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Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers
Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers
Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers
Audiobook9 hours

Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook


One of School Library Journal's Best Fiction Books of 2011

If a violent battle destroyed the only world you've ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there's no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he's the best choice. Still, there's a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly's dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon's leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.
Pulse-pounding and addictive, Glow begins Amy Kathleen Ryan's Sky Chasers--the most riveting series since The Hunger Games.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 27, 2011
ISBN9781427212580
Glow: Book One of the Sky Chasers
Author

Amy Kathleen Ryan

Amy Kathleen Ryan earned an M.A. in English literature and graduated from the New School Creative Writing for Children Program. She now lives with her family in Colorado.

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Reviews for Glow

Rating: 3.5920577646209386 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

277 ratings66 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The audio of Glow was narrated by Matthew Brown & Ilyana Kadushin who did a wonderful job bringing this futuristic world to life. Ilyana Kadushin is already known as an incredible narrator from her work on the Twilight saga audio books. Both she and Matthew Brown breathed life into the characters on board these ships, alternating from male to female depending on the POV that was being presented in the book. Their narration was probably my favorite part of the book and they definitely kept me engaged in the story.

    Glow introduces us to Waverly, a teenage girl trying to decide if she wants to marry the nice boy, Kieran, who says he loves her or if she would rather explore other options with the bad boy, Seth, that she is undeniably drawn to. These seem to be normal teenage concerns even though her life is anything but ordinary. Waverly is one of the first generation born aboard one of two ships bound for “New Earth” where she is expected to marry and to help populate this new world. Things are thrown into chaos and uncertainty for Waverly and her shipmates on the Empyrean when the other ship launches an unexpected attack on her ship, kidnapping all of the young girls and bringing them on board the New Horizon. Waverly takes in upon herself to learn the truth about the intentions of the captain and pastor of the New Horizon, and will risk much to get back to the Empyrean and those she loves, if they’re still alive.

    Glow reminded me a bit of Across the Universe with the sinister leaders and their shady intentions and the clueless people who follow blindly behind a corrupt system. The leader of the New Horizon was fascinating in her ruthlessness. I was intrigued by how she used her charisma to persuade a group of desperate people that God would condone their horrible actions. I think we’ve all seen examples of this and it was interesting to see this topic explored. However, I sometimes had a hard time understanding where the author was heading in regards to religion and the way it was used on both ships. There were so many varying degrees ranging from fanatical, to controlling, to inspirational, to just plain crazy. I’m not certain what the author’s intention was, but it simply left me confused. It was obvious that the “bad guys” used religion to excuse their horrible actions as well as to control people. But I wasn’t sure about how that same religion was being used by the “good guys” in a way that seemed equally as fanatical and more than a little crazy.

    I also had a difficult time understanding why Waverly would be attracted to either of the guys in Glow. Seth is an obvious sociopath with violent tendencies and no impulse control. And Kieran, the “nice guy” has either suffered a head injury that has caused him to hallucinate or is, at worst, a schizophrenic, but at least a mostly benevolent one with only occasional violent outbursts. Either way, I found both of these guys to be unlikable and definitely not love interest material. Waverly herself is an very strong and capable heroine who did her share of suffering throughout the story. I loved her strength, perseverance, and courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds as well as her vulnerability which kept her realistic and relatable.

