The Glare - by Margot Harrison (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

After living off the grid for more than a decade, a teenage girl must play a dangerous game--and face the shadows of her past--to save the world from a dangerous dark force. A chilling techno-thriller for fans of Black Mirror and #MurderTrending--now in paperback! After ten years of living on an isolated, tech-free ranch with her mother, sixteen-year-old Hedda is going back to the world of the Glare -- her word for cell phones, computers, and tablets. Hedda was taught to be afraid of technology, afraid that it would get inside her mind and hurt her. But now she's going to stay with her dad in California, where she was born, and she's finally ready to be normal. She's not going to go "off-kilter," like her mom says she did when she was just a little kid. Once she arrives, Hedda finally feels like she's in control. She reunites with old friends and connects with her stepmom and half-brother. Never mind the terrifying nightmares and visions that start trickling back -- they're not real. Then Hedda rediscovers the Glare: the real Glare, a first-person shooter game from the dark web that scared her when she was younger. They say if you die thirteen times on level thirteen, you die in real life. But as Hedda starts playing the so-called "death game" -- and the game begins spreading among her friends -- she realizes the truth behind her nightmares is even more twisted than she could have imagined. And in order to stop the Glare, she'll have to first confront the darkness within herself.

Review Quotes

*"Immediately transfixing.... Harrison's ability to lead suspicions astray, her spine-chilling descriptions, and a main character with a distinct character arc make for a worthwhile read for lovers of horror and beyond."--Booklist, starred review

*"The expertly balanced reality-blurring storyline and strategic technology depictions seed psychological scares that will linger long after reading.... A chilling way to turn screen time into scream time."--Kirkus, starred review

"Extraordinarily compelling.... This is a novel with topical appeal for mystery collections; patient readers will be rewarded by the fantastic final act."--School Library Journal

"Ramped-up tension gives way to a nail-biting final showdown and neatly wrapped resolution, suitable for readers who like their techno-scares tempered by human sweetness."--BCCB

Praise for The Glare:

"The Glare is scary, brilliant, deeply gripping, and very very now. This is a new kind of ghost story, where we're haunted by the digital phantoms that we ourselves created."-- Lev Grossman, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians

"Thought-provoking and interesting...add this novel to your collection of modern fiction."--School Library Connection

About the Author

Margot Harrison is an award-winning journalist living in Vermont. She is also the author of The Killer in Me. Find her on Instagram and Twitter at @MargotFHarrison.