also, another reason for the 3 stars, I failed to connect with Elyse. She annoyed me for the majority of the time, but then I felt a pang of guilt when her back story came to light. Still, even with that truth revealed, I failed to feel her. Can't say the same for Marshall. I wish every chapter was told from his POV, not alternating with Elyse.

So would I recommend this novel? Yeah, it's different, mysterious. And a standalone, for those sick of series. (less)

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Dec 06, 2011 Twinklesmile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

After reading the blurb,I was way too excited to read the book. Talk about ghosts,a mysterious haunted town,"happy zombies",two teens with lost memories ? Couldn't ask for more. When I finished reading this book,I can say for sure,that it didn't disappoint me at all.

First of all the cover of this book is truly beautiful. The color combination is perfect and I love how the eyes of the girl on the cover,are blurred giving it an eerily haunting look. The shadow of the word "Glimmer" on the water gi...more After reading the blurb,I was way too excited to read the book. Talk about ghosts,a mysterious haunted town,"happy zombies",two teens with lost memories ? Couldn't ask for more. When I finished reading this book,I can say for sure,that it didn't disappoint me at all.

First of all the cover of this book is truly beautiful. The color combination is perfect and I love how the eyes of the girl on the cover,are blurred giving it an eerily haunting look. The shadow of the word "Glimmer" on the water gives the cover an artistic touch.

Glimmer starts off with Elyse and Marshall waking up with no memory of how they got here. They don't remember their families,their pasts,each other and not even their names. Horrified at what happened with them,they set off to search for answers and realize they are in "Summer Falls",an eerie town,where summer resides the whole year. All the people in here seem to be perfectly happy and do not remember any bad memories at all."Heatnaps" as they call it,happens every now and then,which includes suddenly falling in a deep sleep .From the outside the town looks perfect,but Elyse and Marshall realize that this town is least close to what any one would call perfect.
The ghosts walk by road,sending people to heatnap that erase all their bad memories,by a simple touch. Elyse and Marshall,determined to get to the bottom of the things,set off in the search of truth.

Glimmer is written from Elyse's POV and Marshall's POV and the chapters keep on switching between their POV's. Kitanidis made it much easier to understand the characters by splitting the perspectives between them. The starting is great and enough to keep you captivated. The story runs smoothly,and Kitanidis reveals the pieces of this dark mystery bit by bit for you to devour them. The spooky events,the "happy zombies",the ghosts,the heatnaps,all of them kept me biting my nails in anticipation. Kitanidis kept all the ingredients in a balanced quantity neither one overpowering the other. The whole atmosphere is so skillfully crafted that it draws you in to the world of Summer Falls instantly.

Now on to the characters,after waking up with no memories of what they were before,Elyse and Marshall,slowly get to know about their past lives. Of how they were before,all the positive and negative aspects of it. Their character did show frailty in past and they seemed to learn from their past mistakes. Their characters grew as the story continued. Kitanidis created both the characters in such a way that they seemed to fit each other like two pieces of puzzles. Not only the protagonists but all the other characters,Liz,Jeffry,Dan,Joe,Elizabeth,Ruta,Carla were also well developed and added a life to the book. Kitanidis described each of the character so well,that it instantly gives you a clear picture of what the character would be like. For example,Elyse describes herself as :

"---the grouchy curve of my mouth,my huge,venomous green eyes.I can see how funny,how ridiculous,my honest indignation looks from the outside. I look like a pissed-off Disney Princess. Adorable ...and harmless"

The tint of romance added a beautiful touch to the story. Elyse-Marshall relationship was not like the typical oh-I-love-you-and-can-not-live-without-you one. It was different and refreshing. Usually I get frustrated reading the typical YA books with romance in them,but it didn't frustrated me at all.

On the whole,Glimmer is such a type of book that once you have stuck your nose into it,it won't let you leave it unfinished. The ending was satisfying. It was a delicious read and I would recommended this book to everyone! Bravo Kitanidis !!(less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have a love/hate relationship with this book.

On one hand, I thought the concept and the story development was pretty awesome. Waking up naked in a bed with a stranger? And struggling to find out things about yourself from the simplest things like what your name is and what you look like to more complicated things like how you are and how you got there in the first place. The story had me flipping through the pages, eager to find out what happened next.

However, I was very frustrated while readi...more I have a love/hate relationship with this book.

On one hand, I thought the concept and the story development was pretty awesome. Waking up naked in a bed with a stranger? And struggling to find out things about yourself from the simplest things like what your name is and what you look like to more complicated things like how you are and how you got there in the first place. The story had me flipping through the pages, eager to find out what happened next.

