Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker, Book 1) [Paperback]

Jenna Black (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 25, 2010

It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…

 

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble.  When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.  

 

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does.  Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This new series begins smartly with 16-year-old Dana, tired of coping with her alcoholic single mother, running away to find her father in Avalon, which, in this arch and insightful version, is situated between twenty-first-century London and the world of faerie. Black handles the mash-up of genres and cultures deftly, giving Dana a credibility that keeps readers cheering her on through such dismal adventures as being dogged by a bodyguard while trying to spend her newfound father’s euros and getting attacked by would-be assassins, as well as those of a more delicious variety, like discovering that bad-boy hunk Ethan may not be all that bad after all. The world building here is brisk but accessible, the issues range from teen angst to faerie politics, and the skills needed to negotiate both include some magic-spell work and some sharp-tongue work. This is a promising start to a series that should have broad appeal among teens tiring of vampires but not dangerous romance. Grades 8-11. --Francisca Goldsmith

Review

“Jenna Black's bewitching journey into the land of Avalon blends mysterious guys, good friends, mortal danger, and confusing relatives into a magical book that just doesn’t let you close it until you are all done. Be prepared to stay up late finishing this one. It's that good.” –Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Need and Captivate

"Glimmerglass is a delightful tale of faerie intrigue and adventure." –Rachel Vincent, New York Times bestselling author of the Shifters series

“Glimmerglass is a terrific read. The story of Dana Hathaway, a girl torn between real-world problems and other-worldly peril is a darkly compelling page-turner shot through with flashes of wit, romance, and adventure. Jenna Black has crafted a fascinating world with her vision of Avalon—a glittering, treacherous place suspended like a bubble between realities, full of enthralling characters and thrilling situations. A wonderful series opener—I can’t wait to see where Dana’s story leads next.” –Lesley Livingston, author of Wondrous Strange and Darklight

Nominated for the 2011 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312575939
• ISBN-13: 978-0312575939
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #448,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.

Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.

Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She is now a full-time writer and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two dogs.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Grass is Always Greener May 28, 2010

By Patrick Shepherd VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This book introduces a rather different city of Avalon, one that is midway between the world of faerie and that of man, that you can actually find on a map and travel by airplane almost to its gates, where both some magics and some tech can work, and is the only portal for trade between the two worlds.

But the story is not about Avalon itself, but rather a 16 year old, Dana, with a great voice, an alcoholic mother, and a very absent father, about whom Dana knows almost nothing except that he's some high mucky-muck in the Avalon world of politics, and whom her mother fled from for reasons that seem to change every time Dana asks about him. Finally getting thoroughly fed up with trying to handle the embarrassments and messes her mother keeps making for her, Dana decides to go to Avalon to find her father, figuring it couldn't be any worse than the life she's currently leading.

What she finds in Avalon is not quite what she expected, as she finds herself immediately involved in the political shenanigans of the Avalon ruling council, with sub-texts of fomented discord by the battle for supremacy between the ruling factions of Faerie. Here she finds the beginnings of romance right alongside distrust of her own ability to properly evaluate other people's character, and where everyone seems to be out to use her for their own ends.

Dana is a likeable and quite believable teen throughout this work, hardworking, independent, and with a solid moral compass. Her mental state mirrors that of many teens who feel alienated and put upon by the vagaries of life, who just know that 'things will be better' somewhere else, or with different parents, and the inevitable 'knowledge' that she's already an adult - and why doesn't the world recognize that fact?... Her growth through the trials of this book is nicely portrayed, and her final conclusion may surprise some readers, but actually makes good sense.

Most of the other characters of this book are not given very much development room, and quite a few of them come across as near-stereotypes. The descriptive work on the city of Avalon is quite sparse, making it difficult for me to really 'see' it as a real city. The plot developments come thick and fast, but I did feel that some information was inappropriately withheld from the reader for too long just to heighten suspense and keep confusion reigning supreme. There are many threads and world-building snippets that are introduced but not given any resolution here, which I suppose will be the subject of further books in this series. But as it is, the ending feels like something of an anti-climax, both happening too fast and only resolving a small portion of the entire story arc.