    Overall, while I didn’t “love” Glow, there were many things I liked about it. There was a lot going on in this action packed story. There were many different plot lines and unexpected twists. This usually makes it easy for me to stay engaged in a story, I enjoy the tension building, the shocking plot twists, and the excitement of the final confrontation. I enjoyed all of these things in Glow Glow is certainly an action packed page turner that has many twists and turns that will shock, surprise, and satisfy fans of dystopian themed fantasy. I hope that many of the issues I had concerns about will be cleared up in the sequel.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Chilling, especially given recent remarks from male legislators concerning women's bodies and the religious right in the U.S. of A.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A mix of science fiction and dystopian society Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan centers around three teenagers, Waverly, Kieran, and Seth, living on board the Empyrean headed to a new life on a new planet. When a sister ship meets up with them it becomes clear that the other crew's mission isn't friendly at all, governed by the need to ensure their own survival.With its thrilling though not completely unique premise I found the first pages fast paced and fluently written, yet I soon discovered several problems which dampened my reading experience. I liked the alternating narration between the main characters, yet with every turning page I had to realize that I just couldn't relate to them and their actions, nor did they show enough depth for my taste. Oddly enough the secondary characters quite grew on me.More importantly though I had another, much bigger problem with the book. While it is a YA novel the narrative used is aimed at a very young audience, certainly not mature teenagers. In stark contrast to that there is the underlying theme of sexuality/procreation. While the latter is certainly not explicit, I must honestly say this imbalance disturbed me a lot. As much as this novel didn't work for me, I believe with a more elaborate narration and a focus on an older age group of readers, it would have been a great read.In short: Adventurous journey to a new world with some flaws!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was very torn about this book when I read it, and to be honest I’m still not sure where I stand. On some days I think it is one of the best science fiction YAs to come out this year. On others I can’t help but pick apart its flaws. I think the biggest one of these, in my mind, is that the plot is very grim. It’s a very personal thing, but I greatly dislike plots where I don’t feel that the protagonists have much hope to make their conditions better. It’s why I call Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer the wonderful, horrible book: it’s very well written, but I can’t help but hate it because I know everyone’s going to die either before the book ends or shortly after. I felt that way the entire way through Glow. Additionally Ryan’s view of humanity is very grim. She sets up two dichotomies for society, atheistic liberals and religious conservatives, and then makes them equally horrible places to live. The one oppresses women and encourages them to serve their husbands, and the other sets up gang rape as a way of life. Both of them see no problem with the mass rape of the young girls in the books, the liberal group literally and the religious group figuratively when they use them as breeders for new children. With the horrible turn the boys’ society takes in the absence of the girls it seems as if the book is saying you are either victim or oppressor, all humanity is horrible so it only matters if you are on top or on bottom. Even though Kieran tries to help the boys he cannot help but become the very thing that Waverly despises. There are also some strange physics problems with the science in the book. Ryan seems to be under the impression that a ship in space that is not accelerating is coasting to a halt, like a car or boat on Earth, and a ship that is not powering its engines is decelerating and will not lose gravity, but will have less gravity than an accelerating ship. Uniting the book over all these problems, however, are engrossing characters and a plot line that grabs you and forces you to keep going. I will pick up the next book in this series because of that indefinable “something” that’s making me curious about where Ryan is going.I was provided with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "GLOW" BY AMY KATHLEEN RYANThis is a series you are not going to want to miss. Young romance, drama, all wrapped up in an awesome sci-fi package. In a fight for survival two young lovers are separated and undergo many obstacles to find their way back to one another in the hope to fulfill their destiny to save the human race. A gripping story of love and survival that will leave you wanting more.