What do you think?
Rate this book
Glimmer
This new cli-fi epic chronicles a future NYC wracked by climate change and follows the individuals who must make the most of what remains to survive.
It's 2110, the Earth's glaciers have melted, and there's no climate fix in sight. As refugees stream inland from the inundated coasts, social structures and national economies are stressed to the point of fracture. Food production falters. Pandemics rage. Rising sea level and devastating superstorms have flooded much of Manhattan and wrecked its infrastructure. Its residents have mostly fled, but a few die-hards have bet their survival on the hope that digging in and staying local is a safer strategy.
As the weather worsens, can a damaged population of poor folk, artists, misfits, and loners work out their differences in time to create a sustainable long-term society? In a lawless city, where the well-armed rich have appropriated the high ground, can an ex-priest find a middle road between non-violence and all-out war? The lives of his downtown band of leftovers will depend on it.
Sheltering among them, a young girl named Glimmer struggles to regain a past lost to trauma. As her memory returns, she finds she must choose who and how to be, and who and what to believe in, even if it means giving up a love she has only recently found herself able to embrace.
It's 2110, the Earth's glaciers have melted, and there's no climate fix in sight. As refugees stream inland from the inundated coasts, social structures and national economies are stressed to the point of fracture. Food production falters. Pandemics rage. Rising sea level and devastating superstorms have flooded much of Manhattan and wrecked its infrastructure. Its residents have mostly fled, but a few die-hards have bet their survival on the hope that digging in and staying local is a safer strategy.
As the weather worsens, can a damaged population of poor folk, artists, misfits, and loners work out their differences in time to create a sustainable long-term society? In a lawless city, where the well-armed rich have appropriated the high ground, can an ex-priest find a middle road between non-violence and all-out war? The lives of his downtown band of leftovers will depend on it.
Sheltering among them, a young girl named Glimmer struggles to regain a past lost to trauma. As her memory returns, she finds she must choose who and how to be, and who and what to believe in, even if it means giving up a love she has only recently found herself able to embrace.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2021
14 people are currently reading
497 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 5, 2021
3.5 Stars
This was a solid post apocalyptic novel. The main character was likeable, although she read quite young. While this is classified as adult science fiction, it will have cross appeal for YA readers with teenagers characters frequently speaking in slang.
I have read a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction and so I did not find this story particularly innovative or unique. Instead, I found it to be fairly predictable, but that also made for a comforting experience. The novel also reminded me of several survival video games I have played.
While not particularly revolutionary, I appreciated that the novel provided an engaging plot with good characters.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a solid post apocalyptic novel. The main character was likeable, although she read quite young. While this is classified as adult science fiction, it will have cross appeal for YA readers with teenagers characters frequently speaking in slang.
I have read a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction and so I did not find this story particularly innovative or unique. Instead, I found it to be fairly predictable, but that also made for a comforting experience. The novel also reminded me of several survival video games I have played.
While not particularly revolutionary, I appreciated that the novel provided an engaging plot with good characters.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
October 20, 2021
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
4.5*
Okay let me get this out of the way: Glimmer has a slow start. In fact, I complained a little that I needn't know the details of every post-apocalyptic block of Manhattan. But if you're into cli-fi, I promise it is worth pushing through. Now that we've gotten that bit out of the way, I will tell you why I was so glad that I kept on reading!
►Look, if this book doesn't scare the bejeezus out of you, Idk what will. It is more than plausible, frankly. It's probable that this mess is where the world is headed. It's very eerie, because the author does a phenomenal job of showing the evolution, even though the story we are reading takes place quite a few years down the road. And not only does the book showcase the environmental/physical ramifications, it illustrates exactly how humanity would behave. And spoiler, it isn't pretty. Which leads me to my next point....
►It is beyond relevant. Remember how people reacted a year ago when we couldn't find toilet paper? Multiply that by all the things. Turns out, mankind is pretty gross. I mean, even now, people won't put on some damn cloth to save the lives of others, so. My point is, the way humanity is shown here is on freaking point. Sure, there are some great folks! Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of good in the world (in this fictional world and our own, to be sure). But wow, there are a lot of selfish and bad people. Glimmer does not sugarcoat that at all, which I appreciated. Because at the end of the day, at the end of the world, it turns out it isn't just the elements you're battling against. When there aren't enough resources to go around, things get rough, and fast. Which will again segue into my next bullet point...
