Glimmer [Hardcover]

Phoebe Kitanidis (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 17, 2012

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

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

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marshall and Elyse fall into an intense relationship founded on their mutual quest for truth. But the secrets they're trying to uncover could be the death of this budding love affair—and of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In a seemingly idyllic small town called Summer Falls, two teens wake up naked, entwined in each other’s arms, and neither one has any memory of who they are or how they got there. Chapters alternate between “Him” and “Her” as they try to piece together their pasts and find their identities. While Summer Falls is always a perfect 72 degrees and nothing bad ever seems to happen—at least, not that anyone remembers—only Elyse and Marshall see that something is very wrong. Ghosts of the town’s past inhabitants trigger “heatnaps” to erase bad memories on the spot, while sunny memories reveal a darker side in the form of an ancient power funneled through a charismatic ancestor of Elyse’s. Readers will respond to Elyse’s and Marshall’s character development as they search for themselves, each trying to reconcile the person they’re learning about with who they feel they are at the core. The decidedly sci-fi feel of this supernatural suspense story will appeal to a broad range of readers. Grades 9-12. --Heather Booth

Review

“Both Elyse and Marshall are feisty and flawed, making for a satisfying and romantic action-adventure … perfect for a quick summer read. ” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )

“Laced with magic and a touch of romance, and enhanced by a truly creepy setting, this is an intriguing mystery. Give this one to teens who want something other than the typical supernatural romance.” (School Library Journal )

“The decidedly sci-fi feel of this supernatural suspense story will appeal to a broad range of readers.” (ALA Booklist )

Praise for WHISPER: “Common conflicts are nuanced by Kitanidis’s intriguing construction of Joy’s powers, unexpected plot moves, and strong characterizations.” (School Library Journal )

Praise for WHISPER: “Whisper is a refreshingly unpredictable story with the perfect balance of family and friends, and magical gifts and secrets. Phoebe Kitanidis is a strong new voice in the young adult, urban fantasy genre, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.” (Kim Harrison, bestselling author of ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY )

Praise for WHISPER: “An imaginative tale that that brings to the surface the complexities of family, friends, relationships, and belonging, WHISPER also explore selfishness, selflessness, and the bonds that link us to each other.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray (April 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780061799280
• ISBN-13: 978-0061799280
• ASIN: 0061799289
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Phoebe Kitanidis is a co-founder of OddRocket, with ten years professional experience in writing and publishing.

She began as a Contributing Writer for Discovery Girls magazine from 2003-2006. Now a full-time fiction devotee, she is the author of the young adult novels Whisper and Glimmer, published by Harper Collins. She's also authored Be My Yoko Ono, published by OddRocket.

A lifelong story-geek, she believes passionately in mixing media, busting genres, and blurring the line between audience and author. She has been known to civilly disobey genre conventions and devour creative storytelling in any form, be it novels, TV, comics, cartoons, board games, RPGs, musicals, burlesque, Roller Derby, or even the news.

Phoebe enjoys serving as a panelist, speaker, and workshop leader at conferences and conventions. She lives with her family in Seattle, proud birthplace of GeekGirlCon, coffee culture, and the Kindle.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read April 17, 2012

By Kristina's World of Books

Format:Hardcover

What I Liked
The World
Perfection does come at a cost for the little happy town, but the townies don't really know what that cost is. This concept is so crazy and awesome, but I am so glad I don't live in it. Give me the pain of my memories any day over these lies. Also the ghost and magic just add to the appeal of the world that Phoebe has created for her characters.
Characters
Elyse: She is a very "human" character, she has her flaws and she knows what they are, but she just wants to escape her life. I give her a lot of credit for fighting in her own way and taking initiative to do something about it all. Elyse was a bit of a surprise for me, I was expecting weakness as she finds out about her life, but what was revealed was strength.
Marshall: I'm glad we get to learn about new Marshall, not the original old Marshall, I don't think I would have liked him that much. Who he is becoming and who he was are two different type of people, it goes to show that people can change given the circumstances and opportunity.

A Little Confusion
Following two characters with amnesia was a little confusing at first. Not only are the characters trying to puzzle out who they are, but as the reader you are also trying to figure what type of rules their world has as well. I personally like to understand the parameters of a created fantasy world early on in the book. As this world got unraveled I quickly forgot about it and become very intrigued with everything.

Recommendation
Definitely worth the read

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, weird little book! April 17, 2012

By Ashelynn Hetland

Format:Hardcover

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis was a strange book, and I mean that in a good way. I love magical realism, but hardly ever read it because I don't think a lot of people know how to write it, and it's also an emerging genre. Think Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, a fantastically written magical realism.

I have to say that I read Glimmer quickly; not as quick as I usually can, but when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I would read it until I had problems keeping my eyes open. I just HAD to know what was happening to Elyse, Marshall, and Summer Falls.

DUDES, Summer Falls was so weird! I was CREEPED OUT by the people always falling into heatnaps and everybody exclaiming Summer Falls was paradise! I wanted to get out of that town as soon as possible. It's a seriously creepy town, yo. I think because of its creepiness I was cheering for Elyse and Marshall to save the town.

Now, the good parts outweigh the horrible parts for me, but I have to say what the horrible parts for me is. In the description, it says Marshall and Elyse fall in love and omg, there is zero chemistry between them. NONE. I never wanted them to kiss, or do anything of that sort. It didn't make me mad when they did kiss, but idk, maybe they would have been better off as friends instead of lovers.

Also, Elyse calls herself a slut and then somebody else does and THAT IS THE WORST WORD EVER. Like, I don't even get offended when people cuss or even use those words as insults, but once "slut" and "whore" are thrown around I want to beat my head against a door. And I absolutely hate it when people are slut-shamed. And Elyse isn't exactly slut-shamed, but it still made me so mad I had to set the book down for HOURS until I could manage to bring myself back to reading the book.

However, like I said, the good outweigh the bad. I LOVED the ending, when everything came together. I so did not guess it coming, but I also wasn't that shocked, so it's not a HUGE plot twisty ending. But it's still wicked awesome. And I do recommend this book, especially for those who like magical realism and ghosts! I will say for those who do read this book to keep an open mind. Just because it's confusing doesn't mean it isn't fantastic. <3 Take a risk, not everything in life is explained! So why should it be in books?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating premise, wonderful characters, and terrific plot June 21, 2012

By Christina (Ensconced in YA) TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I saw this book on Goodreads giveaways (and didn't win, sadly), and kept it on my to read list because the plot looked so fascinating.

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis starts dramatically with two teenagers waking up together naked in bed. The twist is, they have no memory of each other or of their own lives. From there, in alternating first person narratives, we learn little by little about each of the characters, the odd town that they are inhabiting, and their lives prior to their loss of memory.

I am very torn when writing this review, because I thought that this book would definitely get five stars from me. The first 75% of the book is perfectly paced with very even viewpoints from each of the characters-- and this decision is necessary for this book. We have to learn about each of the characters history and take each of their individual journeys to understand what is going on. I was fascinated, drawn in, and I couldn't put it down. It has been a while since I didn't start editing a book in my head with changes that I thought might help.

Something happens in the last few chapters, and the thing is, I can't quite pinpoint the problem that I had with it. It may just be a personal preference, but some of the twists start to become a little more heavy-handed and the pacing seems off especially in comparison to the terrific beginning.

That said, this book is definitely worth reading, has wonderful characters and a really wonderful premise. I'm excited to see what else Kitanidis has up her sleeve!

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