“The smell of burnth maple trees bowing before her, cities flattened in an exhale.”

Teenager Eli is the assassin-puppet made by the witches. She hunts ghosts in human world with her seven blades made from her body. But when she is sent to kill a human, something goes wrong.

All characters are queer in different ways. Eli is a badass, assembled from different materials (as bone, glass, stone, pearl, thorns,..) which is reflected in her blades. Her magical crocodile form is an unusual one. I liked almost all witch-world characters but not the ones from human world. I couldn‘t even visualize Tav and Cam, which is not a good sign for me (& I like to think I have great imagination). They were too random and hipster looking to me. As a good YA fantasy, there have to be romantic triangle. Unfortunately I haven‘t developed any rapport to the relationship between Eli and Tav, her co-partner-in-crime. And every main human character is a teenager addicted to coffee (even human Eli).

The story is in two worlds – magical City of Eyes, human City of Ghosts. I was absorbed in supernatural world with witches, brutal magic and where everything is alive and dignifiable. But sometimes there were too many details in the scenery that I’ve lost a track of the plot for a minute.
Adan‘s writing reminded me the writing in The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (which I love). Rich metaphors, lyrical narrative. Some of it was imaginable, some of it not, but it was the most compelling anyway.

„Eli felt her heart move strangely, like a fish newly released into the ocean.“

Overall, reading the genre you don‘t usually read can enrich your horizons. Queer YA fantasy isn't a genre I usually read, so this may be the review of a newbie to it. Despite the fact that I liked the world of magic and descriptive writing, I won‘t be continuing with the series. 2,5*

2.5 stars

this was a very promising concept, but unfortunately I felt it was very lacking. while I loved the characters and their dynamics, I had a hard time connecting with the rest of the story. the worldbuilding had so much potential to be interesting, but it did not capture my attention enough. I would have liked a more thorough explanation of the city of eyes and the like. honestly, I just felt very confused half the time. I was intrigued at some parts, then other times i was just scratching my head. I really did like the dynamics of the characters enough that I will try and read the sequel of this though.

Unfortunately, the writing style for this book was not for me. I didn't find myself connecting with the characters very much either. I think the premise of the book sounds really great and I am sure someone else will find something special within this book.

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass
Adan Jerreat-Poole
3.5/5 Stars

I got an ARC of this book for an honest review so here it is! This book had an amazing beginning, I was instantly hooked by the characters, what our protagonist Eli had just done, and who she was. I was very pleased with the beginning of what could be a great story.

Before I address the issues I have with this book, I would like to say that I love the cover and how it can stand out in a crowd of other books. I love the colour palette used and I would definitely commit cover-buy for this book!

Secondly, I love how he brings what normally would be considered as ugly and disgusting into art and beauty. The descriptions of slugs, burnt maple, glass, dried bark- etc, it makes us see the beauty in things that we don't normally consider as beautiful, and that really is amazing. Another thing I love in this book was how it discussed (although only briefly) queer discrimination. I am a sucker for books that address issues that pop up in our society because this way, people will come to read it and become more aware of it.

Thirdly, I love the world-building in this book so much! It made me fall in love with earth all over again as Tav showed Eli around. I love the City of Eyes and how mysterious time works in that world. I love the Children's Lair and how it was a place of sanctuary (sort of) for witches. I also love the Labyrinth and how Eli and Kite came across it. Everything about the Witches world was amazing, The world is dark, luscious and makes me want to drown in it.

Now, this story has so much potential but I feel like it wasn't fleshed out enough to be a page-turning phenomenon. Some parts of the book just made me feel like it was filler and dragged on so much, and maybe that was why it took me so long to read it. The world-building was amazing and the relationships between characters were also so realistic but just the way the plot carried itself was not ideal. Don't get me wrong, I loved it and loved my time in Eli's world but in the end, it didn't make me crave the next book or feel like I needed to know what happened next.

The ancient folklore of golems gets twisted in The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass by Adan Jerreat-Poole.

Meet Eli, a teenage girl made from inanimate objects with a specific intent. She is formed by a witch and expected to carry out tasks, namely assassination, in the name of the witch. When things go wrong with one assignment, Eli's world is upended.

The adventurous tale of a young person coming into understanding themselves and the world around them is well-honed in The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass. Our protagonist uncovers something secret about herself and the witch she calls Mother. She then spirals down the rabbit hole to free herself from the confines of what defines her, gathering a ragtag group to help along the way.

The addition Jerreat-Poole makes to this coming of age tale brings the non-binary community to the forefront, offering a well-integrated but not forceful look into the LGBTQ+ community. While the cast of characters is variant, and the writing poetic, the book needs some refinement. Perhaps it is the poetry of the writing that gets in the way. The base needs of descriptions are ample, but the characters lack self-identification.

The absence of personalities made it difficult to latch on to the story. Eli comes across as the only character given flesh, making this more about her instead of about the plot. Not that the plot isn't a brilliant and unique idea. What could have been a fast-paced ride into a strange world of spirits and witches, ends up a slow, dull drag into a story falling short on purpose.

