Review Detail

Right now, I am all about the dystopian books. I find them fascinating. It's really intriguing to think about what the future is going to be like and what will happen to us if we continue living the way we do today. GLOW opens up a new and thought provoking view on the future of space travel and living there. Two ships are sent to live in outer space to prepare the way for the rest of the Earth. Waverly is on the second ship and finds her world turned upside down when the first ship attacks her ship one day. What happens after this is an emotional, edge of your seat ride that I did not want to get off of.

The relationship between Waverly and Kieran is safe. They are the two oldest children on their ship and it’s expected that they will get married, soon. But at fifteen and sixteen, Waverly feels they are too young. However, it is encouraged they get married young so they have the best chance of having children as soon as possible, after all that is what they are doing in space, creating and preparing a new world for Earth. Waverly does not really want children, especially not right now, and Seth Ardvale appeals to her in a way that Kieran does not. When their ship the Empyrean notices the first ship, the New Horizon seemingly waiting for them, things get a bit tense. And not without cause. As it turns out, the New Horizon plans to kidnap all the girl children on the Empyrean because they could not figure out how to have children on their ship. Waverly finds herself kidnapped, her mother possibly dead, and Kieran and the other boys left behind to die.

Now on the New Horizon, Waverly and the other young girls find themselves being brainwashed and there’s talk of using them to bare children. She must find the courage to help herself and the young girls from her ship and figure out what has happened to those left on the Empyrean. Left on the Empyrean to die, Kieran and the other boys must figure out how to run an entire ship and figure out how to save the girls and to make matters worse, their parents are now missing. What ensues is a Lord of the Flies of our generation. A truly terrifying look into what would happen if you lost all hope.

Amy Kathleen Ryan does a wonderful job bringing her world to life. I felt everything Kieran, Waverly and even the horrific Mather (leader of the New Horizon) did and understood why they felt that way. I loved the depth of the book and the characters. Amy does a great job of making sure the reader knows why the characters are behaving the way they do. I cannot wait for the second book! It’s always great to read a book where even if you don’t agree with what’s happening, you understand it.

By the end of the book my heart was breaking. It was one of those times I finish the book and want to cry because of how it’s left, and that’s a good thing! I am really looking forward to the second book, and truly excited to see where Amy Kathleen Ryan takes this series. If you love dystopians, I highly recommend this book!