►This is so thought provoking. I mean, not only should you probably be thinking "oh crap we need to get it together in regards to climate change", but it makes you consider the person you'd be in the shoes of Glimmer or her cohorts at Unca Joe. Or, perhaps, whether you'd even be among them. Maybe you'd be in one of the other groups, for better or for worse. Maybe you'd have ended up on the mainland, or in the rich people neighborhood. But no matter who you were, the facts still stood: there was water everywhere, precious few resources to go around, and a constant struggle to survive.
►I really enjoyed Glimmer and her group. When we meet Glimmer, she's not even sure who she is, or really anything before her life at Unca Joe. But we know that she is scrappy and smart and determined to survive. She's a great friend, and cares about others, but she's still very aware of the hard choices that constantly face her and the rest of the group. It's nice to see the concept of "found family" despite all the hardship.
►The worldbuilding was very well done. Even though we don't completely know what is happening beyond Manhattan, it's all certainly acknowledged. The author does an incredible job of painting a desperate, yet hopeful atmosphere, and while I was a little distracted by all the detail at the start, it really served the rest of the story well, as I could absolutely picture where Glimmer and company were, and what obstacles they were facing.
Bottom Line: I love a survival story. I love a "no good choices" story. And I definitely love a thought provoking story with characters you want to root for. This book, it has it all.
4.5*
Okay let me get this out of the way: Glimmer has a slow start. In fact, I complained a little that I needn't know the details of every post-apocalyptic block of Manhattan. But if you're into cli-fi, I promise it is worth pushing through. Now that we've gotten that bit out of the way, I will tell you why I was so glad that I kept on reading!
►Look, if this book doesn't scare the bejeezus out of you, Idk what will. It is more than plausible, frankly. It's probable that this mess is where the world is headed. It's very eerie, because the author does a phenomenal job of showing the evolution, even though the story we are reading takes place quite a few years down the road. And not only does the book showcase the environmental/physical ramifications, it illustrates exactly how humanity would behave. And spoiler, it isn't pretty. Which leads me to my next point....
►It is beyond relevant. Remember how people reacted a year ago when we couldn't find toilet paper? Multiply that by all the things. Turns out, mankind is pretty gross. I mean, even now, people won't put on some damn cloth to save the lives of others, so. My point is, the way humanity is shown here is on freaking point. Sure, there are some great folks! Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of good in the world (in this fictional world and our own, to be sure). But wow, there are a lot of selfish and bad people. Glimmer does not sugarcoat that at all, which I appreciated. Because at the end of the day, at the end of the world, it turns out it isn't just the elements you're battling against. When there aren't enough resources to go around, things get rough, and fast. Which will again segue into my next bullet point...
►This is so thought provoking. I mean, not only should you probably be thinking "oh crap we need to get it together in regards to climate change", but it makes you consider the person you'd be in the shoes of Glimmer or her cohorts at Unca Joe. Or, perhaps, whether you'd even be among them. Maybe you'd be in one of the other groups, for better or for worse. Maybe you'd have ended up on the mainland, or in the rich people neighborhood. But no matter who you were, the facts still stood: there was water everywhere, precious few resources to go around, and a constant struggle to survive.
►I really enjoyed Glimmer and her group. When we meet Glimmer, she's not even sure who she is, or really anything before her life at Unca Joe. But we know that she is scrappy and smart and determined to survive. She's a great friend, and cares about others, but she's still very aware of the hard choices that constantly face her and the rest of the group. It's nice to see the concept of "found family" despite all the hardship.
►The worldbuilding was very well done. Even though we don't completely know what is happening beyond Manhattan, it's all certainly acknowledged. The author does an incredible job of painting a desperate, yet hopeful atmosphere, and while I was a little distracted by all the detail at the start, it really served the rest of the story well, as I could absolutely picture where Glimmer and company were, and what obstacles they were facing.
Bottom Line: I love a survival story. I love a "no good choices" story. And I definitely love a thought provoking story with characters you want to root for. This book, it has it all.
November 21, 2021
Glimmer by Marjorie B. Kellogg is a pseudo-dystopian novel set in New York City in 2110, where climate change has altered the city's landscape, mostly flooded and practically destroyed. Those who could escape from it did, and those left behind bonded and created some sort of faction - ala Water World - called dens.
The titular character Glimmer is simply a name that she gave herself and who seemed to have lost her memory—narrating the grim situation of the city and the world entire, and her life in Unca Joe den. I do love Glimmer as a character. She's very likable, smart, and very determined. She is a young adult that makes excellent choices.
The world-building created by the author here is a scenario that will make you realize that we humans are the most vulnerable on this planet, and we need to get our shit together before it's too late. Some of the things mentioned here are happening now in some parts of the world. The most recent example is when the Covid19 pandemic started, and people drove in numbers and hoarded supplies. It's selfishness that corrupted people. In Glimmer, it's worse, so just imagine that.
