The Bookshelf Review: Review: Glow/Glow Audiobook by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication date: 7/17/2012

Pages: 320

***Glow Audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio for a fair and honest review. =]

Synopsis:

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.

My Thoughts/Review:

Glow was really awesome and thought provoking. I fortunately got to read the book and listen to the audiobook all thanks to Macmillan Audio. They provided me with the Glow audiobook for a fair and honest review. Both were fantastic by the way. Glow really explores the depths of the human spirit and mind. It is set in outer space with two twin ships traveling to New Earth because earth was corrupt in someway to make it uninhabitable so they had to leave. The ship called the New Horizon has come to rendezvous with the Empyrean. It turns out the New Horizon is infertile and can't make babies so they came their to steal the girls from the other twin ship. The premise of this book is really what got me interested and made me really like it. I mean could you imagine what you would do if you were stuck in space and the people aboard your ship couldn't help continue life for New Earth. Glow really makes you think about all the things humans might do and go through in order to continue life.

Waverly and Kieran are both are the main characters and they both show so much depth and personality as the book goes on. They both had to go through so much throughout all of their ordeals both emotionally and physically. They both are really likable in their own ways and I think the audiobook made me like them even more. I felt connected with Waverly and Kieran because the actors that did the voices did such an awesome job. It was like I was listening to a story about actual people and not just fictional ones. Glow really got me thinking about how groups of people deal with different high stress situations. This book really at times reminded me of Lord of the Flies because aboard the Empyrean there are times where there are no adults and chaos and fights and conflicts break loose. I really loved how this book had two sides with such complex characters and emotions. It flips back and forth between both Waverly and Kieran and you see how different they both are and how their different experiences they have to go through changes them both. I also loved both the voices on the audiobook. They both are very talented voice actors and I love how they could manipulate their voices really well to portray the emotion and depth of each of the characters in Glow.

The major theme of religion comes into play in this book a lot and I am the type of person that doesn't go to church and I just believe in my own believes and don't force them on anyone else. Many of the major conflicts in Glow take place over religion and how sometimes if you think you know and believe you are able to interpret the word of God you can have power over people. This is not the right way to go about religion and if you read Glow you will see and find out what happens to cause all the craziness in the book.

I really can't wait to see what happens as the story and journey continues in the next book. I am so glad that I got to listen to the audiobook. It was really enjoyable and a fantastic listen with such awesome voices which brought the story to life. Glow was such a great Sci-fi with great depth and feeling. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good science fiction book that really delves into the human mind.

Overall I give this book...