The Glitch by Elisabeth Cohen

The Glitch

by Elisabeth Cohen

"A fast, funny, deeply hilarious debut--The Glitch is the story of a high-profile, TED-talking, power-posing Silicon Valley CEO and mother of two who has it all under control, until a woman claiming to be a younger version of herself appears, causing a major glitch in her over-scheduled, over-staffed, over-worked life. Shelley Stone might be a little overwhelmed. She runs the company Conch, the manufacturer of a small wearable device that attaches to the user's ear and whispers helpful advice and prompts. She's married with two small children, Nova and Blazer, both of whom are learning Mandarin. She employs a cook, a nanny, a driver, and an assistant, she sets an alarm for 2AM conference calls, and occasionally takes a standing nap while waiting in line when she's really exhausted. Shelley takes Dramamine so she can work in the car; allows herself ten almonds when hungry; swallows Ativan to stave off the panic attacks; and makes notes in her day planner to "practice being happy and relatable." But when Shelley meets a young woman named Shelley Stone who has the exact same scar on her shoulder, Shelley has to wonder: Is some sort of corporate espionage afoot? Has she discovered a hole in the space-time continuum? Or is she finally buckling under all the pressure? Introducing one of the most memorable and singular characters in recent fiction, The Glitch is a completely original, brainy, laugh-out-loud story of work, marriage, and motherhood for our times"--

Reviewed by pagesbycyndy on

3 of 5 stars

Share
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

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 May, 2018: Finished reading
  • 21 May, 2018: Reviewed