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The Life of Glass

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Melissa's father died nearly two years ago in April. The last words he spoke were spoken to her and involved a small piece of glass she found in The Wash - a nearby dried up riverbed. Now her life is changing. A new girl moves into town - Courtney and becomes a close friend. The only problem - she likes Melissa's best friend Ryan and he's a bit taken with her as well. Her mother is now dating again and the guy may be younger but her mother seems to be taken with the man. Melissa's older sister Ashley is the same old annoying older sister - never giving her a ride to school and calling her the "imp" whenever talking to her friends. All this and it's her freshman year of high school. But a few different events change the life of Melissa and those around her, will their family work through it in the end?

The Life of Glass is a gorgeously written book about one girl's journey into coming into her own. Melissa is driven by what she enjoys, but she doesn't fully recognize herself for who she is yet. When Ryan gets pulled away from her, she finds that her feelings for him are deeper than friendship but she rather have him by her side in any way possible than not at all. None of the characters are really two-faced. Yes, there's some pettiness involved in the book - her sister being popular and hanging out with the crowd that is snobbish and self-centered. But there's a little more to each of them, a bit of depth.

The point of view of this book is really something else. You get this foggy sense of Melissa's personality and as the novel unfolds, it becomes clearer and clearer - like you are taking the journey with her into realizing who she really is. I like the realism, the interesting characters, and the overall story of this novel and I will definitely be picking up more of Jillian's novels in the future.

"The last thing my father ever told me was that it takes glass a million years to decay. ... It was amazing, the way humans were just flesh and bones, and so susceptible to being broken down into so much less than that, into shadows and old men and hospice-bed figures, and yet glass could stay whole for so long." - Melissa McAllister

Exactly one year, two months and three weeks before Melissa McAllister's first day of high school, her beloved father died of cancer. It is an event she still struggles to get past every single day. When she was with her father, Melissa felt interesting and worthwhile, but she has absolutely nothing in common with her mother and her older sister, Ashley. One a former beauty queen and one a current pageant participant, they seem so much like each other and so very different from studious, introspective Melissa. If it weren't for her best friend Ryan and the stories and tidbits of information in her father's journal, Melissa fears she would become completely invisible.

As the school year progresses, it seems to Melissa as if everyone important in her life is drifting away from her. First it was her father dying, now her mother is ready to move on - she's even started dating again. Melissa's Grandma Harry has become so forgetful, she barely knows when Melissa has been to see her. And then at school, Ashley goes out of her way to either ignore Melissa completely or belittle her. When Ryan starts dating pretty, sophisticated Courtney Whitman and ignoring Melissa altogether, only her father's journal makes her feel real. But when she learns that her father may have had a secret, Melissa begins to fear the past that she can't seem to leave behind.

I first came across Jillian Cantor when I received an Advanced Readers' Copy of The September Sisters, a profoundly moving novel that I devoured in one long afternoon of reading. Even so, I approached The Life of Glass with some trepidation. The jacket blurb left me with the mistaken impression that this was a story concerned mainly with physical beauty - not a subject that interests me, particularly. I should have known that Ms. Cantor wouldn't settle for anything that shallow. This is a beautiful novel about the nature of both truth and beauty, it's centered on life and love and how very fragile human relationships, and human lives, can be. Melissa's voice is so very perfect. She is sad and confused at times, and at others wise and knowing. And always, Melissa is painfully honest and vitally present as she works her way toward understanding grief, love and what is most important in life. As with The September Sisters, the prose here is luminous. Truly a beautiful, stunningly real, coming of age novel.

This was a beautifully woven story. It's often very difficult for me to find a book at the library that I can stick with for awhile. I couldn't put this one down. It had an enticing cover, and I was even more intrigued by the story. This book was very close to home, as a family member of mine also is battling cancer. I could easily relate to Melissa, the main character, and the book felt so real to me. The way she perceives herself and the world around her is so miraculously similar to my feelings. I found myself muttering, "YES! YES!" over and over when I could relate to something so clearly. I'm sure many of you know the feeling. This book was a sense of hope and encouragement. Although a simple storyline, it was extremely empowering, and certainly is a story that grows on you. I'm a sucker for love stories, and reading this really made my week. How wonderful would it be to fall in love with your best friend? This is a sweet, humorous, timeless tale that will stick with you forever. This is a must read. And...if you think this is a mere chick flick with a guy and a girl who fall in love and walk into the sunset, think again. This book encourages me to accept myself for who I am, be strong enough to pick myself up when tragedy hits, and to simply believe in happy endings. Because they ARE real.

THE LIFE OF GLASS is a coming-of-age story of a high school freshman dealing with the death of her father and her troubling feelings for her best friend.

Melissa McAllister is the smart one. She spent lots of time with her father, who shared interesting facts and tidbits with her. But her father has died of cancer, leaving behind his journal of thoughts and findings. It's to this journal that Melissa turns to when she needs to keep her father close.

When her best friend, Ryan, discovers a special piece of glass in the wash where they hang out in the dry season, she tells him that a single piece of glass can last a million years. Melissa keeps the glass with her most of the time as her special token.

During the course of her freshman year, Melissa lives in the shadows of her beautiful older sister. Her mom and sister share a bond that she's always been left out of. When a gorgeous new girl arrives at school and befriends Melissa, even her sister is surprised. Courtney is nothing like Melissa. But soon, Courtney is moving in on Melissa's best friend, even when Melissa assures her that she and Ryan are only friends.

Ryan starts spending all of his time with Courtney and Melissa is again alone. When a popular older boy starts paying attention to her, her life starts to change drastically.

Ms. Cantor writes a bittersweet story of a girl trying to deal with the loss of her father, whom she was quite close to. She also touchingly portrays the struggles Melissa faces when she comes to realize that maybe her feelings for her best friend go beyond friendship. Over the course of Melissa's year, she matures and grows in confidence and self-esteem, as those around her come to accept her for who she is - and she learns to accept herself, as well.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

Melissa still has the last thing of hers that her father touched before he died --- a piece of glass that her best friend Ryan found for her in the wash behind their neighborhood. Melissa's dad told her that glass lasts for a million years, and then he died.

That was a few years ago. Now, Melissa, her older sister, Ashley, and their mother are doing their best to move on. Melissa is a freshman in high school, and she and Ryan are just trying to navigate the school together --- that is, until a new girl, Courtney, shows up and begins to take over. At first it seems that she really wants to be Melissa's friend, but when Melissa is too shy, Courtney sets her sights on Ryan, and eventually the two begin dating.

More and more of the time, Melissa finds herself alone, and soon she discovers some old journals of her father's. In one of them a paper flies out: "Call Sally Bedford" is written on it. That's not Melissa's mother's name, so who is it? Melissa becomes completely preoccupied with trying to find out, but she has to do so without arousing the suspicion of her mother or Ashley.

The year goes on, and, as often happens in high school, friendships become strained. At first happy to be Melissa's friend and Courtney's boyfriend, Ryan decides that Melissa is jealous of their relationship and no longer wants to hang out. Melissa's mother starts dating Kevin, and that bad idea seems like the only thing that Melissa and Ashley share an opinion of. It's a long, hard year, and often Melissa's only confidante is her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer's and often doesn't know who she is. As if that weren't enough, one of the popular guys may have a crush on Melissa, but Ashley insists that he doesn't.

THE LIFE OF GLASS has a lot going on, which is not necessarily a bad thing, except that some of the plot aspects seem a bit contrived, like the Sally Bedford mystery. I did appreciate, however, that each character has a fully developed background --- this isn't just Melissa's story, it's also Ashley's, Ryan's and Courtney's. Just when it seems to be getting away from clichés, though, the book wraps up just a little too neatly to be believable.

I think younger teens will find more in this coming-of-age novel than older ones. Melissa is a rather realistic character, and it's always refreshing to read a YA novel that doesn't have a wealthy, shallow protagonist whose only problem is needing a boyfriend or having to ditch a gossipy friend. Melissa exhibits real character, and that's not always easy to find in a book.

Jillian Cantor has a way of capturing the voice of teens and adults alike. Real experiences, heartbreak, survival, and tons of fascinating facts in this journey of life, death, love, family, and friendship. The characters in this novel will stay with you long after you finish the last page. They could be your neighbors, friends, sisters, mother, or father. I highly commend Jillian for doing an outstanding job portraying a-year-in-the-life in such a vivid, heartfelt manner! This novel leaves you hopeful and cheering for good things to come for these characters. Well done.

Jillian Cantor's THE LIFE OF GLASS is a beautifully woven tapestry of the pieces that make up a life. Truly, at its heart, this book is a series of love stories layered together by Melissa, who, after the loss of her father, carries on his tradition of writing tales of love in his journal. She does this to keep his memory alive, so that she feels close to him.

Melissa also struggles with who she is and where she belongs. With a beauty-pageant-competing sister, a pretty mother, and the new gorgeous girl at school who is stealing her best friend's heart, Melissa attempts to figure out her own identity.

Jillian Cantor has penned a story filled with poignancy and beauty. I simply cannot recommend this book enough.

Melissa's father died almost two years ago. She has been struggling, but is surviving with the help of her best friend Ryan. But through a series of events, her world gets turned upside down. A new girl comes to school and befriends her immediately, for some unknown reason. Ryan gets a girlfriend. Melissa's mom is dating some guy. Ashley, her older sister, is... well just being an annoying older sister with problems. And in the middle of it all, Melissa still has unsolved mysteries about her father, her desires, and herself.

The Life of Glass is a fast read--I tore through it in a matter of hours. I wasn't particularly sure why I couldn't stop reading it. Maybe it was the easy language, maybe it was the characters, maybe I was just in the mood for a good romance novel and that was what was on my shelf. Either way, I didn't stop reading until my sister turned the light out on me.

I liked the characters a lot (though some of them I despised) and others remained mysteries until later in the book; they were those "oh I had no idea they were that kind of person" characters, and I liked the mystery of their personalities. They were relatable and likeable, the ending was nice. It wasn't perfect, but it was nice.

That being said, there was nothing hugely spectacular about The Life of Glass: nothing that will make it a long lasting fantastic memory or escape for me. I enjoyed it and I won't forget it, but it won't be one of those "second reads."

This was part of the 1 ARC Tours for Bloody Bad.

Taken from [...]

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book! This is such a complex yet simple book, you'll have to read the book to totally understand what I mean. We meet Melissa who is just your average teenage girl. She watched her father wither away day by day and pass away finally. It happened in the beginning of the book so you feel the heartbreak right away. I think I could relate to her in so many ways. My father also passed away when I was 13 years old, so I knew exactly how Melissa felt. We meet the side characters such as Melissa's family, Melissa's best friend and neighbor Ryan. Ryan seemed like a somewhat nerdy guy but he was such a sweetheart. We meet Courtney who is new, so a few of the guys want her and of course she takes an interest in Ryan. At that moment, Melissa realizes her feelings for Ryan may run a little deeper than she thought. I felt like I could really relate to Melissa and I enjoyed reading our Ryan and Courtney's biking adventures. I liked hearing about her father's journal. I liked all the other side characters. I thought this book was sweet. You'll have to read it to find out what happened to Melissa and Ryan's relationship, Courtney and Melissa's friendship, and how she dealt with her father's death. I recommend this book. Have the tissues handy.

Overall: Loved it a lot. It was a sweet and emotional book.

When Melissa's father died, he left behind a journal filled with love stories and interesting facts. Among these, the fact that it takes glass a million years to die. Melissa decides to continue her father's journal, and to write down the love stories of those around her in an effort to keep his memory alive.

In addition to love, another theme in this wonderful book is beauty. Melissa's mother and sister are conventionally pretty, and her sister competes in pageants. Her best friend Ryan also begins to fall for the gorgeous new girl in school. This leaves Melissa feeling unsure of her place in the world, and if she herself, can be considered beautiful.

Throughout the book, Melissa must reconcile the memory of her father, with the changes to her family and friends around her.

I absolutely loved this book; I was hooked from the first page to the last. Cantor has written a book that is thoughtful, emotional, realistic and poignant. I highly recommend this book for both adults and teens alike!