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    Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers
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    Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers
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    Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers
    Ebook353 pages4 hours

    Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers

    By Amy Kathleen Ryan

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook


    One of School Library Journal's Best Fiction Books of 2011
    If a violent battle destroyed the only world you've ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there's no turning back.
    The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he's the best choice. Still, there's a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

    Suddenly, Waverly's dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon's leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.
    Pulse-pounding and addictive, Glow begins Amy Kathleen Ryan's Sky Chasers--the most riveting series since The Hunger Games.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateSep 13, 2011
    ISBN9781429998420
    Author

    Amy Kathleen Ryan

    Amy Kathleen Ryan grew up in Wyoming, adoring books by Madeleine L'Engle, Susan Cooper and Judy Blume. She studied Anthropology at the University of Wyoming, then did an MA in English Literature at the University of Vermont. From there she went on to the New School Creative Writing for Children programme. She is the author of Glow, Spark, and Flame. Amy lives in Colorado, USA.

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    Reviews for Glow

    3.5/5

    279 ratings64 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This is a Reading Good Books review.* In compliance with FTC guidelines, it should be noted that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.Young Adult and Science Fiction. I’m not exactly a fan of those genres. This book is promoted as “the most riveting series since The Hunger Games“. I liked the first book but I’m not a fan either.So what does that mean for Glow?I LOVED IT.Yes. No one was more surprised than me. I’ve never been this engaged in a YA novel before. Certainly the first one I stayed up late for. It was – to me, at least – very original, complex, thrilling, and exciting. This is definitely good stuff! Could this be the YA novel I am looking for?Description from the back of the ARC copy: [...] a violent battle separated two young lovers on a ship bound for New Earth. Will they find a way back to their ship — and each other? And most importantly, will they survive and preserve the future of the human race?From that short blurb, you can already see that there’s a lot going on in the story. And a lot at stake! Set against the backdrop of Outer Space, Waverly and Kieran are the oldest children born on the Empyrean at fifteen and sixteen, respectively. I liked Waverly right away. She’s a strong character and I was rooting for her all the way. I had a love/hate opinion on the boys but I’ll get to that later. Waverly was so brave and I like that in a female character, especially if the book is geared towards young girls. Yes, there are also “bad women”, in the story but how Waverly triumphs over them is the one worth noting.The POV changes between the girls’ tribulations at the rival ship New Horizon and the boys’ fight to save the Empyrean. I’m not a fan of the guys that much. Kieran started off as being naive. Personally, his rival, Seth, appealed to me more. Until the twist (that came out of nowhere, unexplained) that had me doing a complete 180. I was so engrossed in this boys’ POV. It certainly caused a bigger reaction from me than the girls’. Kieran earned brownie points for me but there was another plot twist that had me rethinking my opinions yet again. It was kind of frustrating but I liked that treatment by the author. It keeps the reader interested and guessing.The book deals with pretty dark stuff such as thoughts of murder, kidnapping, use of guns and violence, fertility, loss of life, and revenge. Some of them get violated in unthinkable ways so be warned. Just when you thought it could not get any worse, it does. Nevertheless, I liked the pace. I found myself staying up late reading chapter after chapter. The last time I did that was for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, which I loved, so that’s saying something.And oh, the ending? You know those season finale cliffhangers? Just like that. Boy, what a set up for the sequel! This first installment has everything: sci-fi, disaster, romance, adventure… it’s brilliant. If more YA books are as good as this, I can understand how so many people are into the genre. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment to the Sky Chasers series (and hopefully, I can acquire and ARC of it too. Hint-hint. Haha!).Rating: 5/5.Recommendation: You know, I really think those readers who are skeptical about YA literature will devour this. It’s original, engaging, and a breath of fresh air from the genre that’s been inundated by vampires, werewolves, and girls who want nothing else but to get a boyfriend.Get your copy here.
    • 3/5
      Read the full review here.The first few chapters of the book were very confusing for me because I felt I was missing some key pieces of information, like why these people were on a space ship, how long they had been there, how they produce food and oxygen. When all this was explained a few chapters into the book, I felt more comfortable and started to enjoy the story line.It is an interesting plot and I was intrigued by the desperation and panic of the crew of New Horizon that made them attack their sister ship. I found Waverly to be slow on the uptake sometimes; she figured things out a little too late, when there had been many clues and her conclusions were hard to miss. There were never any revelations in this book which shocked me. I found the characters to be largely inaccessible in this book; I read about them and watched them suffer, but I felt detached the whole time. I never found myself flipping pages and anxiously waiting to find out if everything turned out okay. The shining glory in this novel is the villian: the Pastor of New Horizon, Anne Mather. She truly believed she has a mandate from God which allows her to harvest fertile eggs from unwilling young girls, which really terrified me. Invariably I found the sequences concerning the boys left behind on the Empyrean more engaging than the ones about the girls on New Horizon. I think this was mainly due to Seth, who isn’t at all your typical foil to the Golden Boy (in this case, Kieran). He is a complex and interesting character with a palatable dark side. I look forward to getting to know him better in the sequels.
    • 5/5
