Review: “Glitter” by Aprilynne Pike

We review “Glitter”, the new novel from Aprilynne Pike, author of the best-selling “Wings” series.

Glitter isn’t the sort of YA novel that has magic, or dragons, or human beings who’ve evolved to the point where they can create fire with the power of their minds. Yes, Aprillynne Pike’s latest novel features the sort of technological wizardry and extremely talented robots that are basically standard in the YA genre these days. But, at its heart it’s still a very human story about fear, greed, and the dangerous consequences we’re willing to live with to achieve our own goals.

Glitter tells the story of Danica, a young girl who lives in the palace of Versailles. Just…not as we know it. Bought by an extremely successful corporation, Sonoman-Versailles is now basically a living costume drama. It’s a lavish recreation of an eighteenth-century court, complete with period dress and a ruling monarchy, all backed by the best in technology. After witnessing an act of murder by the king, Dani’s mother makes a cruel play for power, forcing the young monarch to agree to make her daughter queen in exchange for keeping his secret.

Dani, desperate for a way to escape this fate, looks for a way to fund her escape plan. Enter Glitter, a drug so powerful a tiny pinch mixed into makeup can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Dani decides that a brief stint as a high-end drug dealer is the only way she’ll ever be able to fund her freedom and escape her unwanted marriage.

It is not a perfect book, but it’s a very fun, fast read and I’m looking forward to seeing where Pike takes these characters and this story in future.

Glitter’s Setting is a Real Selling Point

The world of Sonoman-Versailles feels familiar to us, because we all know the story of Marie Antoinette, and other famous French courts of history. We can easily visualize what this world must look like. The mix of historical and science fiction touches is well done, from the beautiful gowns to the faceless robots that help the women put them on. The residents of this new Versailles recreate the actions and social structure of a bygone era, all while constantly being watched by an all-seeing AI system. Business espionage and corporate takeovers replace rules of succession and beheading by guillotine, by are presented as being just as dangerous. It’s a fascinating world – just close enough to ours to be recognizable, but alien enough to feel pretty disturbing at the same time.

Plus, in a genre that so often produces dark, grim, dystopian settings, the opulent and flashy world of Glitter is a breath of fresh air. From beautiful balls and fancy dresses, to social scheming and gossip – the setting is just so much fun. Sure, the sparkling dazzle of the world of Sonoman-Versailles covers up plenty of dark and dangerous behavior, but it sure is a pretty way to re-imagine the sort of modern technological dystopia that tends to fill books like this.

Dani is a Very Complicated Sort of Heroine

It’s easy to sympathize with Dani’s struggle in Glitter. After all, she’s trapped in a relationship she doesn’t want and is being thrust into a role she never asked for. She is a girl who never even dreamed of being a queen; she really just wanted to be a computer programmer. And her goal is a simple one: All she wants is her freedom.

But Dani is hardly a role model. She is selfish, she is self-interested, she is bossy, and she is cruel. She is wiling to manipulate her family and friends to get what she wants. And Dani is frequently very, very unlikable. That she is smart, brave and interesting are also things that are true. But, they don’t erase the fact that Dani is a heroine who spends most of her story doing things that are decidedly un-heroic.

A lot of readers are going to absolutely hate her.

After all, the entire premise of her escape plan is based on hooking her unwitting friends and neighbors on a highly addictive substance. And then she makes them pay her to acquire it! It’s kind of hard to cheer that kind of behavior on, especially when we all see firsthand the damage that using Glitter has done to her own father. It’s also difficult to understand why she doesn’t just come forward with what she knows of the king’s crimes. It feels as though there are other ways she could get out of her marriage than selling drugs.

Yet, despite all her flaws, Dani is still a compelling character. We care about whether or not her plan will be successful. And even though we know that what she is doing is pretty terrible, we still kind of want her to get away with it. Because she’s a character you can relate to, whether you want to cheer for her or throttle her. Her desires are very human. And her reactions to an increasingly dangerous situation feel real.

The Love Story Needs Some Work Though

This is a YA novel, so it’s a given there will be a romantic subplot. On the plus side, there’s no love triangle in Glitter (yay!). On the down side, the love story here didn’t entirely work for me.

As such things happen, Dani meets a boy while she’s learning the drug trade. For the first half of the novel, would-be boyfriend Saber is just kind of there. His one job appears to be to serve as a lust object. Dani spends a lot of time thinking about how attractive he is, and lamenting how difficult it is to breathe around him. That kind of thing. But we’re not really given a reason why either of these two people would like each other. Beyond the insane physical chemistry, of course.

Things do improve once we get to know Saber a bit more. He has his own reasons for his involvement in the drug trade. His backstory is a surprising one, and it sort of makes some of his earlier behavior make sense. Furthermore, Saber offers an important counter-perspective to Dani’s and serves as an essential check (or at least commentary) on some of her worst behavior. It’s not clear how this relationship will find a way forward at the end of the novel. But here’s hoping that the second act of this romance will be better than its first.

Final Thoughts

The ending of Glitter virtually guarantees that a sequel is coming. And I’m looking forward to seeing where the story takes Dani and her friends after this seemingly game-changing ending.

I’m hoping a sequel might take us outside the walls of Sonoman-Versailles more frequently. I’d like to see more of what the “modern” world thinks of these people who’ve voluntarily chosen to live in what is essentially 18th century cosplay. More insight in to some of the series’ secondary characters like Lord Aaron or Lady Nuala would also be nice. And I want to see more of Dani struggling with the person that she has become. How does she come back from these choices? That’s what I’m curious about.

Next: Review: The Rift Uprising by Amy S. Foster

Glitter isn’t perfect, but I’m excited to see more of this fictional world. Bring on the next chapter.