Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow
Author:Amy Kathleen Ryan
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: St Martins Griffin
Sky Chasers Book #1
ISBN:  0312590563
ISBN13: 9780312590567
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Publisher

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

GLOW reminded me a bit of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE with it taking place in space on the way to a new world storyline. There were two different ships sent into space on the path of to a distant planet. The one that Waverly was born on seems to work well. New babies are born and there is plenty of structure without god and religion. The other ship seems to have had there fertility taken away from them and they are desperate for children. They are very into god and religion and live by it and use it as an excuse to do some pretty despicable things in the name of god.

Waverly was a strong character. She went for what she wanted, was caring, took charge when it was needed and fought for what was right and became the voice of reason as the story went along. Kieran I never really got into. I'm not sure why but I just plain and simple didn't like him. Seth I enjoyed. He seems like a good match for Waverly and if I decide to continue the series I hope I read that they end up making a go at it at some point. GLOW was a pretty fast paced read with an interesting storyline. It was a book full of set up for future books and has absolutely nothing resolved by the end of it. One of my favorite supporting characters got killed off which was a bit disappointing. I am kinda interested in what will happen now so I might pick up book two but it wont be a priority for me.

I gave it 3/5 stars