      I received an advance copy of this book through Goodreads! Amy Kathleen Ryan takes young adult novels where few have previously tread- deep into outer space. The first book in her new series, Sky Chasers, Ryan offers her readers a look into a dog-eat-dog future of desperation, uncertainty, and just a little bit of faith and hope. Two young lovers traveling across the universe on the Empyrean, one of two space ships on a mission to revive the human race on a planet called "New Earth", are forced to grow up when thrown into violence and unimaginable danger at the hand of the captain of their sister ship, the New Horizon. Although written for a teenage audience, it's graphic and violent and features more adult themes such as duty to society, religious faith, bravery in the face of opposition, and questions the morality of advanced human fertility practices. While I saw the necessity of religion in the overall plot of the book, I did find it to be a little too preachy in a couple places.By taking her characters out of the world we know and placing them into the fantastic unknown of deep space, Ryan had the opportunity to carve her own world out of uncharted territory. She fully took advantage of this situation and puts the reader directly into her own interpretation of life in a space ship- from the design and structure of the ship itself to the social structure, hive mind, and a level of desperation that we don't always get the chance to feel with our feet planted firmly on planet Earth.I was very impressed by the level of passion in the characters' emotions. I felt equally as angry as Kieran for being held prisoner for crimes he feels he did not commit, and as hurt and devastated as Waverly, defiled and held against her will aboard a captive vessel. I found that Ryan's descriptive writing style, especially while conveying a character's deep inner feelings, ignited real emotion in myself- it actually felt like I was the one being wronged rather than simply reading about events in the life of a fictional person. I wanted to jump into the pages and deal out the justice the protagonists so badly wanted.As in any other novel catering to a young adult audience, Glow is also a love story. Thankfully, it's a more realistic romance than other books of the genre. The author doesn't dwell as much on the blind romance of two teenagers, paying fair attention to the more pressing conflicts in the story. Waverly, a nearly 16-year old girl, maintains rational thinking and isn't blinded by her young love for her betrothed, Kieran. This balance reminds the reader that while there is a little romance, there are more critical issues at hand to be dealt with. I greatly appreciated the lack of mushy love scenes and professions of undying love, as those would naturally be absent in the situation these kids are thrown into, though it is by no means void of heart-felt moments of love and yearning.I don't give five stars very often, but I feel this novel really deserves it. The end left me wanting more but, alas, I must wait. It's one of the best books I have read this year and I truly look forward to the release of its sequel!
    • 2/5
      I got an audiobook copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was eager to read this book, I haven't read much YA sci-fi and was curious to see how it was. It was an okay book, decently-written but flawed in a number of ways.The audiobook itself was very well done. There are two voice actors one for the girl and one for the boy. They both did an excellent job reading and actually added a lot to the story. Waverly and Kieran are the two oldest teens in their generation aboard the Empyrean. The Empyrean is one of two large ships that left Earth on a generations long journey to terra-form New Earth. When the Empyrean comes up behind the other ship, The New Horizon, they know something is wrong. When they are attacked by the New Horizon things begin to fall apart. Waverly and Kieran are both put in separate challenging situations that will take all of their wits to survive. The book is broken into multiple parts and the parts alternate between Waverly and Kieran.The premise behind this book is interesting and the characters are well done. Waverly, Kieran, and Seth are all realistic characters that are easy to relate to. The book is also very well written, things are described in such a way that they really come alive for the reader. The tension is built in such a way that you are just holding your breath waiting for the next terrible thing that will happen to these characters.The main thing I didn't like about the book was the premise and story itself. There is absolutely nothing positive in this book; the characters go from one dreadful situation to another with no glimpse of hope. So I basically found it an incredibly depressing read. Then of course there is a little teenage love triangle drama going on as well which I am not all that fond of.This is a read for older teens. There are a number of incredibly disturbing things that happen in this story. They were hard for me to read about and process, so I can't imagine younger readers dealing with them. While that makes the story interesting food for thought, it also gave me a yucky, slimy feeling for the whole book. Some of the disturbing things encountered are rape, forced drugging of kids, forced surgeries on kids, violent beatings, mindwashing of young kids, torture, and very graphic descriptions of both violent and surgerical situations. There were some surgical things that happened in this book that seriously made my knees weak while reading about them. As a result I kind of cringed everytime I picked this book up to read it, wondering what horrible thing I would have to read about next.There is also a heavy religious overtone to this book. You have to read a number of sermons. There is much speculation on religion used to bring hope versus religion used in a cult like way (to subjugate humans). I don't like reading about religion much, I just don't care. It is also a very deliberately paced book, this made it a rather slow read. Lastly there were some consistency issues...for example in the span of a few months some of the women go from not pregnant to incredibly pregnant...scientists are smart enough to do complex surgeries but not smart enough to think about longterm genetic implications. This inconsistencies just further irritated me.The book does end well tying up a number of issues while leaving an overall goal that needs to be achieved in following books.Overall this book is thought-provoking. That being said I absolutely did not enjoy reading it. I almost stopped reading it a number of times, but since it was on as an audiobook that I listened to while I was driving, I didn't. There is a heavy religious overtone to this book and there are many very disturbing scenarios that the characters deal with (violent, surgical, and sexual). I would only recommend this for older young adults and up. If you are interested in reading a deliberately paced young adult sci-fi that is incredibly disturbing this might be a great book for you. It wasn't a great book for me though, I wish I could get the time I spent reading this back. I will not be reading anymore of this series.
    • 2/5
