Where's Glimmer? - Jessica Burkhart,Vict...

If I was five, I would be a fan girl. However, I am not. I reached the bit about who gets to have unicorns and then I was out because that is one messed up classist crap

Amazon prime members can get a free kindle edition ARC* of one of these Amazon published choices (or a discounted hardcover ARC).  See https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/firstreads 

(SIde note, still the Amazon,com bug with 2017-2018 books -- I had to add all 18 of 19 editions of these to the library plus none would "+" to this post or show in search by ISBN or ASIN -- and the 19th was a kindle edition someone added cover-less while I was working on these.)

*well, Trespassing - Brandi Reeds  is a reprint.

For seventeen years, the convent walls kept Meara Cleary from the secret of her own parentage. A bearded stranger claims she’s his niece and promises to take her home. Before he can, a cataclysmic event thrusts her into a war-torn world. 

Meara vows to journey to Ireland to find her uncle, unaware of how perilous a journey it will be. Her Druidic father guides her through dreams, explaining her magical heritage. Her dead parent can’t help her with the intricacies of village life, especially when she catches the eye of the very engaged Braeden. 

A whirlwind composed of equal parts menace, romance, and revelation sweep Meara across the continent while gathering allies and enemies with equal speed. Her intent to return to her family turns into a fight to survive her own destiny. 

For my full-length review, please visit Casual Debris.

This particular issue features eight short stories, an author interview and a brief essay, and I was immediately impressed with the first story, Stephanie Dickinson's "A Hole in the Soup." The story deals with a young woman trapped in a hospital in New Orleans immediately following the flood. Not only does the story have a spectacular title, but the prose is solid and the situation more than gripping. Not just the strongest piece in the issue, Dickinson also provides the best entry among "The Last Pages," with a great photo of her dad and a genuinely touching caption. "A Hole in the Soup" proved to be by far the strongest piece in the issue, and really only one of two worth reading. The second is the following piece, Lauren Groff's "Delicate Edible Birds." It is a good story but drags a little at times and the protagonist can be somewhat uninteresting; it nonetheless has some strong moments and is well written.

The rest of the stories are forgettable.

There is a first-time published writer here, Joshua Canipe, whose "Preacher Stories" is dry, the prose generic and the characters uninvolved. Canipe's caption for his photo is the best in the collection among childhood photos; unfortunately someone screwed up and the photo that was supposed to appear with his caption in "The Last Pages" was omitted. Ed Allen's "Krakenhaus" is familiar and too self-involved. Mirian Novogrodsky's "Just Enough Food to Remember" is one of the two weakest of the bunch, as it tries to structure itself around a series of oddly-titled vignettes, a trope that is more irritating than neat, and does little more than distract from (yet another) self-involved piece. Scott Nadelson's "Aftermath" is the longest story though among the quickest to read. It is written in a clear style and is not a bad story. It deals with a married couple agreeing to a "trial separation," told through the point of view of the man. While it has some nice moments and interesting character relationships, it is too long and the protagonist is a little whiny to be sympathetic. This is followed by "Blind Spots" by Erica Johnson Debeljak, a story with some interesting ideas strung together with some dull writing. This is unfortunate because the concept here is interesting, about a boy who can only see peripherally, told through the point of view of his mother. The point of view weakens the story as it becomes about the mother and her own struggles and grief, victimizing her, rather than being about the boy himself. David Allan Cates's "The Rubber Boy" is the other weaker piece. It is a catalog of a man's life, asking why do I endure, which is followed a single event that gives him reason to endure. The last story, "Toward a Theory of Blindness" by Beth Aria Sloss, is uneven yet interesting at certain points.

Title: Glimmer (IDelaney's Gift)

Author: Amber Garza

Genre: YA Paranormal

Rating: 2 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Delaney Scott is not your typical teenager. She is one of ten Ekloge Warriors,born with the purpose of protecting the town of Edenly. Only it’s a duty she wants to shed like a pair of dirty, worn-out shoes.

However, a daring rescue alters Delaney's life forever. Now there is no running from her calling, and things will never be the same again.

(This is a very short teaser story which includes the first three chapters of Dazzle, Book One in the Delaney's Gift Series)

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I have an unfortunate love-hate relationship with Glimmer. You see, when I downloaded it, Amazon listed it as a "novella" (not that I was paying attention), but it's not a novella, it's the first three chapters to an actual book. So going into this story, I wasn't forewarned about what I would find.

That being said: I found it ridiculously short. (DUH - but I didn't know that when I read it). I had trouble getting into the story right away; the story is written in first person present tense, which I absolutely loathe. I don't mind first person POV (heck, I write in it), but there's something about present tense that rubs me raw. I find it jolting enough that it pulls me out of the story... it just sounds so juvenile - and not in a good, appropriate for the character sort of way, but an inexperienced writer sort of way. Hopefully no one here feels particularly defensive about that type of writing, but I just don't like it. Flat out.

I tried very hard to ignore it however and continued to read. It wasn't a great idea. Not knowing this was the first three chapters to a book, the plot seemed missing, the main character was constantly talking about things in her paranormal world that I didn't understand and had never heard of... I just didn't get it.

The writing wasn't particularly engaging and there was nothing in those first three chapters that just... grabbed me and wouldn't let go. As authors that's one of the first things we're taught: your writing should grab the audience from the very first paragraph and not let them up for air. If your readers have a hard time getting into the story or get bored with it, they aren't going to get far. This book failed to do that to me.

I don't think the premise for the book was bad, but it was a little cliche.  (Teen has visions of people dying just in time to save them). Usually, I can look past that, but with the writing being less than stellar, I just didn't feel the need to bother with the whole book. You may like this story more than I did, and if it sounds interesting to you, then by all means, go pick up the first three chapters while they're free, but I won't be recommending it.

P.S. Anyone else think it looks like the girl on the cover has a bunch of bruises on her arm? Or is that just me?