Smada's Book Smack : Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Glitch (The Glitches #1) by Ramona Finn

Author: Ramona Finn

Narrator: Genevieve Kaplan

Length: 6 hours 28 minutes

Publisher: Relay Publishing⎮2017

Series: The Glitches, Book One

Genre: Science Fiction

On the brink of extinction, being human means more than just surviving.
In Lib’s world, it’s dangerous to stray from the Norm. In fact, for someone who doesn’t live up to the AI’s standards, it’s practically a death sentence. Lib learns this the hard way when she wakes up with her memories erased in a barren wasteland, and only one thought lodged in her mind:
It’s all her fault. Lib is a Glitch—an imperfect human component of the utopian Norm. Utterly alone, she’ll have to team up with her fellow Glitches Skye and Raj and the mysterious Rogue Wolf and his clan to survive. Wolf only cares about the survival of his group, but Raj thinks they can hack the AI and change the Norm for the better.
Now, Lib will have to decide which path to choose—whether to go with handsome loner Raj or stay with Wolf and his tight-knit group. Her heart is drawn to both, but she’s carrying a deadly secret that could jeopardize them all. Will she be able to save her newfound family and stop the AI before it’s too late?

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Ramona Finn writes about courageous characters who fight to live in broken, dystopian worlds. She believes a person's true characters is often revealed in times of crisis, and there is no greater crisis than the worlds that she drops her characters into! She grew up sitting cross-legged on her town's library floor--completely engrossed in science fiction books. It was always the futuristic world or the universe-on-the-brink-of-extinction plotlines that drew her in, but it was the brave characters who chose to fight back that kept her turning the pages. Her books create deep, intricate worlds with bold characters determined to fight for their survival in their dystopian worlds--with a little help from their friends. And, of course, romance is never out of the question.

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For the past fifteen years I have received extensive training in lyric diction and classical voice. Various experience includes lead roles in multiple opera production through Santa Clara University with semi-professional recording obligations. For a minor in Lyric Diction at Santa Clara University I was required to take 6 units of Lyric Diction learning the correct pronunciation of languages including Italian, German and French (and of course English) as well as four years of private vocal training. Outside of musical endeavors I have experience with various characters and voices of my own creation included in my stand up comedy set.

My Review:

3.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, Dystopian, Mystery, Survival--

Lib wakes up in the desert, having no idea where she is or even who she is. Another girl is with her, calling her a Glitch and saying that Lib saved her life. The girl, Sky, takes Lib to the clan she lives with, teaching her about the ways of the people. While trying to earn her place in the clan, memories are slowly returning to Lib, and she is not who they think she is.

I thought it was an interesting approach how the author described her world through Lib's eyes, someone who was just as uncertain about everything as the reader was. The reader then gets to have the world explained to them as Lib relearns what is going on. I thought this made the world building better, less in your face information dump, more exploratory as it comes.

That being said, it was really hard for me to get super invested in the story because I need strong developed characters to connect to, and Lib was not that. Instead, she was a girl who had no idea who she was, what she wanted or even where she was- and no I am not talking about her having an existential crisis, I mean literally she has no clue. By the end of the book she was a much more developed person that I could root for, and I was fully behind her feelings towards Wolf, which really, who wouldn't want Wolf. When I read the synopsis it made it sound like this was going to be a love triangle, but I did not see that at all- only one person ever peaked Lib's interest.

The narrator did a great job of bring the world to life and each character was given a voice and personalty that was easy to differentiate between. I struggled a little with the cadence of her voice though when seeing through Lib's eyes, because at times it felt like Lib was so emotionless, it was hard to empathize with her as a character. That may be part of the character though, or a narrating choice made to show she is a little bit off, I just don't know.

It was very easy to see how this is just the start in a series (trilogy, I think) because this story sets up so much more to come. The world was well developed and the characters were just beginning to take shape (Sky hands down was one of my favorite characters so I hope she had a bigger role to come), and so many problems were left unresolved when this book concluded (and I did think the direction that the book was pointing in was a little weird). Be aware that lots of things are left unsaid, making book 2 a big must to find out more.

I received this audiobook in return for my honest review.