      First thoughts: Haven't I read this before? This book sounded very interesting and the concept was definitely new, although dystopia has arguably become the new vampire (genre-wise). It grabbed me in from the first page and it read sort of like a cross between Across the Universe and Wither. Waverley was an engrossing protagonist and her friend Samantha (who before the incident she wasn't all that close to) was very sharply intelligent. Also, 'Pastor' Anne Mather of the 'New Horizon' ship is a fairly complex and chilling villain. Now that the positives are out of the way I'll get to the negatives. After the first third of the book I became bored. I started skipping the parts with Kieran, Seth and the other boys who were left behind to an odd Lord of the Flies type existence on the 'Empyrean.' You know why? Because I just didn't CARE. Which brings me to the downside of the third-person narrative: I was majorly disconnected from the characters and because the action happened so quickly, I had no time to really understand or even like Kieran. To be honest, I'm surprised I even cared about Waverley at all. The story was so drily written that it just felt like cardboard to me. It was mainly exposition (badly done mind you) for the rest of the series, which I will not be reading. It felt contrived and just like a waste of time. I didn't hate it and it deserves some credit for keeping my interest for as long as it did. But that's about it.VERDICT: 1.5/5 Stars*No money was exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*
    • 2/5
      Oh Glow....and I was so looking forward to this book. :/ sad to say, this was not what I expected. The Good: The premise! this is what first drew me to this book! it sounded amazing! Girls taken away from their ship because another ship needs children? There are definitely a ton of possibilities as to where this book could go and this is what made me want this book so badly that I bought it the day it came out! And after reading Across the Universe and Inside Out I thought this would follow in its footsteps and turn out to be an amazing sci-fi. However, I was sadly disappointed. The Bad: Pretty much everything else.*sigh* The world building...well there wasn't much of it! When it comes to sci-fi, or any world building for any genre really, I like to be able to picture it. All I know about this ship was that it was egg-shaped and that there were corridors. yeah, not much to go by now is it? Just a little more detail would have helped immensely! The characters.....what characters? honestly, I felt NOTHING for them. This book should have been an emotional thrill ride! I mean, these girls are stolen from there ship!! I'd feel angry, sad, and defiant! Even though these characters may have "felt" that way, it wasn't portrayed very well. I couldn't.....connect with any of these characters. Instead of really being in the story, I felt very much outside of it. I felt that the author barely skimmed over the emotions, not really getting into the depth of them. The religion....well I guess one good thing about this book is that she really surprised me with this aspect of the book! however, I'm not quite sure I like it. I guess i kinda like that she shows both sides of a religion however, it was pretty in your face. Instead of making it more implied, and letting the reader figure it out, it played a major role in the plot which for me, didn't really add anything to it. perhaps this was because she went a completely different direction that I was thinking? I feel that it was....unnecessary. I think there were other ways that she could have done this. Honestly, I have mixed feeling on this part and its up to the reader to decide. The pacing: normally I comment on how the pacing was a little slow, well, not this time! it went by waaayyy to fast! it was bam, bam, BAM! everything just happened so fast and confused me! all of a sudden it's 5 months later! wait....WHAT?!?! How does that happen? I just feel like there were way to many gaps in this book. Had this book been much longer with many more details, I might've felt a little differently about it. Overall, I didn't really care for this book. I didn't hate it (again, the premise was really interesting), but I certainly didn't like it. Will I read this next book? although this may surprise you, Yes. Simply because I am kinda interested to see where it goes. However, I will definitely be borrowing it from the library, not buying it. However, many people liked this book! so if this sounds interesting to you, then give it a try! We all have different taste, and who knows? you may end up loving this book!
    • 5/5
      Reading and listening to Glow was an amazing experience. I was swept up in this story about people on a long term space voyage to New Earth and couldn't help but be engaged in the story. This is the first long audiobook that I have ever listened to. I was reading along in a print copy of the book and was, at first, dismayed by how slowly the story seemed to be happening. I read much faster than I can listen to the spoken word! But it didn't take me long to appreciate the richness of hearing the story being read. I also had the book constantly in my thoughts in between listening sessions.The two narrators - Ilyana Kadushin and Matthew Brown - both did masterful jobs in creating distinct characters and in conveying the emotions of each scene. The narrators alternated chapters or sections with Kadushin doing the sections that focused on Waverly and Brown the sections that focused on Kieran. The ten hours of listening flew by.As a student of geography and history and as a long time reader of science fiction, I was most fascinated with the culture and politics of the space voyage. I was constantly looking for hints of the bigger picture. Two ships set out from a dying and almost destroyed Earth. The Empyrean was filled with those who were more secular and the New Hope with those who were more religious. They set off on a voyage that was planned to be longer than 60 years before they would reach New Earth. Early into their voyage they discovered that they were having fertility problems. The scientists on the Empyrean solved the problem enough that the Empyrean has children aboard. The narrators of this story are two of the older children - Waverly and Kieran. Both are around 15 or 16 and both feel the social pressure to marry soon and begin having children. I felt that, while they loved each other, there was also the element that they chose each other because they were each other's best option from a limited pool of choices.When the New Hope slowed to catch up with the Empyrean, the kids' peaceful life undergoes a major disruption. It seems that when the scientists on the Empyrean shared their solution for the fertility problem with the New Hope something went wrong and the fertility of the women on the New Hope was completely destroyed. New Hope has no children. It has also been taken over by a charismatic, religious leader - Anne Mather - who has come up with a desperate plan. They are going to kidnap the girls from the Empyrean to solve their fertility problem.When New Hope attacks and successfully steals all the girls, the Empyrean is left in disarray. Almost all the adults on the ship are either killed, off on shuttles to try to rescue the girls, or almost killed in trying to stop a catastrophic engine failure. The boys are left to manage on their own and rather quickly devolve into a "Lord of the Flies" sort of scenario. Kieran was being groomed by the Captain to be the next leader but had always had a boy named Seth as his biggest rival. Seth was the son of one of the Captain's cronies but was a volatile bully. Seth manages to take over the crew with the help of his bullying cronies and imprisons Kieran in the brig where he leaves him to starve until he falls in with his plans. Locked up, starving, and worried about the ship and about Waverly, Kieran experiences a religious conversion. When he gets out and retakes the ship, he gives the boys hope by talking about God's plan.I liked all of the characters in the story and thought that they were well-rounded having both strengths and weaknesses. I was a bit dismayed to find that the major adult characters that the kids interacted with were either evil, in one way or another, or completely ineffectual. The burden of survival rested completely on the shoulders of kids who weren't ready for the responsibility and who had to cope as best they could. Both Kieran and Waverly did rise to the challenge but in very different ways. One of the characters I wish I understood more was Seth. He seemed to change personalities depending on who he was talking to. With Kieran, he was a bully and violent. With Waverly, he was thoughtful and reasonable. I look forward to the next volume in this series to see how everything plays out because, while the boys and girls are reunited, they still have a huge number of problems to resolve. This was a fascinating science fiction story. I recommend it to the thoughtful teen who wants to visit a possible future. The audio made the story an amazing experience.
