Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
In Glitch Zoe (real name Zoel) lives in a world where everyone works together for the whole community through order. Order first, order always. Zoe is always repeating this mantra as is everybody else. They live as drones thanks to the computer chips installed in their brain while they are young. There are points in a person's life where they update their software. They need maintenance and it's all so really creepy how they say things like that all nonchalant like they don't sounds as if they are computers and not humans. At 18 you get your final update and by then it's impossible to stop being a drone.
Zoe knows there is something wrong with her. She has been anomalous for a while now. She knows that the community comes first and that she should turn herself in to get fixed. Maybe it's the new awareness she has of her world or the colors and tastes she discovers or maybe it's because she can move things with her mind but she doesn't do it.
So why on earth would you let someone put chips in your brain to control you? That's the worst choice you could ever make! It always starts with a war doesn't it? There were bombs and the surface of the earth was destroyed. That's why everyone lives underground and they allow the Uppers to control their emotions. There are sometimes glitches, anomalies, that are "dangerous" to the society. I don't know why I'm putting quotations when it's actually true! I mean there are a bunch of people with powers who could dismantle your perfect society while you reap the benefits... that's dangerous for you!
In the beginning I'm thinking when Zoe wants to turn herself in that she's insane. STOP! WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN! You are just going to just walk in there and say you're anomalous and how you can move things with your mind... and everything's going to turn out fine? She talks like a robot too. All of them do and their names sound alien but they aren't. I assumed as much by the cover. She does redeem herself. Her point of view from it all and her learning what the world is like is like a child learning new things. She's not totally robotic thank goodness because if she started out as this mindless being and then changed into anomalous. Sure it would have been interesting to see the change but I rather not deal with the boredom.
Everything about this book was enjoyable. The only thing was the love part of it which seems like a big deal but I might just be nit-picky. It wasn't exactly instalove but it happened pretty fast for me. At first I chalked it up to how you feel when you first have a crush and you're all hyped up with emotion but there was this bond already that I just didn't get. There are two possible guys in this story. A little bit spoilery!: One who's very nice and sweet and the other who ends up being very stalkerish and possessive. Each time she had an encounter with the stalker I would just think how he's not right for you for a while until he got way too crazy and then I would think some other inappropriate words... He started out pretty okay but then he was talking about pleasures and whole lot of creep came out. I think back now and I guess it's because she felt she wasn't alone and she did argue with him a lot so she was taking some sort of stand but I would have telekinesised (Not a word. I know) his behind through a wall! End of spoilery parts.
She has these dreams about a boy she once saw get taken because he was anomalous and she's not supposed to have these nightmares. She has a pretty rough time as an anomalous and you get to feeling pretty bad for her although her having a rough time means a more interesting time with some action in there too. The boy in the dream she sometimes sees as her younger brother who she worries about because he can suddenly turn anomalous and she wants to get him out of the control of the Uppers. I really didn't see why she thought that at all. She thought about him a couple of times but I guess since they could never talk to each other because he was so linked I didn't see where he mattered to her so much. Hardly any mention of the parents which was weird but they are apparently a lost cause so...
Although having some weak points in the book plus her not standing up for herself for awhile she was able to show she wasn't merely a love sick puppy who needed a guy to hold her hand. She became AWESOME. That moment where she truly shows how strong she is makes me think of when Katniss shouts into the camera "Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!." She goes that out of control. It's beautiful. That's what I want in a heroine and she's going to be even more fierce in the next book and I will be there reading it. Don't lose your edge Zoe.