-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Reading and listening to Glow was an amazing experience. I was swept up in this story about people on a long term space voyage to New Earth and couldn't help but be engaged in the story. This is the first long audiobook that I have ever listened to. I was reading along in a print copy of the book and was, at first, dismayed by how slowly the story seemed to be happening. I read much faster than I can listen to the spoken word! But it didn't take me long to appreciate the richness of hearing the story being read. I also had the book constantly in my thoughts in between listening sessions.The two narrators - Ilyana Kadushin and Matthew Brown - both did masterful jobs in creating distinct characters and in conveying the emotions of each scene. The narrators alternated chapters or sections with Kadushin doing the sections that focused on Waverly and Brown the sections that focused on Kieran. The ten hours of listening flew by.As a student of geography and history and as a long time reader of science fiction, I was most fascinated with the culture and politics of the space voyage. I was constantly looking for hints of the bigger picture. Two ships set out from a dying and almost destroyed Earth. The Empyrean was filled with those who were more secular and the New Hope with those who were more religious. They set off on a voyage that was planned to be longer than 60 years before they would reach New Earth. Early into their voyage they discovered that they were having fertility problems. The scientists on the Empyrean solved the problem enough that the Empyrean has children aboard. The narrators of this story are two of the older children - Waverly and Kieran. Both are around 15 or 16 and both feel the social pressure to marry soon and begin having children. I felt that, while they loved each other, there was also the element that they chose each other because they were each other's best option from a limited pool of choices.When the New Hope slowed to catch up with the Empyrean, the kids' peaceful life undergoes a major disruption. It seems that when the scientists on the Empyrean shared their solution for the fertility problem with the New Hope something went wrong and the fertility of the women on the New Hope was completely destroyed. New Hope has no children. It has also been taken over by a charismatic, religious leader - Anne Mather - who has come up with a desperate plan. They are going to kidnap the girls from the Empyrean to solve their fertility problem.When New Hope attacks and successfully steals all the girls, the Empyrean is left in disarray. Almost all the adults on the ship are either killed, off on shuttles to try to rescue the girls, or almost killed in trying to stop a catastrophic engine failure. The boys are left to manage on their own and rather quickly devolve into a "Lord of the Flies" sort of scenario. Kieran was being groomed by the Captain to be the next leader but had always had a boy named Seth as his biggest rival. Seth was the son of one of the Captain's cronies but was a volatile bully. Seth manages to take over the crew with the help of his bullying cronies and imprisons Kieran in the brig where he leaves him to starve until he falls in with his plans. Locked up, starving, and worried about the ship and about Waverly, Kieran experiences a religious conversion. When he gets out and retakes the ship, he gives the boys hope by talking about God's plan.I liked all of the characters in the story and thought that they were well-rounded having both strengths and weaknesses. I was a bit dismayed to find that the major adult characters that the kids interacted with were either evil, in one way or another, or completely ineffectual. The burden of survival rested completely on the shoulders of kids who weren't ready for the responsibility and who had to cope as best they could. Both Kieran and Waverly did rise to the challenge but in very different ways. One of the characters I wish I understood more was Seth. He seemed to change personalities depending on who he was talking to. With Kieran, he was a bully and violent. With Waverly, he was thoughtful and reasonable. I look forward to the next volume in this series to see how everything plays out because, while the boys and girls are reunited, they still have a huge number of problems to resolve. This was a fascinating science fiction story. I recommend it to the thoughtful teen who wants to visit a possible future. The audio made the story an amazing experience.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Earth has increasingly become uninhabitable, acid rains from the sky, fertile lands give way to barren deserts and people starve. For Kieran and Waverly and the other children aboard the space ship Empyrean they have no recollections of the harshness that Earth has become, but nor have they ever experienced sunshine, wind or the sea. Being born in space headed for a New Earth these children are humanities hope for a future.Life aboard the Empyrean was simple and apart from living in a metal ship flying through space Waverly was just an average girl. That is until Kieran proposes to her. Waverly knows it is her duty to marry and have children of her own, being almost sixteen many would say she is old enough for such responsibility, but Waverly is not so sure. Although Kieran is kind and in truth she does love him, she can't help being drawn to another.However when the Empyrean's companion ship the New Horizon approaches, Waverly discovers there are more important things in life besides love, there is survival. Separated from everyone she loves, surrounded by lies, deception and harsh truths, Waverly endures abuse, violence and kindness at the hands of these strangers that have captured her. Kieran, on the other hand will undergo torture, responsibilities and transformation with those who have been left behind.Glow is just the beginning of this exceptional space adventure that will hold you captive. A brilliantly complex story that allows for heroes to make mistakes and the villains to act with the best intentions. This is a tale of two children growing up too soon, experiencing their world irrevocably changed and learning home will never be the same again. More then a story of humanities quest for a future, it is a dark and unvarnished look at how far people will go to survive. Simply a great read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is pretty much my first sci-fi book.