    • 3/5
      Interesting story, and it had potential, but it became far too preachy for this atheist.
    • 4/5
      Traveling through deep space, young couple Waverly & Kieran are aboard a ship called the Empyrean. On their way to New Earth, 45 years away. Waverly is pretty much an average teenager. But when Kieran proposes to her she starts to feel the pressure. What they don't know is a great danger is coming. Unknown to the Empyrean's crew and passengers they are about to face an attack from their sister ship, the New Horizon.Absolutely riveting! Glow is an excellent read. This story took me by surprise. I enjoyed Waverly and Kieran's journey more than I thought I would. Intense and action packed. It is being compared to The Hunger Games. I don't think that is necessarily true. Even though it does have a dystopian feel to it, the story is quiet different. The experiences that these young people go through is quite terrifying and hard to imagine. The futuristic feel to it has is great, I think others will like it too. Ms. Ryan's characters will enthrall you and have you eager to learn more of their story.Glow is narrated by Matthew Brown and Ilyana Kadushin. Bringing to life both the leads as well as everyone else. I enjoyed their interpretation. Especially Ilyana Kadusin, I love her voice. If you've listened to any of The Twilight Saga audios, you'll be familiar with her. I reviewed the audio format.
    • 4/5
      For Fans of 'Across the Universe'!
    • 3/5
      Chilling, especially given recent remarks from male legislators concerning women's bodies and the religious right in the U.S. of A.
    • 5/5
      I received this book from the publisher Macmillan to review. This book is the first in the "Sky Chasers" series by Amy Kathleen Ryan. It is a science fiction/distopian novel with a twist of adventure and romance. The story revolves around the two main characters: Waverly and Kieran, who are a couple in love that reside on a ship called the Empyrean. The book is split into several parts from when Waverly is kidnapped. It will go from her perspective and switch to Kieran's after a fair amount of chapters. There are various characters involved. Apart from the main two, you have the captains of both ships, the parents of Waverly and Kieran, and their friends. I really liked the characters of Waverly and Kieran. I thought Waverly to be a very strong character, and I admired her decisions. Kieran I had complete belief in, especially when the boys of his ship were turning against him, he never gave up. I really disliked the captain of the New Horizon. Amy designed the character so well. She was evil, she was cruel, and only a few girls that were kidnapped could see through her malicious mind. I thought the storyline was really good. I was interested throughout, and didn't want to put the book down. It was simply amazing, and I can't wait to read the sequel because the ending of the book leaves me wanting more. I think the cover design to this edition is absolutely gorgeous. I love how all the colours mingle together and fit perfectly, and it really draws your attention to the book.Overall, I'm going to give this book five stars because I thoroughly enjoyed the general storyline, I loved the characters and believed them all. My emotions were drawn in from the beginning, and I will most definitely read this book again one day. I recommend to anyone, especially if you are interested in science fiction and distopian novels.Happy reading =)
    • 3/5
      I have very mixed feelings regarding Amy Kathleen Ryan's Glow. On one hand, it does have a very interesting premise. Interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading and see what would happen next... even though I often found it thoroughly creepy and I didn't particularly like any of the characters.As I read, I kept hoping for a moment when I would feel a spark with a character... any character. It never happened for me. All of the characters felt one dimensional and I didn't feel any passion behind their actions. At times, I felt like scenes were supposed to be intense - they were written with lots of exclamation points and the wording seemed to be carefully selected - but they just weren't. Yes, Glow is set on a space ship and all the rest, but I excepted it to feel more realistic than it did and ended up disappointed.Also, there were a lot of events and details that just didn't add up for me. There is a battle for power occurring between Keiran and Seth, two of the oldest boys and both potential matches for Waverly, the eldest girl. Keiran and Waverly are supposed to be in love, though Seth loves Waverly and Waverly is obviously drawn to Seth. Or that's what the reader is told anyway. I never felt like these emotions were ever shown, only told. While Waverly and the girls are being kept prisoner aboard the sister ship, Seth and Keiran both have their time in charge of the Empyrean and keep the other boy locked in a cell. I didn't understand how all of the others boys were so weak that they'd blindly follow either boy, no questions asked. I guess it could happen, but it didn't feel real to me. Neither boy had much basis for his arguments and neither seemed all that close to the other boys, so why were they so loyal and willing to accept whatever they were told? Aboard the sister ship, Waverly and the girls are being kept captive. This is confusing in multiple ways... The girls were repeatedly told they were being rescued from a doomed ship, only to find themselves being carefully watched by armed gunmen in their classroom? The girls knew they were prisoners, but those aboard the ship kept insisting they were rescues... why keep insisting that? I didn't understand the rationale. Unless the population of the Empyrean's sister ship is is composed of idiots. Which might very well be true. Amanda, one of the women that became friendly with Waverly, seems completely naive and immature... much younger, in fact, than the sixteen year old Waverly, despite the fact that she's supposed to be at least near middle aged. The only person aboard that ship that seemed to have common sense was Anne Mather, the crazy pastor and captain of the ship. Still, the premise of Glow is intriguing. It reminded me of the Across the Universe trilogy, but without parents. And with a much bigger emphasis on reproduction and repopulating the new world. The entire novel definitely has a sinister feel, which I appreciated.While I finished Glow and plan to read the next installment, Spark, the plot holes and inconsistencies within the first novel were distracting and took away from the story. I'm really hoping these aspects were resolved in the second novel so I can better focus on the novel's positive aspects and leave the distractions behind.
