Glimpse (Paula Wiseman Books)

I have found myself falling head over heels in love and exceptionally addicted to novels in verse lately. I've had Glimpse on my wish list for quite some time and finally bought it. The synopsis appealed to me and Carol Lynch Williams has delivered such a powerful, emotional, and incredibly engaging novel. We learn that Hope's life isn't that wonderful but it hasn't been all that bad either. Having her sister Lizzie to connect and bond with over the years has really made a huge impact in her life. Everything was as good as could possibly be until the day that Hope walked into the room, looking at Lizzie holding a gun to her head and about to take her life. Instantly, the plot has become enthralling. Lizzie is taken away and committed for her act that she could not perform. Hope has no clue as to what led her to that point. She thought they were so close. They still are. So what happened? What would make Lizzie want to take her own life? She had a secret diary stashed away. Are the answers in there? The doctor believes so but Hope believes it needs to be kept private. Their mother? She's quite a different story. It's just their mother who takes care of them. The mother that supports them. The mother who now demands answers as she continues on with her frivolous lifestyle. As Hope slowly starts to wonder what has happened in the past that must have been covered up, she slowly and unknowingly gets dragged into it all. Talking to the doctor and realizing that she should do the right thing, the thing that might uncover the secrets, the thing that might make Lizzie come back home, is the thing that will lead to the ghastly truth.

I have come to really love verse novels. This one is no exception. Carol Lynch Williams takes on some very tough issues in this book, and does it in a way that will make you want to protect Hope until the very end.Hope and Lizzie aren't just sisters, they are best friends. When Hope finds Lizzie with a gun to her head there lives are changed forever.The tragic events in this story are pretty easy to unravel from very early on, but because of the age of the narrator, Hope, it takes a while for things to unfold in the story. In some cases I would find this very annoying, but it wasn't. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time waiting for Hope to figure it out, and waiting to see how she would react. I was able to relate to Hope's confusion and guilt when it came to her sister. I have an older sister myself, and when I was a teenager she tried to kill herself. So I could understand all of Hope's feelings on that issue.Williams' writing was very good. The story was told at a pace that made it unable to put down. The Southern atmosphere of the story made it feel like it could be happening in my backyard. It was all very beautiful, even though the content was hard.All in all, this was a great read. It was fast, it took me maybe 2 hours to read it. And you will be thinking about it for days afterward. Read it!

Great read, very quick. Good introduction for a teen so they can get to know some of the dangers of human trafficking. Will recommend for daughters/sisters/family/and friends!

I picked up this book after a presenter recommended it at the WIFYR Writer's conference. I seriously COULD NOT put it down! This is one of those stories that will stay with you the rest of your life.

I first heard about Glimpse when it was reviewed in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy as a challenging book to read since it is written as a poem.The author creatively unfolded the story bit by bit drawing the reader deeper and deeper into the lives of the young characters. Glimpse is a dark and sad story/poem that provides insight into the life of one dysfunctional family. Because of the unique style of story telling, it should be considered for the Newbery Award.

This isn't cheery. This isn't funny. It's sad, really, but I couldn't stop reading it. Similar to Ellen Hopkins, very well written. Quick read.

It was an interesting read but the writing style could only keep my attention for so long. I wasn't hooked and found myself skipping ahead of some of the narrative to focus on the storyline.

I didn't even end up reading this book before handing it off to a used book store. It's just too much of a teen book for me.

This book, to put it simply, is breathtaking. I couldn't believe the depth and emotions running through this book.When I see a book with an interesting writing style like this, I tend to think two things right off the bat. One, that I definitely want to read it because I love interesting writing styles. Two, that it'll have to be done really well to get a good story out of so few works.This book was done really well. I was hooked from the start. Read it in one sitting, and couldn't put it down.This story is told beautifully, and it's emotional and heartbreaking, and written in such an effortless way.As I started reading, I knew this book was going to get a high rating for me. By the time I finished it, I was convinced that it would make it onto my top ten books of the year. It's going to take a lot of good books to knock this one out of the running for a place in my top ten.I thought that Hope's voice in this was perfect. As she struggled to figure out why her sister had suddenly changed so much, you couldn't help but feel for her.I've always liked books with a main character who has to face issues, and one of the things I look for in books like that, is if the character feels believeable, and Hope did. She was written really well, and there wasn't one moment when my attention was taken away, or where I started wondering if the book was really believable.The writing style in this book captured my attention, and the beautifully written story held it from start to finish.For me, this is a must read. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet read it.

I got this book for my 14 year old daughter who loves to read.She opened it up and found the text really different as it was like a poem style read.She really enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

Book looked used