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emmiweerose's review against another edition
3.0
Kinda slow in the beginning, but picks up and has a surprising ending.
brianals's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars.
tfw a book ends like a real-world situation actually would
tfw a book ends like a real-world situation actually would
rainbow_storm3200's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gem9589's review against another edition
5.0
Main review:
I read this book pretty fast, if you count five days to be pretty fast, which I do. In about five days, Pike transported me into an alternate reality where the extravagantly rich live in a twenty-second century pretend-world where everything is about baroque style architecture and 18th-century dresses. It read like a parody of the rich and powerful of this day and age, and it had all of my favorite elements whenever I take up a new YA novel; a strong main character with a mission I could believe in, a believable love interest, and a supportive set of secondary characters.
I loved this book.
I picked up this arc on a whim--I needed something to read, and the summary was plausible enough to reel me in. It sat in the back of my car for the longest time, a month, or maybe two, before I decided to pick it up and give it a try, standing under the hot sun of a nearby gas station, waiting annoyed for my insurance company to send a tow truck to come and give me a lift for my '95 Honda Accord. The prelude to the book was sudden and somewhat confusing, but then Pike settled into a nice, even pace, giving the reader detail on what kind of world the main character would be spending her day-to-day life in.
It is a bewildering world, one which Danica--or Dani, but only to her close friends-- navigates with a drive and a poise that is practically flawless. She has to, really-- in order to get out of the marriage that her demon of a mother has trapped her in, and to hide her true feelings towards the ass of a prince that she is betrothed to. Amidst court politics and horrible rumors, she discovers a way out, hiding narcotics in a cosmetics line dubbed "Glitter" which she sells in order to get out of the palace.
The romance didn't really come in until the second half of the book, but wow, I was not disappointed. Male love interests in your typical YA fantasy usually go over my head; mythical, untouchable, and distant. Saber when he is first introduced ends up being your typical, stoic, slightly scornful love interest at the beginning of the story, which Danica seems to find attractive and somewhat of a challenge to Danica almost instantly--but the reader is so distracted by her desperate need to get out of the palace that Saber soon leaves the page without so much of a second thought. After he becomes a constant presence in Danica's life, however, the reader can see why he was so hateful towards her at first, and why he must guard his emotions almost at all times; working with someone who comes from vastly different life style than you and drug dealing, not surprisingly, does that to you. To me, Saber was well-balanced with his emotions--showing more of a conscience, I think, that Danica sometimes-- and was altogether a more believable sympathetic love-interest than most angsty characters featured in YA novels today.
Danica and Saber also offered up a strong sort of companionship that I don't think I've ever read being done so well before. They give each other comfort when it is needed, support the other even in their maybe contrasting viewpoints, and give each other strength. If that isn't love, then I don't know what is.
It also helps that Saber is adorable in his awkwardness in his learning to navigate the Palace and also freaking drop-dead sexy.
More on Danica--I read early reviews for this book, with some people despising the main character and putting her down for the underhandedness of her actions. And it's true--Danica is selfish and callous and lies many, many times about her true intentions. But I don't understand why that's such a bad thing?--in a world with YA characters always needing to be perfect in all they do, why CAN'T there be one who's moral compass may be a little skewed? To me, Danica is cunning, stubborn individual who desires freedom from a life though her guilt weighs on her shoulders for tricking her friends and family. And I admire her as one strong enough to carry the things out that might lead her to escape her marriage with the king.
And man, isn't the king TERRIBLE? Justin Wyndham might hold the place for the most hateful villain I've ever read about. I'm serious. He's manipulative, sadistic and egotistical in every way, and what's worse is that he's able to match Danica's moves to get out of their engagement and out of his control almost move for move. He's brilliant--he's been the head of a business empire ever since his parents died when he was a child. And sure, he has some sympathetic moments--but in the end, I hate him and I love to hate him. Honestly? I think he's a perfect villainous match for Danica in the way that they positively loath each other and have vastly different objectives.
And the secondary characters. Lord Aaron's romance with Sir Spencer might be the cutest thing in the world. How fantastically in love Lord Aaron is with him as well as his remorse over seeing him be wed to a woman in order to secure a good future for his family's business is absolutely heart breaking. I love how Pike gave Danica a best friend, even BEFORE properly introducing Saber and the main bitches (Lady Cyn, Nuala and Giselle). Molli is a sweetheart; her character reminiscent to Helen's in Bronte's Jane Eyre; offering up a soft, innocent foil to Danica's character.