However, I was very frustrated while reading the book. I felt as helpless as our characters, and while I understand Kitanidis' intention, it does not make the book any easier to swallow. I just wanted to scream out loud, "I don't get what's going on!"

I also wasn't crazy about the characters. I know both of them have their flaws and both of them realize they are different people than who they were. But still, the way that Elyse talked about her old self and how much she hated her old self - I don't know, it just made me angry for reasons I cannot explain. I understand not liking who you were, but I wish she had toned down the disgust as she wallowed in self-pity. And Marshall wasn't as bad, but he was a bit too "soft" for my taste.

It wasn't until more than halfway through the book before you get an inkling of what's going on. I like how Kitandis tied in the occultists and the ghosts and the spell casted over the little town. It was strange and bizarre and totally different from everything else out there. And I had an idea of who the villain was going to be early on, but I don't understand Elyse's father and Jeffry's roles in all of this. And I had other questions. Why was Marshall's mother targeted other than she was a powerful, ambitious occultist? Why her out of everyone else? What's Elyse's connection to Preston, and what does it mean other than she can see ghosts? Can she become a powerful occultist too? What about her mother, and did everything skip all those generations between her and Preston?

As for the end, I just don't get it. (view spoiler)

Like I said, I had a love/hate relationship. Overall, there were parts that I really, really enjoyed. Other parts just gave me a headache, and it wasn't from me pulling my hair out thought that was part of it too. But I seriously need an extremely light read after this book. Just be prepared for a roller coaster ride through a dark tunnel, but hopefully there will be some light at the end.(less)

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Sep 11, 2012 Danielle (Devourer of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-liked-it, ghosts, i-had-high-hopes-for-this, oh-oh-oh-its-magic, covers-that-make-you-jizz, romance, stupid-romance, memory-loss

2.5 stars (Looks around) Did I miss anything? Oh... well look at this, I have finally finished a novel. Finally. It has taken me 2 weeks to finish Glimmer - TWO WEEKS. Damn my school district for making us start school on the 14th of August instead of the 9th of September. I missed this: reading, writing reviews....

Anyway, I picked Glimmer up from my library shelf without hesitation. After reading the blurb (I mean, two people - Marshall and Elyse - wake up naked together in bed with absolutely...more 2.5 stars (Looks around) Did I miss anything? Oh... well look at this, I have finally finished a novel. Finally. It has taken me 2 weeks to finish Glimmer - TWO WEEKS. Damn my school district for making us start school on the 14th of August instead of the 9th of September. I missed this: reading, writing reviews....

Anyway, I picked Glimmer up from my library shelf without hesitation. After reading the blurb (I mean, two people - Marshall and Elyse - wake up naked together in bed with absolutely no memory as to how it happened; not to mention ghosts roaming around Summer Falls wiping people's memories) I had to get my hands on this. I know I said I wasn't going to get my hopes up, but I did - and they were HIGH. Unfortunately, I'm sitting here writing this review to say I was disappointed. This is horrible. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a terrible story, it's just... I was expecting it to be mind blowing.

I couldn't get into the characters because they didn't even know who they were, so they're just these awkward potatoes walking around trying to get their memories back. I didn't have any type of feelings for them. The romance was lame, too, and at times a bit over the top/creepy. I don't think Marshall was in love with Elyse; I think he was obsessed.

And let me get started on these ghosts. Hm. Whenever I think 'ghost' I think Paranormal Activity; these ghosts only popped up from time to time to make a person (who is under a lot of pressure) forget their bad memories. The people of Summer Falls calls this a 'heat nap'. I don't know, I have mixed feelings about this. I thought they were going to be talking and be a big part of Marshall and Elyse's memory loss.

The ending was extremely predictable and slow-paced. I had to skim the last 50 pages. Oh and I completely forgot about the magic. Yes, magic. Kitanidis failed to impress me with this, I think this was just thrown in there to make the story all more exciting. It was a nice shot, though. Glimmer had a good premise, but I'm sorry to say it wasn't all that it's cracked up to be.(less)

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May 19, 2012 Nikki (Fiction Freak) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Also posted on http://www.fiction-freak.blogspot.com
I received Glimmer from another blogger and I am so happy that I got it! Honestly, when I first heard about it, I wasn’t interested. My eyes basically zeroed in on the word “zombies” and decided not to read it. But then, with all the excitement, I decided to read the entire summary. And guess what? I ended up vying for this book! I’ve always, always, always, loved those amnesia-filled stories. When the characters don’t know anything, it makes i...more Also posted on http://www.fiction-freak.blogspot.com
I received Glimmer from another blogger and I am so happy that I got it! Honestly, when I first heard about it, I wasn’t interested. My eyes basically zeroed in on the word “zombies” and decided not to read it. But then, with all the excitement, I decided to read the entire summary. And guess what? I ended up vying for this book! I’ve always, always, always, loved those amnesia-filled stories. When the characters don’t know anything, it makes it more anticipating for the reader since, after all, the main character doesn’t know anything either, so that we learn everything as the MC does.

