"Glimmer" by Phoebe Kitanidis

This book started as a "4" and dropped to a "2" as I read it. In terms of a "what if" the concept was top-notch.  "What if" you woke up with no memory of who you are?  "What if" the town you are in is ... very strange?  The problem was in execution.  Kitchen sink plotlines (too much randomness thrown in) and inconsistencies in characterization and storyline made this not so much a page-turner for me, but a having-to-push-through-to-finish it story.

***Spoiler Alert***  "She" and "He" wake up to find themselves naked in bed.  They have no personal memories but they are not blank slates -- they understand the world around them, just not their place in it.  The chapters alternate between the two teens as they try to piece together what has happened.  This was the first problem for me -- their voices are not overly distinctive.  As usual, I was unable to read the book through in a few sittings and had to go chapter by chapter during some brief free moments.  I was constantly having to turn back to the chapter headings to remind myself who was speaking.  The biggest difference, over time, is that the boy swears a lot.  Beyond setting him up as a stereotypical male teen and making this book unacceptable for lower level readers, I really didn't see the point.   The other issue is that the chapters tell the story sequentially, with "him" picking up directly after "her" ... until the last third or so of the book, when it suddenly switches to concurrent action -- "she" and "he" relating their views of the same time period.  While I understand the need for this change as the tale progresses, I feel that changing story structure to advance plot is generally distracting and not indicative of good writing.  The number one rule in fantasy is that you can create anything you want, but you must remain consistent in what you create.

Within the first few chapters, there is a huge hint as to what is going on when a man bursts in the room and utters the word "wards" -- giving away a big chunk of the plot.  I wonder if the author felt compelled to hint at things rather than let them unfold, as it felt like heavy-handed foreshadowing.  As the two wander about town, they look in mirrors and reflections to figure out who they are.  Here is another complaint -- and a frequent one from me.  The girl describes herself as "looking younger than her age -- a blond cheerleader type, like a pissed off Disney princess."  The cover looks like a 25 year-old party girl from New York city with a substance abuse problem.  To all publishers out there:  For the love of all that is holy, can you please reconcile cover art with at least some of the story details?

There is a sense of "incompleteness" with this story.  The big jock is a jerk.  Or he is abusive.  Or he isn't.  Or he's just a dupe.  How are we supposed to feel about him?  It's never clear.  "She" meets her dad, but then hides in a closet and runs away.  Was there an interaction between them?  Unclear.  Magic is accepted in this world, with occultists who can be hired, but no one has ever thought that maybe there is some magic at work in this strange little town.  "She" is abused by step-dad, an oft-worn plot, okay; but then she remembers being abused by someone else.  It's a lot of abuse.  Are we dealing with issues much?

In the end, I had too many beefs.  There were so many themes thrown in -- ghosts, Native Americans, magic, labyrinths, eternal life, identity vs stereotype, alcoholism, depression, mommy issues, family abuse, etc etc.  It just felt like "stuff" being piled on rather than necessary elements of the story being incorporated or woven into the telling.  I also didn't warm up to the protagonists.  The two teens go through more emotions in an hour than most of my students do in a week.  I get teen angst, but this just made them seem bipolar and unlikable.  There is a premise here that you become a different person (in the girl's case, 180 degrees different) if your memory is erased.  The concept is critical to the climax, but there was little to explain or support this idea, and I just didn't buy it.  And the author got the labyrinth part wrong, IMHO.  The idea that one can break a curse by walking around the outside of a labyrinth rather than actually traveling it is bizarre -- labyrinth myths are based on the concept that one "travels" the path; failing, learning and discovering along the way (see Ursula K. LeGuin's Farthest Shore trilogy).  After the two characters had made their journey to find themselves, the idea that they could solve the puzzle by walking a circle (albeit under water) felt like a cheat.

All issues are nicely resolved in a big bow at the end, with a (nearly) happily ever after.  The girl's convenient skills as a lifeguard help with the final crisis and all is well.  It's not quite Prince Charming waking up Snow White, but it comes close.

So, clearly, I didn't care for it, which is sad because I was sure I would when I started it.  For better him/her tales, try "The Wanderer" by Sharon Creech or "So Hard to Say" by Alex Sanchez.