    The characters are all really complex. One minute I really like them and the next Im not too sure.
    Parts where Im like "NO NO NO!"

    so my emotions are all over the place, but I couldn't put it down, so thats good.

    Now im just left feeling confused at the end and wanting more.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book. OK, that's not exactly right. I was expecting something like Across the Universe and, in a way, this was a bit like that series. But then it wasn't. There was a lot more action and excitement and suspense in this series. I found myself both liking and hating the main characters all at the same time and by the end of the book, I'm a little torn as to who I think is right and who I think is wrong. I'm definitely anxious to see where things go from here. I wanted to jump right in on book two as soon as I finished listening to the first book but then I realized that it's a very long time before the third book comes out and decided to hold out a little while so that I won't be distraught waiting for that final book.

    I thought both narrators did a great job. I listened to this audiobook on a recent road trip and it definitely made the trip fly by.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I’m gonna keep this review real. I’m going to be very strict and harsh. I loved what it started out as but by the end I was disgusted.This is a terrible series. Not in because of the way it was structured, the beginning reveals enough setting to know what’s up and there’s no annoying assumption that we know what the world looks like, but the voice isn’t consistent. It’s a third point narrative yet by the end of the first book it feels like someone stabbed the original story teller and took his place. There were no hints or undertones towards the feeling of animosity there is at the end. However in the beginning it was suggested that Kieran and Seth were the leadership archetypes and one would win in the endbut then Seth showed why he couldn’t be this leader when he started bullying the little boys and starting a dictatorship. But Kieran began building strong qualities of leadership abilities like public speaking, quick action, resourcefulness, and charm. So when a Waverly turns on him it’s suddenly because he’s a cult leader. AND IT MADE NO SENSE TO ME BECAUSE OF HOW THE BEGINNING WAS SET UP. So all of a sudden he’s a dictator because everyone listens to him… It is not a book for the faint heart. dozens of adults are killed within 10 pages, others are tortured (in a sense), the rest basically commit suicide entering a radioactive floor for hours, 13-16 year old girls are violated and taken advantage of to steal their fertile ovaries. The “pastor” of the other ship is painted as a cult leader: cunning, manipulative, charming. Kids die. YupThere’s a pinch of romance (trigger warning: love triangle), the thrill of a tiny mystery, a ton of action, the promise of growth for our main hero but the end just rubbed me the wrong way in this book.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    First of a trilogy but I found way too many issues suspended in this novel of teens in space.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I'm going to have to think about this one a little bit before I can review it...

    I think it's going to be one of those "It's not you, it's me" kind of deals.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked the first half a lot more than the second, and I was hoping it would get even better, but it kind of felt like it didn't flow for me at a good pace. A little disappointed after waiting so long to read it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4.5 Stars!Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan is spectacular. Glow is a Science Fiction, Dystopian novel unlike any other popular Dystopian book. Glow focuses on its epic adventure for the survival of the human race. It has unforgettable characters, all with a different side you would not expect. The emotional impact of this book is amazing. It holds you until the very last word. Once I finished Glow, I anxiously started the second book, Spark, just a few minutes later. Glow revolves around two identical ships, with very different types of people, setting course on a mission for New Earth. Kieran and Weaverly are the first children born on the Empyrean ship, and the first to fall in love. Everything seems perfect until the sister ship, the New Horizon, has different plans. “We do matter. To believe that our lives are meaningful is the essence of faith. We are not as large, or as bright, or as eternal as the stars, but we carry humankind's message of love across the galaxy. We are the first. We are the world makers. Our nourishment is hope. Like the tender reed shaking in the wind, we will reach up to a new sun.” Glow takes unexpected plot twists. It contains various dark plots, but I couldn't love it more. Glow is a fast-paced ride into a different world.To Read: Definitely. Recommended for all Dystopian/Science Fiction lovers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Glow introduces us to Waverly, the main character. She thought her main problems was finding the right love. Now, she wishes for her old life back, but it was too late.She left with her family to fin the New Earth. She expects to help populate the New Earth but there are problems along the way. She and all the girls have been kidnapped by their second ship, trying to return to their old one. Almost all their parents have been brain washed and who knows what could happen next. I think Glow is an amazing book. It tells an amazing story. I read it all in one sitting. There were many twists and turns through out the book, which made it all the more exciting. There are many characters that get me confused on who is who. The book also had too much craziness between death. Other than that, the book is great.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The audio of Glow was narrated by Matthew Brown & Ilyana Kadushin who did a wonderful job bringing this futuristic world to life. Ilyana Kadushin is already known as an incredible narrator from her work on the Twilight saga audio books. Both she and Matthew Brown breathed life into the characters on board these ships, alternating from male to female depending on the POV that was being presented in the book. Their narration was probably my favorite part of the book and they definitely kept me engaged in the story.

    Glow introduces us to Waverly, a teenage girl trying to decide if she wants to marry the nice boy, Kieran, who says he loves her or if she would rather explore other options with the bad boy, Seth, that she is undeniably drawn to. These seem to be normal teenage concerns even though her life is anything but ordinary. Waverly is one of the first generation born aboard one of two ships bound for “New Earth” where she is expected to marry and to help populate this new world. Things are thrown into chaos and uncertainty for Waverly and her shipmates on the Empyrean when the other ship launches an unexpected attack on her ship, kidnapping all of the young girls and bringing them on board the New Horizon. Waverly takes in upon herself to learn the truth about the intentions of the captain and pastor of the New Horizon, and will risk much to get back to the Empyrean and those she loves, if they’re still alive.

