Book Review: Glimmer

Media Type: Print Book (ARC)
Title: Glimmer
Author: Phoebe Kitanidis
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: Hardcover; 352
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Source: The Teen Book Scene
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Intended Reading Group: Young Adult
Content Screening: Mild Violence
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HDB Rating: 4 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Readers who love a good paranormal read with plenty of twists and turns!

Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?
And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?

When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship…but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

Looking for an out of the box read? I’ll happily start this review by saying that this book will satisfy that need. Phoebe Kitanidis has done it yet again, writing a book that will keep you reading well into the wee hours of the morning. My attention was caught instantly by the fact that these two teens wake up in such an odd situation. I kept wondering how they could have completely forgotten everything. As I read on I realized that things were just a little too perfect in the town of Summer Falls.  Ghosts, mystery…heatnaps? Oh yes. That’s what you’ll find inside Glimmer and so much more!


This story is told in alternating points of view, which actually works really well in the overall flow of things. Both Elyse and Marshall are vivid characters with just enough difference in their voices to make them easier to discern. Which is important, because a lot of times they will have the same thoughts. It’s eerie, and slightly sweet. Still, what I loved was watching their struggle. As Elyse and Marshall discover who they once were, they realize how much they dislike those people. The reader gets to follow along as they figure out how to fight back and become better.

In case you’re worried that Glimmer is all ghosts and no romance, let me assure you that there is a romance here. It just so happens to be a beautifully broken one. Here we have two people fighting to figure out where they came from, while working together to figure out where to go next. Elyse and Marshall have a lot of tough moments in the story (and some creepy ones as well), but Kitanidis balances it out with a bit of sweetness too. These two have their fair share of adorable moments together, and it makes everything even more worthwhile.


I’d love to say more, but I don’t want to give anything away! The ghosts in this book are especially fantastic and different, but if I say more you won’t have that part to uncover. So instead I’ll just say that this is a read that is well worth your time! If you are looking for something outside the box. If you need a paranormal that strays away from the usual zombies, vampires and werewolves, pick up a copy of Glimmer. Just be prepared to read all night.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.