The story starts with Elyse and Marshall literally waking up tangled in each other’s arms, like it says in the description. They have no idea who they are, and are suspicious of everything and everyone. And guess what? Elyse can see the ghosts that haunt the town, the ones that erase the memories of traumatic events, and Marshall can somehow repel ghosts. They have a future of action, a present full of questions, and a past filled with holes. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I loved Glimmer! It exceeded my expectations completely, and I was whisked away by the plot! Questions were raised, but when everything was slowly explained, I realized that there were scattered hints about their past and the secret that haunts Summer Falls. They were just so cleverly hidden, and I absolutely loved re-reading it just so I could point and yell "Hey! He did that because ________!" By the end of the day, several people had looked at me like I was crazy.

The writing was beautiful, switching between the POV's of both Marshall and Elyse. The writing also portrayed the town perfectly, creepy. As in, very, very creepy. Honestly, I kept imagining ghosts popping out and my memories being erased. So I definitely can't complain about Glimmer being boring.

The scenes were rushed just a bit at the end, confusing me as to what happened when, but I remember reading somewhere that in the final copy, the scenes are less rushed, which is great. However, there was one thing I disliked. It was mainly the factor that though Elyse wrote to herself, she believed so easily. I uderstand the "habit" of it, but it was still a slightly far stretch.

Glimmer was an amazing read, showing you just how strong, and important, memories are, bad or good. I just ate it up!
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Jan 31, 2012 Tara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: challenge-src2012

Review to be published on my blog closer to publication date

Guys, I had no idea what Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis was about based on the description on the back and the first couple of pages. Hell, I had no idea what was going on throughout the whole book.

But something about the story, as confused as I was, made me want to keep going and figure it out, even though there were a couple of times when I thought about giving up. I mean, heat naps? Forgetting a certain events? It kind of just sucked me...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Jennifer Jensen (Literally Jen) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-publisher

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

This is getting stranger and stranger. It's unlike anything I've read before, which is very exciting to me. I am just dying to learn this town's crazy secrets. Would *you* want to be a tourist at Summer Falls, where perfection has a price?

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May 10, 2013 Ruby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Glimmer, by Phoebe Kitandis was an exhilarating romantic mystery novel.

Marshall and Elyse wakeup together not remembering who they are or any events that have happened in their past. They must then relearn everything about themselves and the city they live in to understand what happened to them and to save the city from ghosts.

I really enjoyed this book because it was not only a romance, but the mystery of figuring out what had happened to Marshall and Elyse made the book even better.

A motif...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Levian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Marshall and Elyse woke up on the same bed, naked and having no memory of who and where they were. terrified with their amnesia, the duo formed a pact, working together in search of their past. after piecing together clues, they discovered that their town, Summer Falls, was a mysterious paradise, where everyone were always happy. but they quickly learned that some of its residents were actually ghost, spirits that wandered and hungered for bad memories. humans were thrown into a "heatnap", insta...more

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Aug 13, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Glimmer was a book about a girl, Elyse, with amnesia. She goes through the book piecing together who she is from the people she meets. At the start of the novel, she and a boy wake up naked in bed together with no idea of how they got there like that; as she goes through this process with the similarly amnesiac boy she woke up with, she realizes the town she's in has a problem and she sets out to figure it out. It is a coming of age story about a small town girl. This book would be great to use...more

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May 25, 2012 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: caitlin, christine, young-adult, paranormal

Quite independently of each other, Christine and I recently read Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis. When we discovered that we’d both read and both liked it we thought we’d review together. This, good people, is that review.

Caitlin: This is the second of three “idyllic town on surface, crazy evil magic below,” books I’ve read recently. Maybe it’s a new trend?