    Glow reminded me a bit of Across the Universe with the sinister leaders and their shady intentions and the clueless people who follow blindly behind a corrupt system. The leader of the New Horizon was fascinating in her ruthlessness. I was intrigued by how she used her charisma to persuade a group of desperate people that God would condone their horrible actions. I think we’ve all seen examples of this and it was interesting to see this topic explored. However, I sometimes had a hard time understanding where the author was heading in regards to religion and the way it was used on both ships. There were so many varying degrees ranging from fanatical, to controlling, to inspirational, to just plain crazy. I’m not certain what the author’s intention was, but it simply left me confused. It was obvious that the “bad guys” used religion to excuse their horrible actions as well as to control people. But I wasn’t sure about how that same religion was being used by the “good guys” in a way that seemed equally as fanatical and more than a little crazy.

    I also had a difficult time understanding why Waverly would be attracted to either of the guys in Glow. Seth is an obvious sociopath with violent tendencies and no impulse control. And Kieran, the “nice guy” has either suffered a head injury that has caused him to hallucinate or is, at worst, a schizophrenic, but at least a mostly benevolent one with only occasional violent outbursts. Either way, I found both of these guys to be unlikable and definitely not love interest material. Waverly herself is an very strong and capable heroine who did her share of suffering throughout the story. I loved her strength, perseverance, and courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds as well as her vulnerability which kept her realistic and relatable.

    Overall, while I didn’t “love” Glow, there were many things I liked about it. There was a lot going on in this action packed story. There were many different plot lines and unexpected twists. This usually makes it easy for me to stay engaged in a story, I enjoy the tension building, the shocking plot twists, and the excitement of the final confrontation. I enjoyed all of these things in Glow Glow is certainly an action packed page turner that has many twists and turns that will shock, surprise, and satisfy fans of dystopian themed fantasy. I hope that many of the issues I had concerns about will be cleared up in the sequel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Space Opera meets dystopia in this action packed YA Science Fiction thrill ride. Explore the dichotomy and ambiguity of individuality versus unity in this original debut.

    This book is packed full of action, drama and dystopia. The characters are realistic, even if some plot elements are a little over the top. What's the point of an "epic" story, if it remains too true to life? The greatest strength of this story is the recognition that kids and teens can rise to meet a challenge or a crisis.

    The surprising underlayment is the inherent warning in believing too strongly or blindly in any role model, adult or peer.

    I was intrigued by the way religion, personal beliefs and power were interwoven in the story. The book demanded recognition of the fine line between good and bad, the middle that resides between extremes and how difficult it really is to achieve balance.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really liked but haven't got to the sequel yet (I will eventually). Donating hardback as clearing bookshelves for a move.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Surprisingly solid read despite weak prose but not without its problems. Review to come.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    For Fans of 'Across the Universe'!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An uncomfortable read, mashed on many ick points for me, including the Lord of the Flies segment, the odd gender divided plot, and several others. If I were religious I might also be bothered by some of the anti-religious viewpoints, although in truth I enjoy seeing this treated by SF, even if it's done as heavy-handedly as it is here.

    There is also an uncomfortable tension between it being YA SF, which I have been trained to not expect much scientific rigour from (all those Heinlein juviniles on Mars and Venus, etc..), and it being a generation ship story, which is a SF framing that demands at least pretty plausible science -- otherwise why bother? And the scientific slipups are just so egregious here, including unexplained instantaneous communications, while also seemingly so easy to fix.

    Worst of all, it may have sucked me into reading a sequel.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting story, and it had potential, but it became far too preachy for this atheist.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Glow completely blew my mind. I was hoping that the gorgeous cover wasn't hiding a mediocre book and I can now say for certain that it wasn't! I loved this book and I now have yet another series to follow obsessively. While Glow is a science fiction novel, it's not heavy on the science and is much more about people and how they react under different circumstances. While it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I was very happy with what I found!

    This book follows our two young protagonists- Waverly and Kieran- as life as they know it falls to pieces. They're on board a space ship, heading far away from Earth towards their destination, ''New Earth'' where they plan on building up civilization again. I really find the idea of the human race having to relocate due to earth becoming uninhabitable fascinating so really enjoyed this aspect of the story. I wish we had found out more details about what happened to earth in order to cause all these people to head to space but it is a series so I'm hoping we learn more as it goes on!

    Glow was a book that completely transported me to another world. I found it so easy to lose myself in the pages and forget about everything else around me. The author's writing is descriptive without over-doing it and I could picture the ship and space perfectly. It's really fast paced and full of tension and suspense. I didn't want to put the book down because I really needed to know how things were going to go!

