The Glow: Book I – Potency by Aubrey Hadley

★★★★

An intriguing, thought-provoking sci-fi story of alienation and apocalypse

On the surface, Harper Loomis is an ordinary 17-year-old living in Reno, Nevada. She plays soccer with her friends, has difficult relationships with her domineering single mother and older brother, and is close to her younger sister. However, little things set Harper apart – she is homeschooled, is not allowed a cell phone, has very limited internet access, and her overbearing mother notoriously tries to keep her at home as much as possible. Naturally, Harper chafes against this, rebelling against her mother’s control and regularly sneaking out to join her friends.

Meanwhile, a mysterious disease known as the Maasai Mara Sleeping Syndrome is killing thousands of people across the world. Outbreaks in Kenya and in a homeless shelter in New York lend themselves to wild conspiracy theories which Harper hears about from her friends. After she has a frightening encounter with a strange glowing figure in the Nevada desert, the Mara Sleeping Syndrome reaches Reno. Soon Harper finds herself in an even more terrifying situation: alone in her home and unable to escape as her neighbourhood is locked down in quarantine. Could the disease have anything to do with the glowing figure she saw in the desert?

Told in the first person by Harper, Glow: Book I – Potency begins with an interesting if familiar premise that draws in the reader, then upends the plot with a terrific twist that was hinted at early on but nonetheless steers the story in an unexpected direction. Without giving too much away, the story the reader thinks they are going to be told is not the story they end up with, which is a pleasant and welcome surprise. Broader issues of true identity, alienation (in more ways than one), the terrible crimes of humanity, playing God, the wanton destruction of Earth, family relationships, friendship in adversity, and adapting to new worlds all come to the fore as the plot progresses.

The novel’s world-building is both expansive and intricate, painstakingly thought through, and vividly described in long and often minute detail. This can sometimes slow the story down, but is evidence of a wealth of imagination and creativity. Though hopelessness and despair threaten to overwhelm Harper and the other main characters, they all retain a core of wry humour, defiance, resilience and humanity. This underlying note of cautious optimism bodes well for future books in the series.

Jo-Anne Blanco (as Arwen Evenstar) for Breakaway Reviewers

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

©Jo-Anne Blanco 2020