Christine: Hmm… if it is, it’s a good trend. This is the first book like this I’ve read recently. I had no idea what was going on and was utterl...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Anita rated it 5 of 5 stars

From an intriguing premise- two teens wake up in bed together with no memory of who they are or how they got there- GLIMMER delivers many thrills and delights at a fast pace. It's a modern love story and a ghost story with a dash of sci-fi and all the realism of an older-school Zilpha Keatley Snyder novel. Fans of WHISPER who liked Kitanidis' unique blend of psychological realism, sharp social insight, and strong paranormal plotline will find as much to love in GLIMMER. Kitanidis' literary inven...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Mitch rated it 4 of 5 stars

I gave up trying to wrap my head around the plot. It's not that everything's not explained by the end (this is a standalone and there aren't any hanging plotlines for a potential sequel), it's just that the premise, two characters Elyse and Marshall waking up in a supernatural town without any memories, led to such a weird, confusing read that by the time I got to the end and everything's finally supposed to make sense, I still can't shake off the fact I was confused for so long. Or maybe I'm st...more I gave up trying to wrap my head around the plot. It's not that everything's not explained by the end (this is a standalone and there aren't any hanging plotlines for a potential sequel), it's just that the premise, two characters Elyse and Marshall waking up in a supernatural town without any memories, led to such a weird, confusing read that by the time I got to the end and everything's finally supposed to make sense, I still can't shake off the fact I was confused for so long. Or maybe I'm still confused and I just don't know it.

This book's alot different than any other YA I've read, so fair warning, this is NOT a book for anyone who likes their plots to be laid out in a straight or obvious line. In fact, things may seem bizarre or pointless at first, the characters don't know what they're doing for most of the book and their wandering around without any memories is basically the plot for the first few chapters, with a few weird ghosts sightings mixed in. Later on, there are a couple more mysteries involving people randomly fainting and more missing memories, but the point of the book and the villain are only hinted at with some (fairly obvious but easy to dismiss) clues and whispered in corners until near pretty far into the story, though I figured out what it is and who he is based on the clues pretty early on.

I'm giving this book four stars mainly because I liked how the story played out, the discussion of identity, how much of it is based on memories, possessions, the choices one makes. I liked seeing how Marshall and Elyse struggled with their identity throughout the book based on what they see and what they hear from other people. I liked the choices they made in the end based on what they discovered about themselves, their identities. In that sense, book's really deep.

There are some pretty big problems, too, but I was so thoroughly discombolulated that it didn't really ruin the effect. For a book about identity, a lot of the supporting players are cliched stock characters, the abusive father and husband, the not very bright jock, the nerds in the computer lab. Worse, Elyse and Marshall, who narrate the story in turn, don't have really different or unique voices, inserting WTF and macho pride references a couple of times does not instantly make Marshall sound like a guy. There are also a lot of catering to stereotypes, and flashbacks happened without warning in a couple of places that the book felt disjointed when they did and made me think of badly strung together dream sequences.

In the end, those things didn't bother me as much though, I guess I didn't mind being lost and liked how much I had to think about this book, so much so that when the ending rolled around and everything fell into place, I was still wondering, Really? That's what happened? even though I knew it was so.(less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reading Glimmer is a bit like staring at a beautiful landscape through a dirty window–there’s a filmy layer in between us and what we’re trying to see that prevents us from doing anything more than simply gazing at indistinct shapes no matter how much we try to discern the minute details that make the landscape worth looking at in the first place. While our confusion and inability to fully grasp what's happening to Elyse and Marshall is clearly intentional and made more bearable due to our share...more Reading Glimmer is a bit like staring at a beautiful landscape through a dirty window–there’s a filmy layer in between us and what we’re trying to see that prevents us from doing anything more than simply gazing at indistinct shapes no matter how much we try to discern the minute details that make the landscape worth looking at in the first place. While our confusion and inability to fully grasp what's happening to Elyse and Marshall is clearly intentional and made more bearable due to our shared disorientation, the fact that we’re stumbling through a strange town with nothing but our bewilderment for companionship detaches us from the events a bit, and we never quite find our bearings enough to really settle in and surround ourselves with the story itself.

Both Elyse and Marshall are solid protagonists, individuals we immediately feel protective of as they wake up in the most vulnerable way possible: completely naked with their memories wiped clean. We can’t help but share in their sense of purpose, wanting to understand what could have robbed them of their memories and how that single event links into the townspeoples’ strange predilection for taking “heatnaps” . Elyse is perhaps the more fascinating of the two–her past as we uncover it far darker and grittier than Marshall’s, every new painful memory revealed one we want to absorb into ourselves to keep it from tainting Elyse’s clean slate. We realize as she does, however, that the darkness of those images is an intrinsic part of who she is, and we certainly don’t want to be responsible for robbing Elyse of any information regarding her life when so much has already been taken from her.