    I found it really scary seeing the things people would do to get their way. Both Waverly's ship and the other ship have people who are not so nice and will stop at nothing to get what they want. When the people of the New Horizon stole all the girls from the Empryrean, I was freaking out for them! They wanted all the girls as they are not longer able to conceive. The lengths they go to are quite disgusting and I really felt for the young girls stuck on the ship. The boys ship doesn't fare much better as they all turn on each other since they've been left without parents. It's really chaos all around and it was fascinating to read about!

    I definitely enjoyed this book. I found I connected better with Waverly than Kieran and that she had a stronger voice and was a better character all round. I will be eagerly awaiting book two in this series which is being published later this year!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received this book from the publisher Macmillan to review. This book is the first in the "Sky Chasers" series by Amy Kathleen Ryan. It is a science fiction/distopian novel with a twist of adventure and romance. The story revolves around the two main characters: Waverly and Kieran, who are a couple in love that reside on a ship called the Empyrean. The book is split into several parts from when Waverly is kidnapped. It will go from her perspective and switch to Kieran's after a fair amount of chapters. There are various characters involved. Apart from the main two, you have the captains of both ships, the parents of Waverly and Kieran, and their friends. I really liked the characters of Waverly and Kieran. I thought Waverly to be a very strong character, and I admired her decisions. Kieran I had complete belief in, especially when the boys of his ship were turning against him, he never gave up. I really disliked the captain of the New Horizon. Amy designed the character so well. She was evil, she was cruel, and only a few girls that were kidnapped could see through her malicious mind. I thought the storyline was really good. I was interested throughout, and didn't want to put the book down. It was simply amazing, and I can't wait to read the sequel because the ending of the book leaves me wanting more. I think the cover design to this edition is absolutely gorgeous. I love how all the colours mingle together and fit perfectly, and it really draws your attention to the book.Overall, I'm going to give this book five stars because I thoroughly enjoyed the general storyline, I loved the characters and believed them all. My emotions were drawn in from the beginning, and I will most definitely read this book again one day. I recommend to anyone, especially if you are interested in science fiction and distopian novels.Happy reading =)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have very mixed feelings regarding Amy Kathleen Ryan's Glow. On one hand, it does have a very interesting premise. Interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading and see what would happen next... even though I often found it thoroughly creepy and I didn't particularly like any of the characters.As I read, I kept hoping for a moment when I would feel a spark with a character... any character. It never happened for me. All of the characters felt one dimensional and I didn't feel any passion behind their actions. At times, I felt like scenes were supposed to be intense - they were written with lots of exclamation points and the wording seemed to be carefully selected - but they just weren't. Yes, Glow is set on a space ship and all the rest, but I excepted it to feel more realistic than it did and ended up disappointed.Also, there were a lot of events and details that just didn't add up for me. There is a battle for power occurring between Keiran and Seth, two of the oldest boys and both potential matches for Waverly, the eldest girl. Keiran and Waverly are supposed to be in love, though Seth loves Waverly and Waverly is obviously drawn to Seth. Or that's what the reader is told anyway. I never felt like these emotions were ever shown, only told. While Waverly and the girls are being kept prisoner aboard the sister ship, Seth and Keiran both have their time in charge of the Empyrean and keep the other boy locked in a cell. I didn't understand how all of the others boys were so weak that they'd blindly follow either boy, no questions asked. I guess it could happen, but it didn't feel real to me. Neither boy had much basis for his arguments and neither seemed all that close to the other boys, so why were they so loyal and willing to accept whatever they were told? Aboard the sister ship, Waverly and the girls are being kept captive. This is confusing in multiple ways... The girls were repeatedly told they were being rescued from a doomed ship, only to find themselves being carefully watched by armed gunmen in their classroom? The girls knew they were prisoners, but those aboard the ship kept insisting they were rescues... why keep insisting that? I didn't understand the rationale. Unless the population of the Empyrean's sister ship is is composed of idiots. Which might very well be true. Amanda, one of the women that became friendly with Waverly, seems completely naive and immature... much younger, in fact, than the sixteen year old Waverly, despite the fact that she's supposed to be at least near middle aged. The only person aboard that ship that seemed to have common sense was Anne Mather, the crazy pastor and captain of the ship. Still, the premise of Glow is intriguing. It reminded me of the Across the Universe trilogy, but without parents. And with a much bigger emphasis on reproduction and repopulating the new world. The entire novel definitely has a sinister feel, which I appreciated.While I finished Glow and plan to read the next installment, Spark, the plot holes and inconsistencies within the first novel were distracting and took away from the story. I'm really hoping these aspects were resolved in the second novel so I can better focus on the novel's positive aspects and leave the distractions behind.