A book that centers around a drug might conjure images of a literary “Project X.” However, Ned Beauman’s third novel, Glow, is far from a mindless teenage fantasy party. It’s an exciting thriller that perfectly blends suspense and humor.
Glow is about a man in his early 20s named Raf, living in England and behaving in the way most would expect of someone in that age group. He goes to raves every night and sleeps all day, emerging from his apartment only to walk his dog. However, at one of the raves, he meets a girl so beautiful he has trouble focusing on anything else, which he admits, may also be because of the drugs in his system. That same night, his friend offers him ‘glow’, a new drug said to have no harmful side-effects. A few days later, his best friend goes missing. Soon our hero Raf gets caught up in a conspiracy involving one of the most powerful companies in the world.
Thrilling and fun, Glow is the perfect summer read. Beauman weaves humor into a story of suspense, keeping you at the edge of your seat, as well as entertained. But this doesn’t mean there isn’t depth to this exciting novel. The main character has a backstory so rich and relatable, it’s almost as if the reader has known him for years. In addition, Beauman has mastered the craft of rich writing, perfectly painting pictures of both the London cityscape and the wild jungles of Burma. Most evident is his use of similes. Never overdone or cliché, Beauman’s similes help the reader envision the world in which Raf lives without compromising the quality of the writing.
While the plot of this book may really be just another outlandish conspiracy theory novel, it’s still a fun read. In addition, the excellent writing and well thought-out characters make it worth reading, even if the overarching theme of the book is a bit worn out.
@TheChrony