While Elyse and Marshall are intriguing characters and it’s genuinely enjoyable to spend time split between their two perspectives as they attempt to make sense of the bizarreness that is Summer Falls, the story itself is a jumble of fascinating elements moving so quickly we can’t quite get a bead on any of them. Each piece of the puzzle is given a bit of page time, but we never get a chance to peel back the story’s veneer to see what interesting details and information the less polished underbelly could provide us. We touch on amnesia, ghosts, occultists, wilderness spirits, missing persons, insane asylums, and something called the “Institute” that’s mentioned only in passing, and though Ms. Kitanidis does connect all the dots by the end, we are still left with a lot of questions regarding the actual journey to our final destination. We understand logically how we made it to the concluding pages, but like the residents of Summer Falls, our minds seem to have operated more like sieves than steel traps while reading, and somewhere during the course of this tale vital information has seeped through holes we didn’t know where there to leave us feeling incomplete rather than fully satisfied.

Rating: 3/5(less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Precious rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally posted at Fragments of Life.

4.5

First of all, the story started with two teens - a boy and a girl, waking up naked in a bed. They were both amnesiacs, having no idea why they were in bed together, having no idea where they were and who they were. It was a problematic, awkward and panicked beginning for Elyse and Marshall. Together, they ventured out into the streets of Summer Falls and discovered that something was very, very wrong.

Elyse was pretty, petite, popular and perfect. But the...more Originally posted at Fragments of Life.

4.5

First of all, the story started with two teens - a boy and a girl, waking up naked in a bed. They were both amnesiacs, having no idea why they were in bed together, having no idea where they were and who they were. It was a problematic, awkward and panicked beginning for Elyse and Marshall. Together, they ventured out into the streets of Summer Falls and discovered that something was very, very wrong.

Elyse was pretty, petite, popular and perfect. But the girl who woke up, not remembering who she was, didn't possess the confidence that the true Elyse did. She didn't want her eyes, her hair, her height, her body and even her name. She felt that everything in her life was randomly assigned to her by a superior being, like everything she had didn't fit with who she felt and imagined she would and should be. Throughout the novel, she struggled to blend in and to find out who she really was. She had a pretty mom, Liz, who ran the family business, a BFF, Carla and a boyfriend, Dan, who was convinced that she was the one for him.

Marshall was the hero-type of guy. He was considerate and protective gentleman. He wanted to make sure Elyse was okay at all times. He was quite attracted to her, too. Unlike Elyse though, no one in Summer Falls seemed to notice or know him at all. But as he and Elyse dug deeper for answers, he started to find out more and more about himself. He was not exactly a nobody in Summer Falls. He was somebody - the type of somebody who could make a change. Marshall was one of the most complex characters I've read about. He has changed drastically from the beginning of the story to the end. He has lost, gained and learned so much.

Elyse and Marshall's relationship was complicated. They were partners in uncovering the truth. They trusted each other. There was a zing of something between them - a lightness, a magnet and a warmth that drew them together. They had that compatible thing down. But what they were about to discover would change them and affect them forever.

Summer Falls was the perfect place for a vacation. It had the perfect weather and the happiest people on earth. But something dark and sinister plagued Summer Falls. Ghosts were everywhere. People kept losing consciousness, lost in a heatnap which was normal in the town. Everyone only remembered happy times. Summer Falls' perfection was its own imperfection.

The plot that Kitanidis weaved was perfect. There were twists and turns here and there. The mystery was sustained very well. She never forgot to drop hints throughout the novel. Her style of writing also matched the progression of the story. When Elyse and Marshall woke up as amnesiacs, she named them 'Him' and 'Her' and as the story progressed and Elyse got her name while Marshall didn't, she named him 'Dark-Eyed-Boy' as Elyse called him.

Glimmer is beautiful, sinister and intriguing. Be lost in a world filled with magic, memories and forgetfulness. Glimmer reminded me a bit of the Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves minus the monsters and hunters, plus ghosts, happy zombies constantly having heatnaps and two amnesiacs bent on uncovering the truth. This unpredictable read will suit paranormal readers.
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Feb 28, 2012 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well I was so excited when this ARC showed up on my door step. After reading the description I plowed right in. I finished Glimmer the same day that I started reading. I was alittle confused by the intermixing of characters with every chapter but that does not take away from the novel in anyway.