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    At first, this book reminded me of Across the Universe. However it wasn’t at all the same. The only thing that would be considered similar is it takes place out in space, on a ship. That’s it. And I was so very very glad it came out much more different because I thoroughly enjoyed this book and practically devoured it in one setting. Yes. It was THAT good. The plot was very well done. It took you on several twists and turns you sort of had an idea on what to expect, but you just didn’t know how it was going to be planned out. I think that was what made the book so enjoyable to read. There are two main story arcs, and I can’t decide which one I liked better, because I liked reading about both. I’d have to say though, the one that drew my emotions out more had to be Kieran’s story. It was almost like reading Lord of the Flies, but on a spaceship. That particular story arc made me want to gnash my teeth in anger at how Kieran was treated. The characters were well done. I liked Waverly, I wasn’t sure what to make of her at first, but as the story progressed, she grew increasingly stronger and I loved that about her. Kieran is the same and I think that’s why they just go so well together. I’m concerned about Kieran though. He’s definitely misguided and I’m hoping Waverly doesn’t rely too much on that evil horrible character Seth (oh I really hated him, Kieran,why did you have to be so nice??!!!) because I really didn’t like the way the story was headed in the end (not that I didn’t like reading it, more like, I am hoping Waverly doesn’t make bad decisions here). However, I still loved the book. The ending was a cliffhanger, which makes you want to anticipate the second book even more!So, read this! seriously! pick this book up! and enjoy like I did!! I can’t wait for the second book (which is due out soon). Definitely recommended if you like Sci-fi YA or if you liked books like Across the Universe.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "Ugh...What??" That was my first thought after closing the back cover. I skipped the second to last page and went straight to the last because I couldn't handle all the lies...Yeah... So! On with the review.Earth has become a corrupt, desolate place full of deserts as chemicals pollute the land and factories change the world. Two ships are made and sent into space to find New Earth, a place humans can colonize so they can leave their dying world. The first ship, New Horizon, leaves one year before Empyrean, the ship that houses Waverly, Kieran, and Seth, the main characters of the novel. During their trip through the nebula, the New Horizon appears suddenly and boards the Empyrean, killing many of the adults, and taking all the female children (about 130 of them), of which Waverly (age 15) is the oldest and therefore the "leader". After being tossed onto the New Horizon, all the girls have to adjust and figure out a way to get back to their home ship.All the while the girls are coming up with a plan to return home, Seth has taken over the Empyrean as all the adults are now gone. He imprisons Kieran, lies to all the other boys on the ship, tries to force Kieran to confess to mistakes he's not made, and allows brutality to occur among all the other children. I'll leave it here so I don't give anything away about the ending of the book.What I Liked: Glow started fast and kept it's pace all the way until the end of the book (at which point I stared at the book stupidly and asked myself why Ms. Ryan would have ended it that way). The dynamic between Kieran and Seth was very good, and I just can't puzzle out Seth's actions so maybe that's also a good thing as it adds depth to the story and to his character. The story in itself up till the end was really wonderful.What I Didn't Like: My BIGGEST complaint is the ending. What in the world?!? I mean...seriously? I wanted to rip out the last two chapters. I just absolutely cannot believe....UGH! Literally, the last two chapters completely ruined the book for me. I would have given this book a 4.5 at LEAST, until I read the last two chapters. Then I think to myself, "Hmmm, but the rest of the book was so good there's no way I can not NOT give this book a good rating." And then I think about how the book ended it gives me itchy fingers to really tell it how I feel...which would bump this book to a 3.5. But since I can't give it a half star, I guess I'll go with 4. ::Sigh:: Why? Why?? This book was SO SO SO SO good!! I am so frustrated right now. And I don't think I'll read the next in the series. I'm going to stop talking about this book before I give the ending away. ::Double Sigh::I received this book from Goodreads.com Early Reader Giveaway.