This is a world that shows much promise. If further books can flesh out what has been started here at the same level of immediacy and relevance that this book displays, then this will be a very good series, good reading both for teens and adults.

---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat) Read more ›

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Glimmerglass May 25, 2010

By Anna Lemkau

Format:Paperback

Avalon is a place where the modern world mingle and coexist with Fae. Dana is through with being the parent to her mother. So she runs away to Avalon to visit her fae father who she has never met. She strongly feels it's gotta be better than the way she's living now, but sadly she has no clue what she's walking into.

I thought this was a fantastic story. I really enjoy fae stories- always unique and a departure from vampire novels. Now I haven't liked every fae story I've read ... but this one really worked for me. Dana is an exciting character. From the moment she steps into Avalon she's tossed into a messed up situation. She feels lost, and not sure what she is being is told the truth or who she can trust. But by the end of her adventure she comes out a stronger person.

Glimmerglass is a spellbinding ride to the very end. The author has created a faerie world shrouded in danger and intrigue. Avalon is home to both humans and fae. A very tempting place, readers will want to keep coming back. I'm eager to see what is next for Dana. This is Jenna Black's first YA novel, I believe she will be welcomed with open arms.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent young adult fantasy May 26, 2010

By Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME

Format:Paperback

One has to travel to London to reach Avalon; the only place where Faerie and the mortal realms converge. It is a sovereign nation similar to how the Vatican is its own country within Rome. Mortals can journey to Avalon but not the Faerie who can only remain in Avalon. Magic and technology work in Avalon but only the latter works in the human realm.

Dana Hathaway is the sixteen year old child of an alcoholic who keeps her daughters away from Avalon and her father. Finally Dana gets so disgusted with her mother's behavior; she enters Faeirie to meet her father Seamus for the first time. When she arrives she learns her father is in jail and her Aunt Grace kidnaps her. Two Faerie siblings, Ethan and Kimber, rescue Dana but they too have their own agenda. They realize she is a Faeriewalker, who can traverse both worlds, which according to her dad when they meet makes her a powerful weapon and brings about a strong interest by all residents of Avalon. Ethan's father, Grace and Seamus want to be the next Consul and Grace would be a great weapon in anyone's arsenal. Where she lives impacts faerie politics as Dana must be protected from those who want to use her and those who want to kill her.

Young adult readers who enjoy the fantasies of the Cast team or that Alyson Noel will relish Glimmerglass. Jenna Black spellbinds and enthralls her readers who initially like the heroine, want to know why Dana's mom fears her daughter's sire she became an alcoholic, drinking and relocating all the time to elude his reach. After meeting him and better understanding the realm of magical politics, fans will remain enthralled as Dana starts to understand what motivates the paternal side of her family. She trusts no one to protect her interests.... With a strong climax and more to follow, fans will want to follow the adventures of the teenage Faeriewalker.

Harriet Klausner Read more ›

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars It sounded promissing... October 15, 2010

By iLeana

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

but it truly wasn't. I'll go straight to my review. I'm a hardcore faerie book fan, collector and a purist in a sense, so that could be the main reason why the story sounded so unbelievable, even for a fantasy book. The setting, or better said, the rules to whom can enter Avalon and Faerie are kind of confusing. The whole Avalon thing is kind of meh. I could never connect with Dana, the main character. Her whole "personality", in my opinion, is not well developed and she's not likable. At all. The motives of why her own aunt would attack her are kind of vague and again hard to believe. I spent about two weeks reading this book, which for me, is a really long time. I lost interest in the story more than once, but, since I paid for the book I forced myself to finish it.I'm aware that this is a young adult book, but YA books don't have to be cheesy. Unfortunately, this one is. This will not be part of my collection and will go straight to ebay.