    • 4/5
      It seems that I've come into quite a large amount of good luck lately. I keep discovering unique series, and it has made me a very happy reader! The Sky Chasers series, which begins with Glow by Amy Ryan, is no exception.Never in my life have I read a book that takes place on a spaceship. I read science fiction, but still...nothing that has taken place in space. This plot is incredibly unique with twists and turns around every corner. The characters are compelling and interesting. And the underlying message about human nature makes me think of Lord of the Flies, though in a bit of a different way.While I enjoyed the characters, I found it a little hard to like the two protagonists equally. I found myself wondering what Waverly was up to while I was reading about Kieran, which is part of the reason I gave Glow only four stars. Kieran's chapters were a bit dull and drawn out in the middle of the book. I was having to coax myself into pushing through.I also felt that some of the scenes in the book that should have been INCREDIBLY emotionally charged were a little lacking. Glow, despite its title, is a rather dark book. From murder to drug-laced food to riots and then some. This novel has not turned out to be anything like I expected, and I love it!Glow receives four out of five stars for a fresh, interesting plot and setting, likable characters, and crisp, non-frilly language. It loses a star for being a bit dull in places. Overall, it was a wonderful book, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to find a new, interesting series.
    • 5/5
      This book is awesome! I can't wait for the next one.
    • 4/5
      When it comes to sci-fi books, you got to really grab me. What I loved about this book are the characters growth and coming to understand things.The characters of this book go through a lot. Separated from what they only know and desperate to get back to each other, Glow had me happy at watching teens come mature right before my eyes. Being stuck on ship with no adult supervision, I can imagine what that would be like. I like that the author gave a realistic feel of the teens breaking down. They cried, got scared and some majoringly freaked out!I also like how the plot line settled between crossing the lines of a cult and well crazy people. It always intrigues me how people could be so gullible to believe such lies. I do however, like how the girls questioned things and rebelled. It made me happy that there is someone left on the ship who is not crazy.This book overall is a great book that can cause a great amount of stress. By that I mean a good stress. I loved that while reading this, I felt the anxiety to leave the ship and to find the others. I loved the question-ability of whats is really going on. But most of all, I loved the fight that both the girls and boys gave.If you want a great book of space exploration, teens fighting at the edge of the mountain trying to claim back what is there's. Mostly a group of people how have gone to far off the deep end, read this book. Faced with unattainablility to get back to each other, they must face what is wrong before them and go after what is right in there heart.
    • 4/5
      Really liked but haven't got to the sequel yet (I will eventually). Donating hardback as clearing bookshelves for a move.
    • 2/5
      At the start of the novel I really thought I was going to love it. The premise sounded cool and I was in the mood for something Sci-Fi/Dystopian, however the novel just didn't meet my expectations.There were a few things I did enjoyed about the novel, like the alternating POV's between Waverly and Kieran. This allows you to keep up with both characters throughout novel. I also liked how intense and action packed the storyline is because it makes the novel pretty impossible to put down.While Waverly is a strong, brave female protagonist, her male counterparts can't equal her strength and vulnerability. Kieran & Seth never felt fully fleshed out to me. Kieran seemed one dimensional and with the exception of his relationship with Waverly, wasn't all that interesting. On the other hand Seth's personality was all over the place, as if the author never really decided what kind of person she wanted him to be. Besides having personality issues I also felt his character was incredibly underused.I continually struggled with the likeability of all 3 characters while reading. By the end of the novel I was beyond frustrated by the decisions each of them had made, especially the ones they make right before the novel closes.Religion plays a heavy role in the novel, something I wasn't aware of when I started. What bothered me most about this, wasn't its inclusion but how it was treated. Sometimes I felt that the author/story was praising Christianity and then other times it seemed as if it was being referred to it as a cult. Yeah I was confused too... It felt like the author was truly trying to deliver a message but for the life of me, I couldn't tell you what it was. Religion causes war? Politics are corrupt? No idea!Although it read a bit like an episode of Battlestar Galactica (which to me is a good thing), with its similar location, intensity and conflicted characters, I wanted much more depth and backstory from the main trio. I would have preferred less talk of religion and politics too, especially because its used as such a heavy plot devise and one that constantly feels too forceful. There were also quite a few instances where I could see a twist coming well before it actually happened, leaving me disappointed by the novels predictability.As a fan of Sci-Fi, I just can't hide my disappointment that the novel wasn't what I was hoping for.
    • 5/5
      Glow is an utterly amazing, truly epic ingenious, plot driven captivating story that will leave reader's engrossed until the very end. It's full of fantastic twists, turns, and heart-pounding adventure that never stops. The depths and layers, in which Kathleen Ryan tackles, is simply beyond astounding and will leave the reader feeling incredibly satisified when they've finished the last page. Ryan has this truly genius way of putting the reader right into the story, along with the main protagonist, and begs the question of "what would you do?" in a situation like that. Could you be brave enough to survive the fight, let alone save everyone who was left, even when there was absolutely no turning back? It is a concept and story arc that is very well established, developed, and carried out in seemingly flawless effort. Waverly, is a wonderfully crafted and developed protragonist the reader is introduced to, who comes off as very likable and possesses much more heart, strength and bravery than your average teen heroine normally would. Waverly is taken captive and introduced to what seems like a terrifying future, when the New Horizon boards and attacks the Empyrean. So many questions become visible and secrets are revelaed along the way. It is a scary and dangerous path and Waverly and the rest of the girls must find a way