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It seems that I've come into quite a large amount of good luck lately. I keep discovering unique series, and it has made me a very happy reader! The Sky Chasers series, which begins with Glow by Amy Ryan, is no exception.Never in my life have I read a book that takes place on a spaceship. I read science fiction, but still...nothing that has taken place in space. This plot is incredibly unique with twists and turns around every corner. The characters are compelling and interesting. And the underlying message about human nature makes me think of Lord of the Flies, though in a bit of a different way.While I enjoyed the characters, I found it a little hard to like the two protagonists equally. I found myself wondering what Waverly was up to while I was reading about Kieran, which is part of the reason I gave Glow only four stars. Kieran's chapters were a bit dull and drawn out in the middle of the book. I was having to coax myself into pushing through.I also felt that some of the scenes in the book that should have been INCREDIBLY emotionally charged were a little lacking. Glow, despite its title, is a rather dark book. From murder to drug-laced food to riots and then some. This novel has not turned out to be anything like I expected, and I love it!Glow receives four out of five stars for a fresh, interesting plot and setting, likable characters, and crisp, non-frilly language. It loses a star for being a bit dull in places. Overall, it was a wonderful book, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to find a new, interesting series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Empyrean and the New Horizon were sent from Earth following its collapse to populate a distant planet. They are identical in every way, except for the fact that the passengers of the New Horizon are religious and those on the Empyrean are not. At some point during their journey, the females on the New Horizon discover that they are infertile and they will be unable to create the next generation required. This, among other things, leads them to attack the Empyrean and kidnap the female children, including Waverly.Waverly seemed a little passive at first, going along with whatever is expected of her. You can't blame her really. It's how she was raised. It's the only way she knows how to be. But she shows great strength of character once the Empyrean is attacked. She's determined and she doesn't cower even when instinct tells her she should. While, I wasn't too thrilled with either Seth or Keiran, I have to give them both credit for trying to do what they believed was right given the impossible situation they found themselves in. Still, I think it will be interesting to see how these characters develop. Glow is a wonderful start to what is sure to be a spectacular series. It's wholly engrossing and the themes addressed in this novel will certainly give the reader a lot to ponder. Now, I will tell you that this was my first audiobook experience and, I have to be honest, I loved it! I didn't realize that there was so much wasted time in my day when I could have been listening to books. Mostly this was my commute to/from work. Of course, I found myself so enthralled by the story that I brought the discs in with me each night to listen to. I always thought that audiobooks would be weird, the voices monotonous. You know how when you're reading, you get a sense of the character voices in your head? I was afraid that would be missing from an audiobook. It's not like a movie where different people play different characters. But Glow was narrated by Matthew Brown & Ilyana Kadushin and they did an absolutely fantastic job of differentiating the voices of the characters. Matching each personality and making me feel as if I could really hear these people.My life has been changed for the better with the introduction of audiobooks into my TBR pile. It's so amazing to be able to get lost in a great book, even when my eyes are too tired to read.The sequel Spark will be released on July 17th of this year. Make sure you put both on your TBR list!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Earth has become unlivable. Two ships are launched into space to locate and establish New Earth. Forty-three years into their journey, one of the ships, the Empyrean is attacked. Most of the adults on board are killed, the ship sabotaged, and the attackers have taken all the girls prisoner. The attackers: the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. Women on the New Horizon are unable to have children and their population has no way of replenishing, so in their desperation to survive as a people, they have come after the Empyrean girls. The story follows Waverly Marshall and her boyfriend Kieran Alden. Waverly, now aboard the New Horizon faces off against the captain, Anne Mather who is also the ship's religious leader, who tries to convince the girls they rescued them from the Empyrean before it was destroyed. Waverly bravely fights and looks for a way to escape. Mather has ordered the eggs to be harvested from some of the girls and given to women of the New Horizon. The people of the New Horizon are blinded by faith in Mather and don't see the wrong in this. Kieran deals with mutiny aboard the Empyrean as he is thrust into a leadership position when the only adults left aboard are sick with radiation poisoning. Kieran struggles to maintain order aboard the Empyrean, while Waverly desperately tries to escape from the wrongs being committed on the New Horizon. I was a little hesitant about the religious aspect of the book, but I ended up liking the story a lot! An exciting story with lots of twists and turns that leave you trying to figure out who is good and who is not. Interesting themes about the power of hope and how easily power can be abused. Waverly reminded me of Katniss from the Hunger Games as a strong female character who has been through a tragic ordeal. I enjoyed Waverly's storyline more than Kieran's, but I liked how the story was told from the two perspectives. Lots of unanswered questions at the end. Will definitely be looking for the sequel. Recommended for fans of dystopian stories.