It took me a while to finish Glimmer. The first half was sluggish and not as engaging, but the premise is interesting enough for me to push through with it. After the very slow beginning, the pacing started to pick up, and the story just bulldozed into something scary, exciting, and thought-provoking. There are a lot of great scenes here, particularly when the group got together to move into a new home - Uhm, within the city as well. It was heart-racing and heartwarming altogether.
I do love the relevance of this book on what's happening in the world now. I love the research that went into it because they are all realistic, and some are even happening now. You just have to persevere with its slow pacing initially, but I promised that it delivers a good and pretty solid story overall. The ending was a bit abrupt, but it really won't matter by the time you finish it.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Published October 19th 2021 by Daw Books
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Daw Books, via Netgalley for an impartial and honest review.
November 2, 2021
Glimmer hits all the marks for me: character, plot, and especially language and setting. I hope more people read it and it takes off.
November 10, 2021
As this book's subtitle states, this is "A Novel of Climate Change," but it's not quite in the way you might think. Yes, we have the drowning coasts, the collapsed governments, the climate refugees, the decaying society, the chronic shortages of food and everyday items (although I guess we have learned a little about that in this age of empty toilet paper aisles), the burning forests, the stifling daytime heat, and last but not least, the recurring Category 5 (and 6!) hurricanes that are so much a fact of life in this harrowing future....but that's not really what the story is about. This story is about the people that are growing up in this terrible age, and how they are taking this collapsing way of life and remaking it.
Marjorie B. Kellogg is a very underrated writer. I remember her from a long ago mass market paperback, Harmony, which has some similar themes to this book. This setting is the abandoned (at least by rich people, leaving it to those who can't afford to go anywhere else) island of Manhattan, the bottom part of which has been wholly or partially swallowed up by rising sea levels. This has caused a restructuring of society in the form of "dens," groups of people living on the higher floors of the surviving buildings, who "pick" the empty neighborhoods and bring back anything usable. Several of the dens grow rooftop food and have goats and chickens, and survive as best they can with no help from any state or federal government, as they have been left entirely on their own.
Our protagonist is Glimmer, a young woman rescued after one of the category 5 superstorms, Abel, tore through Manhattan a few months ago, leaving her with amnesia and PTSD. She was found by the inhabitants of one of the dens, Unca Joe's, and since she is essentially a blank slate, she provides a useful entry point to understanding this strange new society. There are other dens, including Macy's, made up almost entirely of young orphaned or abandoned children; the more uptown Empire State, with better technology than most; the Storm Worshippers, a "wacko sect pledged to a hurricane goddess"; and BlackAdder, the enemy den, who steals and kills and, as we see towards the book's climax, does some pretty damn terrible things.
Because this book is so character-focused and driven, it could be considered slow by some. I would say its pace is more deliberate, exploring the character interactions and how this new society is building itself from the ground (or water) up. (Although the book's climax, with Unca Joe's and other dens racing against time and surging seas to move their entire population to a new home in Yankee Stadium in advance of an oncoming Category 6 superstorm, is nail-biting.) At the beginning of the book, Glimmer wishes only to escape to the Mainland; as she slowly remembers her past and realizes that there will be no sanctuary on the Mainland, she throws in her lot with the ragtag refugees building a new life in what's left of the Bronx.
I suppose this could be called anthropological SF, as it is more concerned with the new society emerging from the drowned remnants of the old than the ramifications of its worldbuilding (which is just as well, I suppose, since what we do see is horrific enough). (And lest you think a Category 6 hurricane is implausible, well, this article published just a month ago will change your mind. It repeats nearly everything Kellogg extrapolates in this book, and those hurricanes will probably make their appearance even earlier than her timeline.) The main knock I have against this book is the ending; it's abrupt and feels incomplete, although it certainly carries home the book's main theme: even in the direst of circumstances, humans can and will work together to build a new world. This is intelligent, thoughtful science fiction, and worth seeking out for those who like chewy ideas and characters with depth.
Marjorie B. Kellogg is a very underrated writer. I remember her from a long ago mass market paperback, Harmony, which has some similar themes to this book. This setting is the abandoned (at least by rich people, leaving it to those who can't afford to go anywhere else) island of Manhattan, the bottom part of which has been wholly or partially swallowed up by rising sea levels. This has caused a restructuring of society in the form of "dens," groups of people living on the higher floors of the surviving buildings, who "pick" the empty neighborhoods and bring back anything usable. Several of the dens grow rooftop food and have goats and chickens, and survive as best they can with no help from any state or federal government, as they have been left entirely on their own.
