[17] The Glimpse by Claire Merle

The Glimpse

by Claire Merle 

(June 7th 2012 by Faber & Faber)

ARC RECEIVED FROM PUBLISHER THROUGH NETGALLEY. THANK YOU!

Once you've seen into the future, can you change your destiny?

In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell. 

Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.

Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not intefere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.

REVIEW

I had a big love-hate relationship with this book. I haven’t read any dystopian young adult book before The Glimpse, so I didn’t know what I should expect.

Ana lives with her father in the Community. Her DNA is pure, which means no one in her family was mentally ill. She’s safe, until she finds out that her father faked her Pure test and her mother killed herself… That means she’s a sleeper and her illness will wake up one day. They let her stay in the Community if she join with Jasper... But what is she supposed to do when he disappears at the day of their binding?

It was hard to like Ana. She wasn’t well created and she had annoyed me a little, but it changed later. Everything she believed turned out to be a lie and I felt I care about her problems more than she did. It seemed to me that she “gained” some emotions and feelings after meeting Cole…

Talking about Cole… Romance in The Glimpse is kind of confusing. Nothing spicy happens, just few kisses. And I liked it to be honest. But a love triangle is simple weird. I can’t explain more, because it would be a big spoiler… But I usually like romances like that and this one was disappointing.

Ending was even more confusing. But after all… I liked this book a lot. So many things that should make me hate it, but the idea of Crazies and The Community, treating ill people worse. It’s hilarious and… Scary. It contains a lot of sad scenes, some descriptions are even too realistic. Imagine a suicidal four years old boy, already knowing there’s no chance for him to have normal life.

It’s something deeper than cute young adult romance, so I recommend it for everyone, younger and older readers.

What do you think about it? How do you like the cover? Is it on your TBR list? :)

xoxo,

disincentive