to rise up and overcome this struggle. Serious issues are dealt with in such a way that it leaves the reader feeling with the character's in the novel. Oppression, violence, sex, and free choice are among many of these serious matters that are not only discussed in Glow, but also acted upon quite frequently throughout the story as it develops and pulls the reader in more deeply than before. The villians in this story are wonderful assets that bring so much depth and intrigue of their own. They are perfectly written, well developed, strong individuals who truly believe in the choices they are making for the greater good of their people that will lend to their survival. Anne Mather is a mystery of her own making, who is so incredibly hell-bent on the mission that she believes she must carry out, and isn't afraid of doing what she feels she must (such as resorting to blackmail and/or murder) in order to make it happen. She possesses such a strong flavored personality that it's almost scary in such a fantastically written and phoneomenal way. She is what every villian in a book should resemble, because she is not afraid to make the hard choices, and carry them on her shoulders even if she becomes the most hated or feared of them all.The love triangle that's introuduced between Kieran, Waverly, and Seth is handled in such a delightful way, that it doesn't detract from the story at all and it actually makes quite a bit of sense. There is more to Seth, than just filling out the third point in the triangle. He is quite dark and mysterious, an enthralling villian of his own making and possibly one that readers could feel a bit of sympathy for. It is very enjoyable to read, because Ryan made sure that it new its place in this story, and blended it in quite well wherever needed so as not to interfere or take over the lead. It is apparent that there is a clear definition of good vs evil showdown here. The question remains, who will prevail when the final installment gets here? Glow leaves the reader with a cliff-hanger to end all cliff-hangers, which will send them into a virtual tail-spin waiting for the next book to follow. It is a fantastic dystopian meets deep space read and fans of The Hunger Games trilogy or Across The Universe will find this book to be an truly captivating and engrossing read.
    • 4/5
      They are calling this series "the next Hunger Games", and I can see why. It's action packed, alternating chapters between the 15 year old female lead, Waverly, and the 16 year old male lead, Kiernan. I read this in about 24 hours, unable to put it down (it would have been faster if I could have managed to not sleep or go to work). The premise is that the Earth is toast, so it has sent out two HUGE ships (HUGE--many levels with the ability to do anything--grow orchards, farm, etc). They left a year apart and they are staffed with the planned progenitors of New Earth. 42 years into the mission, the second ship catches sight of the first ship (which wasn't supposed to happen--they left a year apart and they should be light years away from each other). It seems they have a fertility problem on the first ship--no babies can be conceived there. They need help, and are willing to use force to get it. It is, after all, all about survival of the species. But things are not what they seem, or what they were meant to be, on either ship, and things turn bloody fast.This is a fast paced, edge of your seat, violent, intense book, clearly at the beginning of a series because the climax leaves you desperate for more. I really do think this is going to be HUGE.
    • 4/5
      This book caught my attention form the very beginning. I admit it...I'm a sucker for an interesting book cover. This one drew me right in! I would have selected it from a book shelf, if it hadn't come to me as an ARC in the mail. What was even more unexpected-the book tackles some very big issues and really makes the reader think!The story alternated between two main characters and the events of their lives on a space ship headed to colonize a new planet. The chapters are short and the book flows fairly fast. It seemed to get bogged down in the middle with some physics and science concepts that might have been edited to give the cliff notes version. There are some gaps in the logic of some of the characters, but overall, they are an interesting group of space travelers. This is a YA/SciFi novel, which is the first in a series of books. This is definitely one for older YA readers (I would suggest 15 and older). There is an atmosphere of sexual intimidation throughout the book, which eventually deteriorates into sexual violation. There is nothing particularly sexually graphic in the book, however, the events that take place leave you feeling psychologically battered. This is a very different look at the darker side of human nature, something that is not usually found in a YA book. The storyline also examines the effect of religion on a group and how it can be used to manipulate others into believing that what they are doing is right in the name of their god. Some may be offended by this and take it as an anti-religion theme. I think it could lead to some wonderful discussions (religion being only one of the topics of discussion) within a book group or with parents and their teens. I will be passing it on to my daughter.This one is worth your time (even though the ending is a bit weak). I look forward to the next book in the series.Thanks to St. Martins Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this book.
    • 4/5
      This is a story of two young lovers who are traveling across the universe (with several other families) to colonize a new planet. When their sister ship (supposed to be several light years ahead) is suddenly spotted, people's mettle is tested. The boys are separated from the girls and each must fight to survive. Each must figure out how to lead, who to follow and what actions to take to save themselves and their comrades. But at what cost? I'm not sure if it was because this book had such raving reviews and I had too high expectation, but I was left a little... confused after reading this book. Not that the plot was confusing, but confused if I even liked this book. Well, I liked it. But confused whether this is the stellar book they're making it out to be, or just your average dystopian romance for teens. I think it's one of those books that I'll have to remain ambivalent to until the sequel(s) come out. With all these series books, you don't really get the full plot until the series is completed. Which, honestly, is a criticism. Good authors, such as J.K. Rowling, manage to get a complete book with an excellent plot while still building up the series.
    • 3/5
      Surprisingly solid read despite weak prose but not without its problems. Review to come.
    • 2/5
      First of a trilogy but I found way too many issues suspended in this novel of teens in space.
    • 4/5
      Glow completely blew my mind. I was hoping that the gorgeous cover wasn't hiding a mediocre book and I can now say for certain that it wasn't! I loved this book and I now have yet another series to follow obsessively. While Glow is a science fiction novel, it's not heavy on the science and is much more about people and how they react under different circumstances. While it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I was very happy with what I found!

