Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

from goodreads

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network. 

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers. 

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse. 

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

Review

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu takes place in the Community, where computer chips are implanted in everybody's brain; wiping them of any destructive emotions. They are instead Linked to a network which feeds them with constant instructions. When Zoel starts glitching, she gets distanced from the Link and starts experiencing emotions, taste and perceiving the richness of colour for the first time. Should she report the anomalous activity or keep her secret experiences to herself?

Zoe finds it easier to put off turning herself in... especially when her anomalous activity becomes more and more questionable with the sudden emergence of telekinetic powers. And then she finds out there are other glitchers like her and they need to save others from remaining drones under the control of the Community before it's too late.

While my expectations for Glitch weren't sky high, I was taken in by the thrilling storyline. It sounded like the kind of dystopian novel that could shake me up. Unfortunately, for me, at least, the plot fell flat. I wasn't as involved in the plot as I thought I'd be. The characters, like that of Adrien and Zoe, were kind of one-note, especially with the insta-love and love triangle with Max happening.

I appreciated that Max was the embodiment of one extreme where he embraced the darker emotions because he didn't know how to deal with the sudden exposure to them any other way and enjoyed reading about Zoe experiencing her first emotions. It is like living life from scratch... the implications of various feelings and the slow development of love warming my heart.

However, the characters themselves, personality-wise (Zoe and Adrien, for instance) didn't make much of an impact on me. The book wasn't action packed enough and I didn't care for the characters even when it was implied that Zoe grows up to be made of tougher stuff. Max irked me and towards the end, I didn't find myself jumping for the sequel. Glitch clearly wasn't for me but since I did love certain aspects of the plot, there is a good chance that it's the kind of series that might appeal to you. 

Publication date: 7th August, 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Links: Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars