Source: eARC from NetGalleyI'll read any YA contemp you throw my way and most YA paranormals. But I've decided that fantasy and dystopian both fall into the category of books that I'm picky about. Glitch definitely had its good points, but it ended up being not the right book for me. The concept of Glitch seemed like a mash-up between Delirium by Lauren Oliver and Feed by M.T. Anderson. After a nuclear catastrophe, Zoel "Zoe" lives underground. A chip implanted in her neck has turned Zoe and everyone around her into emotionless drones. But when Zoe starts "glitching" as her chip malfunctions, she starts experiencing emotion for the first time. She also has a Gift (telekinesis) that she struggles to keep hidden. Fortunately, she meets Adrien, a member of the Rez (resistance) and discovers that her longtime friend is a glitcher as well. Together, they have to decide how to free themselves from the controlling Community and use their Gifts for the good.I loved the idea of a dystopian community that banned emotion in Delirium, and I also love it here. But we get to know Lena in Delirium before her ability to love is cut off, while Zoe is the exact opposite. She and Max have spent their entire lives without feeling any emotions. For me, this made them a little emotionally flat and hard to relate to. Zoe seems to understand some emotions, like frustration and guilt, but others, like embarrassment, elude her in ways that aren't entirely logical. I also would have liked to see a more concrete villain in the story, rather than a vaguely described evil multinational conspiracy. The Gift concept wasn't fully explored, but I'm sure it will be in later books, as Glitch is part of a trilogy. I also think that in subsequent books, Zoe's increased emotional intelligence will make her a more engaging character.I'm sure there will be readers out there who will love this book. If you read every dystopian/post-apocalyptic YA you can get your hands on, I'd definitely recommend you check Glitch out.
