March 06, 2012

Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow (Sky Chasers #1)
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: September 13, 2011
Pages: 307
Source: Hardcover/Library

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

Review: I absolutely loved this book! It was a fast read for me, which was nice, but also it was interesting and kept me wanting to read more. I really enjoyed the sci-fi/dystopian mix in this book! It was very well done. I also liked how it had a bit of an Across The Universe kind of feel because I really liked Across The Universe so anything like it is a plus in my book! So the New Horizon and the Empyrean are supposed to be sister ships, so no ones expecting them to attack them out of nowhere. The New Horizon kidnapped all the girls from the Empyrean but left the guys. The only person who knew at first the reason why they took the girls is Kieran, but he had only learned why minutes before the New Horizon attacked the Empyrean. But aboard the New Horizon Waverly quickly caught on to it and all the other bogus ideas and lies they were feeding her.

I felt for Waverly. She was taken from her family and Kieran onto a new ship where they wanted to use her. And on top of that, she was one of the few that could see through the lies Anne Mathers was telling everyone about the Empyrean and why the girls were there. I was also very disgusted with what Anne Mathers did and how she thought it was "Gods Will." Stealing young womans eggs and implanting them in other people is gods will?? I highly doubt it! I'm pretty sure God would be against the stealing alone. She not only had to deal with her losses but also be one of the few that led the fight to get off the New Horizon. She dealt with so much and for only being what... 16? That shows how strong she is! I was very happy with how much of a leader she became and how she helped almost all the girls escape the New Horizon! Kieran... I really hated how all the guys were against him at first! He was only trying to help them after the attack crippled the Empyrean but they all treated him like he was doing things wrong on purpose! He did the best he could, even risking his life for others just to be locked up by them. Thats so wrong! I was happy that Seth was locked up just for the fact that he was getting treated exactly how he treated Kieran! Except for the fact that Kieran didn't try to kill Seth like he tried to do to Kieran! I was so happy that they all kind of banded together at the end, though I wasnt very happy that it was through religion. If it wasnt for Anne Mathers trying to use religion to justify what she was doing I wouldnt have cared. But after all the girls went through above the New Horizon to come home to the Empyrean and feel like they were thrown back into exactly what they just got away from just killed me. They should NOT have to feel like that! 

I'd definitely recommend this to others, especially if you like books with an Across The Universe feel!

5 Stars!