It's alright, overall. It has some pacing issues, execution of plot could have been better and there were definitely things that could have been done better. However, it is an interesting start to a series and could possibly lead to better sequels in this series.

Sorry that I'm not leaving a review for this book online. I had a hard time getting into the characters and story line, until almost the very end, and I'm not sure why. Maybe a little more description would help? But thank you for the opportunity to read the book.

Potency
I have a lot of unanswered questions. Though the premise is amazing, and the idea of this alien world is great there were a few things that weren’t for me.

I’m going to review this in list format..

Con:
Pacing
World Complexity vs Explanation
Mom, sister and father storyline.
Length
A Follower not a leader.
“Cool Kid” Dialogue
Execution

Pro:
Great Start
Diverse Characters
Cover Art
Aliens
Premise
Super Powers
Character Names




Glow: Book I, Potency by Aubrey Hadley
#Glow #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Ruby & Topaz Publishing for an ARC of this book! Release date - July 16, 2019.

So when I started reading this book I thought I was way behind with my ARC and it had already been published. Goodreads had even sent me an email saying that this book I had on my to read list was now available. Come to find out publication has apparently been pushed back to July, and I assume it's because this book is getting super low ratings. So now I'm really invested in what's going to happen with it, and while I'm definitely not going to read the finished version having already read the ARC, I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye on reviews when it is ACTUALLY published. Because I really think if they work on a few issues and cut down some of the length and pointless filler, this could be a REALLY good book. I'm actually pretty confident I'll read the second one whenever it comes out.

This book doesn't seem to be very well written. Like the premise is GREAT, the storyline is actually quite good, and the characters are likable and memorable. But the dialogue is really weird. No one really talks like this. And it seems to be written in a very juvenile way, very choppy and simplistic, but then curse words are thrown in. I'm just not sure what age group it was supposed to be marketed to. I think it would do well as a YA book with a little less of the language.

Like I said though, the premise is really great. The beginning had a great creep factor, and then as the story progresses the world building is so well-imagined. The story kept me wondering what would happen next, and I really felt attached to the characters. The book is just SO LONG that it took me FOREVER to get through. That's a big constructive criticism I'd have if they're still working on the finished version....cut down the filler. A lot of the middle reminded me of The Lord of Opium, a book I gave 2 stars to. Not that the stories or characters are alike in any way, but the similarity is that this book and that one were SO focused on the world-building that it was mostly just characters wandering around learning things and very little plot progression. But I liked the world and the characters in this one a lot and really care what happens to them. I assume and really hope that the finished version of this book will be better and that it's even more likely that later books will be even better.

Theres something really good here, I really feel it. The ending actually had me excited to keep reading to know what happens next. I like these characters, I like this world, and I really like the direction it's going. I hope the author and the editors clean this up a bit, I hope the finished version does well, and I hope the next books, which I definitely want to read, are great.

1.5 stars - I'm a sucker for a good sci-fi book because I love the literary journey into a different world. However, this was not one of those books or experiences. The one, truly good part of this book was the message it relayed about the evils of humanity (including genocide, wars, terrorism, mass extinction, rape, racism, pollution, etc) and the impact we have on our planet, and eventually, in the end, working together with unlikely allies for the greater good. Besides that, I was really disappointed with this book.

The first 20% of the story showcased a decent introduction to a promising build-up of the sci-fi/extraterrestrial plot. Harper was a decent narrator and I was somewhat invested in the story, trying to get through it as quickly as possible to get to the big reveal. Well, the big revelation happens and that's all great but then....nothing really happens after that until you hit about 85% completion of the story. It's just the same old stuff happening over and over again, surrounded by fluff in between about 30% and 80% of the book. I mean honestly, there was WAY too much filler dialogue, random things that happened that were basically "Who cares?!" scenarios with introductions to a lot of random characters with no substance, thrown in too late into the story for me to care. There were points where I was really confused and was wondering if this had turned into an anthology. You forget that they’re aliens/hybrids and then some description will be randomly thrown in there to make you remember that you’re reading about extraterrestrials.

