Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan: A Review

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

When Was It Released?:  13th September 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: The Publishers
Who Published It?:  St Martins Press
Number Of Pages:   307 Pages

I have to admit I do enjoy a little science fiction every once in a while. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not addicted to Star Trek or anything (although I have seen the movie) but space intrigues me. When I heard about Glow I was instantly excited about the book. The cover for a start is gorgeous, and I cannot wait to purchase a hardcover finished copy so that it can sit in all it’s glory on my book shelf. There had been a large amount of hype around the release of Glow, therefore I was excited to form my own opinion and find out if I would love this novel.

Waverley and Kieran live on the spaceship Empyrean, which is headed to New Earth, and have done even since they were born. They are the oldest children living aboard the ship, instantly drawn together, their biggest concern is whether or not to marry each other. They have never seen anyone who does not live on the Empyrean, that is until it’s sister ship, the New Horizon pulls alongside. What the crew on the Empyrean don’t know is that on their mission to New Earth the New Horizon encountered problems and have been left unable to conceive and carry on the generations. They are in desperate need of young girls who can conceive. Girls like the ones on the Empyrean. The unsuspecting families onboard the Empyrean have no idea just how desperate the crew on the New Horizon are, or that they are planning to attack their sister ship!

Glow is split into five main sections, each alternating narration between the two main characters, Waverley and Kieran. I really enjoyed being able to read the storyline from both viewpoints finding that it added extra depth and intrigue into the plot. I found that from the very first section I was hooked and from there on I found it very difficult to put this book down. The pace of Glow is fast, with the attack happening almost instantly and the drama never-ending from there on out. I was swept away with the pages of this novel, gripped, wondering exactly what would happen next. There were a few times where I could anticipate where the story was headed and other times I was blown away and left guessing. I also enjoyed how I never really knew which ship was the ‘good’ ship and which was ‘bad’ as there were so many elements uncovered about both throughout the novel. I found this kept the storyline interesting and could mean that the plot could head in any direction. Many of the families on board each ship were confused by the intentions of their respective captains and I have to admit I did not know who to believe or trust within this novel. I was kept on my toes trying to guess which ship would hold safety and which would be the overall threat.

Waverley and Kieran, the two main characters, were very enjoyable to read about. I found Waverley to be the most likeable of the two, as she is more emotional and we see her true feelings throughout. She must remain strong, throughout the ordeals she faces, and I felt for her the entire way through the novel. I also liked Kieran as well finding him to be honourable and willing to try hard to make things work, no matter how desperate the situation  may seem. I do have to admit that I did not like him as much towards the end of the novel, however he makes for great reading. I also enjoyed the relationship between Waverley and Kieran, who appeared to have true feelings for each other. They are thrown together very young and almost expected to get married but still their relationship appears very grounded.

My only issues with Glow were firstly the religious aspect involved. I found it a little hard to comprehend religion and space hand in hand. I also did not like how prominent the use of religion was within the novel. My other issue was with the ending, while I do not want to give too much away I felt that things took a shift that I did not like. Glow is set to be part of a series, therefore the ending may have been done as so in order to keep the reader intrigued.

Overall, I loved Glow! I was hooked throughout the novel, and did not want to put it down. If you enjoy science fiction in any way at all, however small, I would recommend this book to you. I cannot wait to read the next instalment in the series from Amy Kathleen Ryan and wish that I did not have to wait another year for the next one to be released.