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass lacks a sense of urgency. Even as the final chapters unfurl, there is no building dread or thrill. Jerreat-Poole has brilliant prose and a non-binary character that is not stiff or difficult to comprehend, yet The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass falls short on addictive reading. In the end, the story feels bland, where it should be exhilarating.

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass is a YA fantasy, following the story of a teenage girl who was created by witches and sent to the human world to hunt and kill ghosts using her 7 deadly blades. Along the way, she begins to wonder if she is somehow being set up, and questions who she can really trust. Marketed as being perfect for fans of Nevernight and The Hazel Wood, I was incredibly intrigued by the premise.

First of all, I really enjoyed the writing style, which was rich in lyrical metaphors and almost had a poetic feel to it. The imagery created, especially when it came to colours, was beautiful. There were times when I loved the witty banter between characters, however I felt the dialogue was a little inconsistent as there were times when I couldn’t tell who was speaking or lost track of what they were talking about.

Similarly, I found the magic system to be very confusing, as it was lacking in clear structure and rules, which I think is crucial in fantasy writing. I found the overall plot to be hard to follow and I wasn’t really sure what the character’s were trying to achieve or why.

That being said, I enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the book, and the exploration of trust and betrayal. The diversity and representation were fantastic, which I always appreciate, particularly in YA novels. Some of the magical concepts were original and interesting, despite lacking slightly in execution. Overall, I thought this was a quick, action packed YA fantasy, perhaps better suited to younger readers. With some tweaks in structure and pacing, I believe the author has all the fundamental writing qualities to produce something great in the future.

This book fell flat for me... I was really excited based on the cover and description but it ended up being a real slog to go through. There was good representation, which I liked, but the story and worldbuilding didn't feel thought out.

Thanks to Netgalley for gifting me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.



I really wanted to like this book, I really did. It had such potential but it fell flat in so many ways. I pushed myself hard to try and finish it but it took me ages.

The synopsis had me hoping for a kickass witchy assassin vibe but the character development and world building was lacking and all over the place.

It did however have wonderful representation and felt that there could be massive potential.

I unfortunately did not like the writing style or the storyline as much as I thought I would so I ended up giving it a really low rating and DNF-ed it.

I was wary before beginning ‘The Girl of Hawthorn & Glass’ as I’ve mostly seen pretty negative reviews. However I think I enjoyed it more than most. I liked Eli’s world and the characters, especially Clytemnestra & Cam. I enjoyed the descriptions, I kinda wished our story would of come from the children in the labyrinth as I found them intriguing. However, I must admit that around 70% it got kind of tedious and confusing, it almost felt like descriptive words were just being added for the sake of it which made the story really hard to follow. I wasn’t 100% sure what was happening at some points and at others all the description made it seem like nothing much as happening at all. It felt like we kept building up to a solid bit of action and then it would just disappear in a confusing cloud of description. Saying all that, I really do feel this had great promise and overall I did enjoy it, I really hope the author builds on this to bring us something brilliant in the future.

Thank you Netgalley & Dundurn.

I give this story 3.5 stars out of 5. I would have liked to be more in the world building department. And I found something's a bit confusing. I did like the characters, especially Tav, and Cam. I liked Eli as well but again found her to be a bit confusing at times. I also found the story a bit slow at times. I would continue reading the series cause I do want to know what happens. I think it would be interesting if Tav and Eli ended bbn up together. Overall, I did like this story, I think I just need to read it again cause I think some of the confusion is on me.

3 for neutral, I tried on a bunch of occasions to try and read this book, but could never get into it. I will update at later date if able to get into it and finish.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the DunDurn for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected release date May 16, 2020.***


I REALLY wanted to love this book – the cover is beautiful, the summary sounds AMAZING, and the preface by the author was very powerful.

Once I started the story however, I just wasn’t able to get into it. The characters for the most part didn’t really speak to me, and I had a bit of trouble following the story line. That being said, I probably will also read the follow-up to this story when it comes out because it features my favorite character from the book.

2 STARS at best ★★✩✩✩
This book is for you if… you fall in love first and foremost with the characters. It wasn't for me but I feel this might be exactly what some readers might need.

⤐ Overall.
Ugh. What is going ONNNNah. You know when you didn't enjoy a book and don't care although you feel like you should? Well, I didn't really enjoy this book but am honestly livid that I don't. I had high hopes, fueled by the cover and the powerful preface Adan gave their readers. I really, really, really, realllyyy wanted to love this but I just didn't feel the suspense at all. The characters are amazing, lovely, adorable, all of them. Tav, omg if I just had a fraction of their spit. And the way Cam cares is just too much for anybody with not above average emotional capacities. They were somehow crystal clear to me, interesting and very distinct from each other.

The world-building, on the other hand, lacked in so many places that I had an extremely hard time settling into the book. I suppose the plot of A Girl of Hawthorn and Glass might be described as original but I wouldn’t know because the aids to help imagine the universe of this book are thin as paper mâché. I couldn't picture Eli's homeworld at all, much less the people and creature inhabiting it, didn't get the faintest idea of the dynamics despite the introduction of the council and her maker/mother. It was rough and I had the hardest time pushing through.