I got to about 40% of the way through and then had to skim the pages the rest of the way to find something that captured my interest. This book was too long for what it was. It could easily be half the length with tighter dialogue and fewer characters. There were also a lot of random details that could be cut. One I had to take note of because I couldn't stop myself from venting my frustrations out loud was the fact that we, as readers, don't need to know when or how Harper pees when she's among the aliens. Really. We don't need to know. We also don't need to know that a hole opens up on the ground that acts as a toilet/bidet. It adds nothing to the story or my reading experience except utter annoyance that a description of bodily functions took up 3 pages of this book, for what reason I don’t know.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ruby & Topaz Publishing for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
​
​Pros:
- Wild, wild read--for the first half. I was intrigued at first by the Maasai Mara Sleeping Syndrome, and I found the book reminiscent of Contagion.
- Harper's family tensions added dimension to the story, and I appreciate Harper's love for Olivia, her younger sister. I am sibling-less myself but their interactions seemed sweet.
- I thought I was reading a survival story, where Harper would have to race to find a cure or save her family, but pretty soon everything took a massive turn.
- I might just be an oblivious reader, but I was so surprised by the plot twist.
- So, so surprised. My shock carried me through my slight indignation at not receiving a sci-fi plague story, because I was so interested in the new aspects.
- I don't want to spoil too many things, but the last line of the synopsis does say it, so...
- Worldbuilding! Harper visits some new places and meets new people (species?)
- Harper met new friends and I liked them very much. Jacqueline and Adam rounded out our trio of heroes, and I look forward to seeing them in the next book.
- There was clearly so much thought put into this new world, and it was SO original and well done, but...
- The devil is in the details. Which brings us to our cons.

Cons:
- My main problem with the story was information overload.
- Potency is SO LONG, and there's so much detail and exposition involved in every scene that I quickly forgot details which should have been relevant.
- The other issue with the length of the book is it begins to be repetitive. The middle section is where I lost interest for a while, because there just weren't a lot of new actions, people, or places introduced.
- Sometimes there didn't seem to be a tangible threat from anything except Harper and the gang being caught, which disappointed me because I love the Big Bad to be real and scary, not just a concept. This is more of a me thing, though.
- Harper... became less interesting as the book progressed? It could have been my brain on information overload, but I stopped noticing moments of growth around halfway through.

Overall:
A fun read as long as you have time for a commitment and are ready to process the worldbuilding. 3/5 stars for the story and creativity, docking 2 for the length and repetition. I would read the second book in the series, but I know where to put my expectations for the time commitment after having read Potency.

Not my cup of tea.

This is an interesting book: the first several chapters outline a typical teenage girl with the frightening experience of seeing a ghost in the desert. There is also medical drama (my favorite kind) as a mysterious and deadly disease takes over her neighborhood. Sounds intriguing!

But then we realize that this is a story about aliens...and climate change...and how the aliens determine that humanity isn’t good for Earth and that they must eliminate the (human) problem. I think what turned me off most was their explanation that “God” is merely a superstition by less advanced life forms.

Sorry, not my favorite. I am unapologetically very much Christian and don’t like that narrative. So the book itself is well written and intriguing (if a bit predictable), but only if you don’t mind a very secular worldview.

PG-13 for language
—no real violence (though there is death)
—no sex (at least in the first 1/3 of the book)
—prominent language (several instances, including “s—-, b—-, f—-, d—-.”

This ebook was offered to me free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My views are my own.

Firstly, let’s take a moment to notice the beautiful cover. It’s quite stunning; I love the double exposure.

But about the content.
Okay, I’ll be honest. DNF at 23%. The book is 620 pages and I was already bored by 10%. I kept telling myself that maybe it would get better, but it was pretty consistent. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are some people who will enjoy this book. It just wasn’t for me.

The characters were rather pale. Harper didn’t have very much strength. She went with the flow and didn’t really do anything remarkable. I also wonder if her mom’s strictness was a touch overdone. As for Max, he creeped me out and I was not impressed by his excessive use of swear words.

I think what really got me, though, was the plot. Things moved like molasses in January and I there were a lot of scenes that could have been shortened or entirely cut out. The writing did not pique my interest either. “My stomach lurched in that way it did when something really annoying happened. Like stepping on dog crap in new shoes.” I don’t know, I’m not a huge fan of that one. :P

So, unfortunately, I do not recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You know, I am a big fan of invasion lit, sure some books are not so great, but at least they have the action in them to at least keep the story exciting and, unfortunately, Potency is no such novel. I honestly fully expected to love this novel by the synopsis, and the opening chapters of the novel, the tension, and mystery built up in those opening chapters in incredibly riveting, the characterization. The family dynamics are relatable as Harper and her mother fight constantly and she and her brother do not seem to get along either. Classic favoritism, really, but they are realistic and work well for the story.

However, once the aliens come and grab her and reveal a big part of her identity to her, the novel slows down incredibly. It is simple; the novel is too long. At 620 pages, my goodness, it was long, and I have no problem with long books, but the problem with this novel being so long is the fact that it becomes all about information, it becomes all about what Harper has to learn. There is so much detail, and so much exposition that it makes the novel boring, it makes it completely uninteresting. When it comes to world-building, I can understand where the author is coming from, Hadley wants the reader to know the world, this world that Harper is discovering at the same time as the reader. However, there is so much of it that it becomes repetitive, and most of it is not essential. These are all elements that can be explored as they become necessary to the story; not everything has to be unloaded on the reader all at once; all it does is drag the story down.