Last thing: I love how so many of the primary & secondary characters are obviously from vastly different cultures; Lord Aaron, with dark skin, with possible African or Arabic descent; Lady Mei, her family heralding from Asia; Giovanni, who is Italian; Saber, whose family came from East Asia. Even the main character, it's described, is half-Israeli! (At least, that's what I'm assuming; there was no description of her mother's background.) Because, well, you don't see that very often, do you? Characters as diverse as these.
Final thoughts:
I have not watched Breaking bad and I have not read any of Pike's other books. Honestly, I'm over and done with the fairy genre and I hope it blows away sometime soon. Though there were some things that sort of irked me--like the fact that the world was still being explained almost halfway through the book, or the fact that it's not quite made clear as to when the flashbacks were happening or not--I give this book five stars, and I recommend it to anyone who's looking for a book with some sci-fi/fantasy & romance, good writing and an incredible cast of characters.
I read this book pretty fast, if you count five days to be pretty fast, which I do. In about five days, Pike transported me into an alternate reality where the extravagantly rich live in a twenty-second century pretend-world where everything is about baroque style architecture and 18th-century dresses. It read like a parody of the rich and powerful of this day and age, and it had all of my favorite elements whenever I take up a new YA novel; a strong main character with a mission I could believe in, a believable love interest, and a supportive set of secondary characters.
I loved this book.
I picked up this arc on a whim--I needed something to read, and the summary was plausible enough to reel me in. It sat in the back of my car for the longest time, a month, or maybe two, before I decided to pick it up and give it a try, standing under the hot sun of a nearby gas station, waiting annoyed for my insurance company to send a tow truck to come and give me a lift for my '95 Honda Accord. The prelude to the book was sudden and somewhat confusing, but then Pike settled into a nice, even pace, giving the reader detail on what kind of world the main character would be spending her day-to-day life in.
It is a bewildering world, one which Danica--or Dani, but only to her close friends-- navigates with a drive and a poise that is practically flawless. She has to, really-- in order to get out of the marriage that her demon of a mother has trapped her in, and to hide her true feelings towards the ass of a prince that she is betrothed to. Amidst court politics and horrible rumors, she discovers a way out, hiding narcotics in a cosmetics line dubbed "Glitter" which she sells in order to get out of the palace.
The romance didn't really come in until the second half of the book, but wow, I was not disappointed. Male love interests in your typical YA fantasy usually go over my head; mythical, untouchable, and distant. Saber when he is first introduced ends up being your typical, stoic, slightly scornful love interest at the beginning of the story, which Danica seems to find attractive and somewhat of a challenge to Danica almost instantly--but the reader is so distracted by her desperate need to get out of the palace that Saber soon leaves the page without so much of a second thought. After he becomes a constant presence in Danica's life, however, the reader can see why he was so hateful towards her at first, and why he must guard his emotions almost at all times; working with someone who comes from vastly different life style than you and drug dealing, not surprisingly, does that to you. To me, Saber was well-balanced with his emotions--showing more of a conscience, I think, that Danica sometimes-- and was altogether a more believable sympathetic love-interest than most angsty characters featured in YA novels today.
Danica and Saber also offered up a strong sort of companionship that I don't think I've ever read being done so well before. They give each other comfort when it is needed, support the other even in their maybe contrasting viewpoints, and give each other strength. If that isn't love, then I don't know what is.
It also helps that Saber is adorable in his awkwardness in his learning to navigate the Palace and also freaking drop-dead sexy.
More on Danica--I read early reviews for this book, with some people despising the main character and putting her down for the underhandedness of her actions. And it's true--Danica is selfish and callous and lies many, many times about her true intentions. But I don't understand why that's such a bad thing?--in a world with YA characters always needing to be perfect in all they do, why CAN'T there be one who's moral compass may be a little skewed? To me, Danica is cunning, stubborn individual who desires freedom from a life though her guilt weighs on her shoulders for tricking her friends and family. And I admire her as one strong enough to carry the things out that might lead her to escape her marriage with the king.
And man, isn't the king TERRIBLE? Justin Wyndham might hold the place for the most hateful villain I've ever read about. I'm serious. He's manipulative, sadistic and egotistical in every way, and what's worse is that he's able to match Danica's moves to get out of their engagement and out of his control almost move for move. He's brilliant--he's been the head of a business empire ever since his parents died when he was a child. And sure, he has some sympathetic moments--but in the end, I hate him and I love to hate him. Honestly? I think he's a perfect villainous match for Danica in the way that they positively loath each other and have vastly different objectives.
