Shelley Stone might be a little overwhelmed. She runs the company Conch, manufacturer of a small wearable device that attaches to the user's ear and whispers helpful advice and prompts. She's married with two small children, Nova and Blazer, both of whom are learning Mandarin. She employs a cook, a nanny, a driver, and an assistant, she sets an alarm for 2AM conference calls, and occasionally takes a standing nap while waiting in line when she's really exhausted. Shelley takes Dramamine so she can work in the car, allows herself ten almonds when hungry, swallows Ativan to stave off the panic attacks, and makes notes in her day planner to "practice being happy and relatable." But when Shelley meets a young woman named Shelley Stone who has the exact same scar on her shoulder, Shelley has to wonder: Is some sort of corporate espionage afoot? Has she discovered a hole in the space time continuum? Or is she finally buckling under all the pressure? Introducing one of the most memorable and singular characters in recent fiction, The Glitch is a completely original, brainy, laugh-out-loud story of work, marriage and motherhood for our times.
Audio CD
Published May 22nd 2018 by Books on Tape
Source: Publisher
Two stars: An interesting book that goes no where.
Shelley Stone is the corporate executive for Conch, a company that makes small computer devices that attach to the ear and provide all kinds of advice, think Siri or Alexa for all day every day. To get where she is today, Shelley is dedicated and driven. Her days are meticulously mapped out, her schedule is constant and she has little time for anything other than work. Then things take a strange turn when her daughter disappears, and Shelley seems to run face to face with her former self, and worse Conches begin to malfunction. What is going on in Shelley’s perfect life?
What I Liked:
- The Glitch is a hard books for me to review. It was interesting and unique, and the main character is a head trip.
- Shelly Stone is a character who will likely make you laugh or drive you crazy. I found her funny because she is so out there. Shelley is driven, to the point where she is almost maniacal. Her inner dialogue shows what a head trip she is. To me she is funny, even though she is annoying. I know that she will likely alienate some readers, but I saw her as an example of what not to be.
- The story is convoluted and weird and a lot of stuff happens, and I must admit, I finished the book scratching my head wondering what the heck it was all about. However, the main take away message is that you need to live your life and not get caught up in social media and electronic devices and career. Be present in your own life and take control of your own life. This is an eye opening read as to how detrimental technology can be.
And The Not So Much:
- This is a book that I struggled with because it seemed to have no direction. There are several story threads that come and go, and none of them are the main story thread. The book is all over the map. It needed focus. For me, it ended up being a chaotic mess.
- I really wanted to like this book, but I can’t. It just went nowhere. The reveals are ridiculous, and I ended up not liking this one at all.
The Glitch started out interesting but it quickly fell off track. The main character is a head trip, and the plot is twisted and convoluted and it lacks focus. I finished the book wondering what the heck I just read. The only thing I gleaned from reading this book was to be present in your own life. Sadly, this is a book I cannot recommend.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
