Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Genre: YA SciFi
Series: Sky Chasers #1
Publication Date: 7th October 2011
Pages: 385
Book Source: Own purchase

Synopsis: 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.

My Thoughts:

Glow came highly recommended from a Pam Macmillan rep and I'm glad I followed up on her suggestion but I'm also torn and I can't quite put my finger on the source of my ambivalence. It's a fast-paced adventure set in deep space with loads of suspense and enough twists and turns to keep you thoroughly immersed in the murky nebular ... think Star Trek meets Lord Of The Flies. 

Glow has a very dark feel ... not quite what you'd expect from the cover but I liked the sinister undercurrent. The pervasive sense of evil is helped along by the fact that Ryan doesn't shy away from violence, death, down-right nasty activities or tough ethical issues.

I loved the dual narration from 15 year old Waverly and 16 year old Kieran, Waverly is a likeable character but I didn't really feel much one way or the other for her would-be husband and golden boy Kieran; he was just a bit 'meh.' Love or hate characters, I'm fully invested in a story if characters elicit some emotion from me. 

Like bad boy Seth ... he's Kieran's opposite; manipulative and cruel but I think there's good in him too. There's a spark or something between Waverly and Seth and I'm keen to see how that plays out. There's also the captain of the New Horizon ... creepy Pastor Mather, she's a dangerous zealot but I couldn't help feel that her concerns about the just as creepy captain and some crew members of the Empyrean are based in truth. I didn't like these characters but at least I felt something.

Final thoughts - no glowing (pardon the pun) endorsement but Glow kept my attention from start to finish and I'm keenly awaiting Spark, the next installment in the Sky Chaser series, due for release July 17th.

Want to know more about Amy Kathleen Ryan? ~ check out her website.