I don't remember why I read this and I can't decide if it was a confusing and bizarre critique of capitalism or just a fever dream, but regardless, it had a lot of potential that it didn't live up to. It definitely isn't "chick lit" as it's categorized on Goodreads. I don't really know what it was. Humor? Science fiction? I think it would have been a cool novella if it skipped the first chapter and just included her kind of losing it. But also I don't really understand what happened and it's just confusing. Also, wtf is the point of Michelle? Or the lightning? Or the kidnapping? Or the factories? I'm just confused. ( )

*I was provided a copy of the book by NetGalley; this did not influence my opinion, and all thoughts are my own.*

Confession time: it had been a few weeks between reading the blurb and picking up the book, so I wasn't sure what to expect. And then I got confused. Was it chick-lit? Humor? A mystery?

Nope. None of these fit, precisely. What it is, really, is subtle satire.

Shelley Stone is an over-the-top, super Type-A CEO who has double-speak and lingo down to a art form - although it more along the lines of a black-velvet clown painting than a Degas. I say this because Shelley is, in a word, intolerable. You will roll-your-eyes, shout at her obliviousness to her kids, her snobbery, and her complete lack of touch with most people's reality - and her business lingo double-speak that sounds like a parody of EVERY obnoxious one-sided business call you've been subjected to in a public place.

She is maddening, and drove me insane. And I think the bottom line to whether you enjoy this book - or not - is IF you can see this as satire and not simply as a bad stereotype of a highly exaggerated type-A millennial. Really, the genius is in how completely absurd Shelley is.

Cohen has, however, wound enough of a mystery in this that she had me turning pages - even as I wanted to smack Shelley. Who was this younger version of Shelley Stone? She couldn't really have been brought her from the past...so was this a trick? And what WAS happening with her project, the Conch? And - lets face it - Shelley really was such an awful person that she really could only improve in character.

So yes, I really hated Shelley at the start - and in the middle - but by the end I had made some peace with her. I've given the book three and a half stars because I honestly still don't know if I loved it, or if it was because she was such a train wreck of a character, or if I just needed to finish it to figure out what the heck was going on.

And that is some genius right there on its own. ( )

Please note that I received this via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

Ugh nope. I thought the premise of this one sounded so good! I loved the idea of a woman (Shelley Stone) meeting a younger version of her self. Maybe she would have a chance to change things up in her life. But nope, this book just floundered a lot for me. Probably because I don't know what this book was trying to be. It didn't make me laugh. There was some weirdness with Shelley and the nanny (like I think Shelley was attracted to her or something, so confused). And Shelley and her husband were odd, and I didn't really get their deal. This whole book made me feel like I had accidentally taking some mind altering drug. I kept saying, so would this be what it's like to read a book while high as hell?

"The Glitch" starts off with Shelley and her family (husband and two kids) on vacation in France. When their young daughter Nova (do not get me started on her full name, that was also weird) goes missing. Shelley is of course freaked, but when a random dude calls her up and says he has her kid, the whole book tips into weirdness central. I still don't get what that whole thing was about. I would have called a cop or whatever the name for a cop is in France. It just seemed like an odd way to hear about Shelley and her client who invented something called the Conch. No, I refuse to explain that to you. I want it out of my head.

The whole book just pings back and forth between Shelley and her hectic life and her meeting the younger version that she denies. I thought this would be more Freaky Friday or like that movie with Michael Keaton, Multiplicity, but nope.



I also didn't really care for Shelley. I don't know what was her deal, but she acted so unaffected by things I started to wonder if Cohen meant her to come across as possibly on the spectrum or what. I just felt baffled. Shelley has note cards on people, she talks to her children like they are peers at times which is odd.

I think that the book leaned too heavily into the sci-fi aspect of things. I just didn't care. Too many things kept happening for me to even figure out what the deal was.

There is zero development with other characters in this book so I wouldn't even bother with hoping there is something here besides Shelley that can intrigue you.

The ending had a forced resolution to me since I didn't believe it at all. ( )

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Review Of
The Glitch A Novel by Elisabeth Cohen

This was a fast read and well written but I was at odds with the main character, I just could not connect with adult Shelley Stone. I did however enjoy young and irresponsible young Shelley Stone. I enjoyed the Silicon Valley references about the whole super-power couple that are partners/co-parents etc. They do not allow their young daughters to play with dolls or wear pink in order to raise power girls. I definitely can appreciate the approach and it is a semi-accurate description of Silicon Valley. The plot of the story was okay, Shelley works for , basically runs Conch, a company that makes a small shell like earpiece that tells you what to do, makes suggestions to enhance your life. Shelley seemed so automated to me as a character that she actually seemed one dimensional. When things start going south for Shelley with Conch I found myself on team Shelley as I did want her to succeed, after all women leaders are important. I was impressed with the authors silicon valley tech talk/buzz words and had to laugh at Shelley's 3:30am routine of working out and getting caught up on emails. In the end it is a book about an overworked couple who are trying to succeed in parenting and their careers.This review was originally posted on My Fiction Obsession ( )

Shelley Stone is certainly a unique character. She’s a very driven career woman. She has a great job, very high up, at a company called Conch. They have created the most of the moment tech accessory. It’s like a smart phone but to the nth degree. It seems like the most cutting edge product on the market.
Shelley’s job is her top priority. This is never more obvious than when her daughter goes missing. She’s on a trip with her husband and two children. Both Shelley and her husband Rafe are on business calls, at the beach. It takes them awhile to even notice their daughter is missing and when they do, Shelley I’d still reluctant to hang up her work call.

Is she an unlikable lead character? Actually, no. She’s not the best mom in the world but she’s a really interesting, amusing character.

One day, Shelley meets a woman that she is sure is actually her younger self. It’s hard to believe but this young woman knows many things that no one else should know.

She thinks maybe it is tied to the twenty year anniversary of the day she was struck by lightning on her 20th birthday. It’s a day that changed the course of Shelley’s life.

I loved the style of writing here. I can’t explain it but there’s something about the writing style that was just beautiful. I thought it was very well written.

By the end of the book, I had no idea where the story could be headed. No idea how it might resolve. It got pretty kooky. But I enjoyed the writing style so much that I was just totally onboard for the ride.

( )