This quirky read is Eleanor Oliphant meets Silicone Valley. Thank you to the Blonde Bookworm and Double Day for our copy!!!

Shelley Stone is CEO of Conch, a tech startup for a device that sits behind the ear and prompts the user to perform tasks throughout the day – part calendar, part Alexa, part Fitbit. Shelley is also a wife and mother of two children. Her life is chaotic and overwhelming, and the stress manifests itself in many ways, including a chronic sinus condition that began the day she became CEO.

Shelley is not relatable – she is cold, rational and calculated in everything she does. She seems robotic at times and not very accessible to the reader. However, she also evokes empathy as those without social awareness often do.

I found this book to have many parallels to Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, both having a quirky female protagonist who doesn’t quite fit in. Shelley struggles to slow down and enjoy the life she has built with her husband. She sacrifices family life for her company, which is clearly her first priority. When the Conch has a glitch sending her all over the globe (literally) to find a solution, she begins to realize there may be more to life than work and a successful career.

The Glitch is compelling and thought-provoking. It highlighted a lot of the challenges of being a working parent and the difficult choices between career and family that individuals can be forced to make. Highly recommend this novel if you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant or are in the mood for a quirky, futuristic read!

Verdict: Read it! (4/5 stars)
Length: 368 pages
When: You are in the mood for something quirky and futuristic
Quote:  “’You’ll have to iron out the details.’ That’s a great phrase I love. Who even irons anymore? But the very act of saying it irons out having to go into what the specific problems are.”
Also read: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (B2C review here)

Buy The Glitch by Elisabeth Cohen