I've loved Ali Smith's books in the past, especially her Seasons quartet but hard as I tried (and I tried to get into Gliff twice), I just could not get invested in the story or the characters. I suspect not vibing with the narrator didn't help matters but for whatever reason this was a DNF for me. THe furthest I got was 50% but even though it's a short book I just couldn't force myself to finish. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an early digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I'm a fan of dystopian near future novels, so I was intrigued when I read the premise of Gliff. Overall, I enjoyed this poetic, thought-provoking, often fable-like story of two "unverified" siblings who are attempting to navigate a "brave new world" on their own. For me, the level of ambiguity was sometimes higher than I would have liked, and some more detailed definitions and explanations would have helped me fully imagine the world and how it had come to be that way. However, overall I would recommend it, and I'm looking forward to next year's companion novel "Glyph," which will apparently reveal a story hidden in this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital version of this book in advance of publication.