And the secondary characters. Lord Aaron's romance with Sir Spencer might be the cutest thing in the world. How fantastically in love Lord Aaron is with him as well as his remorse over seeing him be wed to a woman in order to secure a good future for his family's business is absolutely heart breaking. I love how Pike gave Danica a best friend, even BEFORE properly introducing Saber and the main bitches (Lady Cyn, Nuala and Giselle). Molli is a sweetheart; her character reminiscent to Helen's in Bronte's Jane Eyre; offering up a soft, innocent foil to Danica's character.
Last thing: I love how so many of the primary & secondary characters are obviously from vastly different cultures; Lord Aaron, with dark skin, with possible African or Arabic descent; Lady Mei, her family heralding from Asia; Giovanni, who is Italian; Saber, whose family came from East Asia. Even the main character, it's described, is half-Israeli! (At least, that's what I'm assuming; there was no description of her mother's background.) Because, well, you don't see that very often, do you? Characters as diverse as these.
Final thoughts:
I have not watched Breaking bad and I have not read any of Pike's other books. Honestly, I'm over and done with the fairy genre and I hope it blows away sometime soon. Though there were some things that sort of irked me--like the fact that the world was still being explained almost halfway through the book, or the fact that it's not quite made clear as to when the flashbacks were happening or not--I give this book five stars, and I recommend it to anyone who's looking for a book with some sci-fi/fantasy & romance, good writing and an incredible cast of characters.
bluelilyleest's review against another edition
3.0
⭐⭐⭐✨ 3.5 stars
If I'd read this book at the age of its target audience, I would've rated it 5 stars. The plot has everything a teen could wish for: royals, deception, betrayal, murder and intrigue. Most of the time I wanted to keep reading chapter after chapter, and that's a mark of Good Plot. I really liked the world building and although I would've liked more of it, I understand the confines of the genre.
That being said, the romance was flat, the main character sometimes a bit annoying and I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to find anything attractive at all about the King? Let's hope not...
About halfway I decided that I liked the reading experience but wouldn't continue the series because there are so many other books out there that are just screaming to be read, but then ... the plot twisted in a way I'd never seen coming and now I'm... I'm just so curious!
TW: death, drugs, self-harm, sexual abuse and intimidation
If I'd read this book at the age of its target audience, I would've rated it 5 stars. The plot has everything a teen could wish for: royals, deception, betrayal, murder and intrigue. Most of the time I wanted to keep reading chapter after chapter, and that's a mark of Good Plot. I really liked the world building and although I would've liked more of it, I understand the confines of the genre.
That being said, the romance was flat, the main character sometimes a bit annoying and I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to find anything attractive at all about the King? Let's hope not...
About halfway I decided that I liked the reading experience but wouldn't continue the series because there are so many other books out there that are just screaming to be read, but then ... the plot twisted in a way I'd never seen coming and now I'm... I'm just so curious!
TW: death, drugs, self-harm, sexual abuse and intimidation
stephaniealysse's review against another edition
2.0
Initially, I wanted to give this book 3 stars. It’s a unique story that kept me hooked. I was very interested in the near future world, and I liked that the book didn’t fit comfortably into any one genre. Unfortunately, that’s where my praise stops. There were just too many negatives that I couldn’t look past.
For starters, the main character is too unlikable (and not in the good way!). Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that she is immature and selfish. She blames others for her problems and fails to take responsibility until it’s absolutely impossible not to. Not to mention, she has a horrible case of tunnel vision. Her single mindedness was incredibly frustrating to read. I never once felt sorry for her.
Another problem I had with this book was the flippant disregard for very real issues. Yes, there are consequences connected to the drug use in this book. (Given today’s opioid crisis, that’s good to see.) However, there are other problems that don’t really get addressed. For example, there is a form of self harm that is never really resolved. (Trigger warning for both self harm and negative body image.) Also, a form of slavery is loosely introduced without any real regard for the enslaved person. The character isn’t fleshed out at all, and the system that oppresses him isn’t fully explained. Granted, this novel is the first in a series. I’ll give you that. More could be coming. But even still, I feel that some of the topics and themes in this book are too serious to simply go unaddressed.
Overall, I wanted more from this one. It was a unique concept, but I do not feel it lived up to its potential. Perhaps my opinion would change if I bothered to read the next book in the series. TBD.
For starters, the main character is too unlikable (and not in the good way!). Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that she is immature and selfish. She blames others for her problems and fails to take responsibility until it’s absolutely impossible not to. Not to mention, she has a horrible case of tunnel vision. Her single mindedness was incredibly frustrating to read. I never once felt sorry for her.
Another problem I had with this book was the flippant disregard for very real issues. Yes, there are consequences connected to the drug use in this book. (Given today’s opioid crisis, that’s good to see.) However, there are other problems that don’t really get addressed. For example, there is a form of self harm that is never really resolved. (Trigger warning for both self harm and negative body image.) Also, a form of slavery is loosely introduced without any real regard for the enslaved person. The character isn’t fleshed out at all, and the system that oppresses him isn’t fully explained. Granted, this novel is the first in a series. I’ll give you that. More could be coming. But even still, I feel that some of the topics and themes in this book are too serious to simply go unaddressed.
Overall, I wanted more from this one. It was a unique concept, but I do not feel it lived up to its potential. Perhaps my opinion would change if I bothered to read the next book in the series. TBD.
vidhi26p's review against another edition
5.0
The premise of this novel enraptured the history nerd in me from the beginning. An anachronism as an attention grabber, the Palace of Versailles in the 21st century held my mind and the story unraveled from there. This novel captured the essence of the mysteries and dangers of court life with enemies around every bend and with every tilt of the head, while also adding in the more familiarities we know in our world. It's perfect blend created a heart-stopping novel and story you won't want to put down.
go_maggs_go's review against another edition
4.0
This is actually my very first review, since I usually only use Goodreads as personal reference material (I read A LOT, y'all, and sometimes I forget what I've read and if I liked it) and I have my own system for stars (three means I enjoyed it, four means I would re-read it, and five means I want to shout from the rooftops how much I loved it...in case you were wondering). If we could do half stars, this would get a four and a half, but because I RARELY give out five stars, I rounded down.
So let's talk about how much I loved Glitter.
First of all, THAT COVER. I am a sucker for a book with a gorgeous cover (hello, Chemical Garden trilogy!). That cover is what made me pick Glitter up off the shelf and read the jacket blurb before deciding to check it out of the library.
Second, the world building was way intriguing to me. It's modern-day Paris (well, a hundred years in the future, but things aren't so drastically different from today overall), but inside the walls of the Palace of Versailles, life goes on much the way it did during the time of Marie-Antoinette. There are minor technological advancements -- bots that help people dress, the...mainframe (? I am not tech-y at all lol) that basically has turned Versailles into a smart house (smart palace?) -- but that in no way hindered my enjoyment of reading about life among the courtesans. There was plenty of regular political court intrigue mixed in with the actual drama of the plot, and while it felt very soapy, I dug it quite a bit.
I've seen some people say that they didn't like the ending, which I understand. It's a cliffhanger, so it's very abrupt and not only is nothing resolved, a new wrench is thrown into the mix. BUT that just made me more excited to read the second book when it comes out, so...
I liked the characters, for the most part, even the villains. I don't think many of them were very three dimensional, but I'm okay with that, because I'm just here for the background, folks.
So let's talk about how much I loved Glitter.
First of all, THAT COVER. I am a sucker for a book with a gorgeous cover (hello, Chemical Garden trilogy!). That cover is what made me pick Glitter up off the shelf and read the jacket blurb before deciding to check it out of the library.
Second, the world building was way intriguing to me. It's modern-day Paris (well, a hundred years in the future, but things aren't so drastically different from today overall), but inside the walls of the Palace of Versailles, life goes on much the way it did during the time of Marie-Antoinette. There are minor technological advancements -- bots that help people dress, the...mainframe (? I am not tech-y at all lol) that basically has turned Versailles into a smart house (smart palace?) -- but that in no way hindered my enjoyment of reading about life among the courtesans. There was plenty of regular political court intrigue mixed in with the actual drama of the plot, and while it felt very soapy, I dug it quite a bit.
I've seen some people say that they didn't like the ending, which I understand. It's a cliffhanger, so it's very abrupt and not only is nothing resolved, a new wrench is thrown into the mix. BUT that just made me more excited to read the second book when it comes out, so...
I liked the characters, for the most part, even the villains. I don't think many of them were very three dimensional, but I'm okay with that, because I'm just here for the background, folks.
neveroutofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
This book spun my head around a little too much for my liking.
owlyreadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
I am not one who reads many historical fictions or stories that lean a little more that way, but there was something about Glitter that made me pick up the book and give it a shot. It might have to do with that gorgeous cover, or the fact that the present time had eighteenth century lifestyles, or that the main character doesn't go down without a fight, OR all of that mixed together.
Danica is a character I rooted for from the start, doing everything she can possible to get herself out of her current predicament. And wow what a situation she is in, all due to her mother who used a terrible murder to her advantage, causing Dani to become betrothed to King Wyndham who is the murderer and mad with power. As the story proceeded though, I had too many mixed feels about Dani. She did her best to avoid conforming to the crazy world created within the palace of Versailles, but used an extremely addictive drug to accomplish just that.
"Papaveris atropa.' He reaches into his jacket and removes a very small vial filled with what looks like finely ground silver dust. 'That's what the chemists call it, anyway. The newest thing in... street pharmaceuticals. So new most of the media hasn't even gotten a sniff of it yet."
"That's right. Totally new. But it's going to blow the others out of the water. A complex blend of opiates and gengineered belladonna, processed for transdermal delivery. Directly to the skin,' he adds when I blink uncomprehendingly. 'It induces bliss like heroin but leaves you conscious, and with most of your wits."
I understand her character does not want to become the Queen, and for a very good reason, but she doesn't care who gets hurt in the process or how much of that drug is spread out as long as it makes her enough money to escape her very near future. Although Dani finds a very ingenious way of keeping everything under wraps and getting more in her pockets as time passes, I still can't wrap my head around it. To save herself, she helped aid others' in their destruction.
The description of life within the palace and the outside world kept me very interested, as the concept was very fascinating and perfectly detailed. It was very interesting to see how the two worlds so distinct could exist in one space, and how things could be with technology added to the mix. I loved the detail to the differences in culture, and clothing, how outsiders believed those within looked like and carried themselves, and how those within could not find any association between each other. And the way it all came to be.
"Enter France, on the brink of economic disaster. France offered to sell the Palace of Versailles only when it came down to a choice between preserving its landmarks and feeding the French people because of said famine. And Sonoma needed something to do with all that profit."
There was much to keep me going forward, even though I found some of the choices very distasteful, it still had its good qualities. I was partly immersed in their world and with how everyone lived, how it all existed even when it felt so surreal, but I just couldn't find a footing with the other half of it. Either way, it was an inviting read and I'm glad I picked it up and took a chance with it.
Danica is a character I rooted for from the start, doing everything she can possible to get herself out of her current predicament. And wow what a situation she is in, all due to her mother who used a terrible murder to her advantage, causing Dani to become betrothed to King Wyndham who is the murderer and mad with power. As the story proceeded though, I had too many mixed feels about Dani. She did her best to avoid conforming to the crazy world created within the palace of Versailles, but used an extremely addictive drug to accomplish just that.
"Papaveris atropa.' He reaches into his jacket and removes a very small vial filled with what looks like finely ground silver dust. 'That's what the chemists call it, anyway. The newest thing in... street pharmaceuticals. So new most of the media hasn't even gotten a sniff of it yet."
"That's right. Totally new. But it's going to blow the others out of the water. A complex blend of opiates and gengineered belladonna, processed for transdermal delivery. Directly to the skin,' he adds when I blink uncomprehendingly. 'It induces bliss like heroin but leaves you conscious, and with most of your wits."
I understand her character does not want to become the Queen, and for a very good reason, but she doesn't care who gets hurt in the process or how much of that drug is spread out as long as it makes her enough money to escape her very near future. Although Dani finds a very ingenious way of keeping everything under wraps and getting more in her pockets as time passes, I still can't wrap my head around it. To save herself, she helped aid others' in their destruction.
The description of life within the palace and the outside world kept me very interested, as the concept was very fascinating and perfectly detailed. It was very interesting to see how the two worlds so distinct could exist in one space, and how things could be with technology added to the mix. I loved the detail to the differences in culture, and clothing, how outsiders believed those within looked like and carried themselves, and how those within could not find any association between each other. And the way it all came to be.
"Enter France, on the brink of economic disaster. France offered to sell the Palace of Versailles only when it came down to a choice between preserving its landmarks and feeding the French people because of said famine. And Sonoma needed something to do with all that profit."
There was much to keep me going forward, even though I found some of the choices very distasteful, it still had its good qualities. I was partly immersed in their world and with how everyone lived, how it all existed even when it felt so surreal, but I just couldn't find a footing with the other half of it. Either way, it was an inviting read and I'm glad I picked it up and took a chance with it.