Glow

Glow

by Aubrey Hadley

2 out of 5

Synopsis
The Maasai Mara Sleeping Syndrome has returned after a six-month hiatus. This time, it's popped up in New York, and it's wiped out an entire homeless shelter.

The same night of the outbreak, Harper, a seventeen-year-old girl, stumbles across a glowing figure in the desert outskirts of her neighborhood. As her suburb goes on lockdown, Harper finds herself isolated from her friends and family, and soon begins to suspect that the events — though thousands of miles apart — may have something in common.

Harper must find her bravery and embark on a plot-twisting adventure that will have her looking for answers in unexpected places... and worlds.



Review
After an outbreak of a deadly disease, only Harper survives. She's about to realise there's a much bigger picture, and she's been blind to what has really been going on.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I was expecting.
From the blurb, I though it was going to be a zombie story. From the first few chapters, I thought it was a government conspiracy. Instead, it's a story about aliens, infecting humans with a deadly disease, to wipe them out. Which of course they deserve, after depleting all of the natural resources and causing mass extinctions from their greedy ways.

Harper doesn't consider herself a normal teen. She's a bit of a tomboy, likes playing football (or soccer, if you insist), and has a freakishly over-protective mum who constantly grounds her for random stuff.
Harper would never have guessed that actually, she's part-alien.

OK, let's get something out of the way: how was this so boring?
It's got some great ideas, and it should have been awesome, and it's just so dull.
Harper is a very thorough and boring narrator. There are a few bright blips, where she interacts with people and actually does stuff; but these are in a see of contemplations and being told everything.
I found it really hard to connect with Harper - all of her friends die from the disease - and you'd think that in this contemplation-heavy book that she would think about them and mourn them. Maybe go through the stages of denial and grief etc. No. Nothing.
Her family may or may not have betrayed her, and they may or may not be dead. Stirring up any emotions? Anger? Fear? Nope, those pesky emotions are all ironed out.

Overall, this was a great idea, but terrible execution.

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