Our protagonist is Glimmer, a young woman rescued after one of the category 5 superstorms, Abel, tore through Manhattan a few months ago, leaving her with amnesia and PTSD. She was found by the inhabitants of one of the dens, Unca Joe's, and since she is essentially a blank slate, she provides a useful entry point to understanding this strange new society. There are other dens, including Macy's, made up almost entirely of young orphaned or abandoned children; the more uptown Empire State, with better technology than most; the Storm Worshippers, a "wacko sect pledged to a hurricane goddess"; and BlackAdder, the enemy den, who steals and kills and, as we see towards the book's climax, does some pretty damn terrible things.
Because this book is so character-focused and driven, it could be considered slow by some. I would say its pace is more deliberate, exploring the character interactions and how this new society is building itself from the ground (or water) up. (Although the book's climax, with Unca Joe's and other dens racing against time and surging seas to move their entire population to a new home in Yankee Stadium in advance of an oncoming Category 6 superstorm, is nail-biting.) At the beginning of the book, Glimmer wishes only to escape to the Mainland; as she slowly remembers her past and realizes that there will be no sanctuary on the Mainland, she throws in her lot with the ragtag refugees building a new life in what's left of the Bronx.
I suppose this could be called anthropological SF, as it is more concerned with the new society emerging from the drowned remnants of the old than the ramifications of its worldbuilding (which is just as well, I suppose, since what we do see is horrific enough). (And lest you think a Category 6 hurricane is implausible, well, this article published just a month ago will change your mind. It repeats nearly everything Kellogg extrapolates in this book, and those hurricanes will probably make their appearance even earlier than her timeline.) The main knock I have against this book is the ending; it's abrupt and feels incomplete, although it certainly carries home the book's main theme: even in the direst of circumstances, humans can and will work together to build a new world. This is intelligent, thoughtful science fiction, and worth seeking out for those who like chewy ideas and characters with depth.
April 1, 2023
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I remember how I really wanted to read this book and started it but had something come up and never got back to it. Somehow I also had the wrong impression of the age of the main character in the brief amount I read which was better once I actually read and knew more. That said, I am really glad to have finally read Glimmer. I didn't read the blurb before I started and I think that is okay.
Our main character is Glimmer. She is all alone with no family members. She was hauled out of the water after the last hurricane about a year ago and remembers nothing before that, including her name. She lives in a big old building with the rest of the sort of strays and leftovers who have no one in a den called Unca Joe's.
There are many dens with different philosophies and methods and different places to live. At Unca Joe's they have rooftop gardens, some animals, solar and solar generators. The members of the den have various roles and responsibilities. Glimmer is a "picker" on the night shifts. She is given a certain block area and she is to go find something. Things like leftover electronics, matches, clothes or canned foods, certain metals. All these things are turned in to the den for credits which are used to get food and things for yourself. Other people are gardeners or security watch or communication / info workers.
There has always been a sense that at some point they will escape to the mainland where there is plenty of food / land / etc. But on the island itself, resources continue to be more scarce. This causes some dens to decide to attack other dens to take all their stuff. This plot line and its options to resolve are full of action and difficult choices. Unca Joe's has always taken in and helped anyone who needs it and they don't have weapons or tolerate violence.
The other story here is Glimmer. She has her day to day life and decisions, her views on the new attacks, and her gradual memory quakes where she gets pieces of her past.
Because we see the world through Glimmer's eyes there is much we don't know which slowly revealed as she tells us or remembers things. After I got into the story, it was easy to be engaged because of all the things I wanted to know and learn. There were major issues in their lives related to climate change and in each hurricane, more seems to be destroyed.
I was very satisfied with the ending and liked thinking about resources and renewable resources. It was a pleasure to see Glimmer develop who she was and wanted to be in her life.
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I remember how I really wanted to read this book and started it but had something come up and never got back to it. Somehow I also had the wrong impression of the age of the main character in the brief amount I read which was better once I actually read and knew more. That said, I am really glad to have finally read Glimmer. I didn't read the blurb before I started and I think that is okay.
Our main character is Glimmer. She is all alone with no family members. She was hauled out of the water after the last hurricane about a year ago and remembers nothing before that, including her name. She lives in a big old building with the rest of the sort of strays and leftovers who have no one in a den called Unca Joe's.