Some of Adan's prose is also quite irritating. It's challenging to get behind ‘she was like an ant on a giant pile of black sand’. What does that even mean?

Does it make any sense at all that I love all the characters but felt 98% detached from the story?

⤐ What’s happening.
‘What’s the magic word?’ ‘I was trained to kill?’ ‘Good enough for me.'

Eli belongs in the human world like fish belong in the desert. Or at least that's what everyone tells her. The more time she spends in the City of Ghosts - the more contact she has with humans - the less certain she is of those words and her life as an assassin. And then she meets Tav who are badass and strong but also soft in all the right ways, and Cam who cares in a way few people care. And then Eli questions her alliances ... again.
_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 2.5*

pace = 1*

plot/story in general = 3*

plot development = 1*

characters = 5*

enjoyability = 2*

insightfulness = 3*

This was a unique story however I just could not find myself investing in it as much as I wish I could have. I did not feel as connected to Eli and her motivations. The stakes in the story were high yet the reactions from most of the characters didn’t match up. Eli is suppose to be an assassin and yet nothing about her really spoke to the degree of someone who would have been an assassin. The story didn’t really do much for me and I just couldn’t invest in it. I loved that there was LGBTQ+ representation however the characters were lacking in their stories, motivation, and backgrounds. The fantasy element was not really stretched out and the world building wasn’t well fleshed out. I really tried to like the book and characters however sadly it just did not work for me.
*thank you netgalley for sending me an arc in return for an honest review *

I gave this novel a 3 star review, the story itself was a little rushed and didn't make sense sometimes. I got a little bored sometimes when trying to work out what was going on.

The characters were okay but i personally couldn't connect to them.

A sharp, whimsical and darkly magical tale of witches and bones, blades and thorns. Carrying the reader from the gritty injustice of the world we know to one where children are the terrors in the night and made girls are tools used for power.


I received a eARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.


The arc I received was evidently a very early edit of this book so will not judge it too harshly on parts that have most lightly been improved since.


The world(s) is intriguing and the magic system unique and unapologetic in its raw wildness.
Some descriptions felt like lines of poetry and I really loved this aspect.

The characters are well written and fleshed out.
There is some beautiful diversity and representation among the cast.
Relationships between the characters are intricate and well developed.
My only quam was how quickly the main romantic relationship developed, it felt a little abrupt. Though, in comparison to many YA romances, it wasn't overly rushed.
The plot felt a little wavering to me pacing wise but this wasn't a major turn off.
The writing itself felt somewhat clunky at times but as I said earlier, this is an early edit and I'd imagine it's improved much since.

Overall a fun magical adventure filled with wit and a very original take on magic and witches.

*I received an arc from NetGalley for an honest review.*

I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews for this book, but I honestly enjoyed it. I haven’t read Neverwhere or The Hazel Wood, which this book has been compared to, so I can’t comment on how similar it is to those books. To me it has hints of classic 80s fantasy movies such as The Neverending Story with a dash of Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It’s not a happy feeling book, which is probably why others didn’t like it. I loved the darker feeling to the story and the world building was intriguing. I loved the main character, Eli, as I am a sucker for snarky badass characters. I also liked Tav and Cam but felt they could have used a little more character development. This book has a great representation of LGBT characters that come off real and not trivial. I also want to say that I love the book cover and think it looks beautiful.

Eli is girl made by witches to kill ghosts. She travels from the City of Eyes to the City of Ghosts (Earth) to complete the missions that the Coven send her on. When a mission doesn’t go as planned, she begins to question everything she knows.

After a second assignment in a row goes wrong, Eli finds herself stranded on Earth. There she meets a group of people who know about magic and want to bring it to Earth to help fix their problems. She begrudgingly joins their cause so she can get back home. Along the way she finds new friends and reunites with old ones. Will their team be able to defeat the witches and get the magic they need? You’ll have to read the book to find out. (less)

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-Arc. Will read more from this author in the future. See star rating for my review.

This book!!!! Wow it was so awesome and unexpected. I was sold on the premise when I read it. Queer witches? Sign me up. I really enjoyed this story so much. I absolutely loved Eli, Tav and Cam. My favourite part of this book though was hands down the world building. The world building on this book was some of the best world building I’ve read in a while. So intricate and detailed. So much thought and time when into this story.

The pace of this book was really great. I never felt bored at all. I literally read the last half of the book in one sitting. I was invested. I loved Eli so much. She is such a badass character and she was so interesting. Like how she could change eye colour and her teeth? Like what? It’s so cool. I’ve never seen that done before.

My only complaint which isn’t really a bad thing is that I wish we seen a little more a romance? Maybe we’ll get that in the next book which I am pumped for. But that’s what drew me into the premise so that’s what I was expecting. I still loved this book though.

I loved Tav as well. I really liked the inclusion of there dead name. However, I feel like some people could take that the wrong way. I thought it was cool and was a cool way to include the experiences of trans people into a fantasy setting. I really liked it!

I really loved the ending of this book!! Like holy shit!! I need the next book immediately. Like wtf?? So good. I highly recommend this book when it comes out later this year!! So worth it!!! Can’t wait to see Eli in the next book.