      This book follows our two young protagonists- Waverly and Kieran- as life as they know it falls to pieces. They're on board a space ship, heading far away from Earth towards their destination, ''New Earth'' where they plan on building up civilization again. I really find the idea of the human race having to relocate due to earth becoming uninhabitable fascinating so really enjoyed this aspect of the story. I wish we had found out more details about what happened to earth in order to cause all these people to head to space but it is a series so I'm hoping we learn more as it goes on!

      Glow was a book that completely transported me to another world. I found it so easy to lose myself in the pages and forget about everything else around me. The author's writing is descriptive without over-doing it and I could picture the ship and space perfectly. It's really fast paced and full of tension and suspense. I didn't want to put the book down because I really needed to know how things were going to go!

      I found it really scary seeing the things people would do to get their way. Both Waverly's ship and the other ship have people who are not so nice and will stop at nothing to get what they want. When the people of the New Horizon stole all the girls from the Empryrean, I was freaking out for them! They wanted all the girls as they are not longer able to conceive. The lengths they go to are quite disgusting and I really felt for the young girls stuck on the ship. The boys ship doesn't fare much better as they all turn on each other since they've been left without parents. It's really chaos all around and it was fascinating to read about!

      I definitely enjoyed this book. I found I connected better with Waverly than Kieran and that she had a stronger voice and was a better character all round. I will be eagerly awaiting book two in this series which is being published later this year!
    • 1/5
      Uh, WOW. And not a good wow. I only got about 50 pages in before I realized that there was no way, except maybe by gunpoint, that I was going to be able to finish this book. This reads like someone threw a lot of money at a person and was like, here, indulge in writing something that contains a love triangle, a spaceship, big bad evil doo-doo men, and sexual desire. The problem with starting with these requirements, of course, is that they are not allowed to develop naturally out of inevitable beliefs and actions of the characters. Reading the invasion scene was like envisioning a transcript of an elementary school play about scary, scary aliens invading a spaceship.Look: I know that there have been scores of past civilizations that have done this sort of "raping and pillaging" thing--but what happens in one of the first scenes of GLOW is so far removed from tense believability as to be comical. Minus the theoretical sexual desire (a mostly-male spaceship kidnaps the other spaceship's girls in order to foster increased opportunities for procreation), this could've totally been a play put on by second-graders. Those little kiddies sure would love the scenes of pillage and fighting.Shame it had such a pretty cover.
    • 5/5
      Glow introduces us to Waverly, the main character. She thought her main problems was finding the right love. Now, she wishes for her old life back, but it was too late.She left with her family to fin the New Earth. She expects to help populate the New Earth but there are problems along the way. She and all the girls have been kidnapped by their second ship, trying to return to their old one. Almost all their parents have been brain washed and who knows what could happen next. I think Glow is an amazing book. It tells an amazing story. I read it all in one sitting. There were many twists and turns through out the book, which made it all the more exciting. There are many characters that get me confused on who is who. The book also had too much craziness between death. Other than that, the book is great.
    • 3/5
      Honestly, I'm sick of every single book released in the YA dystopian genre calling itself "the next Hunger Games" or something along those lines. Why can't these new novels just try to stand on their own and be unique? I'd much rather prefer something that never-been-done-before, or a completely new spin on the genre. I'd prefer that as opposed to more of the same things that I've been reading, but I guess I've been overruled by the publisher's marketing department on this.This brings me to Glow, yet another offering in the growing YA dystopian genre that touts itself as "the most riveting series since The Hunger Games." Okay, really? Sorry, but this doesn't come anywhere close.Glow is told through the alternating viewpoints of Waverly and Kieran, a young pair of lovers (who also happen to be the only teens on the same spaceship) on a space mission to colonize a new world. Then, they get separated and Waverly, a very strong and interesting character, is taken prisoner on another spaceship, where the locals are planning to use her as a baby-making machine. Meanwhile Kieran, a considerably less-interesting and somewhat self-centered character who isn't good enough for Waverly, finds himself the leader of his ship and must guide the crew through crisis while trying to get Waverly back.I wanted to like this book more. I mean, it wasn't a bad book by any means, but it wasn't an amazing book. It wasn't one of those books that kept me flipping pages late into the night and demanding more as soon as I read the final page. I still read it, I still enjoyed it, but I'd say that are many other YA dystopian novels out there that are just better. Also, keep in mind, that even though the book's packaging tries to sell the novel as being like The Hunger Games (as everything in the genre now likes to do), it's really more of a cross between Beth Revis' Across the Universe and Maria V. Snyder's Inside Out with a dash Sarah Grant's Dark Parties along with what seem to be growing genre cliches.With basic, straight-forward writing, uneven characters and a somewhat hazy backdrop, I felt like Glow had so much potential that it just didn't live up to completely. While I did enjoy the more science fiction-like angle, I thought it could still use some more work. Not a horrible not, but not a great one. For hard core fans of the genre only while you're waiting for the next great dystopian novel, but not for casual readers of the genre.