Glimmer is a fun read that you will want to finish just to see what is going to happen next. Glimmer is fast paced and will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can so that you can find out how it e...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, dystopian

What a brilliantly original book! I'm not saying the entire book was brilliant...I had a pretty good idea who the villain was by about halfway through the book, and I was mostly right about that. But the story felt so different from anything I've read. There were little elements that reminded me of other stories--the Matrix, Stepford Wives, etc. But they were only tiny, independent elements. The whole story when put together was complex and rich and fascinating. Much like the characters in it. I...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-teen-book-reviews, read-in-2012, favorites, teen-mystery, teen-paranormal-fiction, with-reviews

Summary:
Two teens wake up in bed with each other completely naked with no memories of who they are or their previous lives. As they begin to investigate, they discover that not everything is as it appears in their small little town, and that sinister forces may be at work.

Review:
I will admit it, I picked up this book because I was intrigued about how these two teens got into this unusual situation. Then as I read more it starts to feel like the teens have wondered in to a little town that remind...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Sallie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-in-a-series, own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I had been pinning over this book because the title really drew me in. I admit, it was because of the character from District 1, Glimmer, in The Hunger Games that initially drew me to look into this book. I figured this book would be about two kids losing their memory and maybe some weird scientist was behind it all. BOY, WAS I WRONG. It was completely different than I expected! I was reading this before bed last night, and I decided to put it down for a little break, and I was torn between cont...more I had been pinning over this book because the title really drew me in. I admit, it was because of the character from District 1, Glimmer, in The Hunger Games that initially drew me to look into this book. I figured this book would be about two kids losing their memory and maybe some weird scientist was behind it all. BOY, WAS I WRONG. It was completely different than I expected! I was reading this before bed last night, and I decided to put it down for a little break, and I was torn between continuing and putting it off until the next day. But one of the things I notice is that when I get into a reading mood, if I take a break and wait until the next day, I may not have as much enthusiasm to finish the story, especially if it was dragging a little.

Character development was really interesting because we were introduced to two blank slates who were learning who they were along with us. It was interesting to see how these two characters who believed they were good people were finding out that they may have been involved in less than “good” activities or behavior. It’s always interesting when someone realizes that they might have done something wrong in the past, and for these characters, they have literally forgotten those memories.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Elyse and Marshall, and sometimes it was hard to follow whose head we are in. I had to clue in to the “she/he” the person was referring to, so for the most part it was pretty easy to follow. Sometimes, I prefer it to be one or the other, but since there was so much going on between each character, together and separately, it was important for Kitanidis to focus on one character at a time. Elyse and Marshall are not always together, so the story isn’t weighed down by overlapping experiences, only the particularly important ones; the ones that Kitanidis wanted the reader to see two sides of.

The romance between Elyse and Marshall was different, because we learn from their memories throughout the story what they are to each other and it wasn’t the main theme of the story, which I appreciated. I don’t mind if characters slowly grow interested in each other, but the whole love at first sight crap is a bit boring and usually turns me off from reading a story. Elyse and Marshall realized that there was something bigger than them going on, and they kept their relationship in perspective.

The minor characters were also involved, which I really liked because sometimes minor characters are just pawns; used to put in information or present an idea to a main character. But with Elyse’s parents, we as the reader get to see inner conflict, versus just the main problem of the story. There are other characters that are revealed to be someone else in the end, and for me, it wasn’t completely obvious, which I appreciated. When I can figure out the problem and the solution before the middle of the story, it’s a problem.

The story takes place in Shadow Falls, Colorado and it was such an inviting and intriguing setting. There are explanations for the setting and it was always covered up and sewn up nicely until the end when it was unraveled and dismantled by the main characters exploring the main issue of the story. It felt realistic, almost satirical of actual places. There weren’t too many lengthy descriptions of setting or events, which made the story flow easier.

This story has so much going on that at times, I had to put it down and just think about what was going on. Kitanidis really does challenge the reader with this story, she doesn’t present the facts and continue on, she lets you figure it out on your own and then pull a rabbit out of her hat and it’s completely the opposite of what you first thought.

It’s understandable that most authors don’t give all the facts about a story so the reader is able to come up with their own ideas, but one thing that I remember reading did not resolve itself in the end… SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!: During the fair, Pete is injured in the ferris wheel mechanisms and is taken away by men in grey suits in a black car. Later on in the story, when the other people taken away during traumatic experiences surface again after being hidden at the insane asylum, Pete is no where to be seen. He lost his leg, but did they kill him off? Or did Kitanidis just forget to tie up that lose end? And who are the men in grey suits? If they didn’t take Pete to the asylum, where did they take him?! END SPOILER.(less)

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Mar 15, 2012 Carrie Ardoin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-tour

A girl and a guy wake up in a strange bed together...naked. And strangely, neither of them have any memory of who the other is or how they got there.