There are many dens with different philosophies and methods and different places to live. At Unca Joe's they have rooftop gardens, some animals, solar and solar generators. The members of the den have various roles and responsibilities. Glimmer is a "picker" on the night shifts. She is given a certain block area and she is to go find something. Things like leftover electronics, matches, clothes or canned foods, certain metals. All these things are turned in to the den for credits which are used to get food and things for yourself. Other people are gardeners or security watch or communication / info workers.
There has always been a sense that at some point they will escape to the mainland where there is plenty of food / land / etc. But on the island itself, resources continue to be more scarce. This causes some dens to decide to attack other dens to take all their stuff. This plot line and its options to resolve are full of action and difficult choices. Unca Joe's has always taken in and helped anyone who needs it and they don't have weapons or tolerate violence.
The other story here is Glimmer. She has her day to day life and decisions, her views on the new attacks, and her gradual memory quakes where she gets pieces of her past.
Because we see the world through Glimmer's eyes there is much we don't know which slowly revealed as she tells us or remembers things. After I got into the story, it was easy to be engaged because of all the things I wanted to know and learn. There were major issues in their lives related to climate change and in each hurricane, more seems to be destroyed.
I was very satisfied with the ending and liked thinking about resources and renewable resources. It was a pleasure to see Glimmer develop who she was and wanted to be in her life.
August 5, 2022
This was a hard book to put down, even though there were some not-so-great aspects. I don’t think I’m blowing any major spoilers here, but I’ll check the box anyway!
Let’s start with the good:
Main character- loved Glimmer, she is the perfect mix of vulnerable and hardcore, strong-willed and yet a little broken. So…. Human! Loved her humanness. Did I feel she fell a little too quickly for Daniel and put up with some borderline (if not blatantly) abusive or moody behaviors? Yes! That was disappointing, yet also, I kinda wondered if they were trauma-bonding a little bit.
I loved Rubio in all of his sincere and authentic self. I wish Jake had been a little funnier. I like Jenn and “dark boy” Julian, and Breacher and many of the Den mates.
I was initially worried the plot was going to be an overwhelmingly propagandized liberal afront and was worried about reading it, but was pleasantly surprised at the futuristic baseline with both plausibility, tragedy, realism, fantasy, and what-if themes running through it. Definitely more action than I expected and lots of feels that grabbed me and took me for a ride throughout the story.
Lastly, I appreciated the light shine on mental health, the need for support, for facing past trauma safely but also allowing time for natural pace of healing. I thought the author did a fantastic weaving of the theme without stigmatizing the issues.
Now, for the not so good:
I felt like there was a LOT of extra detail, like explosive-range of minute descriptions that didn’t really add in anyway to the story. The overall plot/characters/story was so enticing I stayed up way too late reading it most nights, completely disrespecting myself for sleep & the next days work shift, but at the same time found myself skimming through/over paragraphs which were just lengthy shades of painting a visualization that I didn’t want nor need. But with that said, maybe many readers want or even need that kind of extra so who am I to say it’s “bad”, it’s just not MY style.
I did not like Daniel. I kind of hoped Julian would turn out to be secretly older and sweep Glimmer away in a fun wild romantic unexpected parlay. I was pretty disappointed that Daniel got away with his neediness, moodiness, and borderline aggressive behaviors. I kept hoping she’d kick him to the curb or he’d grow up.
I also did not like Rousseau, and I felt Glimmer spoke and thought way too highly of him. I would have expected way more mistrust.
Let’s start with the good:
Main character- loved Glimmer, she is the perfect mix of vulnerable and hardcore, strong-willed and yet a little broken. So…. Human! Loved her humanness. Did I feel she fell a little too quickly for Daniel and put up with some borderline (if not blatantly) abusive or moody behaviors? Yes! That was disappointing, yet also, I kinda wondered if they were trauma-bonding a little bit.
I loved Rubio in all of his sincere and authentic self. I wish Jake had been a little funnier. I like Jenn and “dark boy” Julian, and Breacher and many of the Den mates.
I was initially worried the plot was going to be an overwhelmingly propagandized liberal afront and was worried about reading it, but was pleasantly surprised at the futuristic baseline with both plausibility, tragedy, realism, fantasy, and what-if themes running through it. Definitely more action than I expected and lots of feels that grabbed me and took me for a ride throughout the story.
Lastly, I appreciated the light shine on mental health, the need for support, for facing past trauma safely but also allowing time for natural pace of healing. I thought the author did a fantastic weaving of the theme without stigmatizing the issues.
