The Glow Stone [Hardcover]

Ellen Dreyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2006

The sudden death of her beloved uncle triggers a chain of events that threaten to overwhelm Spider and her family.

Fifteen-year-old Phoebe Bernstein (a.k.a. Spider) has been collecting rocks since she was a child. She keeps her prized specimens in a musty underground garage, stored in the drawers of an old desk that was a gift from her beloved young uncle, Bradford.

But Bradford's sudden death triggers a chain of events that threaten to overwhelm Spider and her family. As her grieving mother descends into depression, her older sister remains remote and her father strangely silent. The pressure grows even worse when Spider unwittingly discovers a disturbing family secret. On the weekend of Bradford's tombstone unveiling, Spider tries to escape for a while-and becomes hopelessly lost while exploring a labyrinth of caves. In the utter blackness she hears a strangely familiar voice beckoning her deeper into the mysterious but oddly welcoming underground world. Soon she will learn the truth about what happened to Uncle Bradford...but will she ever find her way out of the darkness?

Ellen Dreyer has written a dramatic, page-turning adventure that explores the unbreakable bonds that hold families together, even after death.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Fifteen-year-old Phoebe's college-age uncle, with whom she shared a passion for rock collecting, has died of supposed pneumonia, and her depressed mother has stopped painting. Shortly before the unveiling of Bradford's tombstone one year later, Phoebe finds her mother's old diary, which details Mom's suicide attempt as a teenager, and she begins to suspect that her uncle's death was not accidental. During a caving trip with her Aunt Erica, Phoebe hears a voice calling to her and gets lost. Frightened and hurt, she is amazed when Bradford (hallucination? ghost?) appears and not only asks for her forgiveness, but also helps her to survive. Once she's rescued, Phoebe has the courage to talk to her family about the depression that seems to affect many of them and makes peace with her uncle's death. This realistic portrait of a family's grief makes it clear that keeping secrets–even to protect your loved ones–often results in more pain. Readers get a strong sense of the characters' personalities, motivations, and emotions. Dreyer incorporates rock-related imagery into the narrative, neatly reflecting Phoebe's interests. Introspective teens should appreciate Phoebe's hard-won journey to self-acceptance. For a more in-depth portrayal of the grieving process, suggest Julie Reece Deaver's Say Goodnight, Gracie (HarperCollins, 1998).–Laurie Slagenwhite, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI
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Review

"A short novel, filled with thoughtful details and surprising depths." --Kliatt

"This realistic portrait of a family's grief makes it clear that keeping secrets-even to protect your loved ones-often results in more pain. Readers get a strong sense of the characters' personalities, motivations, and emotions. Dreyer incorporates rock-related imagery into the narrative, neatly reflecting Phoebe's interests. Introspective teens should appreciate Phoebe's hard-won journey to self-acceptance." --School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers; First Edition edition (February 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561453706
• ISBN-13: 978-1561453702
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,954,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a fiction writer and editor and I spend as much time as possible crafting imaginary worlds, or thinking about them, or taking in the imaginary worlds of other writers. Words are powerful. My greatest aspiration is to listen well to the stories my heart wants to tell, so I may share them with the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic read, October 30, 2011

By 

Laura - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Glow Stone (Hardcover)

The Glow Stone is a fantastic book. It presents Phoebe's fascinating and suspenseful journey as she discovers some hard truths about her family and chooses to confront them. The writing is engaging, and it's easy to read while still being nuanced and poetic. Well done!

5.0 out of 5 stars A Deep Character, October 26, 2010

By 

Lisa True - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Glow Stone (Hardcover)

Phoebe is a girl I'd like to have as a friend. She notices. She wonders. She tries to fit the pieces together in order to understand. Besides she likes rocks and minerals, and so do I. In Phoebe's case, rocks and minerals remind her of her cousin who died. Phoebe misses her cousin and when she fingers the stones they collected together, her cousin comes to mind. In this well-crafted story, we follow Phoebe into passages of all kinds, psychological and geological, where dark mysteries may be revealed and healed with time. A very enjoyable read featuring a female heroine worth knowing.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Glow Stone shines a light!, April 4, 2009

By 

Carol Haynes - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Glow Stone (Hardcover)

The Glow Stone, by Ellen Dreyer, is a wonderful book that brings to life an exciting and likable new heroine as well as bringing to light the issue of depression and bipolar disorder. Phoebe, the main character, is drawn vividly and realistically enough to make the reader really care what happens to her. She tries to deal with the death of a beloved uncle, an event that sparks more than just grief in her family, as old secrets make themselves felt in new ways. Dreyer's treatment of bipolar disorder, especially in the way in which it affects those around the person suffering is honest and sensitive. The action moves from the psychological to the physical during Phoebe's excursion into a cave with her Aunt Erica. This sequence is tense, exciting and utterly believable. I will be looking for more of Ellen Dreyer's books because she is an excellent novelist!