Eventually they find out they are Marshall and Elyse, and they are living in the strangely perfect town of Summer Falls. As they try to piece together their lives, they find something is definitely not right about the town. People randomly faint and wake up with no memory of the last few minutes, and nothing bad seems to happen...ever. So while Ely...more A girl and a guy wake up in a strange bed together...naked. And strangely, neither of them have any memory of who the other is or how they got there.

Eventually they find out they are Marshall and Elyse, and they are living in the strangely perfect town of Summer Falls. As they try to piece together their lives, they find something is definitely not right about the town. People randomly faint and wake up with no memory of the last few minutes, and nothing bad seems to happen...ever. So while Elyse and Marshall must find out more about themselves, they also have to solve the mystery of why the town is so different--and what they are going to do about it.

Well, let me first start of by saying that the first couple of chapters definitely caught my interest. Naked in bed with a stranger sounds quite salacious, but, it wasn't like that in the text. The book started to fall apart for me after about the first half though.

I usually like books where the story is told from alternating points of view, and this was no exception. But man, I hated when I was reading Elyse's chapters. I really did not like her as a character. I don't understand how she could just wake up with no memory, but all of a sudden she is holier-than-thou and so judgmental and just hateful--even towards herself! Even though she can't remember her life, she somehow knows that nothing in her life is good enough for her...her clothes, room, boyfriend, etc. I didn't get it at all, and she was like this for the whole book.

Luckily, Marshall was a better character. I really felt for him in what he was going through with his father--and I was glad that he somehow knew to treat him with respect even though he had no memories. Marshall was likable and just a better character, and PERSON, overall.

I liked that the story was very original. The combination of elements such as ghosts, magic, etc. was unique but to me it felt like it was on the verge of a mishmash. The author somehow made it work though.

Finally, the ending...I just kind of feel like I missed something, but I'm not sure what. Even though events got wrapped up nicely, I just finished the book a few minutes ago and I'm still not sure if I understand everything.

I'd recommend this book to those who want a change from the paranormal "creature" books. The story is an interesting one, for sure.(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Kristy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-think-you-should-read-this

Holy Hell on wheels this was a C-R-A-Z-Y ride! (mostly in a good way)

This bad boy starts of fast and INSANE and doesn't really slow down until well over half-way through. We begin the story with Marshall and Elyse waking up naked and tangled up with each other, which normally wouldn't be so weird, but neither one of them can remember how they got there. They also can't remember who they are or pretty much anything. Their world gets stranger and stranger as they emerge into the town of Summer Fal...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Alexandra rated it 1 of 5 stars

From the very first sentence, I was hooked. Did not want to stop reading. Loved it. What a cool story, two teens wake up next to each to each other in bed, and they have no recollection of how they got there. Big whoop, typical teenage drunken bullshit right? Wrong.
They also have no idea of who they themselves are. What their names are, where they came from, where they are. Nothing. HOW CRAZY IS THAT?! Can you even imagine if that happened to you??

So, needless to say, I was glued to the pages tr...more From the very first sentence, I was hooked. Did not want to stop reading. Loved it. What a cool story, two teens wake up next to each to each other in bed, and they have no recollection of how they got there. Big whoop, typical teenage drunken bullshit right? Wrong.
They also have no idea of who they themselves are. What their names are, where they came from, where they are. Nothing. HOW CRAZY IS THAT?! Can you even imagine if that happened to you??

So, needless to say, I was glued to the pages trying to figure things out along with them, and piece together the mystery. Only, once I started figuring things out, I lost interest in a major way. And it was a struggle to keep reading.
Things just got so...nonsensical and ridiculous. I just...no.

And also, towards the end I started to get confused. To the point where I had to stop and say out loud what I thought was going on so that I could compare it to what I was reading. It was weird.

But this is a great example of a book that starts out with a bang and just fizzles hardcore. You end up in the twilight zone like"....what?!" Too many details and just, like I said, nonsense. This could have been AMAZING but it just took a turn for the worse.

Sorry Phoebe:(

Also, it was hard for me to keep track of who was speaking at certain points. There are separate chapters alternating between the points of view of the girl and the boy, and after awhile, when you realize how idiotic, selfish and stupid the characters are, it's hard to tell one from the other.