Now, for the not so good:
I felt like there was a LOT of extra detail, like explosive-range of minute descriptions that didn’t really add in anyway to the story. The overall plot/characters/story was so enticing I stayed up way too late reading it most nights, completely disrespecting myself for sleep & the next days work shift, but at the same time found myself skimming through/over paragraphs which were just lengthy shades of painting a visualization that I didn’t want nor need. But with that said, maybe many readers want or even need that kind of extra so who am I to say it’s “bad”, it’s just not MY style.
I did not like Daniel. I kind of hoped Julian would turn out to be secretly older and sweep Glimmer away in a fun wild romantic unexpected parlay. I was pretty disappointed that Daniel got away with his neediness, moodiness, and borderline aggressive behaviors. I kept hoping she’d kick him to the curb or he’d grow up.
I also did not like Rousseau, and I felt Glimmer spoke and thought way too highly of him. I would have expected way more mistrust.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2022
It's taken a few decades, but finally we are seeing new kinds of stories, tales that don't simply repeat the familiar narratives that manage to turn all relationships into a competition ending in doom. Kim Stanley Robinson neatly summed up the problem with dystopias in a recent interview: “it doesn't serve as a warning, it doesn't make you change your behavior.” We need new narrative models, ones that expand the possibilities about how to live. Marge Kellogg has given us a wonderful one.
Glimmer is not a utopian story, however. It is, after all, about life in a drowned New York. But the ruins provide a stage for experiment, a chance to imagine new social and economic relations. The city has become a place where it is simply not possible for anyone to dream of making it on their own. People drift together, share skills and knowledge, and these improvisations weave them into relationships unlike any they have ever known. It's almost a kind of bildingsroman, except this story traces the birth and growth of communities, based on new kinds of kinship. These “dens,” as they are called, are not at all the same: each coalesces around different structuring ideas, some of which are less than pretty. All, however, register in one way of another the need for, and challenges of, working cooperatively.
The many details of world building that slow the pace will delight or frustrate some readers, but there's no lack of page turning chills and thrills as you follow these intrepid, inventive survivors trying to figure out how to build and sustain the fragile interstices that hold people together. There's much insight about how to manage vulnerability in the face of the unknown without shutting down. It's a real treat in these times – and a real challenge – to be invited to hope.
Glimmer is not a utopian story, however. It is, after all, about life in a drowned New York. But the ruins provide a stage for experiment, a chance to imagine new social and economic relations. The city has become a place where it is simply not possible for anyone to dream of making it on their own. People drift together, share skills and knowledge, and these improvisations weave them into relationships unlike any they have ever known. It's almost a kind of bildingsroman, except this story traces the birth and growth of communities, based on new kinds of kinship. These “dens,” as they are called, are not at all the same: each coalesces around different structuring ideas, some of which are less than pretty. All, however, register in one way of another the need for, and challenges of, working cooperatively.
The many details of world building that slow the pace will delight or frustrate some readers, but there's no lack of page turning chills and thrills as you follow these intrepid, inventive survivors trying to figure out how to build and sustain the fragile interstices that hold people together. There's much insight about how to manage vulnerability in the face of the unknown without shutting down. It's a real treat in these times – and a real challenge – to be invited to hope.
January 10, 2025
Idea? 5/5
Relevance of subject in today's world? 5/5
Execution? Um...
I really, really wanted to like this book. Most dystopian novels I've read either barely touch on how humanity screwed up the earth, or are way too far into the future/tech age for us to know how it got to that point other than generalized guessing. Because of this, I went into this book expecting to read real-time descriptions of what a major climate crisis and government collapse would possibly look like, and how the citizens might deal with it. Instead, I got a slow, trudging, runaround story that doesn't really have a plot, ending, or substance. The only reasoned I finished this book is because I kept hoping it would get better.
A personal summary? The world is on the brink of collapse. How/why/when/where? From scattered passages, a bunch of superstorms flooded the coasts...somewhere at some point. Some kind of weather changes shorted food. Epidemics broke out--details on what kind and how devastating are vague other than their existence. I guess only North America still exists because (to my knowledge) barely any other world governments are mentioned. Meanwhile, a traumatized 20-something walks/boats around flooded Manhattan fighting amnesia and looking for supplies to scavenge for her "den." Gangs fight. Storms flood more buildings. Girl falls in love with a random rich con man after miraculously processing all trauma over the course of one night. More gangs fight. There are boats.
All in all, I was sadly disappointed in this book. The story is choppy, slow, and never delivers any kind of answer or explanation as to why these people/events are important other than "it's about climate change."
That being said, everyone gets something different out of every novel, and I hope to God someone got more out of this than me.
Relevance of subject in today's world? 5/5
Execution? Um...
