Author: Claire Merle
Published: June 7th 2012 by Faber & Faber
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, & Romance
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads summary:
In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.
When Jasper disappears, Ana sets off on his trail, determined to solve the mystery of his abduction. In doing so she journeys into the darkest corners of society, and uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she’s ever believed.
*thanks to the publishers for the free copy of this ebook (via Netgalley)*
Emma's thoughts:
Okay first, I have to talk about the ending of this book...
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
IT JUST ENDS THERE?!?!?!
*takes a breath*
I can't bring myself to think about anything else other than the ending, and it's really, reaaaally, bugging me. Because right now, all I want to do is pull my hair out, fling my dear, old Mac across the room, hunt down Claire Merle and DEMAND her to write the second book.. NOW.
It took me a long while to get into this book. It starts off just as another other dystopian novel you find. The protagonist is this fancy new world where people are either 'crazy' or 'pure'. Now, Anna... She's both. She's a 'Sleeper' which means she has potential to be 'Crazy' but her symptoms have yet to present themselves. Now, if it was anyone else, they would've been exiled to the City to live with the rest of the Crazies, but Anna's dad is the one who invented the 'Crazy Or Pure' test.
What I found really interesting was the concept of knowing if someone's going to be mentally insane or depressed when they're five years old. It's mind-boggling to think that you could predict such a thing from such a young age. I'm talking about autism or such thing, but depression. How can you look at a child and be like 'Yep, he's bound to be depressed when he's older. Leave him in the City.'? It's interesting, and at the same time, kind of sad.
The novel is well written. It's got it's up and downs, and sometimes, kind of predictable. Of course, when it comes to Cole, anything predictable is good<3 And yes, that's right, Jasper is NOT the hero of the story. It's Cole, Cole, Cole. What is it with the name Cole? Cole in Everneath, Cole in Linger and Forever. Now, Cole in The Glimpse, he's so dreamy... At first glance, he's just a tough guy who possibly is the reason for Jasper's disappearance, but Anna wasn't expecting blue eyes and a talented pianist and composer.
I love how protective Cole is of Anna, but even he can't stop the terrors of the Mental Institution. I forget what it's really called in the novel, but it's freaky. I don't know how anybody would be able to handle being drowned and zapped on a daily basis. Anna changes, and she discovers truths hidden. The whole time, I'm freaking out for her, and praying for her, because really, there never appears to be a good outcome in anything that happens to her.
I can't say this is a particularly original novel, but I have to commend Claire Merle on her writing. It's just so wonderfully exciting and breath-taking and the ending leaves you dangling off the cliff, by a finger. If you like dystopian adventures, this is definitely a book for you!
Overall rating: 4 stars~ An intense and exhilarating journey!
First:
Sometimes, when Ana hovered on the edge of sleep, she heard the patter of feet along the school corridor; she felt her best friend Tamsin close by - a near, warm presence like the imprint on a bed recently slept in; she saw the Board's saloon car pulling up outside the front of school, a white envelope glowing through one of their leather cases, whispering her name, her disease.
Favourite:
Science isn't racist. Science is just an understanding of the physical workings of things. It's how we interpret and employ the knowledge that can't turn it into something corrupt.
Teaser:
'You're joking?' she said.
'I'd never joke about kissing you.'
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