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The Life of Glass

by Jillian Cantor
342p. 978-0-06168-651-1.
COPY ISBN
Gr 7-10 Melissa's father is dying, and the last words they share come as she shows him a piece of weathered glass that she and her friend Ryan found while riding in the wash behind their house. Melissa's world is further jarred as a new girl makes moves on Ryan, and she finds herself jealous. Also, her mother begins dating a cowboy she met at the beauty salon where she works. Now Melissa is clinging to every connection to her dad that she can, including a journal with a mysterious woman's name in it. Melissa worshipped her father; is it possible that he could have had an affair? In the end, when she is able to let the glass go, she is able to move on with her life. "The Life of Glass" is very much a page-turner and reads effortlessly. Its only flaw lies in trying to be more meaningful than it needs to be: not every interaction needs to be pivotal and every exchange symbolic, but that is easily forgiven. An absorbing read."Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
Before he died, fourteen-year-old Melissa's father told her that the brightest stars aren't the most spectacular. But believing him is difficult when both her mother and sister are dazzlingly beautiful. Melissa's struggle with who she is leads her to discover that being beautiful doesn't solve everything. Cantor's fluid writing tells an authentic story about grief and self-acceptance.

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