I really, really wanted to like this book. Most dystopian novels I've read either barely touch on how humanity screwed up the earth, or are way too far into the future/tech age for us to know how it got to that point other than generalized guessing. Because of this, I went into this book expecting to read real-time descriptions of what a major climate crisis and government collapse would possibly look like, and how the citizens might deal with it. Instead, I got a slow, trudging, runaround story that doesn't really have a plot, ending, or substance. The only reasoned I finished this book is because I kept hoping it would get better.
A personal summary? The world is on the brink of collapse. How/why/when/where? From scattered passages, a bunch of superstorms flooded the coasts...somewhere at some point. Some kind of weather changes shorted food. Epidemics broke out--details on what kind and how devastating are vague other than their existence. I guess only North America still exists because (to my knowledge) barely any other world governments are mentioned. Meanwhile, a traumatized 20-something walks/boats around flooded Manhattan fighting amnesia and looking for supplies to scavenge for her "den." Gangs fight. Storms flood more buildings. Girl falls in love with a random rich con man after miraculously processing all trauma over the course of one night. More gangs fight. There are boats.
All in all, I was sadly disappointed in this book. The story is choppy, slow, and never delivers any kind of answer or explanation as to why these people/events are important other than "it's about climate change."
That being said, everyone gets something different out of every novel, and I hope to God someone got more out of this than me.
November 16, 2021
Glimmer by Marjorie B Kellogg is a recommended character driven climate science fiction novel set in NYC in 2110.
Rising sea levels, superstorms, and a changing climate have left much of the city wrecked and/or flooded. Those who could fled the city. The survivors left behind have banded into their own social support structures called dens. Members of the dens live on the upper floors of buildings and work together to find supplies and food, while protecting each other. Glimmer, a name she gave herself after she lost her memory, is a young woman living in this dystopian future. She is part of one of the oldest dens, Unca Joe, and has her friends and support system there. It is an unpredictable life, but every now and then Glimmer senses that she recognizes something from before. But when it seems that another group is planning some attack against her den perhaps she does need to consider a change.
This is a character driven novel above all else and it succeeds in that regard as the characters are fully realized and placed into this dystopian future. They are not, however, relatable or very engaging. The world building is very good also. However, it is also a very slow, tedious, even paced novel that takes a certain amount of determination to continue reading. I started and stopped this novel three times before I made myself finish it. In the end it is okay, but there have been better cli-sci-fi novels with quicker paces that will provide the same message.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of DAW.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/1...
Rising sea levels, superstorms, and a changing climate have left much of the city wrecked and/or flooded. Those who could fled the city. The survivors left behind have banded into their own social support structures called dens. Members of the dens live on the upper floors of buildings and work together to find supplies and food, while protecting each other. Glimmer, a name she gave herself after she lost her memory, is a young woman living in this dystopian future. She is part of one of the oldest dens, Unca Joe, and has her friends and support system there. It is an unpredictable life, but every now and then Glimmer senses that she recognizes something from before. But when it seems that another group is planning some attack against her den perhaps she does need to consider a change.
This is a character driven novel above all else and it succeeds in that regard as the characters are fully realized and placed into this dystopian future. They are not, however, relatable or very engaging. The world building is very good also. However, it is also a very slow, tedious, even paced novel that takes a certain amount of determination to continue reading. I started and stopped this novel three times before I made myself finish it. In the end it is okay, but there have been better cli-sci-fi novels with quicker paces that will provide the same message.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of DAW.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/1...
December 13, 2021
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. The main character was interesting and likeable and the author does a good job of making the side characters realistic, flawed, and still relatable. I also really liked the world building. It felt like a fairly plausible depiction of what NYC would be like after a climate crisis. The author did a particularly good job of allowing the reader to discover the world naturally and without exposition as the main character travels within it. The book also kept me hooked as a I read it and was very entertaining.
I only have two criticisms of the book. I didn't like the love interest subplot. It felt a bit unnecessary and I don't think the relationship was well developed. Second,
I only have two criticisms of the book. I didn't like the love interest subplot. It felt a bit unnecessary and I don't think the relationship was well developed. Second,
June 27, 2022
This was actually a very good apocalyptic read but I almost gave up at the start because of the horrible first narration (I CANNOT STAND IT-just because the main character is a street rat does not mean we need to dumb down our brains in order to decipher the gibberish slang and the lack of actual proper writing). Yet, I did love the wet sloshy grim world and the pace got dull.