Plot was just waaaayy too convoluted for my liking. Also, and sometimes this happens in books and it irks me but it happened so many times in this book that I just have to say it, the word God was never capitalized unless it was at the beginning of a sentence. That's just disrespectful and wrong. And for those of you who say, 'Maybe the author or the characters don't believe in God', well then I guess they'd have no reason to use His name in a sentence unless it was to state their disbelief. Which didn't happen in this book so, next time Phoebe, capitalize God or else don't use His name at all. (less)

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Jun 02, 2012 Allison rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-middle-grade

I can't even believe this.
I honestly never thought I would give a book 1 star, I didn't think I would dislike a book so much to do so. Yet, here we are.

I have so many complaints about this book its not even funny.

The characters are some of the worst I've ever read. They are so forgettable that I forgot who was who by the end of the book. The two main characters are so bland and they were basically the same person. In the beginning, I actually had to go back and check who's chapter was who's and...more

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May 03, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-bookshelf, first-reads

This book was a total mind trip right from the start. I spent the first few chapters questioning everything. The characters had no idea what was going on and I had no idea what was going on either! That was awesome! The "not knowing" part kept me reading!! Then all sorts of weird start to happen. Things that had me updating my goodreads status with lots and lots of question marks??? I even had to go back a few times and reread paragraphs just to try and make sense of some of the situations. Book...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Why can't there be more out-of-the-box amazing stories like this one? I adored it. Just the beginning of a confusing mess turn into magic makes me giddy!

I really enjoyed the unique plot line. As much as I love paranormal books, some times the plots line bore me. I want some thing new other than vampires, werewolves, etc. Now this book, gave me what I want. A fresh, unique bold plot line. First off, let me just say that I enjoyed this plot line because it was some thing new I never read before. I...more

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May 08, 2013 Lizz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pues, con éste libro todo sucedió de una forma muy extraña. Lo encontré por casualidad y me llamó la atención totalmente desde el primer momento en el que leí la sinópsis. ¿Dos adolescentes que amanecen al lado del otro sin tener ningún recuerdo de ello? Fue como si me gritara "¡léeme!".

Glimmer viene siendo la historia de Elyse Alton, una adolescente en su último año de secundaria que nunca encajó, y que, sin embargo, era la reina de su escuela. Personalmente me encanta cómo la autora no hizo un...more Pues, con éste libro todo sucedió de una forma muy extraña. Lo encontré por casualidad y me llamó la atención totalmente desde el primer momento en el que leí la sinópsis. ¿Dos adolescentes que amanecen al lado del otro sin tener ningún recuerdo de ello? Fue como si me gritara "¡léeme!".

Glimmer viene siendo la historia de Elyse Alton, una adolescente en su último año de secundaria que nunca encajó, y que, sin embargo, era la reina de su escuela. Personalmente me encanta cómo la autora no hizo un cliché de esto. No fue la típica "outcast" que resultó salvar al mundo después de todo. No. Fue la más popular de la escuela. La que resultó ser la más insegura, y la más especial.

Algo que me tomó por sopresa totalmente fue todo el tema de la magia y los fantasmas. No es algo que ves en todos los libros, y, por supuesto, no es algo que ves mezclado normalmente. Me gustó el hecho de que no se convirtiera en una historia de terror ni mucho menos. Los fantasmas en Glimmer no son aquellos de thrillers que estamos acostumbrados a ver o a leer. No, estos son diferentes. Estos fantasmas lloran su muerte, la lamentan, y están obligados a quedarse en el pueblo por una fuerza mayor. Ahora, ¿cuál es la única forma de mantenerlos a raya? La magia, por supuesto.

Habiendo dejado esto más o menos claro, podemos hablar de nuestro protagonista: Marshall King. Se puede decir que con Marshall la autora entró a lo convencional; el chico nuevo, todos lo tratan mal, va mal en el colegio, y la mayor parte del tiempo es invisible para el ojo de cualquiera. Ahora, ¿qué me dicen si les digo que es que Marshall decidió ser invisible? O bueno, al menos su madre lo decidió por él. Sí, lo sé. Así cambia toda la cosa.

Elyse y Marshall entablan una amistad —y luego una relación amorosa— muy poco convencional. Mientras para los demás Marshall sigue siendo invisible, para Elyse él está muy presente. Disfruté mucho el hecho de que esto no fuese una historia de amor, como esperaba que lo fuera, sino que su relación fuese como una especie de trasfondo de todo. Lo que importaba en realidad era lo que sucedía en el pueblo, y así fue durante todo el libro.

Para concluir, puedo decir que Glimmer cumplió mis expectativas. Me pareció un libro genial, muy fácil de leer y entretenido. Lo recomiendo a cualquiera que quiera leer algo diferente, pues ésta historia es todo menos convencional.(less)

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Aug 25, 2012 Mary Catherine rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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