This is also about the same time that Harper becomes boring. It goes towards the exposition. If you are a fan of so much exposition, then this is the book for you, but if you are expecting the typical alien invasion lit, then this is not going to fill any of those expectations. To be blunt, it was just dull, not much happened and the character growth was just as limited since most of the story is about Harper understanding this new world that she is in.

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 the 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.

Arwen Evenstar

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

I really enjoyed Potency. It was not at all what I expected based off the synopsis of the novel, but I decided to stick with it and see where it led. Harper initially appears as your typical teenaged girl - an athlete, a bit of an attitude, rebellious against mom's rules... we soon learn there is so much more to Harper than even she knows. I enjoyed reading about Harper adjusting to the news of being a hybrid and what the ancients were. The sad reality of the levelings that the newly changed hybrids went through is so realistic to the horrors that mankind inflicts upon each other and other beings. I was truly upset reading the part about Harper seeking the bears being used for their bile. I am a huge animal advocate and also vegan, so even reading it, knowing it wasn't real (but does actually happen) was upsetting to me, but it definitely hit the idea home about why the ancients believed they were in the right. I liked finding out Harpers backstory with her mom, sister Olivia and "brother" Brett. There are still a lot of unanswered questions so I will be curious of since this is titled Glow #1 if there will be a sequel or a series! This book has a post apocalyptic/ sci fi/futuristic vibe to it, so if you enjoy those genres, I recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I loved the cover and the idea of the story. It was a challenge to get into the story for the first almost 1/2 but then it really picked up and enjoyed the ending. It does take a new spin on some of the scifi out there but you must keep going through the back story.

This was a very entertaining read. A bit different to my usual reading genre but a welcome change. I would recommend this book.

I hate to give a bad review, but this definitely was not the book for me. I have read several YA novels and enjoyed them thoroughly but not this one. The writing is choppy and very simplistic - so much so that it is an insult to young readers - as if they could not understand a more advanced writing style. I also could not identify with the main character at all. The book sounds very interesting in the description but, for me, it fails to deliver. I do like the cover though.

Potency by Aubrey Hadley is the Book 1 in the Glow series. It is a science fiction novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Ruby & Topaz Publishing, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:
Harper is just an ordinary teen, being home-schooled by her over-protective mother. Her younger sister and older brother don’t seem to have as many issues with their mom as she does. Harper and her mom are always fighting, resulting in non-stop groundings, and non-stop sneaking out to play soccer with her friends.

When the Mara Sleeping Syndrome returned, Harper ended up in quarantine, while the rest of her family remained free. When her brother attempted to break her out, things got weird. Harper ended up in a different world. A world of Ancients, and Sentinels, Aliens and Hybrids. She will end up doubting everything she ever knew about her life.

My Opinions:
The book is rather fresh, and started out strong, but after a while it dragged. Although the author did an awesome job of showing us her imaginary world, the detailed descriptions just added more length to the book. There wasn’t a lot of action, so it moved slow. The characters were interesting, but not fleshed out as well as they could be.

All that being said, the premise is good, and the story itself was captivating enough that it held your interest.
I do see potential in this series. As well, the cover of this book is simply amazing, and was created by the author. She is a talented designer.

This was a hard one to rate. On the one hand, it had a lot going for it: aliens and alien-human hybrids, quarantine zones, a mysterious illness sweeping the planet, and an utterly mesmerising cover I couldn't stop looking at. On the other hand, this book was long. I mean, really long. So long and meandering that I just lost interest and found myself skimming through most of the second half.

I read a lot of chunksters, but the second half of this book was so uninteresting that the length wasn't justified. It started off so well, too. I have to say I'm thoroughly disappointed.

At first, I liked Harper and sympathised with her harrowing situation. But once she was essentially abducted by aliens and discovered the truth about Earth (something that should have been thrilling) she became pretty flat and less believable in her actions and motivations. This despite how much she described every single thing she did.

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't necessarily a bad read. It has a lot of potential and several great elements I loved, but it just didn't quite do it for me. Maybe if our main character had made a bit more sense, or if the author trimmed down the excess, it would be everything I had hoped it would be. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I did not finish this book. I couldn’t connect with the protagonist whatsoever and unfortunately this didn’t create a good reading atmosphere for me. I would revisit the first chapter to perhaps progressively build tension between the mom and Harper instead of starting off so abruptly. Just a suggestion.

The concept sounded so interesting, however, and the book cover is beautiful.

I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Glow: Book I, Potency” by Aubrey Hadley isn’t a book for me. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy Science Fiction and Young Adult books so this seemed like a great mixture of genres. The cover is undeniably stunning with a simple background with the person and sky being the main focus. Honestly, I expected to love this story, but I write this review disappointed as I'm unsure how to feel or rate this book. I go back and forth between 2 or 3 star rating, and I'll explain my feelings about why in this review.