I would've given this 3 stars solely for the creative plot but the romance in the second half of the book sealed this book to a solid 4 stars. A REALISTIC RELATIONSHIP?? ( you don't get much of that around here). I love how there was no instant connections and breezy sense of rightness with ur partner-their relationship was messy and uncertain but so so sweet at the same time.
Waiting for a possible second book.
I would've given this 3 stars solely for the creative plot but the romance in the second half of the book sealed this book to a solid 4 stars. A REALISTIC RELATIONSHIP?? ( you don't get much of that around here). I love how there was no instant connections and breezy sense of rightness with ur partner-their relationship was messy and uncertain but so so sweet at the same time.
Waiting for a possible second book.
April 24, 2022
For a book I found in the new section of my Library and didn't know much else about it was a really good book. It's New York in the 2080's. Lots of Various Superstorms and global warming have wrecked most of New York. Various groups survive in the lower parts of town barely getting by. Then things get worse. Bigger storms, more flooding, more violent gangs, forces the survivors to try to flee for safety.
Lots of action, great characters, the ending was interesting and leaves more for more.
Lots of action, great characters, the ending was interesting and leaves more for more.
September 2, 2022
Let's keep this short but sweet. Overall I really enjoyed this post-apocalyptic thriller and it hit all of the marks for me, by the end. I point out specifically needing to push to the end because the beginning was slow and a bit tough to hook into, as others have said. My desire to see where the plot was headed paid off as characters were very well developed and extremely intricate details painted my mind with 2110 Manhattan at its worst. It read a bit young but was well enough to make me add the author to my list!
December 9, 2021
Many, many pages. M. B. Kellogg asks us reader to invest in her story and her character, Glimmer ( Lizzy) for a majority of this tale. I could not. It did not focus on the other dens that where stuck in the low parts of N.Y. city. The "Stormies" new leader tweaked my interest but was never explored, shame. Enjoyed the character of Glimmer but she was just too angry all the time. Good story but for this reader it just did not sink its' teeth in. Just me. Later. Keep Reading.
abandoned
December 1, 2021I gave up on this book pretty quickly -- not because it offended me in any way, but just because it didn't really call to me. More than one plot thread might have helped draw me in. Still, rejected without prejudice -- maybe I'll get back to it someday. In the meantime, no real opinion, so no rating.
June 20, 2024
Love, love, LOVE the concept of this book! I got so attached to the characters and I wish we could get a clearer origin story on all of them. Although said, I give 4 stars simply because I thought the beginning was a little to long to my taste.... in other words it wasn't fast paved enough for me. But highly recommend it regardless!!!
November 5, 2021
Interesting NYC post-apocalyptic Novel
I enjoyed the premise of this novel. NYC left to its own devices during sea-level rise. It had a little bit of everything, focused on one young lady.
I enjoyed the premise of this novel. NYC left to its own devices during sea-level rise. It had a little bit of everything, focused on one young lady.
April 27, 2022
An excellent read, as Kellogg portrays a Manhattan Island damaged and despairing because of the brutal effects of climate change. Is there a glimmer of hope in this strange, new world? A novel for our times.
April 1, 2023
Good enough, but it felt like if read it before. Sorry if a coming if age in a post calamity works. In this case the calamity if climate change and the world is new York. The characters and world building were fine, it just didn't bring enough new to the story.
April 4, 2024
This is not my usual genre, but the climate-change-induced flooded future NYC hooked me, as did the character of Glimmer and her den friends. Compelling character and story arcs. Lots to think about here…this one will stick with me for a while!
March 9, 2022
An interesting premise. I didn't really get attached to any of the characters, so the book wasn't able to completely grab me.
March 11, 2022
Reviewed for a writers after dark
May 2, 2022
Wonderful characters, devastatingly prescient portrait of NYC after a climate change apocalypse. Read it!
May 23, 2022
Superb climate fiction! Wonderful character development -and an extraordinary view of an all too possible future. A must read.
June 21, 2022
Glimmer is fascinating. It allows the reader to experience the emotions elicited by climate change, and, at the same time, the book is carefully based on the science.
April 13, 2023
Another of the post-disaster novels I love to read. This one has many of the usual elements but also has twists of its own. Worth the time I spent reading.
February 1, 2024
Libby library book. Read Kindle book using Alexa audio asset.EOTWAWKI. global warming hits hards after 2100 plus in time next century. good tale that starts a bit slowly.
March 16, 2024
Really enjoyed this drowned New York City post-apocalyptic story. It had an engaging voice and a lot happening.
November 27, 2025
Absolute dog poop. Not worth the time or the energy. Felt like half of the book was sentences describing where specifically in New York each scene takes place. Boo.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews