The Glimpse [Review]

Stats: 
325 pages [ebook]
Published 7 June 2012
ISBN-13: 9780571280544
[Amazon]


Synopsis:
Once you've seen into the future, can you change your destiny?

In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.

Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.

Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not intefere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.


My Thoughts:



The Glimpse takes you into a dystopian London where "Pure" and "Crazies" are segregated. Pure citizens are those who live without mental disorders, such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depression; Crazies are those who do suffer from mental disorders. Ariana, "Ana", Barber is the 17 year old daughter of the man who created the DNA test that distinguishes who is predisposed to mental disease. She is labeled a Big3 because her mother committed suicide. She is to be joined with the son of the head of the most famous pharmaceutical company, Jasper Taurell. Ana likes Jasper and is surprised that after her being labeled a Big3 that he would still want to be joined with her. Prior to their joining ceremony, they go on a supervised "date". Jasper is urgent about wanting to talk to Ana about something, but he is unable to do so because he ends up getting kidnapped after he steps out to make a phone call. Ana tries to follow Jasper out in the lobby, but cannot find him before he is kidnapped. She only has a few clues to go by, but she is sure that the Enlightenment Project has something to do with his abduction and sets out to go find some answers.

At times, The Glimpse was hard to get through. It was a roller coaster of interesting parts and slow parts. The characters are all very interesting and the basis for the plot is great, but I think the story wasn't executed as well as it could have been. I feel like the "down" parts of the story stole the show from the more intense parts. There were a lot of things that didn't really get explained, but I did read that it is going to be a 2-book series. I'm not certain whether or not I will read the second. I may because closure is nice and overall, The Glimpse wasn't a horrible book. It didn't blow me away, but it wasn't awful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for letting me review this one!
 

Previous Review:
Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James {here}


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