Review: Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis

Book Description via Goodreads:

ARC, 344 pages

April  17, 2012, Balzer + Bray

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.

Source: Phoebe Kitanidis (Thank you!!)

My Thoughts:

First of all, the story started with two teens - a boy and a girl, waking up naked in a bed. They were both amnesiacs, having no idea why they were in bed together, having no idea where they were and who they were. It was a problematic, awkward and panicked beginning for Elyse and Marshall. Together, they ventured out into the streets of Summer Falls and discovered that something was very, very wrong.

Elyse was pretty, petite, popular and perfect. But the girl who woke up, not remembering who she was, didn't possess the confidence that the true Elyse did. She didn't want her eyes, her hair, her height, her body and even her name. She felt that everything in her life was randomly assigned to her by a superior being, like everything she had didn't fit with who she felt and imagined she would and should be. Throughout the novel, she struggled to blend in and to find out who she really was. She had a pretty mom, Liz, who ran the family business, a BFF, Carla and a boyfriend, Dan, who was convinced that she was the one for him.

Marshall was the hero-type of guy. He was considerate and protective gentleman. He wanted to make sure Elyse was okay at all times. He was quite attracted to her, too. Unlike Elyse though, no one in Summer Falls seemed to notice or know him at all. But as he and Elyse dug deeper for answers, he started to find out more and more about himself. He was not exactly a nobody in Summer Falls. He was somebody - the type of somebody who could make a change. Marshall was one of the most complex characters I've read about. He has changed drastically from the beginning of the story to the end. He has lost, gained and learned so much.

Elyse and Marshall's relationship was complicated. They were partners in uncovering the truth. They trusted each other. There was a zing of something between them - a lightness, a magnet and a warmth that drew them together. They had that compatible thing down. But what they were about to discover would change them and affect them forever.

Summer Falls was the perfect place for a vacation. It had the perfect weather and the happiest people on earth. But something dark and sinister plagued Summer Falls. Ghosts were everywhere. People kept losing consciousness, lost in a heatnap which was normal in the town. Everyone only remembered happy times. Summer Falls' perfection was its own imperfection. 

The plot that Kitanidis weaved was perfect. There were twists and turns here and there. The mystery was sustained very well. She never forgot to drop hints throughout the novel. Her style of writing also matched the progression of the story. When Elyse and Marshall woke up as amnesiacs, she named them 'Him' and 'Her' and as the story progressed and Elyse got her name while Marshall didn't, she named him 'Dark-Eyed-Boy' as Elyse called him.

Glimmer is beautiful, sinister and intriguing. Be lost in a world filled with magic, memories and forgetfulness. Glimmer reminded me a bit of the Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves minus the monsters and hunters, plus ghosts, happy zombies constantly having heatnaps and two amnesiacs bent on uncovering the truth. This unpredictable read will suit paranormal readers.

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