Friday, January 13, 2012

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan


The blurb:
In this thrilling first installment, a violent battle separates two young lovers on a ship bound for New Earth. Will they find a way backk to their ship--and each other?  And most importantly, will they survive and preserve the future of the human race?


Review:
I had wanted to like Glow but it didn't speak to me. The book is science fiction, set in the far future with humans bound for New Earth. The original ship has people of all ages living in reasonable harmony. There are hints of small abuses of power, but considering that hundreds of people live in a spacecraft, contained and isolated, the ship is run well and fairly. A surprise attack by another ship results in all the young girls of childbearing age being taken away.

As the young girls adjust to their new lives in this "raiding ship" the remaining occupants of the old ship must recover from the attack and establish order. With most of the adults isolated and injured, the boys are left to their own devices. The old skills and alliances break down and there's something similar to Lord of the Flies occurs. Society doesn't break down completely, but it's basic fabric is frayed.

Meanwhile, the girls in the second ship try to sift through the deception and lies in their new home. As they learn to assert themselves, new leaders and alliances develop.

The ideas behind the story are intriguing but I found that I didn't care about the actual characters, I wasn't invested in their success.  However, many other readers and reviewers loved Glow, if you're intrigued by the story - check it out and let me know how you find the book.

Ages 12 and up.
ISBN-10: 0312590563 - Hardcover $17.99 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (September 13, 2011), 320 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher.

About the Author:
Amy Kathleen Ryan grew up in Jackson, Wyoming, reading and adoring books by Madeleine L'Engle, Susan Cooper, and Judy Blume.  She studied anthropology at the University of Wyoming and received her MA in English literature at the University of Vermont.  From there she went to the New School Creative Writing for Children Program. She is also the author of two widely acclaimed young adult novels, Zen and Xander Undone and Vibes.

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