Review: Glitter by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Glitter
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Series: Glitter Duology #1
Publication: October 25th 2016 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult ~ Science Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Play | Kobo
Rating: 5/5

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel—Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life.

Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.
When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.
Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.
But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

Glitter was such a fantastic read! It actually took me by surprise how much I enjoyed reading it. Wings was always my favorite book by Aprilynne Pike but I thought that Glitter was even better and that says a lot.

This book was set in the 22nd century but takes place at the palace of Versailles, which is now a country on its very own. Everyone at Versailles still wears the clothing, hair, make-up from back in the day with some futuristic differences like M. A. R. I. E. the artificial intelligence and bots in the place of servants. There's also the king who rules Versailles. And the heroine of the story, Danica, is engaged to him.

This was one of those stories that I had a hard time putting down. I loved the setting of Versailles in the future where everyone still acts like it's the past of Versailles glory days. Basically this story just sucked me in right away.

I loved reading about Danica. Even when she had to resort to drug dealing at court to earn enough money to get away from her fiance, the king. The decisions she had to make might have not all been totally right, but I do get why she had to do these things. It definitely makes her not a typical heroine.

The romance between her and Saber, guy from outside of Versailles, was really well-written. Danica was attracted to him from the moment she laid her eyes on him and this was okay because in the end it was a slowburn romance, in my opinion. And I adored Saber, I really did. I was also surprised by his backstory, which made me even more invested in his character.

There were plenty of surprising twists throughout the story as is usual with a story that takes place at a court. But damn... I really hadn't seen the end of the book coming at all. It was definitely a shocker, that's for sure!

Overall, Glitter by Aprilynne Pike was a perfect blend of life at Versailles with its intiguing royal court and a futuristic world. It was a unique story about an anti-heroine who just wants to get away and be free that I haven't really encountered in any other books I've read. I loved it and I definitely can't wait for the second and final book. 

       About the Author:

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Aprilynne Pike is a critically acclaimed, #1 New York Times best-selling author of young adult fiction. 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 running; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne lives in Arizona with her husband and their four children.