Shatter (Glitter #2) by Aprilynne Pike @AprilynnePike @RHCBEducators #bookreview #fantasy
Title: Shatter
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 13, 2018
Page Count: 378
My rating: 4 stars
About the book:
Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the 1700s–this sequel to Glitter by #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike will leave readers shocked!
Danica planned to use beauty, blackmail, and a glittering drug to control her own fate. Her escape from the twisted world of the Palace of Versailles was perfectly orchestrated and paid for. Or so she thought.
Betrayed by the man who had promised her freedom, Dani is now married to the murderous king. It’s a terrifying position to be in . . . and yet it’s oddly intoxicating. Power may be an even stronger drug than Glitter–a drug Dani can’t resist, in the form of secrets, manipulation, and sabotage.
In her new position at the head of the court, Dani must ask herself who she really is. Can she use her newfound power to secure her real love, Saber’s freedom, and a chance at a life together outside the palace? Or is being queen too addictive to give up?
Shatter by Aprilynne Pike is the second book in the young adult fantasy Glitter series. The series is set in a futuristic version of Versailles in which people have modern technology and comforts yet they still live as if it’s the eighteenth century as far as dress and society is concerned.
The main character Danica was being pushed by her mother towards a future as the queen of Versailles but she had other plans of trying to escape. Dani had gone to the extreme measure of secreting dealing a new drug, Glitter, by lacing cosmetics to try to raise the cash to be able to disappear but things had not gone as planned.
Now Dani has been forced to wed the very man she had wanted to run from but still has the backlash of her drug dealing to sort through. As the new queen Dani needs to find a way to not only make her own escape but to secure the freedom of Saber, the man she really loves.
When reading Glitter last year I absolutely fell in love with the creativity of the setting in which this story takes place. Danica however was a character that wasn’t exactly likable in her do whatever it takes to saver herself personality but she was one that was fun to dislike. When I got to the end of that book I was under the impression that it was a standalone and rather liked the way it had ended but learning of a book two I know I wouldn’t be able to resist reading about Dani again.
Now that I’ve read Shatter I actually think the story improved a great deal. The first book was weighed down with clothing descriptions that slowed the pace in my opinion and those have gone away. And now Dani is more a character that you can see some growth from her unlikable ways and had the potential to even become liked.
However even though I enjoyed the second a bit more it seemed the romance between Dani and Saber got ignored a bit. While this installment still didn’t get a full five stars I did actually really enjoy this and was glad it had continued on. Definitely a fun series overall and worth the read just for the imaginative setting.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Find this book online:
Goodreads / Amazon
About the author:
Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne currently lives with her husband and three kids in Utah, and dreams of warmer climates.
Aprilynne Pike’s #1 New York Times best-selling debut, WINGS, is the first of four books about a seemingly ordinary girl with a not-so-ordinary destiny. In this tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever…
Aprilynne’s Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/aprilynnepike
Fantastic Review, Carrie! I wanted to read this one so bad but saw it was part of a series so I behaved! I just LOVE that cover!
Wonderful review Carrie! I decided to try this even though I really disliked Dani in the first book. I’m about halfway through through it and I’m definitely feeling more sympathetic toward her this time.
It’s so good that the character developed and the story got better- so good that it improved so much from the first book! Great review!
Thanks! This was certainly a creative series even with my little complaints. 🙂
I hoped I made sense with my liking to dislike her in my review. LOL Really she wasn’t a lovable character at all but the series was so creative that there was no way I’d pass on the second. 🙂
If you get the chance I’d definitely say give the series a try. This one is so creative that despite my little complaints I still love what the author did with it but you do need to read them in order. 🙂
You’re welcome! Great!
I gave Glitter only 1 1/2 stars and swore I wasn’t going to bother with the sequel, but my curiosity won out. And I’m glad it did because although I’m not quite near the end, this is loads better!😊
I believe I gave it 3.5… I just loved hating on her and cackled like crazy at the end of the book. 🙂
She just annoyed the heck out of me. But here I’m feeling much more empathetic. And I like how the other characters have been more fleshed out as well, even Justin.
There’s a big change in her from book to book although she still has a few selfish moments to remind you of just who she is I suppose. I wouldn’t have minded a bit more of the romance to support the growth in this one but as much as I point out this or that it’s still a series that will stick with me just with the creativity alone. 🙂
Great review! I need to read book 1!
I know this is a series that is hit or miss with people but I think it was a fun idea with a character that I loved hating on. Hopefully you’ll like it it you get to read them. 🙂
It does seem that way, but I think I will enjoy it. 🙂
Even despite my little complaints it’s definitely one that I found fun and memorable. 🙂
I really like those. Not everything can be perfect, but if it entertains you and stays with you afterwards, then I think that is pretty awesome. There are books that are near perfect when it comes to plot and characters and sometimes those are the most forgettable.
Yes, you nailed that exactly. The story and setting in this one are so unique that it’s hard to forget even if you don’t end up liking it. On the other hand I’ve read great books but while I didn’t find anything to pick at or mark my rating down for I start forgetting details immediately. LOL
I’m feeling this with one I’m reading at the moment that was an author request. It has tons of world building and the characters were super fleshed out, but the book is over 500 pages and the plot is so slow that I’m just finding that I’m forgetting everything I read.
Ah yes, sounds like one that would test my patience with a slow pace, some people enjoy those but I need action.
I like a slow pace sometimes, but I have 100 pages to go and I feel like nothing has happened, lol.
Sounds a bit like my experience with Sun Warrior by P.C. Cast. I swear nothing happened in that book but have read others by her and know she’s done better.
Crazy, right? I understand a slow paces helps develop worlds and character personalities, but when it feels like the characters have barely done anything in 400 pages, it gets super boring.
Yes, exactly. That one felt like 500 pages of character development which was putting me to sleep. Cut it down or move it forward, seriously! 🙂
Haha. Exactly. I honestly don’t know if I want to finish the last 100 pages of this one.
That last 100 will probably be where the only action happens though and you’ve already trudged through the rest… LOL
Lol. That is what I am afraid of.
I’ll be curious if anything good does happen now. LOL
I will definitely let you know, lol.