    • 3/5
      I wasn't expecting to particularly love Glow when I put my name into the proverbial hat for the chance to win an advance copy. It was being billed as a "YA" book, and I've had little exposure to books falling under that particular label, so I figured I'd take a chance at expanded my reading horizons, if just a little bit. Besides, it was science fiction dealing wtih generation starships; it could certainly be interesting. And it is. In a way.But I had a hard time liking the book.It starts off with your typical high school romance between teenaged Kieran Alden and Waverly Marshall. We're introduced to the protagonist lovebirds for only a handful of pages before they split up to attend to their various duties on the ship. Kieran and Waverly's generation are the first to be born on the Empyrean, the enormous starship sent out into space (after its sister ship, the New Horizon) for the colonization of New Earth.It's not too long before disaster strikes: the New Horizon has inexplicably slowed, and when the Empyrean catches up inside a nebula, the ship is ambushed, and Waverly and the other young girls are abducted and taken back to the New Horizon. Waverly, now separated from her family and her boyfriend, has to deal with life as a "guest" aboard the new ship, and somehow figure out what's going on, and maybe find a way back to the Empyrean. Kieran, meanwhile, is left in charge of the Empyrean with a handful of boys—the adults all killed, injured, or gone missing. His goals are similar to Waverly's, though where Waverly is pitted against a handful of scheming adults, Kieran finds himself up against a group of mutinous boys.On the one hand, it's all rather ridiculous. How on earth (or off of it) do all of the adults on board the Empyrean manage to get taken out so easily? They wind up in four groups: blown out an airlock, gunned down in a shuttle bay, in a shuttle chasing after the New Horizon, and dead/dying of radiation from fixing the engines. That accounts for every. Last. Adult. On. Board. Leaving Kieran to play out "Lord of the Flies" in outer space, against one particular boy who's motivated by nothing more than petty jealousy. I mean, come on.As for Waverly and the girls, turns out the New Horizon folks are ultra-conservative religious fundamentalists (they even dress like the Amish for church services) who have been duped by their scheming Pastor/captain into abducting the Empyrean's girls as some sort of mission from God. Like most everyone else in the book, the characterizations of the New Horizon folks are all incredibly obvious: they're either overtly slimy and evil, or perfectly sweet and innocent.At least it reads quickly. The suspense is good, and the chapters are short—always helpful in making the pages fly by. There's the occasional twist where you think, "Ah, this isn't as stereotypical and/or predictable as it seems," but only until it's revealed that yes, in fact, it is.Ah, but then comes the ending, and I'm still not sure whether it makes the book more irritating, or salvages the whole thing. You see, due to the portrayal of the New Horizon folks, I had pretty much written the whole book off as an extended "religion is bad" rant. But that was before the story took a bizarre left turn in which Kieran finds God. That would have fit in fine with a "religious people are crazy" theme, but see, the thing is: God actually talks to Kieran in person. Nothing wrong with that, but aside from it being mentioned in the very beginning that Kieran's family was kind of religious, there was nothing in the book leading up to this. I was completely yanked out of the story, it was such a bizarre moment.And yet, in this awkwardly-executed transformation lies the genius of this book: by the end, Kieran sees himself as appointed by God to lead the Empyrean to paradise. Which is precisely what occurred on board the New Horizon. There's a nice contrast there, and a theme for the next book to explore: Is there a difference between those called by God and those who merely claim to be called by God, and how do you tell the difference? It's an intriguing idea, the introduction of which is marred by the manipulative cliffhanger tacked on at the end.Overall, I guess mostly I enjoyed it, but there's little about it that I actually liked. I'm sure that readers much younger than myself will have a much kinder view of Glow than I do, but at the same time I'm not sure how it's awkwardly-presented themes will resonate. [2.5 out of 5 stars]
    • 4/5
      Space Opera meets dystopia in this action packed YA Science Fiction thrill ride. Explore the dichotomy and ambiguity of individuality versus unity in this original debut.

      This book is packed full of action, drama and dystopia. The characters are realistic, even if some plot elements are a little over the top. What's the point of an "epic" story, if it remains too true to life? The greatest strength of this story is the recognition that kids and teens can rise to meet a challenge or a crisis.

      The surprising underlayment is the inherent warning in believing too strongly or blindly in any role model, adult or peer.

      I was intrigued by the way religion, personal beliefs and power were interwoven in the story. The book demanded recognition of the fine line between good and bad, the middle that resides between extremes and how difficult it really is to achieve balance.