The plot focuses on a 17 year old girl named Harper who is a part of a family that doesn’t seem to fully understand her in Reno, Nevada. Her mother and her fight constantly, her brother is distant and seems to be mother’s spy, and her little sister is her only ally in the family. After some time, a mysterious illness called the Maasai Mara Sleeping Syndrome is spreading in select areas around the globe. The source of the illness is eventually revealed, and Harper is thrown into a new world outside of her comprehension with new rules to abide by. There are truths revealed and lies being told by many different species and individuals. The plot as a whole sounded exciting and was a reason I wanted to read. The beginning on Earth was super interesting and the part of the book I think was the best as I was drawn into the story and characters the most but the execution of the plot got bumpy the further I read.

One of the biggest hurdles is how much information there was in this story. This story could have been much shorter than the whopping 699 pages that it is. I understand that Ms. Hadley trying to emphasize that Harper is new to this world of aliens called “Ancients” and the hybrids that she now lives with. Therefore, she writes about a lot of information that a new individual may need to know in order to function in this society successfully, but it’s done in a way where there is information overload. There are so many details about what makes things function, how things are named, what everyone can do, where everyone comes from, and so much more that I was forgetting all of it. Earlier, in the book we learn about how Harper’s appearance has changed once she joins the Hybrid society and is getting questioned about her human features. By the halfway mark, I completely forgot what she looked like as there was so much information about her schedule that she was to follow while in the Hybrid world. Another example of information overload was that all hybrids and Ancients have processors in their fingers and there was a lot of information on how to use them and how they worked. In the end, I basically remembered that you blink and flick your fingers to get them to show images for you. All the extra details would be good if we were making a play or movie, so the actors know how to move or react in certain scenarios and showed off their personalities very well, but all the information just made the story drag on and made me lose interest.

Harper is also a typical character who doesn’t know she’s special but finds out she is, which is fine as I don’t mind that character stereotype in a YA book. I wish she had been just a little smarter. She seems to grab a hold of information easily than others, is super athletic, and makes friends with ease, but doesn’t stick with things that are important to her like talking to her family or refusing to be a part of rituals she hates. When you’re trying to fit into a new society you follow their rules, but she never seems to move forward as a character until later on in the book. If I’m honest the move forward didn’t fit with what I came to expect from her after reading the story for so long. Other readers have found her unlikeable, but I found her character to turn from likeable to uninteresting and gullible. That’s not the kind of character development I expected from a book that is supposed to be a series. Maybe later on she goes through another transformation?

The commentary throughout the book about humans and their behaviors as a whole was interesting to read. Honestly, I see where the Hybrids and Ancients saw that Humans did so much negative actions on Earth and each other. There are labor camps, slaves, forced prostitution, beatings, racism, and many more terrible things humans do to each other. It saddens me that it’s a part of our world, and I was glad that this YA wasn’t afraid to take the story there. I just wish there would have been a tad more focus on the hypocrisy on the Ancients behavior versus Humans versus Hybrids because there was a lot there. We got to read about it but it would have been nice to have more of a discussion and open comparison. Maybe this book will be a book club favorite and there will be some good discussion questions.

Please understand that I’m not saying this book is unenjoyable. I can see people who like a slow-paced book with a lot of world building and explanations about how things work could really enjoy this book. My personal view was that it was too many factors that made me unable to appreciate the story as much as I expected to. If it sounds interesting to you then give it a shot.

This book unfortunately just was not for me. At about 20% in I just couldn't get into it and couldn't wrap my head the way Harper read and the decisions she made, I believe the book could be shorter and assuming from the first 20%, so much of it could be taken out or re-written in a show-more-than-tell way.

*thank you to Netgalley, Aubrey Hadley and Ruby & Topaz Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2.5 stars.

Ok firstly, this is the most GORGEOUS cover I've seen in a while! I mean, just look at it! 5 full stars just for that.

Ok, so the story. It started out interesting enough, but right away I wasnt a fan of Katie and Harper's other friends weren't that great anyway but Katie just annoyed me. But then we have Harper herself and usually I like the main character, but Harper is not somebody I would be friends with and I really didn't care for her either which didn't help how I felt about this story. The idea of this book sounded amazing! So full of potential. I wouldn't say this is a bad book, I can see why some would enjoy it as the story wasn't too bad but I can also see why others haven't liked it. Not enough happens to really grab my attention and run with it. There is no heart pounding excitement or fear or any real emotion. Still, if you are wanting just a light story without all the heavy stuff, then you are probably one of those who will enjoy this.

Thank You again to Aubrey Hadley for allowing me a copy of this book.