New town, new school, new powers. Learning to navigate two worlds is the least of Ellie’s problems in this thrilling YA sci-fi.
Settling into a new school is stressful enough. 15-year-old Ellie does not need the added pressure of glowing hands.
Ellie is used to starting afresh. With a dad in the military, she’s done it her whole life. Settling into a small town in Massachusetts should have been one more stop along the way, but when Ellie finds that her hands have started to glow on occasion, she has no idea how to navigate that particular hurdle. It soon becomes clear that her mother is keeping a secret that could reveal everything and when Todd, a boy from a neighboring school, passes her a note, Ellie realises that this situation is far bigger than her.
Soon, she and others like her are in a race to learn everything they can about their extraordinary abilities before they face an unknown enemy that has destroyed far too many people like them. But the new world Ellie is navigating is shadowy and she will need all her wits and courage to find out what is threatening her kind and how to survive it.
Glo-Kids is a sci-fi adventure suited to upper middle grade and the lower end of young adult audiences. It perfectly captures the feeling of not quite fitting in. It’s a light, fun exploration of a fascinating world with a dash of romance, a little danger, and a lot of wonder. While the novel wraps up nicely, there’s plenty of scope for Ellie and the other Glo-Kids’ adventures to continue.
The worldbuilding in Glo-Kids is the major draw of this novel. Not only are Ellie’s growing abilities fascinating, the story of how she and the other Glo-Kids got them is riveting too. Both the powers and backstory are unique, and there are endless possibilities for expansion on either.
The relationships in Glo-Kids are as refreshing as the world. Unlike many novels, the characters in Glo-Kids share their problems with their families, rather than trying to navigate the issue on their own. It’s a nice change to see kids who trust the adults in their life, and it’s an equally interesting dynamic to see the parents learning to accept that they can’t fight their kids’ battles for them.
While the world of Glo-Kids is exciting, the narrative tends to veer from the main storyline. Swim meets may be important to Ellie and Todd, but, for readers, their burgeoning powers and the people they inherited them from are far more significant. There is so much opportunity for finding out about the other Glo-Kids, unpacking the threat that they are facing, and exploring the emotional ramifications of who Ellie is and what that means to her loved ones, but some of that is lost in team swims and high school drama.
Glo-Kids is a thrilling adventure set in a great world—a stellar pick for kids moving from middle grade to young adult. Imaginative and fun, it’s reminiscent of old school kids fantasy, where enjoyment and wonder are at the forefront of the experience.
What did you think?